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Spreadsheet supplement for case 491-082.

1990 Business Week named Appex Corp. the fastest growing high-technology company in the United States. Appex provided management information systems and intercarrier network services to cellular telephone companies. During its rapid growth, the company went through several structural changes. At first, there was essentially no structure and no control systems. The atmosphere at Appex eventually became chaotic. As the new CEO, Shikhar Ghosh realized that Appex needed some structure and bureaucracy. Once control was established, he reasoned, he could begin to break down the structure. Much of the structural change he implemented had advantages and disadvantages in terms of company culture and productivity. In 1991, Appex was acquired by EDS. Appex's challenge now was to work out its own structure in the context of its role as a division of a large, bureaucratic organization.

Gives some simple examples to illustrate the concept of the value of information in decision making. Both perfect and imperfect information are considered.

Tennessee Controls has instituted a new formal asset acquisition process to rank competing proposals. Judy Starnes, the new division manager, is asked to rank three proposals by using techniques to quantify economic returns, risk, as well as the credibility of the individuals submitting the proposals. The calculations, which take students approximately 30 minutes to perform, attempt to reduce each complex proposal to a single number. Discussion in class permits role-playing as well as an opportunity to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a very mechanistic approach to critical strategic issues.

A set of five exercises in valuation of simple fixed income securities. No capital budgeting. Students use present value analysis to compute discounted cash flows. Situations/concepts covered include: future value; mortgage payment and repayment; calculating implicit interest rate on loan, yield to maturity on bond; bond pricing, to include rate sensitivity, Eurobonds, conversion of bond-equivalent yield to effective annual yield, and Japanese yields; growing versus fixed retirement annuities.

Illustrates different issues in the analysis of a bidding situation, including the celebrated problem of the winner's curse.

Explains a method for deciding upon inventory levels when demand is uncertain.

This case series describes a company grappling with organizational change through information technology. National Mutual Life Association vies for Australian insurance industry leadership with its long-time competitor. It has purchased an expert system called Client Profiling, developed in the United States, that will allow its extensive field force to perform financial planning. The system should aid agents in making multiple and increased dollar-value sales. Its use will require more time from agents and clients and will change traditional modes of selling. This case describes National Mutual and the Australian insurance industry, and details its decision to purchase the expert system and the formulation of its implementation strategy.

Relates the expert system's pilot phase of implementation.

Implementation is about to move into the limited deployment phase.

Describes the U.S. market for chemicals following WW II to the present and the attention of the market for global chemical companies. Traces the involvement of Hoechst in this market up to the 1980s when minimum growth has been offered through Hoechst's U.S. subsidiary, American Hoechst and the company is seeking opportunities for expansion through acquisition. Calenese Corp., the tenth largest chemical company in the United States, stands out as the best opportunity. Students will evaluate the strength of the Celanese opportunity in light of Hoechst's position, objectives, and past strategies. May be used with Hoechst and the German Chemical Industry and Hoechst in the United States (B).

Provides anyone considering starting a nonprofit organization with a basic understanding of the nature of nonprofit status, tax and regulatory issues for nonprofits, and the distinctive management challenges associated with a nonprofit start-up.

Focuses on the three-way interaction among internal controls, employee behavior, and incentives. Salesmen are illegally providing kickbacks to customers of this beer-distribution firm. In turn, salesmen are reimbursing themselves by filing fraudulent expense reports. The owner/president of the business faces a difficult decision: if he fires the individuals involved, he risks a total business shut-down. Closes with the question of how to improve internal controls to avoid this type of occurrence in the future.

Describes the actions taken by the owner/president to resolve the dilemma.

A small microbrewer prepares to negotiate a credit facility with its bank to partially fund major expansion.

The owner/editor of the small Davis Press encounters a dilemma when she is given the opportunity to publish a novel set in the Islamic holy city of Mecca. Given the events of the last 16 years--the angry fallout after Salman Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses," the continuing Iraq War, and the recent controversy of Koran desecration at the U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Prison--publishing the novel presents a host of various ethical dilemmas, including whether she should put her staff at risk. Discusses the ethics of a free press and challenges the profit motive in the face of jeopardizing political and religious world affairs.

Describes the race to develop human insulin.

Describes traditional bank lending product, the role of the lending officer, credit evaluation, and the structuring of credit facilities and loan agreements.

In August 1990 the president and executive vice president of Xerox are reviewing the progress made on its customer satisfaction program. The emphasis placed on the program, the success of the program to date, and the drive to achieve the corporate goals of customer satisfaction motivate this review. At Xerox customer satisfaction is the number one priority, ahead of return on assets (ROA) and market share. The case focuses on analyzing the strategic role of the customer satisfaction program, its goals, and the action steps for implementation. Also described are the customer satisfaction measurement system, the data analyses, and follow-up. To increase customer satisfaction and to drive the organization to higher levels of performance top management believes that Xerox should offer a satisfaction guarantee. Market research has been conducted on customer responses to four different types of guarantees. A decision has to be made regarding the type of guarantee to introduce.

A condensed version of Suzuki Samurai: The Rollover Crisis. Suzuki management must plan a response to a Consumers Union demand for a recall of the Samurai on grounds of its unacceptable propensity to roll over.