Describes the U.S. market for chemicals following WW II to the present and the attention of the market for global chemical companies. Traces the involvement of Hoechst in this market up to the 1980s when minimum growth has been offered through Hoechst's U.S. subsidiary, American Hoechst and the company is seeking opportunities for expansion through acquisition. Calenese Corp., the tenth largest chemical company in the United States, stands out as the best opportunity. Students will evaluate the strength of the Celanese opportunity in light of Hoechst's position, objectives, and past strategies. May be used with Hoechst and the German Chemical Industry and Hoechst in the United States (B).
Provides anyone considering starting a nonprofit organization with a basic understanding of the nature of nonprofit status, tax and regulatory issues for nonprofits, and the distinctive management challenges associated with a nonprofit start-up.
Focuses on the three-way interaction among internal controls, employee behavior, and incentives. Salesmen are illegally providing kickbacks to customers of this beer-distribution firm. In turn, salesmen are reimbursing themselves by filing fraudulent expense reports. The owner/president of the business faces a difficult decision: if he fires the individuals involved, he risks a total business shut-down. Closes with the question of how to improve internal controls to avoid this type of occurrence in the future.
The owner/editor of the small Davis Press encounters a dilemma when she is given the opportunity to publish a novel set in the Islamic holy city of Mecca. Given the events of the last 16 years--the angry fallout after Salman Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses," the continuing Iraq War, and the recent controversy of Koran desecration at the U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Prison--publishing the novel presents a host of various ethical dilemmas, including whether she should put her staff at risk. Discusses the ethics of a free press and challenges the profit motive in the face of jeopardizing political and religious world affairs.
Describes traditional bank lending product, the role of the lending officer, credit evaluation, and the structuring of credit facilities and loan agreements.
In August 1990 the president and executive vice president of Xerox are reviewing the progress made on its customer satisfaction program. The emphasis placed on the program, the success of the program to date, and the drive to achieve the corporate goals of customer satisfaction motivate this review. At Xerox customer satisfaction is the number one priority, ahead of return on assets (ROA) and market share. The case focuses on analyzing the strategic role of the customer satisfaction program, its goals, and the action steps for implementation. Also described are the customer satisfaction measurement system, the data analyses, and follow-up. To increase customer satisfaction and to drive the organization to higher levels of performance top management believes that Xerox should offer a satisfaction guarantee. Market research has been conducted on customer responses to four different types of guarantees. A decision has to be made regarding the type of guarantee to introduce.
A condensed version of Suzuki Samurai: The Rollover Crisis. Suzuki management must plan a response to a Consumers Union demand for a recall of the Samurai on grounds of its unacceptable propensity to roll over.
In 1970 Xerox had a very progressive affirmative action program yet, once hired, black employees faced serious problems, due both to overt discrimination and to their exclusion from the informal networks of support, information and mentoring that the other salespeople shared. The black employees responded by establishing seven independent support groups around the United States. These black caucuses functioned as both self-help groups to prepare black employees for promotion and as pressure groups to push for policy changes within Xerox. In 1974 Xerox fears the caucuses are forming a national organization. Students must decide how to respond to this potentially dangerous situation.
Describes the compromise worked out between Xerox and the black caucus groups. The implications of this arrangement for Xerox and black employees over the next 16 years is also described.
Describes the development of a successful corporate strategy based on the acquisition and subsequent consolidation of low-technology manufacturing companies. Starting with a company history and discussion of current business segments, the case goes on to detail the innovation of corporate headquarters in strategy formulation and operations. Highlights the synergistic possibilities in alike acquisitions and addresses the issue of long-term value creation in acquisition-oriented firms. Emphasis is placed on the systems and procedures installed to implement the corporate strategy.
The manager and owner of The Pool Doctor, is in the process of formulating a marketing strategy for the coming year. Many strategic issues remain unresolved, such as how to advertise, whether he needs to change suppliers, and deciding upon a basic product mix to achieve maximum profits and long-term success.
Janet Wells, product manager for POST Children's Cereals, must decide how to allocate her marketing budget to in-pack premiums, trade promotions, and advertising. Her decision is complicated by recent increases in competitive activity.
Tetra Pak Inc.'s Environmental Steering Committee members review the company's communications campaign during the previous fall and must decide what changes Tetra Pak should make to make the campaign even more effective. Tetra Pak is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swiss-based Tetra Pak Rausing SA. For a long time, the parent company had felt no need to actively pursue the possibility of recycling its drink boxes, mainly due to the fact that incineration for energy recovery was a widely accepted method of solid waste disposal in Europe. However, operating in Canada, Tetra Pak felt strong pressures to respond to environmental concerns over incineration and landfill site capacity problems.
The brand manager for Sunlight Powder laundry detergent, must decide how to respond to the introduction by Loblaws' of a new green laundry detergent product. He is considering several alternatives, and must carefully consider the pros and cons associated with each approach, as well as the economic impact on his company's sales and the effect of increased consumer awareness of environmental issues. This case may be used to introduce positioning decisions, in a product policy module, or in a marketing strategy module.