Pinnacle Technologies, although entirely independent, acts essentially as a subsidiary of U.K.-based Psion Teklogix. Psion Teklogix manufactures wireless data communications devices that are used primarily in inventory management activities performed in warehouses, ports, factories, and airports. In the mid-1990s, Psion gave Pinnacle Technologies exclusive Middle Eastern rights to the Teklogix technology and product line. It also assisted in training Pinnacle's development staff, programmers, and sales representatives. By 2002, Pinnacle was prospering and thinking of diversifying into related and unrelated software services. The CEO must decide to what degree Pinnacle should diversify from its core business and determine what financial and managerial resources are required for the diversification.
Financial crises could happen anywhere, although emerging markets were more seriously afflicted in recent times. Debilitating and massive shocks to bank liquidity, payments systems, and solvency were obvious characteristics of financial crises, as was panic, which was often precipitated by a sudden and dramatic loss of depositor and investor confidence. Companies operating in a region where a financial crisis had broken out could undergo corporate disasters as a result. Provides a general description of financial crises and macroeconomic warning signs of them. Also describes three major financial crises in the late 1990s and early 2000s, how the business sectors of the regions were affected, and how some companies managed to ride out the crises.
The Foundation for Informed Medical Decision-Making has created an interactive videodisc system that provides patients with customized support regarding medical treatment or screening decisions when they face a choice between two equally effective courses of action. The videodiscs, known as shared decision-making programs (SDPs), were the result of considering grant-funded research into treatment outcomes and patients' preferences concerning varying medical treatments. Over a six-year period, the foundation has partnered with a variety of commercial firms to manufacture and market the SDPs. Despite robust evidence supporting the effectiveness of the SDPs and the enthusiastic response of early purchasers, the foundation has been unable to widely disseminate the product and faces major debt.
Describes the rocky transition from an outdated, nonintegrated information system to a new customized system built by programmers in a small, IT-dependent foliage company that distributes plant material. The old system has increasingly become a "burning platform," but the project to build the new system is plagued by delays, the idiosyncrasies of the business, and lack of IT knowledge on the part of senior managers. The transition threatens to put the company out of business, and the crisis forces the COO to take charge of the project personally. After the new system goes live, however, it proves to be buggy and unreliable. The company comes even closer to collapse, and COO Penny Roberts must rally the team around an unpopular project whose success no one can guarantee. Teaching points include IT systems transition, IT management in small companies, and how to deal with an IT-based, business-interrupting disaster.
The hard-hitting "Truth" campaign has been one of the most successful antismoking initiatives in history. The focus of the "Truth" campaign is to dissuade teenagers from smoking. The sponsor of the campaign, the American Legacy Foundation, is now trying to decide whether to readjust its priorities and focus on what it calls "the other side of the equation"--encouraging already-addicted adult smokers to quit smoking. However, the only way to do this is by diverting resources away from the "Truth" campaign, a campaign that they know is working. Includes color exhibits.
Describes the 1949 firefighting tragedy in Montana that led to the deaths of 12 smoke jumpers. Explores the myriad of poor decisions by the firefighting crew and their foreman.
This short fictional case forms the basis of a team decision-making exercise. The case, inspired by a real decision facing a major telecommunications company, describes a cross-functional management team convened by the CEO for the purpose of developing a recommendation about whether to conduct a full-scale launch of a new high-speed Internet access service. In the class session, groups of six participants are asked to conduct team meetings to arrive at a consensus about the launch decision--drawing from the information contained in the shared case and from privately held information contained in individual role sheets provided separately to each member. Although different team members hold very different perspectives about the launch, teams can arrive at thoughtful recommendations by working together to share their knowledge.
This note provides an introduction to process analysis, covering key concepts such as bottlenecks, capacity, capacity utilization and throughput time. Concepts are illustrated in a context that is simple and familiar to most students: neighborhood drycleaner. The note is suitable as a technical reading on process analysis in a required MBA or undergraduate course in operations management.
This B case allows students who have completed the Tastee Snax Cookie Company case (UV5918) to analyze how the duration of project described in that case can be most cost-effectively shortened.
The influx of diversity in the workplace has brought a challenging set of managerial problems. Managers who handle these situations must be skillful in dealing with feedback, conflict, and talent assessment, but they must also be skilled in dealing with difference. This technical note explores leveraging difference and the path one can take to develop skills essential to leveraging difference.This note works well with "Leaders Who Make a Difference: Critical Skills for Leading a Diverse Workforce".
In 2003, Rose Marie Bravo, Burberry's CEO, is debating how to maintain the currency and cachet of the brand across its broad customer base, while entering new product categories and expanding distribution. In the past five years, the brand has become one of the hottest luxury brands in the world. But Bravo now faces a number of key decisions, including (1) which new product categories to enter, (2) how to deal with the appropriation of the brand by nontarget customers, and (3) how prominent the company's famed "check" pattern should be in its advertising and clothing. Includes color exhibits.
As a proven entrepreneur, Rich Miner has been successful in the start-up world. Now, following the acquisition of his start-up, he has established a corporate R&D/venture operation in America to serve as the "eyes and ears" of his European parent company, Orange Telecom. He has resources that he never imagined, but getting Orange's attention is very hard to do.
Case A: Mark Chan worked for a British multinational in Singapore and was posted on an international assignment to its corporate headquarters in London. He performed well at his job and enjoyed a successful international career. When he and his wife decided to return home, he was unable to find a position that was requisite with his experience and skills back at the company's Singapore subsidiary. The case ends with Mark Chan wondering what he should do.
Case B: Mark Chan decided to move back home to Singapore and accepted a lower rank position compared to the one he held overseas. He started to feel bored with his job after a few months. His attempts to find a new job that was requisite with his experience and skills within his company did not yield any results. His wife and children also experienced problems adjusting back to life in Singapore. The case ends with Mark Chan taking the first step to find a new job.