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Polar Sports, Inc. is a fashion skiwear manufacturing company in Littleton, Colorado. The company has a unique design for skiwear using a special synthetic material that improves insulation and durability. The ski apparel industry is highly competitive and the best way for companies to gain market share is by developing new fabrics and using innovative patterns. The firm generates over 80% of sales between September and January and relies on seasonal production to respond promptly to customer orders. During those months, the plant must rapidly increase production by hiring and training additional workers, often paying them overtime. The vice president of operations is concerned about the costs associated with seasonal production and presents a proposal to switch to level production. The change can reduce costs and improve efficiency but can also affect other aspects of company finance. Students must analyze potential cost savings and understand the financial risks involved before making a final recommendation. This case can be used in first-year MBA-level courses in finance or in advanced undergraduate finance courses.

Spreadsheet Supplement for Product #913513

A new Dallas-based health and beauty spa aims to use a highly distinctive human resource system as the foundation of its competitive strategy. By encouraging employees to act as "personal wellness coaches" (PWCs) with high commitment and broad responsibilities, the leadership intended to provide a level of client service that would justify premium rates. However, the system is not working. Issues include: tips are lower than expected, reducing expected compensation; scheduling issues create bottlenecks; and the level of commitment varies among PWCs. The result is a high employee turnover rate, and departing employees take an average of 35% of their client base with them when they go. Now, with financials for the spa's second year completed, the VP of spa operations, the VP of business operations, and the CEO must evaluate what is and what isn't working.

D.light is one of the leading manufacturers of solar powered lighting technology specifically designed for use by the world's poorest, bottom of the pyramid customers. Having sold over 7 million lights since 2007, the company has been relatively successful. However, sales to the very poorest customers have failed to reach penetration levels desired by management, and the company is currently struggling with an array of marketing techniques and strategies specifically targeting this historically difficult customer segment

In January 2009, an investor was assessing his investment in Nortel Networks Corporation. Nortel had recently filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States and Canada, meaning his entire original investment was almost certainly lost. Nortel had filed a total of four accounting restatements from 2003 to 2007, leading to class-action lawsuits from investors and investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). Considering his losses, the investor wondered whether there were any signs indicating that Nortel's accounting practices were problematic. He also wanted to understand the accounting issues raised in the SEC and OSC investigations, such as improper recognition of revenue and improper recording of provisions. Overall, the investor wanted to learn from his loss with Nortel to make stronger future investing choices.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), a U.S. network of four privately owned oncology focused factory hospitals, was weighing options for growth. CTCA was entirely cancer focused and specialized in treating patients with complex and advanced-stage cancers, who were reached through advertising its integrative, team-based approach to care. CEO Stephen Bonner needed to decide whether to focus future expansion on building additional full-scale hospitals or pursuing a hub-and-spoke model, in which numerous oncology outpatient centers would be built in the region of each CTCA hospital. His decision would be made in the context of CTCA's unique business model and treatment philosophy and the public policy landscape, including certificate-of-need laws and the advent of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and bundled payments. CTCA's for-profit status and direct-to-consumer advertising made it a target, he knew.

In late spring 2009, Stroz Friedberg co-presidents Edward Stroz and Eric Friedberg had to set growth targets for 2010. The leading global consulting firm they had built specialized in managing digital risk and uncovering digital evidence and had grown very rapidly. With the firm's CFO, they believed that the firm could grow from $58 million to $72 million, a growth rate of 27% over the preceding year. However, the firm's 11 offices had submitted first draft FY 2010 plans that together added up to firm-wide revenues of only $53 million, a growth rate of negative 10.2%. The preceding years of rapid growth had been successful but challenging, and a thorough review of the firm's culture, systems, structure, and processes in late 2008 had resulted in a significant set of changes to which the organization was still adjusting. Stroz and Friedberg wondered whether to push for continued, aggressive growth.

Starting in 2007 Milwaukee leaders from different areas (large established companies, civic organizations, public sector, academia, and entrepreneurs) negotiated a path for converting the region into a global water hub to address economic and environmental concerns. The leaders with various stakes in the change managed to work together to re-arrange and support existing pieces to maximize the collective potential. Their actions exemplified "advanced leadership" in a complex social system such as a community or region. There was no central leader; instead there was a collection of coalitions and collaborative activities that contributed to the end result.

Since its inception in 2003, LinkedIn had become a leading Silicon Valley institution with a brand name that was recognizable throughout the U.S. and in many countries overseas. As of March 2012, LinkedIn was the world's largest professional network on the Internet with $522.2 million in revenue in 2011 and more than 150 million members in over 200 countries. Unlike other major social networking sites, LinkedIn focused exclusively on fostering connections within the professional market. As LinkedIn's CEO thought about the future, he recognized the challenges in continuing to massively scale the company. At the same time, he focused on how LinkedIn could continue to use its vast amount of data to provide additional products and services for its members and customers.

You can also find this case divided into A, B, and C cases. See OB85(A) Dealing with a Toxic Boss for the A, B, and C cases. Ned was an upper middle manager in a major construction company. Six months prior, he was hired away from a competitor to develop the company's market in the fast-growing southeast region. As it turned out, the major challenge was not with the market, but with his boss, Bill, Southeast Regional Director. The case describes Ned's experience working with Bill and Ned's analysis about how to handle the situation. After a meeting with Bill that did not yield any improvements, Ned decided to approach John, the company president, about the negative impact that Bill's behavior was having on building the Southeast Region. The discussion with the company president did not produce any real changes either. Ned struggled with whether to continue raising issues about the impact of Bill's actions on both business growth and employees or simply resign.