This case present the dilemma of an employee who, having been terminated in a manner he deems is unfair, has to decide whether to cash or return a $2,500 check wrongfully sent him by his former employer.

Although not set in a business environment, this case illustrates a common dilemma existing in almost any setting: Do you uphold an institution's honor code, although it means implicating a friend and comrade of wrongdoing?

This case illustrates the dilemma of an employee who, having received an offer to go elsewhere (although to a noncompeting business), must decide where his loyalties lie.

This case presents the dilemma of an employee who, when presented with options by his business, must weigh all the different factors (including his career goals and his fellow employees) in deciding what course of action to take.

Logitech is an international company that designs and manufactures computer peripheral products. The retail pointing devices unit director is thinking about the development of the next generation of his device, the Logitech io Digital Pen. The digital pen is about to be launched in less than two months, and he is still unsure which features were valuable to potential users, who these potential users were and for which applications the digital pen could be used.

Dupont Canada manufactures and sells the raw materials that are used to produce brand name home renovation and home decorating products, including fabrics, carpets, countertops and paints. In order to develop relationships with consumers and acquire information on their purchasing needs and purchasing patterns, the company launched a Web site that offered decorating idea and product information through a Virtual Home. After 12 months, the company's project team must decide whether the project was a worthwhile investment and whether they should invest in the second phase. In making their decision, they need to identify the performance metrics to use in estimating the return on investments. They also need to determine whether to pursue revenue generation through the sale of advertising space or online sales through the Web site. Finally, the project team needs to assess whether their value chain partners would be willing to invest in the second phase of the project.

This is a supplement to Maple Leaf Foods (A): Leading Six Sigma Change, product 9B01C032. The vice-president Six Sigma discusses the experience the company has gone through now that Six Sigma is a year into implementation. Some issues that he is grappling with include managing excessive demand for Six Sigma Black Belts, managing Black Belts as an organization and working to keep Six Sigma top of mind for managers as other business-related programs (or campaigns) emerge.

At WestJet, a regional airline service, the director of public relations and communications is wondering how best to manage journalist inquiries in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. In the past, journalists were used to candid communication from WestJet and are expecting the same treatment this time around. Should the extraordinary circumstances presented necessitate a change in communications strategy?

Foster Technologies Inc. is a wholly owned research and development subsidiary of LB Foster that focuses on wheel counter research and development for traffic control and the railway industry. The failed test of the railway wheel counting prototype was jeopardizing the company's promised delivery of the devices to a customer by the end of the month. With the company's and the vice-president of operations reputations at stake, he must decide what the next move is: Can his team resolve the problems with the prototype? Should he ask to have the chief design engineer removed or should he resign?

Vytec Corporation is a subsidiary of Owens Corning, and manufactures extruded vinyl residential siding. In order to maximize the quantity and quality of the product, the operations analyst had to decide how best to use the available silos and extruder. He must determine the best way to configure the extruders to their respective material silos in order to ensure that each silo faced a similar demand for material. An Excel spreadsheet containing data and solver solutions is available (product 5B03E10).

Vytec Corporation is a subsidiary of Owens Corning and is a leading manufacturer of vinyl siding. The operations analyst wanted to determine if there was a more efficient way to organize the company's warehouse. After finding some high demand products being stored a long distance from the shipping dock, his first reaction was to move the product closer to the shipping area, reducing the time and distance required to retrieve the product for shipping. Doing so, however, would displace another product that should also be near the docks. Further research into the problem revealed many other issues. Two files are available - the case data file, product 7B03E013 and the solver model 5B03E13.

Harlequin Enterprises is a well-known publisher of series romantic fiction and is facing threats to its leading position as the world's largest romance publisher. This threat comes from the growing popularity of single title women's fiction novels. While Harlequin was the dominant and very profitable producer of series of romance novels, research indicated that many customers were reading as many single-title romance and women's fiction books as series romances. Facing a steady loss of share in a growing total women's fiction market, Harlequin convened a task force to study the possibility of re-launching a single title women's fiction program. (A video is available, product 7B03M007, that features four senior managers discussing the challenges the company faced.)

Research in Motion is an integrated wireless solutions provider. The director of strategic alliances is excited about completing his first major acquisition for the company. His presentation to senior managers was a success and the company has agreed to go ahead with the acquisition. He must meet with the chief executive officer to have the letter of intent signed and present the offer to Slangsoft. The supplement Research in Motion: Slangsoft in the Jerusalem Post (B), product 9B03M010 highlights a change of events that could affect the acquisition. A video is also available, product 7B03M009.

In this supplement to Research in Motion: The Acquisition of Slangsoft (A), product 9B03M009, the director of strategic alliances is preparing to send off the letter of intent to his president for his signature and discovers some disturbing information written about Slangsoft.

Discusses the historical context of the global beer industry, followed by a discussion of the industry in each major world market, including North America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. The U.S. market has only seen growth in crafting brewing and microbrewing, and some major U.S. brewers have sought growth through access to international markets. However, companies that have been most successful internationally are those that have small domestic markets. These include South African Breweries, Interbrew and Heineken.

Maple Leaf Foods is Canada's largest and most dominant food processor. The recently appointed senior marketing director discovers on her first day on the job that the hot dog business at the company is completely broken: market share is down, profits are in free-fall, the products taste bad, there is a proliferation of brands and her team is a mess. To make matters worse, she inherits a job where there is little market data in the files and little to go by to help guide her decisions. She must prepare a short-term plan and a clear strategy for the future. The supplement to this case, Maple Leaf Consumer Foods - Fixing Hot Dogs (B), product 9B03M018, looks at the senior marketing director's short-term plans. Also available is the video, Maple Leaf Consumer Foods - Fixing Hot Dogs, product 7B03M017, that provides an update to what happened and a discussion with the senior marketing director.

In this supplement to Maple Leaf Consumer Foods - Fixing Hot Dogs (A), product 9B03M017, the senior marketing director coordinates the gathering of data on the company's hot dog products and spends considerable time analyzing the data. She has determined areas for improvement and works with senior management, research and development, production, distributors and consumers in implementing improvements on taste and product positioning. With her short-term plans in order, she now must present her future strategy to senior management.

Dell Computer Corporation is one of the largest computer manufacturers. The company's international business strategy has supported its global position and performance facing the Asian economic crisis. Its investment in Malaysia has reduced its foreign exchange exposure, and supported its low cost advantage. Now Dell needs to decide if it wants to expand its commitment in Malaysia and or other locations such as China.

Biosonics Incorporated was a rapidly growing entrepreneurial company specializing in the application of high frequency technology as a measurement tool for medical research. The president and one of the founding partners must determine the future direction of the company in the face of several possible options: continue to sell the company's measurement system; introduce the system into new, related markets; develop application technology for the clinical market; sell the company's intellectual property; sell the rights to the technology; or sell the company.

Talisman Energy is the largest Canadian oil and gas producer, with main business activities in exploration, development, production and marketing of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquid. At a special board of directors meeting, the management and board of Talisman conducted a review of the Sudan operations to assess its fit within the current business portfolio. After years of direct and often angry criticism by human rights groups and the fact that the United States government was threatening to restrict firms operating in Sudan from listing their securities on American markets, the board was considering its options in the region. The Sudan project had good economic value for Talisman with good future prospects and production possibilities. Additionally, the company had gone to considerable lengths to develop and implement socially responsible policies and programs in Sudan. Senior management believed that they had contributed to an increased quality of life for the people of Sudan. Despite this, activist groups had continued to attack Talisman for their role in Sudan. The continued pressure from activists and governments were believed to be responsible for a steady decrease in share price. The issue before the board in conducting this review was to question whether continuing operations in Sudan was compatible with Talisman's mandate to operate in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.