Focuses on the search for opportunity, the generation and evaluation of business concepts, creation of a business plan, and the start-up process. Follows experienced entrepreneur Christy Jones as she combines her business skills and personal experience to generate new business concepts. Jones' assessment of the market opportunity for the egg harvesting and cryopreservation business was based on firsthand observations of the needs of young professional women and extensive field and scientific research. The plan, which won the HBS business plan contest in 2004, provides a good example of the form and substance of a well-crafted plan. Provides an opportunity to discuss the underlying social issues that make it attractive for young women to purchase "fertility insurance" while they pursue professional careers.
Describes the career path and insights of Stanley Lapidus, a successful serial entrepreneur in the medical and life sciences industry. Lapidus is the founder of Cytyc Corp. (NASDAQ: CYTC) and EXACT Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS) and is currently the CEO of his third start-up, Helicos BioSciences. Gives students insight into the skills and experiences that are helpful in building successful medical technology companies.
Simon Property Group launched a hostile tender offer for upscale Taubman Centers. This case discusses issues of Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) valuation, financial policy, and corporate governance, as Robert Taubman and his company's independent directors must decide whether to accept the $20 per share offer and, if not, what other action to take.
David Hetz and Jon Osgood are forming a new venture capital fund in 2001 to invest in health care start-ups. Describes their fundraising activities at a time when venture capital investing has reached an all-time high. Although their background skills and experiences fall outside venture capital, they have identified a large investor and a number of smaller investors to back their small fund. They believe their fund's strategy uniquely addresses the strategic needs of large, corporate acquirers. At the same time, their approach addresses venture capital's reliance on public markets for liquidity events--which all but evaporated with the dot-com collapse of March 2000. Hetz and Osgood face challenging negotiations to close the fund. Raises the question of whether there is a need for a fund like this at the time of the case. Supports discussion of specialized versus generalized venture capital funds.
Domglas Inc. must estimate the potential demand for ready-to-eat soup packaged in glass jars for the convenience of microwave-oven owners. (A Microsoft Excel data file is available for use with this case, product 7A80E002.)
The plant manager for Noram Foods was considering the impact of changing Noram's policy on package weight. Noram Foods in Canada had an enviable record of sound financial performance, although there had been a period of declining profits when the Canadian economy suffered under conditions of high unemployment, high interest rates, and high inflation. Leo Marsden believed the weight control issue represented a major opportunity for re-evaluation and increased performance.
The general manager of a division of an international cosmetic company must decide hoe to deal with a lack of response to a memo. The general manager wrote to the vice-president of operations to elicit some response from Operations that would lead to better communication between marketing and operations. It is now only three days until the next meeting between operations and marketing and the vice-president has made no response to the general manager's memo.
The entrepreneur and owner of Designer Classics Carpet, is deciding upon future growth opportunities for his company. Opportunities for forward and background integration have been identified. As well, the acquisition of a firm manufacturing a related product line is being considered. He must decide upon priorities, direction and timing of all these moves.
An auditor is planning the audit of a new client, Acme Hardware. For preparing the audit plan, he becomes aware of the possibility that certain managers might be using accounting flexibility to aid them in qualifying for incentive bonuses based on profitability. The areas are inventory and advertising. The auditor must decide what action, if any, to take.
The president and the general manager have to make some quick decisions about how to deal with the media after an advertisement has offended the black community and caused angry complaints of racism. The company also wants to develop plans to avoid similar problems in the future.
The new vice-president for Kentucky Fried Chicken in southeast Asia, must weigh the growth benefits of investing in China with alternative opportunities in the region. He is at the exploratory stage of market research and is focusing his attention on four possible locations in China. He must also balance his own personal ambitions with the possibilities for failure, not only in China, but the rest of southeast Asia. (A 31-minute video is available with this case, Kentucky Fried Chicken in China - Video.) A follow-up case Kentucky Fried Chicken in China (B) is also available.
The vice-president, corporate and public affairs, at an insurance company has to prepare the next year's internal communications program at a time when the company is undergoing a revolution - an effort to improve service and profits through a radical organizational and cultural change. The small communications department has played a key role and tried new methods in the company's move toward empowerment and increased accountability. At this point, creating a communications strategy on a limited budget means choosing among priorities, but a recent survey of employee attitudes has provided some input into needs.
An expansion in the bottling plant of a brewery leads to a reassessment of the manual palletizing operation. It is possible to purchase expensive automatic equipment and a choice of makes is involved.
The newly-appointed general manager of Butler Metal Products was considering changes to his firm's shop floor organization. About two years earlier, his predecessor had switched from a traditional functional hierarchy to focused factories. Although the changes were accompanied by 35% reductions in inventories, throughput times and defect rates, there was concern that they would not be enough to assure Butler's survival in the economically-stressed automotive industry. The focused factories were struggling with conflicting demands for shared equipment and human resources. Did the factories need to be refocused, left alone, or reverted back to the old organization?
This case is an up-close look at the management of a large mining and smelting alliance in Australia. One partner is American, the other Australian. Although it is an equally owned venture, the Australians are the lead partners, but they are not doing a very good job. The Americans are frustrated by this, but uncertain as to how to influence their partner. The Americans also have been frustrated in their attempts to introduce a new technology to the mine and expand it. The case is an excellent vehicle for exploring the issue of management control and influence in joint ventures. Does having a lead partner make sense? What should be the role of each company vis-a-vis operating issues? Strategic issues?
This business game allows participants to make 12 scheduling decisions under conditions of demand uncertainty. It is played with groups of 3-5 participants and does not require a computer.
About 15 operators work in a simple hybrid batch-flow environment to produce the Earth Buddy novelty product. The case introduces the topic of process analysis. Sufficient information is presented to introduce and discuss the following concepts in an 80-minute class: capacity, throughput time, cycle time, bottleneck identification and resolution, and work-in-process inventory accumulation and draw-down. Issues that can be explored during the discussion include: shift scheduling, the impact of cross-training, batch versus flow production, rush orders, and the impact of defects on capacity. (An Extend simulation file is available for this case, Earth Buddy - Extend Simulation file.)
The business development manager for General Electric (GE) Canada, met with executives from GE Supply, a US-based distribution arm of GE. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss new business opportunities in energy management and efficiency. The business development manager had identified some opportunities for business development in Canada, while leveraging GE's strategic capabilities did not fit well with GE's corporate structure. He was keen to work with GE Supply but wanted to retain a high level of operating autonomy. The challenge was to put together an appropriate organizational structure and find a home for the new development idea. (A sequel to this case is available, titled GE Energy Management Initiative (B), case 9A94G006. A 12-minute video may also be purchased with this case, video 7A94G005.)
The newly appointed division head must examine organizational or communication problems within a division of a billion dollar semiconductor manufacturer. The manager made a decision, which an employee emotionally responded to, creating the potential for conflict within the department. Cross-cultural issues come into play given that the manager, although originally from China, was educated and gathered extensive experience in the West and was thus considered an expatriate by his employees. The manager must also examine the effect of organizational culture on an employee's behavior.