An immensely successful Western Canadian real estate agency is considering questions of continuity and sustaining its growth. The agency has prospered because it acted as an agent for its client, not as a broker trying to bring parties together in a sale. A key, the president feels, is getting and keeping good people and instilling in them the concept of acting as an agent.
A print media campaign to improve attitudes toward the Catholic priesthood and to indirectly increase vocations is evaluated through a comparison of pretest and post-test data.
Federal Express is a small-package airline operating throughout the United States. After initial heavy losses, it is now profitable. Management is examining the services offered by the firm and believes that there is great potential for "Courier Pak," an overnight document delivery service with presently limited sales. Emphasizes product line policy and market analysis.
The Marketing Director for Federal Express, a fast growing freight airline specializing in small packages, must select a strategy to achieve a big sales increase for one of the company's services. First he must decide on the relative emphasis to place between advertising and personal selling, then he must formulate specific plans to reach the new sales target within six months. Nine pages of exhibits show examples of previous advertising by Federal Express and its competitors, and provide data on print and broadcast advertising costs and audiences.
Amicon holds a patent on a new process for the separation of blood plasma from whole blood. It has to decide whether to pursue a direct entry, joint venture, or licensing strategy. If it chooses licensing, there are many sub-issues to consider.
President has decided to restructure the discount scheme. Every staff member would be affected, good or bad. Information would have to be tailored to each group--worst off would be managers. Task is to write to managers/supervisors.
Service systems with high customer contact operate at a lower degree of efficiency than those with limited customer contact. Managers should separate high-contact and low-contact elements of a service system; separate groups of people should perform high- and low-contact activities. Implementation of these concepts will enhance the development of two contrasting classes of worker skills and orientations. It requires, however, answering questions concerning the company's operating system, procedures and potential.
Industrial marketers should set prices according to their customers' perceptions of product benefits and costs. Because price defines a product market, price should be seen as one of the product's several critical performance attributes. Industrial marketers must manage product planning and pricing simultaneously, taking maximum advantage of the company's cost structure and building on the company's competitive competence.
Provides a complete description of the processes used in preparing a budget (annual operating plan). Starting with basic product line decisions, management prepares a budget that integrates production and marketing within constraints of financial feasibility. The budget is the basis for internal control of operations and for negotiations with banks for seasonal financing.
Focuses on Club Med's strategy in the U.S. market. The experience of Club Med is largely among Europeans, but the Club has attracted young, single U.S. tourists to its Caribbean resorts. Should Club Med attempt to attract other market segments? What should its growth strategy be?
Introduces the student to the concept of the product life cycle. The meaning and fundamental underpinnings of the product life cycle are presented. Further, the nature of market and competitive forces at different stages in the life cycle, and the implications for managerial action, are discussed.
Focuses on the problem of the means by which a manufacturer controls its channel of distribution. U.S. Pioneer's retail outlets have turned "dissident" and management has to decide what tactics to employ to stop further erosion (short-run) and what long-run distribution channel to pursue. Software for this case is available (9-588-546).
Outlines the problems involved in defining "markets" for purposes of 1) developing competitive strategies, 2) measuring market share, and 3) evaluating the extent of competition. The primary focus is on strategic planning--specifically, the questions of delimiting the served market for a business unit and identifying potential segments within it.
Discusses the nature and dynamics of interpersonal conflict and suggests how to diagnose and manage a conflict situation. The perspective employed is that of an interested third party who wishes to intervene in the conflict to resolve or control it. Focuses on how to choose between resolution and control strategies, and suggests specific tactics for implementing each approach.
Provides a brief overview of the strengths and weaknesses of group problem solving and suggests criteria for when to use a group. Also, describes the three primary modes of conflict resolution (smoothing and avoidance; bargaining and forcing, problem solving) and discusses difficulties experienced by the members of interdepartmental groups. Can be used with cases on group and intergroup conflict.
In practice, management makes debt-capacity decisions by drawing on advice from external sources. This method of decision making fails to assess how much risk is actually involved for an individual company. Management must formulate an approach to the measurement of risk applicable to individual corporations. Expressing the limits of long-term borrowing in terms of an income statement of data, rather than the conventional balance sheet relationship between long-term debt and the total of all long-term sources, provides a more meaningful ratio for internal formulation of policy. This article, first published in 1962, is reprinted to include a retrospective commentary by the author.
A student takes a position on a case which is in conflict with the other students' conclusions. The professor believes the student's answer is correct but does not indicate so in class. As a result, the student withdraws from further class participation.