Concerns the role of Jay Gould in causing the creation of large regional rail systems after the Civil War in the United States. In class it will be used to show the inevitability of consolidation in that industry.
Provides a conceptual framework for the study of corporate strategy. First describes previous perspectives on corporate strategy and then develops a framework of four elements: resources, tasks, structure, and industries. This framework can be used to explain the value corporations add to their businesses, how they should be organized, and the limit to the scope of the firm. Finally, describes four steps involved in the formulation of a corporate strategy.
Describes the economic theory that was behind the view that resources are central to the creation of value in multibusiness corporations and identifies tests that resources must pass to become part of a firm's "distinctive competence". Describes how those resources can be leveraged, built, or altered.
Lays out some ideas on how to restructure a multibusiness corporation. Identifies sixteen elements of organization design, and then applies contingency theory to argue that these elements need to be aligned with the tasks the corporation uses to create value across its multiple business. The emphasis throughout is on applying recent developments in organizational economics to the design of a corporation's structure, systems, and procedures.
Deals with the issue of niche marketing in a worldwide market. Barco Projection Systems makes video, data, and graphics projectors for the industrial market. They have traditionally been the performance leader. In August 1989, Sony Corp. introduced a higher performance graphics projector at a considerably lower price than Barco's existing projector. As a result, Barco is faced with being preempted in their fastest growing segment by a competitor with much larger resources. Deals with how a small niche player deals with considerably larger competitors in a global environment.
American Airlines' strategy calls for continued growth, improvements in customer service, and cost reduction. This case examines the Human Resource Management system at American Airlines and its role in the airline's past and continued success. May be used with American Airlines (A): Strategy in the 1990s, (B): Compensation and Cost Reduction, and (C): Committing to Leadership.
Describes the problems of early banking, early attempts at central banking, achieving a sound uniform currency, and economic growth. Illustrates the problems of developing a sound money economy in a developing country and shows the difficulties of branch management in an era of primitive communication.
Describes the competitive situation that has arisen in the commercial aircraft manufacturing industry since Airbus entered in 1970. Having overtaken McDonnell Douglas for second place, Airbus announces plans to challenge market leader Boeing's last pocket of dominance. Industry and government officials have long complained about assistance that Airbus receives from its governments, and this new challenge threatens to spark a new battle between the governments. Pushes students to examine issues facing industry players--high risk, long-term investments; technological change; intense selling competition--and issues facing their national governments--fair vs. unfair trade; important national industries--in a highly visible time frame for players and governments.
Describes the history of Nike, its strategy, and the industry in which it competes. The teaching objective is to ask the student to identify and evaluate Nike's economic/technical strategy.
Provides a follow-up to the (A) and (B) (Condensed) case. Brings events up to date from 1985-1991. Bob Koski, Sun's CEO, has now taken on a new #2 heir apparent in Clyde Nixon. The company has a proliferation of new products and new directions. Has Sun's horizontal management been so successful within the company that serious problems will now arise in terms of interfaces with the environment?
Examines those social marketing situations that pose challenges for adoption of conventional marketing principles. In addition to discussing how they differ the note explores underlying reasons and suggests alternate ways of conceptualizing such problems.
A California based security guard firm considers the acquisition of another security guard company. The value of the target firm and the financing of the acquisition are the key issues.
The state of Connecticut wants to raise $325 million of long-term fixed-rate debt. One alternative is to do this synthetically--issue long-term variable rate debt and enter into an interest rate swap. The case is a vehicle for analyzing various floating rate structures and various kinds of swaps. Also raises issues relating to the default risk of swaps, as well as the term structure of the tax exempt and taxable debt markets.