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The Singapore Public Library system was transformed from being mediocre at best to world class using information technology, progressive human resources management, and marketing approaches unusual for governmental agencies.

When the fast-growing Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, Florida finds out that a key, privately-owned parcel of land adjoining its "campus" is up for sale, it moves quickly-but unsuccessfully-to convince the owner to sell the land through an arrangement combining a long-term payout and select tax advantages. The owners' rejection of this approach forces the museum to consider a variety of other options, ranging from partnership with a for-profit firm to a request for financial assistance from local county government, that already owned the land on which the formerly-public museum was located. This case uses the "Fowler Avenue land parcel question" as a window into the ways in which sudden, individual decisions faced by nonprofit boards of trustees are linked to larger strategic and financial issues for institutions. The MOSI board must consider the long-term prospects for its endowment, the question of admission fees, even the question of the propriety and efficacy of using board members to lobby public officials. The case was developed with the support of the Museum Trustee Association. Author: Howard Husock Sponsor: Christine Letts HKS Case Number 1629.0

When the fast-growing Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, Florida finds out that a key, privately-owned parcel of land adjoining its "campus" is up for sale, it moves quickly-but unsuccessfully-to convince the owner to sell the land through an arrangement combining a long-term payout and select tax advantages. The owners' rejection of this approach forces the museum to consider a variety of other options, ranging from partnership with a for-profit firm to a request for financial assistance from local county government, that already owned the land on which the formerly-public museum was located. This case uses the "Fowler Avenue land parcel question" as a window into the ways in which sudden, individual decisions faced by nonprofit boards of trustees are linked to larger strategic and financial issues for institutions. The MOSI board must consider the long-term prospects for its endowment, the question of admission fees, even the question of the propriety and efficacy of using board members to lobby public officials. The case was developed with the support of the Museum Trustee Association. HKS Case Number 1629.1

Spreadsheet Supplement for case 200062

Provides a retailing context in which employee retention strategies are explored through analyzing detailed store-level data.

On June 6, 2000, the World Bank's and IFC's board of directors was scheduled to vote on whether to approve funding for the $4 billion Chad-Cameroon Petroleum Development and Pipeline project. Although the project presented a unique opportunity to alleviate poverty in Chad, one of the poorest countries in the world, Chad had a president who had been labeled "warlord" and a history of civil war and oppression. This case describes the project, the setting, and the World Bank's reasons for participating in the deal--mainly an opportunity to alleviate poverty, enforce environmental standards, and minimize the impact on indigenous people. It also describes the very public and very ardent opposition to the project's environmental, social, and revenue management policies. Faced with a high-risk, but potentially high-return opportunity to improve conditions in Chad, students, as the directors, must decide whether to approve funding for the deal.

Supplements the (A) case.

Nintendo Co. Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the retail video game industry. In 1998, the color version of Nintendo Game Boy would be launched simultaneously in North America and Europe and would be one of Nintendo's most important launches. The president of Nintendo, Canada must develop a marketing plan that would generate the most profit.

This case presents the history and current position of Russia's second-largest oil company, YUKOS, as it seeks listing on the NYSE as an ADR and attempts to rid itself from a punishing "governance discount" by the capital markets. This is a company with a history of significant corporate governance abuses that is, more recently, attempting to reform its ways. Although the market value of the company has risen dramatically over the past year (2000), it is still selling at a whopping discount from the imputed market value of its gigantic oil and gas reserves. What more should YUKOS be doing to eliminate its governance discount? How can any program be implemented successfully given the current ownership structure of the company?

This case describes the differebt approaches the United States and Japan have taken to extend the jurisdiction of their antitrust laws to foreign companies. The section on the United States, in particular, focuses on the evolving logic of the Supreme Court in dealing with these issues. It presents the case of United States vs. Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd. and demonstrates the difficulties of applying somewhat abstract principles of jurisdiction to a real-life situation.

Eastside College Preparatory School was founded in 1996 to give students in the economically depressed communities of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park a viable option for high school education. This case describes the formation, management, and challenges of Eastside. It focuses on fundraising, performance measurement, faculty recruiting, growth, and managing culture.

This case consists of a series of short vignettes illustrating several auctions: the auctions for Hillary Clinton's biography and the talents of baseball star Alex Rodriguez; eBay online auctions; the Turkish government's auction for a 51% stake in its state-run gas station chain; and the 1999 merger and takeover involving Warner-Lambert, American Home Products, and Pfizer.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 502-011.

Describes a situation facing Philip Satre, chairman and CEO of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. Satre was reading a May 2000 Wall Street Journal story that discussed the company's marketing success in targeting low rollers, the 100% growth in stock price and profits in the year to December 1999, and the revenue growth of 50%, which significantly outpaced the industry. The exciting articles aroused Satre's desire to know more about the activities of his then COO, Gary Loveman, and his team of "propeller heads" with respect to their database marketing efforts and the Total Reward Program. Satre was interested in two questions: He wanted to know how much these marketing efforts had contributed to Harrah's overall performance and whether these marketing results were a one-shot event or could be achieved year after year, especially as the competition introduced similar programs.

In 1997, Mike Volkema faced the difficulty of attempting to revitalize a once dynamic organization. Volkema wondered how he could incorporate advances made within subsidiaries, such as Miller SQA's business model innovation, into the company as a whole while also reinvigorating the product focus that had made Herman Miller great. This case details Herman Miller's development of business model designs for each of its target market segments and the evolution of its famed cubicle office system to a new design for the twenty-first century. Herman Miller's traditional focus on product design has been supplemented by a new focus on targeted business models. Students can analyze the changes, including market expansion, reintegration of the fragmented value chain, and sharing capabilities throughout the organization that Volkema introduced to redirect the firm toward greater growth. The details of customer-oriented business model design are examined. Concludes with a series of issues for organizational processes and structures to enable a firm to manage innovation on multiple fronts. Includes color exhibits.

The managers of a large corporate pension fund must decide whether to invest in a private equity fund that is offering a guaranteed rate of return of 20% on part of its portfolio. The background behind and implications of the guarantee are explored.

This note offers a four-step framework for writing business letters, reports, and proposals. It advises the writer to consider purpose, audience, channel, and message structure when drafting managerial communications, and offers effective strategies for dealing with common communication challenges.

Spreadsheet Supplement for case 202055

Supplements the (A) case.

In 1993, Calgene is on the verge of introducing the world's first genetically engineered plant product--a tomato will taste better and stay fresh longer. At the same time, it is using biotechnology to produce improved plant products for the cottonseed and the industrial and edible oil markets. As it develops and brings these products to market, however, it faces a series of marketing and public relations hurdles, including regulatory requirements consumer education activist resistance to production, and distribution logistics. How Calgene reacts to these challenges may determine whether it succeeds or fails in its quest to revolutionize the business of agriculture. A rewritten version of an earlier case.