A lot of companies have launched marketing campaigns tied to charitable causes. But according to Jerry Welsh, one of the pioneers of cause-related marketing, most of the programs fail to create real benefits for either the companies or the charities.
A team of MIT researchers has created an electronic "process repository" that enables managers to easily explore different options for performing common tasks.
When a young, former mining executive with no previous elective office experience is elected Mayor of La Paz, Bolivia in 1985, he expects to attack notorious inefficiency and overstaffing aggressively. But, within weeks, Mayor Ronald MacLean finds that, although he faces some predictable antagonists, such as public sector unions resistant to personnel cutbacks, he also faces difficulty in even understanding the workings of the city government. MacLean ultimately realizes that the problems he faces are less those of inefficiency than a more potent antagonist: corruption. This case describes the efforts of Mayor MacLean to understand how and why corruption has taken root in the La Paz government and to devise a strategy to uproot it. The second part of the case specifically spells out approaches which stem from MacLean's belief that corruption is less a reflection of cultural or ethical problems than one of poorly-designed systems which provide the medium for corruption to take hold. MacLean's progress in combating corruption is described, as is its recurrence following MacLean's departure from office. The case is well suited to discussions of organizational change but is best suited to specific discussion of corruption in the developing world and the ways in which progress against it can be institutionalized and sustained. HKS Case Number 1523.0
When a young, former mining executive with no previous elective office experience is elected Mayor of La Paz, Bolivia in 1985, he expects to attack notorious inefficiency and overstaffing aggressively. But, within weeks, Mayor Ronald MacLean finds that, although he faces some predictable antagonists, such as public sector unions resistant to personnel cutbacks, he also faces difficulty in even understanding the workings of the city government. MacLean ultimately realizes that the problems he faces are less those of inefficiency than a more potent antagonist: corruption. This case describes the efforts of Mayor MacLean to understand how and why corruption has taken root in the La Paz government and to devise a strategy to uproot it. The second part of the case specifically spells out approaches which stem from MacLean's belief that corruption is less a reflection of cultural or ethical problems than one of poorly-designed systems which provide the medium for corruption to take hold. MacLean's progress in combating corruption is described, as is its recurrence following MacLean's departure from office. The case is well suited to discussions of organizational change but is best suited to specific discussion of corruption in the developing world and the ways in which progress against it can be institutionalized and sustained. HKS Case Number 1523.1
Amway of Canada is faced with decisions surrounding the replacement of photocopiers at its Canadian headquarters. As the lease has expired on its current copiers, Amway is beginning the process of evaluating new copier brands, vendors and related technologies. However, what initially appeared to be a rather straightforward rebuy purchasing situation is becoming a more complex organizational decision. Specifically, the number of potential vendors is increasing as different technologies are considered, because the purchasing team realizes that the new photocopier decision inherently impacts other areas of Amway's operations. The purpose of this case is to examine how seemingly simple organizational purchases - particularly those related to new and emerging technologies - can become extremely complex and involve the consideration of related functional areas and operational characteristics within the firm. As such, the case is ideally suited for a discussion around prioritizing key issues in a complex organizational purchase and achieving rapid closure on a procurement initiative, which has apparently spiralled out of control.
In 1999, the issue before the directors meeting of LanCo Catalogue Sales was the high level of product returns that the company was experiencing. These product returns were eroding profitability at a remarkable rate, however the directors were split into two camps over what to do about the problem. One camp believed that speeding up shipments would reduce the returned merchandise, while the other camp believed that this would merely increase shipping costs and reduce profits even further. LanCo management was determined that the returns problem must first be understood, then actions must be taken to reduce returns, in order to improve the profitability of the company. (A Microsoft Excel data file is available for use with this case, product 7A99E007.)
The vice-president of acquisitions for Canadian Real Estate Investment Trust (CREIT) was contemplating two investment opportunities facing his firm. CREIT had been very aggressive recently in an attempt to increase the size and diversity of its portfolio. One potential deal that he was contemplating involved the purchase of a 161-unit apartment building in a Montreal suburb, while the other potential deal involved the purchase of a retail complex in a Chicago suburb. Both deals were under a due diligence period, meaning that CREIT had a short period of time to review the properties and decide whether or not to proceed with either purchase. He had to make his recommendation to the senior board of CREIT, and he wondered what specifically about each property was attractive or unattractive, whether the respective markets justified the price levels, and if the respective properties were consistent with CREIT's acquisitions strategy. The case introduces real estate investment trusts and demonstrates some generic concepts relating to the valuation of real estate assets, including discounted cash flow and comparable sales analysis.
In 1998, Ohio Polymer is about to negotiate a contract with ProBut Hydrocarbon, Inc. for the purchase of ethylene gas. The contract will require Ohio to purchase a fixed daily quantity of the gas at a set price per ton. Ohio Polymer's senior management is looking for advice on how much gas they should try to obtain and what price they should be willing to pay. A companion case is ProBut Hydrocarbon, Inc., case 9A98E037, which presents the negotiation from ProBut's perspective.
Provides general managers with a framework with which they can structure and understand pricing decisions. Draws examples from existing HBS case materials.
Clorox's Brita skillfully exploits a tide of water safety concerns, growing a home water (filtration) business from inception to a 15% U.S. household penetration in ten years. The dilemma in the case arises as the period of increasing returns seems to be drawing to a close, and management must use its legacy, an installed based and a strong brand equity, to take the business forward into a less friendly environment. Students can model the relation between the primary demand for pitchers and the derived demand for filters to decide where they want to put future investments.
The management team at ING Bank of Canada was preparing to launch Canada's first discount bank. Initially, the bank planned to serve its customers using mail and telephone. Later, it planned to supplement the telephone banking service with an interactive voice response system and an Internet-based service. ING hoped to attract customers by offering significantly higher interest rates on its savings products than any of its competitors. There was some skepticism about the viability of the proposed business model. At the time of the case, the president and CEO of ING Bank was reviewing the proposed launch strategy.
The Acer Group was one of the world's largest PC and computer component manufacturers. The vice president of global operations is pondering whether the timing and environment is conducive for Acer, based in Taiwan, to commence full-scale manufacturing operations in the Chinese mainland. Students are asked to examine the criteria on which Acer should base its decision to manufacture overseas and, in so doing, create the framework for a corporation's global manufacturing strategy.
A summer intern must decide how he will manage the launch of a sampling despite product shortages, a too-tight time frame, and potentially explosive legal implications. In particular, the intern must determine who in the organization is best able to help him and how he needs to approach those potential sources of help.
Augat Electronics Inc. was finalizing its plan to launch a new line of connectors and tools for cable television service technicians. While the line was being developed, a major new U.S.-based competitor launched a new product line at a premium price and captured the leadership position in the Canadian market. Key decisions facing Augat were how to price its products and what the supporting marketing strategy should be. The new Augat connector appeared to offer customers significant economic benefits.
The management team at ING Bank of Canada was preparing to launch Canada's first discount bank. Initially, the bank planned to serve its customers using mail and telephone. Later, it planned to supplement the telephone banking service with an interactive voice response system and an Internet-based service. ING hoped to attract customers by offering significantly higher interest rates on its savings products than any of its competitors. There was some skepticism about the viability of the proposed business model. At the time of the case, the president and CEO of ING Bank was reviewing the proposed launch strategy.