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Lexon Corp. lawyers must decide how to respond to two lawsuits challenging the company's interception of electronic mail on privacy grounds. They must also formulate a company policy on e-mail. One suit was filed by an employee dismissed from her job after asking that her boss stop intercepting and reading electronic mail messages. The second is a class action suit for invasion of privacy by all those sending or receiving electronic mail messages from the California location. Introduces students to the emerging law of employee privacy in the electronic communications area and to the characteristic ways the law develops. Can be used to contrast a management perspective on employee privacy.

Concerns issues involved in coordinating sales efforts with product management and customer service activities. First, discusses environmental factors that increase integration requirements among these groups, and why these factors make the field sales force a crucial crossroad in organizing and implementing marketing efforts. Second, outlines some common roles, responsibilities, and interdependencies among product, sales, and service groups in the marketing organization.

The cases describe the development, worldwide launch, and subsequent marketing of a new pharmaceutical product which, although it represented only a slight improvement over the category pioneer, not only became the leading product in its category, but the largest prescription pharmaceutical product overall worldwide. Its success propelled Glaxo, the company which developed and marketed the product, from the minor leagues to the top ranks in the pharmaceutical industry.

Used to introduce the assembly line process to first-year MBA students. Three different variations of an assembly line process for packing greeting cards are presented for analysis. To choose among the three, the students must address issues of time standards, capacity, supervision and training. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

FBO, Inc. is a fixed-base operator at a large metropolitan airport. The general manager must decide if the current pooling format is the appropriate way to staff the commercial refueling operations. If pooling is deemed inappropriate then the implementation of a different format in the face of a hostile management/union relationship is a concern. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

The vice president of marketing is reviewing the 1991 marketing plan and budget for Maison Bouygues, the leading builder of new single family homes in France. Due to recession, the company's sales are forecast to be flat and adjustments may need to be made in the marketing and selling mix.

Two-party, single-issue negotiation between two neighbors regarding the potential sale of a vacant lot. The Parkers and the Gibsons own homes on adjacent plots of land. The homes are separated by a 1/2 lot the Parkers purchased years ago in hopes of building a tennis court, which they never got around to. The Parkers are now moving out of state and are interested in selling the half lot, as the buyer of their home is not interested in it. The Parkers have approached the Gibsons (who have interest in the lot for home improvements they have planned) about purchasing the lot. Neither party knows much about the other's interests. The Parkers and Gibsons are meeting to explore whether a mutually beneficial transaction is possible.

Two-party, single-issue negotiation between two neighbors regarding the potential sale of a vacant lot. The Parkers and the Gibsons own homes on adjacent plots of land. The homes are separated by a 1/2 lot the Parkers purchased years ago in hopes of building a tennis court, which they never got around to. The Parkers are now moving out of state and are interested in selling the half lot, as the buyer of their home is not interested in it. The Parkers have approached the Gibsons (who have interest in the lot for home improvements they have planned) about purchasing the lot. Neither party knows much about the other's interests. The Parkers and Gibsons are meeting to explore whether a mutually beneficial transaction is possible.

Two-party, single-issue negotiation between two neighbors regarding the potential sale of a vacant lot. The Parkers and the Gibsons own homes on adjacent plots of land. The homes are separated by a 1/2 lot the Parkers purchased years ago in hopes of building a tennis court, which they never got around to. The Parkers are now moving out of state and are interested in selling the half lot, as the buyer of their home is not interested in it. The Parkers have approached the Gibsons (who have interest in the lot for home improvements they have planned) about purchasing the lot. Neither party knows much about the other's interests. The Parkers and Gibsons are meeting to explore whether a mutually beneficial transaction is possible.

Granite Rock is an exceptionally well-run company and has consistently gained market share in a commodity business dominated by multinational giants, in spite of a 6% price premium. The case contains a brief history of Granite Rock from its founding in 1895 until 1992, the year the company received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Gives an opportunity to observe an ideologically driven company that has put its values to work for the company. Discusses the inner workings of Granite Rock, which is rich with mechanisms and management practices that drive the organization to continually improve the critical aspects of its business. The entire organization and management are driven by a passion for the process of continuous improvement. Illustrates how processes and mechanisms can be institutionalized so that a company can become an exciting and vibrant "ticking clock."

Whether as analyst or deputy director at the federal Office of Management and Budget, or as the chief executive of Alcoa, Paul O'Neill has sought to inspire those working for him to approach their tasks with vision and without preconceptions. In considering how he has applied disciplined, analytical techniques to different organizations, O'Neill dismisses the assertion of significant distinctions between the public and private sectors.

Building on its existing strengths in the systems integration business, Andersen Consulting is aiming to create the business of "business integration", i.e. to help clients re-structure their companies through an integrated and coherent review of strategy, operations and information technology capabilities. The case describes the challenges being faced by Andersen in creating the new competencies required to support this business thrust, and in integrating these competencies with its existing strengths in the systems integration business.

In response to being challenged in its home market by a smaller rival, Kirin Brewery, Japan's leading brewer, rejuvenated its lager beer and launched three new products, including a dry beer to compete with Asahi Breweries' enormously successful Super Dry. Shortly after launch of Kirin Dry, two other major Japanese brewers also introduced dry beers. Kirin executives must now develop a strategy for the 1989 beer season.

Describes the total transformation of a wholly owned subsidiary of Aegon, one of the largest insurance companies in the Netherlands, which deals in the sale of financial instruments, such as annuities, savings, and investment products. The new managing director forms a management team, and together they segment the market, introduce a variety of distribution methods, and increase sales by dramatic amounts while keeping the number of staff constant. Looks at team building, market segmentation by focusing on customer values, distribution strategy, and management philosophy. An ECCH award winner.

A major teaching hospital in inner-city Richmond seeks to retain its tradition as a public research hospital serving all in need, at the same time it attracts new, fully-insured patients. As a first step, a new top administrator decides to institute a "guest relations" program designed to augment the hospital's culture with aspects of hotel methods. The relatively simple idea proves less than simple to implement, however. Staff members with a commitment to the existing hospital culture are skittish; some even fear that the new policy implies better-insured patients are to receive a better level of care. A complex administrative structure exempts doctors, who report to academic, not administrative overseers, from training programs. Nurses are wary. HKS Case Number 1017.0

A reform mayor of Bolivia's capital city is taken aback by a consultant's report showing a shocking level of corruption on the part of municipal police-a force whose many duties involve regulation of the city's sprawling open-air markets. Licenses, health inspections and many other forms of public permits are routinely exchanged for money, goods, even sex. What's more, the report concludes that the vast majority of the police could not do their job even if they set out to do so: most are illiterate. HKS Case Number 1104.1

A reform mayor of Bolivia's capital city is taken aback by a consultant's report showing a shocking level of corruption on the part of municipal police-a force whose many duties involve regulation of the city's sprawling open-air markets. Licenses, health inspections and many other forms of public permits are routinely exchanged for money, goods, even sex. What's more, the report concludes that the vast majority of the police could not do their job even if they set out to do so: most are illiterate. In this political management/ethics case, the Harvard-educated mayor must decide both whether and how to attempt to reform this system, at a time when he is facing re-election and is widely viewed as a "technocrat." HKS Case Number 1104.0

US price supports for domestically grown sugar become controversial because of their varying impacts on sugar-exporting nations, domestic sugar refiners and, of course, domestic growers. This case, told from the point of view of the Council of Economic Advisers, calls for an evaluation of the sugar price supports. It requires students to disentangle and quantify the complex resource allocation and income distribution consequences of the domestic sugar price support program. HKS Case Number 1128.0

New leadership appointed in 1977 to head Sweden's National Student Aid Board faces a near-desperate situation. So inefficient is the agency in processing student applications for college living expenses that some students, strapped for cash, face the prospect of asking for public assistance for the poor. CSN chief Billy Olsson, whose background had been in politics, and computer expert Karl-Johan Johansson face the task of finding a way for the agency to provide financial assistance, within the constraints of student income qualifications, in a timely fashion. This organizational production/operational capacity case describes the turnaround strategy-which they call "offensive cutback management"-successfully implemented by Olsson and Johansson such that, by 1991, the CSN was named one of the four best Government Agencies in Sweden. HKS Case Number 1161.3

After launching a new quality program, the CEO of Top Chemical Co. was searching for a team-based compensation program that would reflect his company's new philosophy. A committee was formed to discuss the options. The compensation vice president explained his idea for paying teams based on their performance, making pay an incentive for continued improvement and overall excellence of the team. The plan met with resistance from employees at all levels of the company. What seemed like a simple idea for a pay plan turned into a very complicated matter. Four experts on compensation reveal where Top Chemical went wrong in its plan and how the CEO might bring about change successfully.