How do you deal with the talented manager whose perfectionism paralyzes his direct reports? Or the high-performing expert who disdains teamwork under any circumstances? What about the sensitive manager who avoids confrontation of any kind? Do you ignore the behaviors? Get rid of the managers? James Waldroop and Timothy Butler suggest that you coach them. They have found that coaching--helping change the behaviors that threaten to derail a valued manager--is often the best way to help that manager succeed. Executives increasingly recognize that it is people management skills that are the key both to their personal success and to the success of their business. And being an effective coach is a crucial part of successful people management.
This note discusses several ways in which venture-backed firms can be valued, including comparables, net present value, decision-tree analysis, and the "venture capital method."
An ICS consultant considers issues at the start of a full-scale implementation of SAP software for a large client. The enterprise resource planning (ERP) software will integrate previously fragmented business processes and so must be supported by the entire client organization.
Mobil US Marketing & Refining has shifted from a centralized staff-driven organization to decentralized business-units. Staff functions now must negotiate service agreements with a buyer's committee consisting of representatives from the profit-center business units. This case describes how one staff function developed its service agreement and translated the agreement into a Balanced Scorecard where the "customers" are the internal business units. Several managers question whether the Balanced Scorecard is appropriate for such an internal function.
In the aftermath of World War II, the countries of the industrialized world engaged in an unprecedented round of institution-building, through which historical barriers to international trade, especially tariffs, came tumbling down. The GATT has reshaped the environment of world trade to such an extent that international trade flows have exploded. Even as global trade has become more integrated, however, a second round of institutions, regional rather than global, has emerged. The most recent and largest of the major regional institutions, NAFTA, was signed on December 17, 1992, and took effect in early 1994. This case examines the effect of this radically new institutional context on three different firms, each representing a different industry and country.
Describes the early career of an MBA who went to work in a small business, bought the company, and is now contemplating an acquisition to expand the business. The issues involve personal/business finance and financial risk, as well as valuation and financial structuring.
Describes Eric's purchase of the much larger Shaw Co. Describes the operating and financial problems that ensue, leaving Eric considering the option of bankruptcy. Issues include the overlap of business and personal finances, as well as the mechanics and implications of bankruptcy.
Students evaluate McDonald's new Arch Deluxe hamburger, targeted to adults, including the launch program and the underlying marketing strategy in light of the company's skills, resources, and brand position.
A pension fund manager was examining Bank of Montreal's recent financial performance in comparison with other large Canadian bank stocks, and large U.S. bank stocks as well, to determine what factors appeared to be driving the stock's performance. He then needed to consider whether to change the fund's investment in the stock. This case examines the usefulness of financial performance measures and examines what drives stock values.
The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, Canada's largest pension fund with over $40 billion in assets, had just listened to a presentation addressing a method for identifying and controlling the pension fund's exposure to market risks known as Value At Risk. The Board needed to understand what Value At Risk represented, what assumptions went into the risk management systems and how it might impact on policy decisions. This case introduces students to the risk management of investment portfolios, highlighting benefits and limitations.
The Executive Director of a non-profit organization must deal with the fact that over the past few years, the organization has experienced a decline in volunteers, men who offer consistent adult male companionship to boys from father absent homes. They must tackle the challenges of:<ul><li>Recruiting and retaining volunteers in the cash-strapped 1990's.</li><li>Motivating people within the organization without the usual motivational tools (raises and threats of dismissal).</li><li>Practicing persuasive leadership techniques where they must constantly communicate, reiterate and reflect the shared values of the agency's volunteers.</li></ul>
In August 1995, the Upjohn Co. and Pharmacia AB announced a "merger of equals." This case provides background information on the industry, the position of Upjohn, and Upjohn's rationale for the proposed merger.
In the early 1990s, Tweeter etc., a small regional retailer of higher-end audio and video equipment, faced increasing competitive pricing pressures from several large regional and national consumer electronics chains. In response, in 1993, they introduced "Automatic Price Protection" (APP) as the cornerstone of a strategy to restore price credibility in the minds of consumers. Under APP, Tweeter monitored local newspaper ads and automatically mailed a refund check to a consumer if an item purchased at Tweeter was advertised for a lower price by a competitor. Three years later, in 1996, Tweeter is questioning the impact of APP on their current competitive positioning. More importantly, with the pending entry of another major discount chain, Tweeter is forced to question how effective APP will be in a market increasingly dominated by large discount retailers.
In the summer of 1996, Masao Morita, president of Sony Personal Mobile Communication Co., contemplated how to formulate its multinational marketing strategy for the fast-changing car navigation systems market. Morita needed to resolve the conflicting views within his company regarding several key issues, including geographical market focus, product selection, and standard setting.
When a new banana import policy is implemented in 1993 by the European Union, Chiquita Brands International, the world's largest banana distributor, watches its sales and net income plummet. The policy, Council Regulation (EEC 404/93), uses a new tariff and quota scheme to support the import of European territory bananas and significantly reduce Latin American banana imports, Chiquita's primary business. As a result, Chiquita sustains losses totaling $400 million between 1992 and 1994. To combat the EU policy, Chiquita files a Section 301 Petition with the U.S. Trade Representative. Yet CEO Keith Linde knows that even a successful 301 investigation can produce only medium-to long-term results. In 1995, Chiquita still faces the immediate necessity of improving the company's grim financial position.