Mary Alice McKenzie is facing numerous issues in growing her Vermont-based fresh-prepared foods business. She must address immediate operational problems--such as bottlenecks and capital equipment decisions--as well as decide on a long-term strategic position. This case investigates how she can structure her operations today to take advantage of the continued growth in the home meal replacement market.
What are the prospects for grocery shopping on the Web? This case invites a comparison of seven business models, with particular emphasis on Webvan. Why does the investment community value Webvan at $7.8 billion after less than six months of operating experience, and Peapod, which has had seven years to learn the ropes, at $200 million? Explores online consumer-shopping behavior, the economics of online and offline grocery distribution, and the challenges of uniting a pure information business with a mundane package delivery service.
Traces the history and development of consulting within Andersen and the history of the schism between Arthur Andersen and Andersen Consulting. Ends with the two units seeking external arbitration of their dispute.
Ten years into his career after graduating from HBS, Tim Hertach discovers billing irregularities at his consulting firm. He must decide whether (and how) to challenge senior management or to stay quiet and protect his career.
Katherine Mason is a program officer at InterExchange, a firm that administers academic-exchange programs with the former Soviet Union. After returning from an extended period of time in three of the former Soviet republics, Mason discovers that the finance department has instituted new reimbursement policies. She must decide how to interpret and react to the memos concerning expense-report reimbursement. The twist in the case is that because of a past incident, Mason does not have a positive relationship with either her division head or the controller. Mason is convinced that the new policies fail to take into account the individual nature of financial transactions conducted in foreign countries. How should she present her arguments and explain her position to the controller?
Net.Genesis is planning a strategy for the developing Internet market. In particular, it is creating the category of e-business intelligence and striving to be the brand leader in it.
In this case Roly International, the largest Disney apparel licensee in China, considers how to adapt their distribution channel strategy to the downturn in the Chinese market.
The president and CEO of Russell Reynolds examined the company's expansion strategy, especially in emerging markets. He evalulates how quickly the company should open new offices abroad and in which countries.
Too often, promising strategic plans never come to fruition. A common cause of such failures is a breakdown in implementation--the internal processes and events needed to bring a strategy to life. Results from a large-scale research project, surveying 500 middle managers in five large firms in different industries, led to a framework for strategy implementation. The framework analyzes the pitfalls and requisite managerial responses in four chronological stages of implementation: Pre-Implementation, Organizing the Implementation Effort, Managing the Implementation Process, and Maximizing Cross-functional Performance. Managerial levers for coping with the requirements of these different phases include goal-setting and modifications of structure, leadership, communications, and incentive systems. A thread that runs through the entire sequence is the need not to overlook middle managers when the focus is on customers, competitors, and senior management decision making.
Pre-Paid Legal Services' business model reveals two key issues--managing the sales force and sales growth and managing claims. Students analyze the economics of the business and consider how to measure firm performance, how to evaluate and reward the sales force, and what services to offer. The case also discusses a Fortune article criticizing Pre-Paid Legal's method of reporting sales force commissions. Students are asked to evaluate Fortune's analysis and to recommend potential responses by Pre-Paid Legal's management.
Although inexperienced in real estate, Edward Alexander hopes in June 1999 that youthful enthusiasm and an $80,000 inheritance will help him enter the real estate business. His experience chronicles the process of finding, evaluating, and acquiring a four-unit brownstone in need of renovation in the Beacon Hill area of Boston. The case also identifies the various players in the process. A rewritten version of an earlier case.
Describes a key concept in financial accounting: choosing an appropriate revenue recognition point. The accrual process requires revenue recognition and expense matching for reporting on the value creation process of companies. Describes the two key criteria for revenue recognition--realized and earned--and the conditions that must be met to satisfy these criteria. The use of the typical recognition point, when the product or service is delivered to the customer, is discussed as well as situations (e.g., the percentage of competition method) when revenue can be recognized before actual delivery. A rewritten version of an earlier note.
This case tells the inside story of one of the most controversial episodes in the history of the US intelligence services. Its focus: whether to break the time-honored rules of CIA covert actions in order to supply Afghan rebels (fighting in the 1980s to oust invading Soviet forces) with US-made, state-of-the-art Stinger missiles. The case offers an unusual glimpse into the policymaking process for intelligence decisions, especially covert actions--secret activities meant to advance US foreign policy objectives without revealing the hand of the US government. It describes a pitched internal debate among the Defense Department, CIA's Operations Directorate, CIA leadership, the Department of State, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff over the advisability of providing the Stinger anti-aircraft weapon to Afghan mujahideen. Advocates said the Stinger could help win the war. Opponents argued it made the US role transparent, which could escalate the conflict to superpower level; might increase the risk of retaliation against staging-area Pakistan; and created a threat that terrorists would get possession of the weapon. HKS Case Number 1546.0
Describes a second-year MBA's attempts to make money for a fledgling Web-hosting business. As the case ends, he must both sort out the company's business model and financing needs, as well as select from an array of financing and acquisition alternatives.