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In its eight quarters of operation, Google's internally developed prediction market has delivered accurate and decisive predictions about future events of interest to the company. Google must now determine how to increase participation in the market, and how to best use its predictions.

The announcement of Porsche's (Germany) intention to take a 20% equity interest in Volkswagen (Germany) in September 2005 was greeted with outright opposition on the part of many shareholders in both Volkswagen and Porsche. Major investment banks immediately downgraded Porsche from a buy to a sell, arguing that the returns on the massive investment, some €3 billion, would likely never accrue to shareholders. Although Porsche and VW were currently co-producing the Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg, this ownership interest would take the two companies far down a path of cooperation way beyond the manufacture of a sport utility vehicle. Although Porsche had explained its investment decision to be one which would assure the stability of its future cooperation with VW, many critics saw it as a choice of preserving the stakes of the Porsche and Piëch families at the expense of nonfamily shareholders.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 607-003.

Spreadsheet Supplement for case 807092.

Spreadsheet Supplement for case 807092

Spreadsheet supplement for case KEL300.

Two partners of Warburg Pincus, a global private equity firm, are trying to decide whether to take a portfolio company public, and on what exchange. The company, Norway-based ElectroMagnetic GeoServices (emgs), has developed a market-leading technology that determines whether an undersea rock formation contains oil -- prior to the oil company drilling a hole. With its high-growth characteristics, emgs is very different from the typical oilfield services company, and would be more suitable for floating on the NYSE or LSE, where liquidity and valuations would also be greater than on the Oslo Bors, the other possibility. Yet floating in the U.S. would involve greater compliance expense and might also require the management team to move to New York or Houston, something the team is reluctant to do. The partners need to decide what to do before the IPO window for energy-related companies closes.

Biocon Limited was facing significant pricing pressure in their cash cow business, that primarily consisted of manufacturing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). To combat this commoditization, Biocon's leadership had chosen an innovation-led strategy. This new strategy consisted of licensing and developing proven molecules from strategic partners to leapfrog competition and create large molecule biologics in India. The company understood that its transition from an API to an innovation-led company focused on new biologics would require patience and a risk-taking mindset. Although there was some commonality in the bioprocessing aspects of both approaches, the regulatory approvals, product development paths, and market-access timelines were dramatically different--almost diametrically opposed. Analyzes Biocon's strategic decisions, as well as the risks and challenges associated with migrating from a manufacturing to an innovation-led enterprise. How would they balance short-term pragmatism versus long-term vision? Do they have the appropriate human resources to scale and innovate? Is their India-centric strategy appropriate, since 86% of their end-market demand is in the U.S., Europe, and Japan? Fortunately, early indications with their innovation-led strategy were showing positive signs and demonstrable results--such as their biogenetic insulin and monoclonal antibody launch in India. Their lead oral insulin project, with a planned $100 million budget, was meeting its milestones and deliverables. Many critical business challenges are detailed in this case. Nevertheless, given their fully integrated business model and significant manufacturing base, the odds are in Biocon's favor to overcome these challenges and lead India's biotechnology revolution.

Atlantic Computer, a leading player in the high-end server market, has detected a marketplace opportunity in the basic server segment. They have developed a new server, the Tronn, to meet the needs of this segment. In addition, they have created a software tool, called the "Performance Enhancing Server Accelerator," or PESA, that allows the Tronn to perform up to four times faster than its standard speed. The central question revolves around how to price the Tronn and PESA. Although cost-plus, competition-based, and status-quo pricing are the most common means by which firms establish prices for their offerings, these approaches may prevent firms from fully realizing the benefits that are due to them. Provides an opportunity to optimize value capture for the firm by utilizing value-in-use pricing (i.e., examining the value that a firm's offering creates for the customer, and using the savings generated as the basis for developing prices). Also allows for the exploration of the challenges surrounding the implementation of a value-in-use pricing strategy. These include the reactions of competitors, customers, and stakeholders within the firm.

Chris Prangel, a recent MBA graduate, has returned home to West Virginia to manage the marketing operations of the Mountain Man Beer Company, a family-owned business he stands to inherit in five years. Mountain Man brews just one beer, Mountain Man Lager, also known as "West Virginia's beer" and popular among blue-collar workers. Due to changes in beer drinkers' taste preferences, the company is now experiencing declining sales for the first time in its history. In response, Chris wants to launch Mountain Man Light, a "light beer" formulation of Mountain Man Lager, in the hope of attracting younger drinkers to the brand. However, he encounters resistance from senior managers. Mountain Man Lager's brand equity is a key asset for Mountain Man Brewing Company. The question is whether Mountain Man Light will enhance it, detract from it, or irreversibly damage it.

Spreadsheet supplement to case 2078.

Supplemental spreadsheet to 2069. Download only.

Supplement to product 907C20.

Supplement to product 907C20.

Supplement to product 907C20.

On 9 April 2005, the leading global direct-sales cosmetics company, Avon, gained exclusive rights from the Chinese government to test the direct-selling model in China. This provided Avon a rare opportunity to expand its business, especially given that the demand for cosmetics in China had skyrocketed in the past decades. Since China banned the direct sales model in 1998, Avon had successfully adopted the traditional sales model of boutique and counter stores. Although the direct sales model had worked well for Avon in almost all other markets in the world, the traditional sales model had proved to be very successful in China. How should Avon exploit this opportunity of direct selling in China?

Examines a proposed investment in the capability to manufacture printed circuit boards (PCBs) in-house rather than buying them from third-party contract manufacturers. Stryker Corporation's Instruments business is considering the proposal in response to difficulties with existing suppliers. Requires students to formulate and execute basic quantitative capital budgeting analyses, specifically, to compute net present value (NPV) internal rate of return (IRR) and payback period.

"Hee Soap, Hee Soap," Timothy Jones sang out in a mocking fashion towards Hee Seop Choi, a fellow learning team member at a noted graduate school of business. Hoping to gain the benefits from a diversity of resources, knowledge, and ideas, MBA students at this school were assigned to learning teams. Each member was specifically chosen with an effort to mix up gender, nationalities, professional backgrounds, and interests. But those advantages may be outweighed by problems stemming from multicultural differences. This case offers a disguised, yet real, team experience that can be used in the classroom to unpack how this richly diverse group had trouble getting along and why their personality clashes intensified. The opportunity to discuss the challenges in light of culture, and the difference between that and problems stemming from personalities will help students reap the benefits intrinsic in multicultural teams.

Not all groups are teams. That statement certainly applies to the learning team in this case study. Tony Marshall, a second-year learning team mentor, witnessed an interaction with the team last night confirmed what he suspected. Only three weeks into the first year of a MBA program at a big name school, the learning team (LT) was in trouble. From his own experience the year before, Marshall knew that a first-rate learning team made a huge positive difference in a student's first year. The corollary was also true; a bad or difficult LT experience could taint the entire FY and school experience. Although Marshall wanted to help, he just was not at all sure how. In the case, Marshall thinks about how to describe the situation to his fellow peer mentors in his second year elective class on managing teams in an effort to draw out some good ideas.