The Saint George Triangle multi-party simulation centers on decision making at a top organizational level. Designed for executives, MBAs, HR professionals, executive coaches and consultants, the exercise presents participants with a series of interconnected case studies, since every decision made creates, in effect, a new case and new circumstances. This simulation requires a minimum of about 24 players. Participants work in small teams of about six people, with each team representing one of six to seven different interest groups. The simulation should be supervised by at least one Principal Facilitator with a deep knowledge of group dynamics. It is suggested that the Principal Facilitator(s) should be assisted by two or three other Facilitators.

Describes the situation brought about by the severe economic and political crisis that swept Argentina at the end of 2001. The local situation had been gradually deteriorating since 1998, when the country slipped into an increasing recession and poverty indexes started climbing consistently. The crisis peaked when the federal government decided to freeze all bank accounts, further unnerving the general population. Fundacion Pro Vivienda Social (FPVS) began to feel the repercussions of the crisis: client numbers became stagnant in 1999, and its regular portfolio could no longer afford new loans. As the recession deepened, FPVS clients found it hard to make the required payments on their loans. The organization faced financial distress, and Raul Zavalia Lagos had to meet with its administrative council to discuss alternative solutions. Focuses on Lagos' role as social entrepreneur, describing his family background, previous experience, and ability to lead the FPVS project and build a network with a series of actors who provided the necessary funding, advice, and contacts. Also explains how FPVS started to respond in 1998 to the worsening local social and economic conditions by developing alternative programs to appeal to new borrowers. As these initiatives proved ineffective, the foundation turned to consider other projects, based on the demands voiced by the communities where it operated.

The French all it bien dans sa peau, and it is a quality that every leader needs to be effective, that is feeling good in his or her own skin.

Every manager has his or her eye on the finish line, but sometimes what you do or don't do during the race is more important than winning it.

Shift the focus from business functions to business issues and transform the static, hierarchical organization into the dynamic, responsive enterprise and you're on the leading edge of management thinking today.

In this three-party negotiation exercise, Jesse J, star center in the U.S.A. Women's Basketball League, with her agent, is negotiating a possible compensation package with the Boston Sharks involving a base salary, a possible share of team merchandising profits, and a performance incentive. Each player (Jesse J, her agent, the Sharks general manager) has a confidential brief as the basis for the negotiation.

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In 2004, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. proposed to build a new supercenter in Inglewood, a low-income community near Los Angeles. The proposal was a part of Wal-Mart's strategy to bring its supercenter format to California. Introduced in the late 1980s, supercenters added a full line of groceries and specialty departments to Wal-Mart's traditional assortment of general merchandise. Wal-Mart's planned entry into California caused problems even before the discounter opened a single supercenter. To compete with Wal-Mart, supermarkets in California cut grocery workers' health benefits and wages. The unions ordered a strike against the supermarkets. The labor unrest lasted five months and involved 70,000 workers. In the meantime, Inglewood's city council rejected Wal-Mart's request to build a supercenter. The retailer took its expansion plans directly to the voters of Inglewood. With the help of the California initiative process, Wal-Mart forced a public vote on the proposed 60-acre development. Will Inglewood's voters dampen the shine of "America's most admired company?"

Mobile network operator Sunday Communications Ltd. burst onto the scene in 1997 with an innovative approach to branding and promotion. Its "feels like Sunday" series of television commercials depicting irreverent attitudes and typical person-presenters struck a chord with Hong Kong customers and generated an initial interest that surpassed expectations for the late-entry mobile network provider. Encouraging initial sales figures coupled with a highly visible brand positioned Sunday to be a serious contender within the acutely competitive mobile phone sector. But despite its successes, Sunday claimed a mere 9.8% of the market in 2000 and 8.3% in 2005. With the mobile phone sector in Hong Kong operating at maximum penetration, would the lure of the Sunday brand prove strong enough to sustain a loyal subscriber base long term? Would its irreverent brand image eventually wear thin?

The case is designed to encourage readers to select among three highly qualified candidates for an important managerial position. In doing so, readers are required to establish the set of criteria that they believe should be taken into account when making an important hiring decision for the bank. Through the process of considering and prioritizing potential criteria with respect to the three potential candidates, readers are led to evaluate and reflect upon the vision, mission and core ethical values of the bank.

Wayward or doomed are the projects that are poorly managed. This author proposes standards and metrics that will make a project initiated a project that succeeds.

Organizations need to be built to change and to attract the behaviours they reward. Traditional reward systems lead to stability and often fail to motivate either performance or change. Merit-based salary increases are typically small and permanent, meaning they don’t significantly increase motivation, but can result in poorly performing but highly paid long-term employees. They create a situation in which the only way to punish underperforming or change-resistant employees is to fire them. Bonus pay is a superior reward system, as it provides more money (and hence motivation) and is impermanent. It is particularly valuable for driving organizational change. The impact of stock plans on motivation is likely less than bonuses, because the connection between performance and pay is weaker. But stock plans can create a culture of ownership and “common fate” and may better motivate change than profit sharing. Person-based pay, which pays an employee according to their skills and knowledge, is more effective in a work situation with changing task assignments than paying someone for a particular job. As this article shows, decreasing the rewards for seniority and job size are important, but they are unlikely to be as powerful as rethinking how the system should reward individuals for their skills and how it should reward performance.

Breaking down the barriers that stifle employees is easier said than done. These authors have helpful advice for well-intentioned managers.

Before you can say What crisis? you will find your organization already in the thick of it. Which is why leaders who know how to respond will be favourably judged.

Companies that create an environment that challenges employees and enables them to achieve their goals will find employees richly engaged.

An engaged employee is a person who is fully employed in, and enthusiastic about their work. The authors of this article believe that executives must be concerned about the current level of engagement in the workplace. The Employment Engagement Index published by the Gallup Management Journal indicates that only 29 percent of employees are actively engaged in their jobs, fifty-four percent of employees are not engaged while seventeen percent of employees are actively disengaged. Managers should be concerned about such results as New Century Financial Corporation statistics show that employee engagement does not merely correlate with bottom line results - it drives results. The article also describes the ten C's of employee engagement that make great leaders. The authors suggest that leaders connect with their employees and make them aware that they are valuable assets. Leaders should provide challenging and meaningful work with opportunities for career advancement. While challenging employees, good leaders also instill the confidence that the challenges can be met. Leaders should convey and clarify their expectations about employees and provide feedback on their functioning in the organization. Exceptional leaders also congratulate i.e. they give recognition, and they do so a lot; they coach and convey. Good leaders help people see how they are contributing to the organization's success and future. They also create opportunities for employees to exercise control over the flow and pace of their jobs and communicate their vision clearly. Great leaders are also team builders, they encourage collaboration. Furthermore, good leaders are credible. They strive to maintain a company's reputation and demonstrate high ethical standards. Lastly, good leaders help create confidence in a company by being exemplars of high ethical and performance standards.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recently approved a drug-coated stent for use in angioplasty procedures. The stent is expected to reduce the rate of repeat procedures due to restenosis, and to postpone the need for more invasive surgery such as coronary bypass. However, the drug-coated stent costs three times as much as an uncoated stent, which will increase the cost of the medical procedure. Public demand for the stent is overwhelming, because of the higher cost and huge demand, cost of medical care could increase dramatically. Students need to think about the trade-off between quality improvements and higher costs of medical treatment by looking at the impact on several stakeholders: patients, hospitals and insurers.

This note discusses the legal issues entrepreneurs must consider as they form their company as a legal entity. In Q&A format, the note concisely defines the types of entity available and discusses when and how to engage a lawyer.

This case series of a failed startup in the financial services market illustrates three of the key issues in launching a new business - the role of a strong and cohesive founding team, the problem of lack of credibility faced by new ventures, and the importance of developing elements of novelty or innovation in the proposed business model.