Investigates how the rise of the Internet as a vehicle for renting and buying movies has disrupted the video rental industry and how market leader Blockbuster Inc. can and should respond to these developments. Explores how the emergence of e-commerce affects the degree to which consumers buy instead of rent low-priced DVDs and how Blockbuster might adjust its online initiatives in response. Details the rise of Internet-enabled substitution threats, such as home delivery services (e.g., Kozmo.com) and Internet subscription services (e.g., Netflix.com), and investigates the potential options and chosen actions of Blockbuster Inc. as it seeks to maintain its competitive position. In times of technological change, firms continuously face decisions regarding the extent to which they should embrace a technologically advanced substitute at the possible expense of their existing products and services. Guides the reader through Blockbuster's decisions and its resulting responses.
Examines the emergence of technologies for delivering video content to consumer homes via direct digital distribution and investigates the strategic options facing video rental giant Blockbuster Inc. as it tries to respond to the new technological substitutes. Examines the impact of personal video recorders (or digital video recorders) on the market for Blockbuster's main complementary products, the VCR and DVD player, and explores how this technology might ultimately impact Blockbuster. Addresses the current and future impact of video-on-demand, the latest incarnation of the long enduring pay-per-view technology, and analyzes Blockbuster's potential and actual response to the threat. In times of technological change, firms continuously face decisions regarding the extent to which they should embrace a technologically advanced substitute at the possible expense of their existing products and services.
Skoda Auto is one of the oldest car brands in the world. Prior to its nationalization in 1946, the company was one of the technologically most advanced car companies. For more than four decades, Skoda Auto's potential was severely limited. It was only when Volkswagen bought an equity stake in 1991 for Skoda Auto to regain its lost fame. In fact, the company became the success story from Central and Eastern Europe. Between 1991 and 2002, the company increased its sales from 172,000 units to 445,000 units, of which 84% were exported. The case explains in detail the three-stage transformation of Skoda Auto. By 2002/3, the company was definitely world-class and a key driver of the transformation in the Czech Republic. Nevertheless, some significant decisions had to be made. What was the role of the Skoda going to be within the VW Group? What could be done to overcome the negative perception of the brand? What would change due to the expansion of the EU?
Provides a comprehensive background of the video rental industry and home entertainment giant, Blockbuster Inc. Follows the life of Blockbuster Inc. from its first days under founder Wayne Huizenga to its most recent developments under 2003 CEO John Antioco. By looking at various strategic decisions its leaders have made throughout the past few decades, students come to understand better how Blockbuster Inc. has become the industry's dominant player. Also explores the fascinating economics of the home video industry, paying particular attention to the unique revenue-sharing model that has developed in recent years. Understanding Blockbuster Inc. and the video industry's background also allows students to analyze better the various technological substitution threats (such as DVD, DIVX, sell-through, home delivery services, Internet subscription services, personal video recorders, pay-per-view, and video-on-demand).
Investigates how the rise of digital video formats threatens to make videocassette technology obsolete; how this technological substitution might alter the economics and structure of the video rental and retail industries; and how Blockbuster Inc., the industry leader, should respond to the new technologies. Explores Blockbuster's response to the new DVD and DIVX digital disk formats and the impact of these technologies on Blockbuster's traditional business model. Also highlights the industry changes that DVD has created, including an increase in direct video sales at the expense of video rental. In times of technological change, firms continuously face decisions regarding the extent to which they should embrace a technologically advanced substitute at the possible expense of their existing products and services. Guides the reader through Blockbuster's decisions and its resulting responses.
In the early 1990s Sears faced and allegations by the California Department of Consumer Affairs that the company's auto repair centers had been overbilling customers and making unnecessary repairs. Top management must evaluate the problem and come up with a plan to improve performance. An abridged version of an earlier case.
The Pizza Public Co. Ltd. (PPCL) is a division of the Minor Group of Companies that focuses on the management and operation of food service outlets. Takes place between November 1999 and February 2000 and covers the negotiation process between PPLC and Tricon Restaurants USA regarding the renewal of the company's franchise agreement for Pizza Hut in Thailand. After 20 years of managing the brand, an agreement cannot be reached and PPLC must plan for the development of a new pizza brand.
Manville Corp.'s senior managers are surprised when Japanese government officials advise them not to go forward with their plan to add a cancer warning label to diatomaceous earth (DE) products sold in Japan. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has ruled that a component of DE is probably carcinogenic, and Manville has prepared to modify its labels and material safety data sheets and to mount a communications effort inform customers of the cancer warning. Now, Manville's senior managers are being told that it is "culturally inappropriate" to proceed with this plan in Japan. An abridged version of an earlier case.
Sherif Mityas, recently promoted as project manager at A.T. Kearney, faced a client service challenge in his very first project experience. Mityas had been working closely for six weeks with the management team of the U.S. subsidiary of a Japan-headquartered consumer products company to identify ways to turn around the U.S. operations. Following the midproject status meeting, executives from the Japanese parent company made an unexpected request that placed Mityas in a quandary. Mityas related the situation: "At the conclusion of the midproject meeting, I felt confident that we had made solid recommendations about turning around the U.S. operations, but the Japanese parent company executives made a difficult request. They wanted us to evaluate the ability of the U.S. management team to carry out the turnaround. U.S. management had been instrumental in our being able to understand and analyze the situation comprehensively, and we would need their cooperation for our future work to be meaningful. If they came to know that we were simultaneously evaluating them, we could lose their trust--but, then, the Japanese executives represented the client. I didn't know how to proceed."
Many occupations lay claim to professional status. Business executives, social workers, musicians, sportsmen, and academics describe their occupations as "professions". Office assistants call themselves "administrative professionals". Obviously, not all occupations that claim to be professions are so recognized by society. Society attaches the professional label only to certain occupations. Doctors and lawyers are professionals; auto mechanics and restaurant wait staff are not. Yet, gray areas exist. Are nurses professionals? Teachers? Real estate brokers? This case identifies the distinguishing characteristics of professional work. Professionals are a subcategory of service providers. An understanding of what distinguishes professionals from other service providers must be grounded in an understanding of 1.) what constitutes service provisions and 2.) how the various categories of service provision differ.
The aluminum industry has suffered from long periods of depressed prices and profits interspersed with relatively short-lived price and profit peaks. The case investigates why, this has occured, focusing on the decision Alusaf must make on whether to invest in a major new facility in the face of depressed aluminum prices. Courseware provides cost data on all the facilities in the industry to develop a supply curve. It also provides a supply and demand model that allows students to investigate: the drivers of average industry profitability and relative profitability of individual players in it; the impact of changes in demand over the economic cycle on the price of metal; the impact of different elasticities of demand on price and profitability; the impact of oligopolistic pricing on industry profitability; the impact of adding capacity on industry profitability; and the ability of a firm to preempt the aluminum market. A rewritten version of an earlier case.
With electricity generating businesses around the world, AES Corp. is seeking a methodology for calculating the cost of capital for its various businesses and potential projects. In the past, AES used the same cost of capital for all of its capital budgeting, but the company's international expansion has raised questions about this approach and whether a single cost of capital adequately accounts for the different risks AES faces in its diverse businesses and diverse environments. The company recently suffered heavy losses from currency devaluations in South America and regulatory changes in other countries. The director of the corporate planning group is developing a methodology for taking account of different country and project risks, and the case allows students to use this methodology to calculate the cost of capital for 15 different projects around the world. Students must consider how a global firm can account for differing risks in evaluating its international operations and in investing abroad. To obtain executable spreadsheets (courseware), please contact our customer service department at [email protected].
In April 2002, Guy Semmens, a partner in Argos Soditic, has to decide whether to take the lead in the management buyout (MBO) of Kermel, a niche player in the specialty fiber market. Invites participants to consider an MBO from the perspective of the private equity investor and answer the following questions: What is the fair value of Kermel? How should you structure the deal to provide incentives for management while generating adequate returns? What would be the exit strategy?