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Describes the problems of early banking, early attempts at central banking, achieving a sound uniform currency, and economic growth. Illustrates the problems of developing a sound money economy in a developing country and shows the difficulties of branch management in an era of primitive communication.

Describes the competitive situation that has arisen in the commercial aircraft manufacturing industry since Airbus entered in 1970. Having overtaken McDonnell Douglas for second place, Airbus announces plans to challenge market leader Boeing's last pocket of dominance. Industry and government officials have long complained about assistance that Airbus receives from its governments, and this new challenge threatens to spark a new battle between the governments. Pushes students to examine issues facing industry players--high risk, long-term investments; technological change; intense selling competition--and issues facing their national governments--fair vs. unfair trade; important national industries--in a highly visible time frame for players and governments.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 391-106.

Describes the history of Nike, its strategy, and the industry in which it competes. The teaching objective is to ask the student to identify and evaluate Nike's economic/technical strategy.

Examines those social marketing situations that pose challenges for adoption of conventional marketing principles. In addition to discussing how they differ the note explores underlying reasons and suggests alternate ways of conceptualizing such problems.

Provides a follow-up to the (A) and (B) (Condensed) case. Brings events up to date from 1985-1991. Bob Koski, Sun's CEO, has now taken on a new #2 heir apparent in Clyde Nixon. The company has a proliferation of new products and new directions. Has Sun's horizontal management been so successful within the company that serious problems will now arise in terms of interfaces with the environment?

A California based security guard firm considers the acquisition of another security guard company. The value of the target firm and the financing of the acquisition are the key issues.

The state of Connecticut wants to raise $325 million of long-term fixed-rate debt. One alternative is to do this synthetically--issue long-term variable rate debt and enter into an interest rate swap. The case is a vehicle for analyzing various floating rate structures and various kinds of swaps. Also raises issues relating to the default risk of swaps, as well as the term structure of the tax exempt and taxable debt markets.

Japanese firms dominate the facsimile machine industry, accounting for more than 90% of worldwide sales. This case explores the reasons for this dominance.

Competitive success depends on learning, but most people, including professionals in leadership positions, are not very good at it. Learning is a function of how people reason about their own behavior. Yet most people engage in defensive reasoning when confronted with problems. They blame others and avoid examining critically the way they have contributed to problems. Companies need to make managers' and employees' reasoning patterns a focus of continuous improvement efforts.

In this interview, Commissioner Brown describes the Community Patrol Officers Program -- a return to the days of the cop on the beat. This program requires a total change in the way the department is organized and operates. A cornerstone of community policing is empowering the workforce -- in this case, the patrol officers who are the backbone of the department. Brown also wants to involve the police more closely with their customers--the law-abiding citizens of New York's neighborhoods--and let the customers set the department's priorities. Change requires Brown to articulate the department's vision and its values, to alter the recruitment, hiring, training, and reward practices.

Activity-based cost management (ABC) can help managers find the places in their organizations where improvement is likely to have the greatest financial payoff. To best utilize ABC, managers must separate whatever expenses are required to produce individual products from those required to process batches, to maintain a product, or to keep a manufacturing facility up and running.

In a once-impoverished inner city section of Chicago, South Shore Bank has combined what its owners call old-fashioned commercial banking with a progressive social agenda to transform the neighborhood, without forcing out its old residents. It designated itself a community development bank, extending credit to residents to support small business, restore community self-confidence, and reinvigorate market forces.

Unions can make a pivotal contribution to competitiveness. In a world where business success increasingly depends on creating more flexible, team-based work organizations, unions can be a surprisingly effective means to integrate employees into managerial decision making. In order for U.S. unions to act in this capacity, they must reinvent themselves much as companies are trying to do.

The results of the HBR World Leadership Survey found that change is indeed everywhere--regardless of country, culture, or corporation. But the idea of a corporate global village where a common culture of management unifies the practice of business around the world is more dream than reality. In addition to profiling the views of the average manager, the survey detected the deep and powerful national differences that overwhelm age, sex, or industry distinctions among respondents.

Vermillion Paper Co. saw a proposed eucalyptus plantation in the tropical country of Equitania as an opportunity to do right by the environment after years of insensitivity. Vermillion spent almost two years obtaining the support of national and local government officials and environmentalists. But soon a renegade group broke with the Equitanian environmentalists and joined a militant U.S. group in publicly condemning the project. Four experts on environmental strategy discuss Vermillion's option.

Describes the history of Beatrice Companies from its beginning as a dairy in 1891 to 1985, when the company was a $12 billion conglomerate. Focuses on the corporate strategies that Beatrice followed under each of its CEOs and concentrates on the company's strategic change in the early 1980s, which was introduced by James Dutt.

Highlights the challenges of implementing major change in an organization. It first describes the common pitfalls so that implementors will be "forewarned." Next, it characterizes the guidelines for successful implementation as the "ten commandments", while offering a step-by-step approach for managers. Also concludes that implementation is a combination of science and art, of planning and flexibility. The role of the middle manager as implementor is stressed throughout.

Describes Jaguar's product market problems in 1989, and its attractiveness to GM and Ford as an acquisition target. Students are asked to evaluate the suitability of GM and Ford as business partners for Jaguar, and to determine how much each should be willing to pay to acquire part or all of Jaguar. They are also asked to formulate tactics for extracting the highest possible price from each bidder.

Spreadsheet Supplement for case 291034.