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Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand merged in July 1998, creating one of the world's largest full-service professional organizations. This case provides a study of how two major organizations are putting together a global knowledge base that would facilitate communication and coordination within the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) practice. Eventually, this knowledge base would be made available to PwC clients. Discusses the changes, issues, and challenges at PwC in building its Intranet, called KnowledgeCurve, a knowledge management system that incorporates all the assets (knowledge, people, skills) of the company to be utilized by the firm. In order for the organization to be successful, it is crucial for PwC to encourage the users to fully utilize the available resources and to contribute information to the KnowledgeCurve. At the time this case was written, PwC is in its initial stages of setting up its Global Knowledge Curve, which would ultimately serve the entire practice. The limitations in using the Global Knowledge Curve led to the creation of Knowledge Curve at each office level, which incorporates the knowledge base and information important to the local level.

Set in 2000, the case provides a comprehensive analysis of transportation logistics and FedEx's internal integrated logistics applications. FedEx demonstrates the shift from "physical" to "information and value-added services" in an e-commerce environment. An excellent scenario to discuss whether companies should focus on core competencies or seek vertical and forward integration to provide integrated services. Also addresses issues that companies face when they wish to transform themselves from a conventional to an e-business model.

Not content with nine million customers per day, Toshifumi Suzuki, the chairman and CEO of Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd., was looking for ways to attract more customers and more sales. Fascinated by the optimistic outlook on the growth of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce in Japan, he contacted several prominent Japanese companies to explore the possibility of working together to launch the biggest B2C e-commerce web site in Japan. Suzuki knew that successfully launching and operating a B2C e-commerce business in Japan, known for its citizens' hesitancy to buy on-line, could be a big coup for him. His challenge now was to convince his would-be partners that he had a potentially successful and lucrative business model. Set in December 1999, this case is primarily about the aspiration of Suzuki to establish a business-to-consumer e-commerce venture targeted at Japanese consumers. Depicts the obstacles that he faces and the methods planned to overcome these obstacles.

In mid-1999, negotiators for Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong government were having intensive discussions about the possibility of building a theme park known as Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau. The case presents detailed information about the proposed theme park and the assumptions made by Walt Disney in conducting an economic assessment of the project. Also lays out other alternatives for Disney's entry into the China market.

By March 2000's first quarter evaluation, it was evident that EUROCAP Equities Japan had performed beyond expectations. Its primary year-2000 objective was to become the top-choice broker for its client for Japanese equities. However, when bonuses were handed out in March for 1999's performance, two key research analysts threatened to resign and the team was overall dispirited, as bonuses were lower than expected and lower than industry payouts. Key issues facing EUROCAP Equities Japan management included: How would key employees' expectations be managed in 2000? How was EUROCAP Equities Japan going to retain its employees in a bull-run with competitive pressures on the small local resource pool? How would employees be motivated through compensation packages, and what other methods would be used to make employees excel in their performance and thrust EUROCAP Equities Japan's performance into the limelight?

Since the Hospital Authority officially took over the management of the public hospitals in December 1991, it initiated numerous schemes aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of its staff and health care services. This included implementing a new management structure in most of the hospitals under its jurisdiction, including Patient Care Hospital. A few of the steps taken to improve the delivery of medical services were successfully and smoothly implemented, but a few met with resistance and complaints from the medical staff. This case takes a look at the management of medical professionals, and also at the role of medical professionals as managers. It introduces students to the culture of medical professionals, and aims to help students understand the reaction of medical professionals toward changes that affect their work routines.

In mid-1999, negotiators for the Hong Kong government and the Walt Disney Co. were having intensive discussions about the possibility of building a theme park known as Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau. This case presents detailed information about the proposed theme park and the assumptions used by the Hong Kong government in conducting an economic assessment of the project. Also lays out other alternatives for reinvigorating the tourism industry in Hong Kong and the development of Penny's Bay (the proposed site of Hong Kong Disneyland) in Lantau.

Structured as a bilateral negotiation exercise allow students to participate in a joint venture simulation for the Disneyland project in Hong Kong. Should be used in conjunction with Hong Kong Disneyland (A): The Walt Disney Perspective and Hong Kong Disneyland (B): The HKSAR Perspective. Students are assigned to a negotiation team representing one of two groups (either the Hong Kong government or Walt Disney Co.). They are then required to study the case assigned to their side of the negotiation. The students' task in this negotiation is to represent their groups effectively and to achieve the best outcome for the government or Walt Disney.

On February 18, 2000, month-old Internet startup, Tom.com, began its initial public offering and would open for trading on March 1 on Hong Kong's Growth Enterprise Market. The Internet company, majority-owned by Mr. Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa, planned to catch the frenzy that Hong Kong's investors had for new Internet stocks. The huge demand for Tom.com shares raised Internet frenzy in Hong Kong to new levels reminiscent of the red chip fever of 1997. Many of the retail investors had no idea what the company did but were betting on the IPO being a winner largely because of Mr. Li's clout with China. In this case, the student is asked to serve as an investment advisor to a retail investor considering subscribing to Tom.com's IPO. The student will provide an analysis of the risks and opportunities of investing in Tom.com and make a recommendation on whether the client should buy Tom.com's shares at the offer price.

Cold Storage, which operated a chain of 31 supermarkets located across the city-state of Singapore, was a well-established retail operation renowned for the quality of its fresh food. In June 1998, the company launched its supermarket services on the Internet in an effort to better serve its customers. Now in June 2000, Lester Quah, operations director at Cold Storage, had to evaluate the factors that helped its on-line shoppers to establish trust in its virtual store and the value of being a member of CaseTrust, a third-party trust accreditation scheme, for promoting its online e-tailing business.

Most leaders of new product teams are aware of the complexity of the problem they confront and the changes that must occur before cross-functional teamwork can accelerate new product development processes. Most know, for instance, that promoting cross-functional thinking, collaborative decision making, and concurrent organization of new product workflow are advantageous. Only a select few, however, consistently act on these insights and effect meaningful changes. The differences between more and less effective leaders lies less in what they espouse or profess and more in the process by which they learn and form new visions and develop new ways of defining their behaviors.

Chronicles the launch of a Total Quality Management (TQM) program in Gillette Argentina. The case protagonist credits the initiative with a 40% benefit in business while recognizing that its success was heavily dependent on the effects of teamwork and customer focus. Now he is faced with how to increase market share elsewhere on the continent and preserve it in Argentina. The only real question now is how to expand the same TQM programs elsewhere. To use in undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs on human resources management, team dynamics and design, and implementation of quality programs.

Integrates issues in service operations, organization behavior, and applications of management science models such as simulation and queuing theory. A complete analysis of the case includes understanding process flows, computing utilization levels, and using models of the stochastic arrival rate and service rates of the existing and proposed systems. In addition, considers the managerial issues involved in running an ambulatory care center. The Primary Care Clinic (PCC) is the only walk-in clinic on campus and presently works under a triage system. The Student Health Services (along with PCC) is scheduled to move to a new facility. The director of the PCC views the move as a good opportunity to review and improve on the present service delivery process and system. Three broad objectives have been identified for the new system: reduce the waiting time for seeing a healthcare provider, transform the perception of the clinic as an impersonal bureaucracy, and improve student perceptions (especially nonusers) about the performance and effectiveness of the PCC. To achieve these objectives, a new system of clinician teams (doctors and nurse practitioners) has been proposed.

This case describes the operations of a limited-menu restaurant to illustrate the following topics: restaurant as an operating system; cost structure in a limited-menu restaurant; areas of competitive advantage; basic process analysis in a service situation; and the development of a formula for a multisite concept.

The Boston Globe newspaper has decided to move its home delivery time up from 7 a.m. to 6 a.m. to increase sales and retain more customers. Anne Eisenmenger has been assigned to coordinate this process, building consensus for change among a diverse group of stockholders: management, unions, editors, department heads, and so on. The case is helpful for joint discussion of operational and organizational issues.

Centers on the historic merger of Daimler-Benz AG and Chrysler Corp. and the subsequent quest for integration. The subtexts to this central issue include a comparison and contrast of the operating cultures and business processes of the two companies as well as their histories, positions within the auto manufacturing industry, and corporate values and image. Also introduces the dynamics of integrating the leadership of two companies. Using "what if" scenarios, students can explore the roles of the senior managers in the merger, its execution, and the subsequent integration attempts. Gives students an opportunity to envision and develop an integration strategy. Best suited for studies in strategic management, corporate entrepreneurship, global management, leadership, and change management or organizational behavior.

Supplements the (A) case.

Deals with a nascent, high-potential business that is conceived by two MBA students who have no experience in the industry where they believe they have found a niche for an exciting new product--a technology platform that enables consumers to pay for merchandise and simultaneously participate in loyalty programs using any type of cell phone. Deals primarily with building contacts and gathering resources. Also covers career choice, building a team, venture capital, and boards of advisers.

Describes the start up of a mail order business selling women's tights in Britain. The principals, Elizabeth Preis and Dickon Addis, created a business plan while MBA students at INSEAD in France; upon graduation, they started the business. Presents the business plan, which was written to raise money.

John Esler, founder and CEO of Patio Rooms of America, founded this new venture a few months after graduating from Babson's one-year MBA program. Before studying for his MBA, Esler had substantial entrepreneurial experience that included founding and building a chain of Subway sandwich stores. He sold his chain of stores before entering the MBA program and used the proceeds to finance his studies and to underwrite the startup of his new venture. Six months into the new venture, John is experiencing a host of problems: the company's sales orders are outstripping the rate at which crews can construct patio rooms; his operating cash flow deficit is growing; he has to resolve serious disagreements with his licensor, who is also his exclusive supplier of material; and he has control and human resource issues that urgently need attention.