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Two lost decades later, capitalism in Japan embodies peculiar contradictions-preserving wealth and social stability in the face of declining economic power. Scant transparency in Japanese corporate practices plays an important role in this phenomenon. Sometimes justified as an embodiment of Japanese culture, the opacity of Japanese corporations is credited with empowering managers to make long-term business decisions that preserve employment and business relationships and maintain social harmony. But opacity also facilitates fraud and corruption, which erode investor confidence and stifle risk-taking. A flamboyant politician, Kotaro Tamura, attempts to raise public awareness around these tensions, but his provocative style earns him few friends in Japan's conservative political establishment.

Since its inception, London-based private equity firm Greighton Partners had managed over $15 billion in investor capital. The firm employed about 150 professionals around the globe and had completed over 175 company acquisitions since its founding. Started with a small intimate team in London, the firm had merged with a continental PE firm and was successful, with an increased focus on Asia deals. After a long day of global partner meetings behind them, a group of Greighton partners, eager to unwind, gathered to discuss the firm's success in terms of executing on its recently refined strategy. Opinions ranged across the following strategic issues: growing the firm's Asian footprint versus remaining focused in Europe; aiming to be a top performing mid-market firm or focusing on moving up a tier to compete for bigger deals against larger firms; growth and expansion through organic growth, merger/acquisition, or through lateral hires; and finally, sector mix and client mix/client focus.

Private equity firm XAF Partners, created out of the 2003 merger of Shanghai-based Xuan Partners and AF Group, a spin out of the Shanghai-based, emerging market-focused private equity arm of a large European bank, had grown steadily over the last decade, establishing offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Seoul and Singapore. At the end of their day-long partners' retreat, several firm partners discuss the challenges they face as they juggle three roles in their business life: deal makers in their own sectors; managers of younger associates and directors across their sector teams; and as leaders in their young but successful firm.

Over the past decade, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) had developed a unique set of benefits and cultural amenities for its employees, including a beautiful residential campus, known as the Living Quarters (LQ), and an award winning international school from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade that by 2012 enrolled over 2,000 students. These amenities allowed the company to attract and retain high-quality employees at modest pay; however, the company had recently experienced some financial difficulties, a shrinking number of new available living spaces, and questions about how relevant it was for a semiconductor firm to be operating a school. Thus, these benefits now presented significant dilemmas for the SMIC management team, including how the company can justify the costs of these benefits to investors in the face of the company's other financial challenges.

Days after Jerry Shen introduced a new tablet computer at the Consumer Electronics Show, a Google meeting convinced him to go with a lower price point and co-branding as the Nexus 7. While his company would have a premier position at launch, companies like Samsung posed a large competitive threat. He also knew he would sell more of the Android-powered tablets at the lower price, but how would he make money? The case explores the challenges of innovating in the Android value network in which firms specialized in only one part of the value chain, yet collectively they had to compete with a more vertically integrated Apple and its iPad. The case is intended to be part of a discussion on modularity and industry structure.

Renova, a Portuguese toilet paper manufacturer, is battling to survive in a stagnant, commoditised market dominated by international giants and private labels. To grow and remain independent, CEO Paulo Pereira da Silva is considering three options: 1) price competition, 2) private label manufacturing, or 3) new functional innovations. There may be another way, but that is far from clear. What should he do? And how should the chosen strategy be implemented?

In September 2010, Dürr AG issued a corporate bond without the use of underwriters or rating agencies via a new bond issuance platform developed by Boerse Stuttgart. This reflected a growing trend among European corporations to tap capital markets instead of bank debt to secure debt financing.

Spreadsheet Supplement for INS224

Spreadsheet Supplement for INS224

Spreadsheet Supplement for INS224

Spreadsheet Supplement for INS224

Case A reviews the history of IMAX Corporation from its founding until the introduction of Digital Media Remastering (DMR) technology in 2002. Since its founding, IMAX had struggled to achieve sustainable, profitable growth. The case explores IMAX's difficulties in attracting movie studios and theatres to its platform. Case B describes the changes in the ecosystem implemented after DMR, and the resulting performance.

Case A reviews the history of IMAX Corporation from its founding until the introduction of Digital Media Remastering (DMR) technology in 2002. Since its founding, IMAX had struggled to achieve sustainable, profitable growth. The case explores IMAX's difficulties in attracting movie studios and theatres to its platform. Case B describes the changes in the ecosystem implemented after DMR, and the resulting performance.

Abstract is too long

This case showcases the 30-year career of Naina Lal Kidwai, Chairman of HSBC India, a leading woman business leader globally. It demonstrates how Kidwai spent a lifetime overcoming barriers as a woman in a male-dominated profession and as an Indian in the global marketplace. Now, as opportunities to play a role in the environment are beginning to open up, she has to decide the next direction to take in her career.

The case is structured in three sections. Section one describes Brockhaus' response to the emergence of digital encyclopedias and identifies the main reasons for why the company was able to successfully deal with this innovation. At the end of section one, participants are asked to analyze (1) the strategic situation Brockhaus faced when dealing with digital encyclopedias; (2) the actions of Brockhaus in response to the advent of digital encyclopedias; and (3) the reasons for why Brockhaus successfully dealt with this strategic challenge. Section two contains a review of two theoretical concepts: disruptive innovation theory and the value curve. This theory section should provide the participants with the tools necessary to understand radical innovations and to successfully respond to them. Section three describes Brockhaus' war against Wikipedia and the actions Brockhaus took to deal with online ecyclopedias. At the end of the section, participants are asked (1) to analyze how the strategic challenge brought about by online encyclopedias differs from the challenge resulting from the rise of digital encyclopedias; and (2) to use the value curve concept to design possible strategies in response to the emergence of online encyclopedias. In a wrap-up following section three, the case describes that Brockhaus ultimately failed at successfully dealing with the emergence of online encyclopedias and had to leave the market. Learning objectives: The aim of the case is to enable participants to understand that the emergence of Microsoft's Encarta and Wikipedia both represented major challenges for Brockhaus, but that they differed in a very important aspect: While the emergence of digital encyclopedias was a continuous change, the emergence of online encyclopedias was a discontinuous one.

Maria D'souza planned to expand her business by introducing a new product line of frozen foods. She wanted to estimate the attractiveness of the new expansion by estimating net present value (NPV) of the expected cash flows. Her main concern was to find a suitable discount rate to be applied to cash flows to ascertain the NPV of the project. D'souza's consultant friend asked her to analyze cost of capital of similar companies operating in the same industry. The basic principle in this case is that firms in the same industry often have similar customers, operations and assets; therefore they have similar business risks and should have similar costs of capital.

HootSuite is one of the fastest growing SaaS (Software as a Service) social media dashboards on the market. The company's vice-president of business development needs to determine the best strategy for segmenting and monetizing HootSuite users. He needs to introduce a tiered pricing plan that generates revenues without alienating users.

Jabwood, a wood trading company with four branches in Lebanon owned by the Jabado family, is contemplating international expansion into new markets - specifically, Saudi Arabia and China - to compensate for a decline in revenues. This case examines the macroeconomic environment of Lebanon, China and Saudi Arabia as well as the wood industry in those countries. The characteristics of a successful international expansion are considered. In addition to identifying the criteria of attractiveness for each country, the case requires a decision on a market entry strategy that would ensure a successful expansion for the company. Given the risks and tradeoffs in each country, Jabwood has to decide whether it should expand in either market or both and on the mode of entry it should adopt to increase its chances of success.

Patient safety is a critical issue in health care and remains a problem in almost all health care institutions. The challenge is to change the culture so that all providers of care put patient safety as job one. Traditionally physicians have suggested that patient safety is due to individual error. In contrast, patient safety is a system and cultural change. The joint chief of staff at a medium-sized community hospital wants to address patient safety by influencing his fellow physicians to change practices of patient care without appearing paternalistic. The arena of patient care and changing attitudes is a new concept at Grand River Hospital. The case examines the various means that the joint chief of staff can employ to introduce a patient safety culture at the hospital.