Examines Chile's development strategy since 1973. Following a series of domestic economic reforms, the country must decide whether to join a regional trading block. Considers the advantages and disadvantages of regional trade agreements and examines the differences between a free trade agreement (NAFTA) and a customs union (Mercosur).
Jim Sharpe, president of Extrusion Technology, describes the first five years at the aluminum extrusion company he purchased. He begins with day one as he introduced himself to the employees in 1987 and assured them of the company's continuity. Over the next two years, his efforts to make the company profitable included cost cutting, decertifying the union, and developing relationships with suppliers. Sharpe learned from mistakes in forecasting aluminum inventory and purchasing capital equipment for a new product line whose market never developed. At the end of five years, Extrusion Technology was profitable and well poised for growth.
The head of the Clinical Resource Management Committee at St. Catharines General Hospital which was responsible for monitoring and promoting optimal resource utilization by physicians and the other staff at the hospital. While the committee had made some gains, there was little effect on the hospital's operating costs and many physicians were uninterested or resistant to the concept of utilization. In addition, hospitals in the region were faced with restructuring proposals and budget cuts in the near future. The case highlights the changes taking place in the health care sector and the implications for managerial analysis and control. Issues covered include: cost analysis, design of a funding scheme to promote certain behavior, data collection and validity, incentives, and performance measurement.
Group Retirement Services (GRS) is a division of London Life Insurance Company in London, Ontario. The vice president of GRS implemented the balanced scorecard in his division in 1994. Since that time, the industry and London Life have experienced significant change. Although the scorecard was not yet complete (after three years), the real issue here is whether the scorecard has been useful to GRS and whether the scorecard could be improved to assist the department in the future.
Bausch & Lomb is the subject of press attacks and experiences a sharp fall in stock price when management practices are exposed. Aggressive goal setting, supported by financial market expectations, is discussed as a precursor to a series of events that results in misstated financial results and angry customers. A defiant CEO stands his ground as shareholders demand his resignation. Industry and competitive data allow students to calibrate performance pressures.
This case provides a vehicle for discussing analytical approaches to understanding bidding strategies in a hostile tender offer setting. In 1997, Hilton Hotels Corporation offered to acquire ITT Corporation in an unsolicited tender offer. ITT resisted in several ways. At the date of the case (July 17, 1997), ITT announces a restructuring of the firm aimed at delivering about $70 a share to its shareholders. The task for the student is to understand why Hilton's takeover attempt has failed thus far, and what the possible responses might be at this stage. The case contains a completed valuation analysis of ITT (prepared by the casewriter), which suggests that ITT is worth, at most, $89 a share to Hilton. In preparing a possibly higher bid for the firm, the student must weigh the probability of another bidder's entering the fray and that competitor's bid price. The instructor can use this setting to compare the target shareholders' outlook with the classic "prisoner's dilemma" and to discuss the expected value of not tendering--both concepts are important in devising a bidding response.
Becton Dickinson's Vacutainer business was largely based in the United States, but in 1980 management determined to grow the business aggressively first in Europe and then Japan. These areas demanded new products that were tailored to local markets. Despite the change in strategy, the resource allocation process continued to allocate development resources to U.S.-targeted products.
Deals with the issue of cross-selling and managing a portfolio of products and services in business markets. Arrow/Schweber (A/S), a subsidiary of electronic parts distributor Arrow Electronics, has a portfolio of products that differ in the amount of value added by A/S. A/S uses value-added items such as programmable logic chips as "loss leaders" in order to acquire and retain a customer. It makes money when it sells the so-called "commodity" or low value-added products to the same customer. An Internet-based distributor is now offering Arrow a chance to sell commodity products through its e-commerce site. This new channel can threaten Arrow's overall business model if a large portion of its existing customers switch their purchases of the commodity products to this new distribution channel. Arrow needs to decide how it should respond to this challenge.
Phil Stephenson, the director of China for Bundy Asia Pacific (BAP), was preoccupied with Bundy's business in China. BAP's CEO, Tony Martin, had shown Phil the fax from Robin Thompson, the new marketing and product development director of Bundy International, BAP's UK-based parent company. Thompson had asked BAP about its strategy for the refrigeration business in China. Despite 10 years of experience in China, Bundy had not met its market goals. Whatever strategy was developed, it would be an important part of Bundy's proposed global refrigeration strategy. This rich case allows detailed discussion around issues including (a) business (re)development strategy, (b) joint ventures versus wholly owned subsidiaries, (c) organizational structure, and (d) expatriate and local staffing.
Describes several classes of intellectual property: patents, copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks, and confidential business information. A rewritten version of an earlier note.
Jan Eriksson is the country manager of the Novartis AG joint venture in Indonesia. At the time of the case, Novartis is the world's largest pharmaceutical company. The case describes the steps Eriksson took to merge the Indonesian operations of Novartis' parents, Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, and to build a new organization during the 1997--1998 Asian financial crisis. Focuses on the impact of the financial crisis on Eriksson's business and details the two operating plans that he has presented to Novartis management in response to the crisis. The case is set in January and February 1998.
This case depicts the supply-management practices--including planning, production, and distribution--at Pioneer Hi-Bred International, the world's leader in the genetically engineered hybrid crop-seed industry. Set in the context of a supply-management planning meeting, it reveals conflicting considerations in setting policies for production (what, how much, and where to plant) and distribution. Since the issues are viewed from three independent perspectives--planning, production, and distribution--the case lends itself to role playing.
Provides a vehicle for students to evaluate risk management in the fast-paced mutual funds industry. A new risk manager has been hired to install new management controls and procedures. A series of decisions will determine how much business and franchise risk the business will assume.