Dubinsky and her boss' boss reflect on what was learned through this difficult chapter in Apple's history. May be used with Donna Dubinsky and Apple Computer, Inc. (A), (B), (D) and (E).
Presents a description of two management style assessment questionnaires that were completed by Donna Dubinsky: the Influence Style Questionnaire and the Leadership Practices Inventory. Dubinsky's results are summarized and presented in two exhibit graphs. This data may serve as a supplement to Donna Dubinsky and Apple Computer, Inc. (A), (B), (C), and (D) in a class discussion of Dubinsky's individual influence style and techniques.
Summarizes how to construct and use statistical process control charts. Gives several examples. Discusses tolerances using control charts for debugging.
Describes a series of collateralized mortgage obligations offered by Travelers Insurance. Provides a general description of the life insurance business and the role of life insurance in the capital markets. Also describes a variety of mortgage related instruments, including pass-through securities, pay-through bonds, mortgage-backed bonds, and CMOs; and outlines trends in the securitization of mortgage assets. Background on the pricing of mortgage securities and models of prepayment on mortgage instruments is included. The protagonist, an insurance company portfolio manager, wonders why Travelers is issuing this security (and retaining one class of the bonds) and considers purchasing one or more of the bond classes offered. The student should understand the yield curve arbitrage driving the issuance of CMOs, the reason Travelers undertook the transaction, and the interaction of the primary and secondary residential mortgage markets.
This small but rapidly growing Danish biochemical company must choose among several financing opportunities that include a convertible Eurobond, a rights offering in Denmark and an issue of new common shares in the United States. The case involves a broad range of issues concerning the ability of a multinational company to lower its cost of capital by tapping different capital markets worldwide.
General Foods must decide whether to acquire Entenmann's Bakery. Price and financing must also be decided. The teaching objectives include analysis of strategic fit, selection of purchase price, and financing method. Another issue is the debt to equity ratio that is suitable for General Foods.
Describes the evolution of a company's manufacturing strategy over an eight-year period. Copeland had pursued a strategy of building freestanding focused plants devoted to single processes or product lines, and then moving products from the home plant at Sidney, Ohio to the new facility. Sidney is now left with a jumble of unrelated products and processes, and management must decide whether it should be reorganized by product line or manufacturing processes. HBR reprint number 85117 "Competing Through Manufacturing," January-February 1985, by S.C. Wheelwright and R.H. Hayes may be taught with these cases.
In the (A) case, Copeland had to choose between focusing its Sidney plant by product line or by manufacturing process. Now that it has made that decision, a plant layout must be selected from two alternatives.
In the preceding case, Copeland had to choose between two alternative plant layouts for organizing its Sidney plant. Now it must get work force approval for a change in "bumping" rules before proceeding with the change. Management must decide how to proceed--to continue with the reorganization, delay the moving of equipment and personnel, or drop the project completely.
Describes uses of foreign currency swaps and development of both interest rate and foreign currency swaps market. Emphasis on calculation of all-in costs using foreign currency swaps and conversion of basis points in one currency to basis points in a different currency.
Describes the operation of foreign exchange markets, including bid-offer spreads, cross rates, reciprocal rates, and forward rates. Provides several examples to demonstrate calculation of outright forward rates using discount and premium points quoted in the London Financial Times. Other examples demonstrate interest rate parity, and hedging foreign debt using long-dated forwards.
Intended for distribution during class, this case contains one set of answers to the (A1) case. It introduces the concept of a Gantt chart and discusses issues raised by the case such as the value of labor flexibility. The open-ended questions in the (A1) case are only partially answered to encourage further student creativity.
The student is starting his or her own business, baking make-to-order cookies. Basic times of each operation are laid out and the student is asked to determine the consequences for the operating system. Serves as an exercise and review of concepts such as capacity, bottlenecks, and throughput times. Students should be able to make several useful suggestions for improving the system. The case ends with a series of open-ended questions.
Contains a description of the events surrounding the financing of Centex Telemanagement, Inc. by Sierra Ventures, a venture capital fund. The case is written from the perspective of the venture capitalists and is designed to teach students about the process of venture capital funding.
Contains a description of a situation confronting the co-founder of a company planning to produce software for microcomputers. The company has just completed raising money from some wealthy investors by forming an R&D Limited Partnership. Development of the program (an integrated business productivity tool) can now begin. The focus is on the structure of the deal and the process of venture formation. Among the issues to be discussed are: Should the company have raised money from these investors under these terms? What can go wrong? What can go right?
In mid-1985, the vice president of marketing for a large manufacturer of disk drives is considering how to deal with a growing "gray market" for his company's products. The case provides good background material on the evolution of gray markets throughout the disk drive industry, and raises related issues of pricing policies, distribution strategy, and sales force management. A condensed version of Note on the Disk Drive Industry, and Peripheral Products Co.
Describes a mine operated by Bougainville Copper Ltd. in Papua New Guinea and the pressures negotiating the mineral contract between PNG and Bougainville Copper. Condensed from Bougainville Copper Ltd. (B), (C), and (D) by J.S. Hammond and G.B. Allan.