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In 2003, Norman Walker, head of HR at Novartis, received approval from the management board to implement a global human resources information system (HRIS). Although Walker had made substantial progress in transforming the HR function, much of their efforts remained transactional and not strategic. If successful, the implementation of HRIS would change the role and responsibilities of not only the HR organization but how it added value to the company. Since its formation in 1996, Dan Vasella, the CEO, had transformed the organization from one with slow-moving functional silos into a high-performance company. His goal was to make Novartis a "premier talent machine by 2005." The new global HRIS was a key element in this transformation. It was clear to Walker that this was a major organizational change effort, not simply an IT implementation. The case describes the changes Walker had already made and poses a set of challenges that need to be addressed to implement the new HRIS project.

Focuses on a graduating HBS MBA who has been working part-time with a Web-hosting firm in California. Discusses the question of which of several "business models" make the most sense for the company to pursue.

In 1999, a powerful struggle amidst complex corporate and interpersonal networks led to the failed merger between Banca Commerciale Italiana and Unicredito Italiano--two of Italy's largest banking groups. This case analyzes the actions of Abelli and Saviotti, co-CEOs of Banca Commerciale Italiana at that time, as well as those of central players in Banca d'Italia, Mediobanca, and several prominent national and international banking and industrial groups. The events shed light on the management of multilayered resource dependencies and tactics of political influence as a critical precondition for implementing sound business strategy.

Examines the industry structure and competitive strategy of Coca-cola and Pepsi over 100 years of rivalry. New challenges of the 21st century included boosting flagging domestic cola sales and finding new revenue streams. Both firms also began to modify their bottling, pricing, and brand strategies. They looked to emerging international markets to fuel growth and broaden their brand portfolios to include noncarbonated beverages like tea, juice, sports drinks, and bottled water. For over a century, Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola had vied for the "throat share" of the world's beverage market. The most intense battles of the cola wars were fought over the $60 billion industry in the United States, where the average American consumes 53 gallons of carbonated soft drinks (CSD) per year. In a "carefully waged competitive struggle," from 1975 to 1995 both Coke and Pepsi had achieved average annual growth of around 10% as both U.S. and worldwide CSD consumption consistently rose. This cozy situation was threatened in the late 1990s, however, when U.S. CSD consumption dropped for two consecutive years and worldwide shipments slowed for both Coke and Pepsi. The case considers whether Coke's and Pepsi's era of sustained growth and profitability was coming to a close or whether this apparent slowdown was just another blip in the course of a century of enviable performance. A rewritten version of an earlier case by Michael E. Porter and David B. Yoffie.

Presents measures of financial performance and health for pairs of Asian and American companies in different industries from 1996 to 2000. The measures include economic profit (also known as Economic Value Added) and other classic measures, such as financial ratios and stock price performance.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 702-442.

Supplements The Baseball Strike.

Describes a specific approach for measuring the efficiency of the groups of computers inside an organization and suggests ways this tool may be used to reduce the company's computing investment while maintaining service. It is a software-enabled industrial engineering approach to delivery of computing resources. The evolution of this approach and the listing of its strengths and weaknesses is the key purpose for the class discussion.

The American Red Cross has a system for structuring, staffing, and leading teams to review its local chapters. Mirroring professional services firms that use teams to serve clients, this system provides detailed guidelines to increase individual team member's efficiency and thoroughness. The protagonist at Red Cross headquarters who designed the system, however, is concerned that the structure she has provided is detracting from the teams' overall creativity and integration. Highlights the trade-offs of providing teams with too little structure (e.g., inefficiency, variable quality of team's work products) vs. too much structure (e.g., team members have little opportunity to utilize their expertise and creativity).

Discusses the role of diamonds in Angola's civil war.

Describes IBM's ongoing Reinventing Education initiative to improve K-12 public education via information technology developed by IBM's engineers and consultants. Focuses on one site, West Virginia, to reveal how IBM and the state created a mutually beneficial partnership that provided the basis for the next step of the initiative--Reinventing Education 3.

This case escribes the antitrust prosecutions in the United States and abroad of the international bulk vitamins cartel. Both the civil and criminal fines were historically high, and it was the first time the United States prosecuted foreign nationals for U.S. criminal antitrust charges. It also details allegations of price-fixing by NASDAQ securities traders, which began when an academic paper accused NASDAQ market makers of avoiding quotes with odd-numbered increments. The remaining vignette provides an account of the price-fixing scandal involving Christie's and Sotheby's fine-art auction houses.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 802131.

Describes the various alternative financing alternatives available to new ventures. A rewritten version of an earlier note.

Supplements the (A) case.

Noranda is a $7 billion international mining and smelting company headquartered in Canada. It has been cited for its fine environmental record. This case explores the issue of sustainability--in this case, for a mining company. Over time, and under nongovernmental organization and governmental pressure, Norando moves gradually to goals approximating sustainability. At issue is the sustainability of Noranda's expenditures on environmental mitigation and the degree to which Noranda employs (or should employ) "best country" standards everywhere it operates.

Supplements the case.

In mid-June 2000, Michael Saylor, the CEO of MicroStrategy, is considering an investment of $125 million of convertible preferred stock in his firm by a group of private investors including Citadel Investment Group LLC. The offer comes at a difficult time for the company, as only three months earlier, its stock had reached a record price of $300 per share. At that point the company had registered a $1 billion seasoned equity offering. Shortly thereafter, the company was forced to restate its earnings after running afoul of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for its revenue-recognition practices. Although the restatement did not change the company's cash-flow position, it did result in an SEC investigation and the cancellation of the stock offering. In order to meet Saylor's ambitious plans for MicroStrategy, additional funding must be obtained. With public-market funding sources shut off, students must evaluate what the best course of action is for the firm at this moment. Students are asked to evaluate a new form of venture financing called private investments in public enterprises (PIPE). PIPEs differ from conventional floating-rate convertibles in that the conversion price in most cases can only be adjusted downward. The case considers both the pros and cons of these investments.

In the Second Edition of Portfolio Management for New Products, published and distributed by Perseus Books, Professors Cooper, Edgett, and Kleinschmidt (all of McMaster University) present a rigorous and practical approach to managing a company's product portfolio as you would a financial portfolio - by investing for maximum long-term growth. Numerous mini-cases illuminate key themes. This is a useful book for practitioners and educators alike. Chapter 1, "The Quest for the Right Portfolio Management Process," introduces major themes in product portfolio management, including the integration of new products with established ones. Key terms are introduced and defined.

In the Second Edition of Portfolio Management for New Products, published and distributed by Perseus Books, Professors Cooper, Edgett, and Kleinschmidt (all of McMaster University) present a rigorous and practical approach to managing a company's product portfolio as you would a financial portfolio - by investing for maximum long-term growth. Numerous mini-cases illuminate key themes. This is a useful book for practitioners and educators alike. Chapter 2, "Three Decades of R&D Portfolio Methods: What Progress?," probes the literature on portfolio management, identifies the main generic types of portfolio management tools proposed in the literature, and defines the requirements for an ideal portfolio management approach. The chapter ends with a look at the three goals in portfolio management.