Describes Star's experiment with gain sharing over a three-year period. Background on the industry and company's history are provided to establish the context for the shift to pay-for-performance. Describes the three different gain sharing programs, the resulting payouts, and organizational impact.
Deals with the coming of the mechanized textile industry to the United States, and with it, the nation's first factories. Considers the introduction of small spinning mills in Rhode Island, and the appearance of large integrated spinning and weaving mills in Massachusetts. These basic business and technological innovations are best presented by comparing ways in which each set of enterprises were financed, carried out processes of production, marketed goods, trained labor, and managed their enterprises. Based partly on cases by N.S.B. Gras and T.R. Navin.
In January 1988, Colby Chandler, Kodak CEO, created the Corporate Information Systems (CIS) and appointed Katherine Hudson head. She at once became the first head of IT and first woman corporate vice president in the company. Throughout 1989, Hudson inaugurated a series of organizational initiatives that not only would dramatically change the IT function within Kodak, but would rock the industry. She outsourced data center operations, telecommunications services, and personal computer support to IBM, DEC, and Business Land, respectively. Case presents the complexities in managing information systems through partnerships.
Describes how the process by which new products are brought to market differs by situations. In particular, the impact of "newness" of the product and opportunity costs are described. Helps students see the need to custom tailor process to individual situations.
This large tobacco and diversified food processor is seeking to refinance debt funds raised to accomplish a large acquisition. It has filed a large "shelf" registration that authorizes it to issue during the subsequent two years. At the time of the case, the market looks attractive and the company's CEO is trying to decide whether to issue debt and, if so, in what form. Teaching objective: to familiarize students with the shelf registration form of underwriting, to analyze an issuer's operating and financial profile preparatory to going to the public market, and to assess the position the issuing company should take towards the investment bankers who want to be awarded the business.
Looks at the company's plans for a new debt offering under the Rule 415 shelf underwriting provision--in this instance from the vantage point of the lead investment banker for the deal. The decision-maker must assess the risks of the issuer, the tone of the market, the price and commission to be set, and other details relating to the offering, including whether to use a syndicate, and whether to hedge. Gives students the opportunity to analyze the operating and financial data relating to a leading U.S. company in the context of a new debt offering. Students assume the role of the investment banker and can contrast the preoccupations of the vendor with those of the issuer.
Pioneer is an integrated oil company. Its operations include exploration and development, production, transportation, and marketing. The case focuses on Pioneer's cost of capital calculations and its choice between a single company-wide cost of capital or divisional costs of capital. Provides students the opportunity to learn how to calculate a company-wide weighted average cost of capital. An appropriate measure of the cost of equity capital is presented so that students are able to challenge their understanding of key concepts by critiquing the company's measure and suggesting their own.
Alliant has been a leader in the health care industry in implementing total quality management. After five years, however, they do not have much to show for their efforts except a "foundation" of quality attitudes and processes. The case discusses their plans to "jump start" the quality program by implementing a new information systems strategy. Teaching purposes: Implementation issues in total quality management and the role of I/T in executing strategic change.
Explores the general history of slavery in the United States. Through detailed exhibits and a text consisting of excerpts from six first-hand observations of slavery, this note is designed to present the ethics, economics (especially the perverse incentive systems), and sociology of slavery, the worst single stain on the nation's history.
KPMG Peat Marwick executives needed to decide whether to fund full development of "The Shadow Partner," the name coined to describe a worldwide information network that would link all KPMG professionals to each other and to a wealth of data bases and information services. Partners, by sharing and gathering information through the network, would be able to use the entire company's knowledge and experience to serve clients. Many partners felt that implementation of the shadow partner was vital, as clients had greater demands and competition in the accounting industry had escalated. Other partners questioned the necessity of the shadow partner. The firm had committed to establishing a technology committee to investigate shadow partner design and cost. Since the firm was a partnership, the partners eventually had to decide whether, and to what extent, to support shadow partner implementation.
Presents a framework for resolving issues in which managers' responsibilities--to shareholders, employees, other stakeholder groups, and to their own values and commitments in life--conflict with each other. The framework analyzes these issues in terms of duties, consequences, personal values, and practicality. Provides an analytic framework for a course or module on business ethics, that brings together basic considerations in moral philosophy with practical pressures, perspectives, and concerns of business executives.
Describes the role that issues of personal integrity play in managers' decisions. Defines personal integrity, the factors that influence it, the situations in which it becomes particularly relevant to company decisions, and ways of overcoming the blind spots that can create too personal a focus on decisions. Helps students understand the issues in the context of decision making and action planning.
Don Cornwell and his partner Stuart Beck formed Granite Broadcasting Corp. (GBC) to acquire under-performing TV stations. Cornwell is now in his fourth acquisition. This case focuses on the management challenges and strategies he uses to turn around his stations, specifically the third acquisition.