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After several new product failures, the company began using customer input to help develop new products. In 1989, the fishing electronics industry is experiencing a downturn, and the company's sales and profits are slipping. The company, which has one product line (depth sounders) and a strong brand (Humminbird), has conducted substantial market research on three new products. Of these, one is an extension of the existing line, while the other two would be new product lines for the company. Top management is deciding which one or more of the three new products it should proceed with.

McDonald's decides to withdraw its polystyrene plastic packaging for sandwiches and hamburgers after years of defending itself against environmental critics. The decision occurs in the midst of a six-month Joint Task Force study, with the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), of McDonald's waste-management practices. The company has to decide how to position its about-face announcement and its relationship with EDF.

Explores how the human resource (HR) function at Apple Computer can best support the company's strategy. Provides an overview of the company's history, industry, competitive position, strategy, and organization. Written at a time when the company faces a very compelling threat to their business, and when morale within the company is very low. The purpose is to identify the key organizational issues which the company must address, and to begin to think about how the HR function can help it address them.

Explores how the human resource function at Apple Computer can best support the company's strategy. Analyzes the culture and morale at Apple. Apple has a very unique culture. Moreover, morale within the company is at a low. The culture is powerful in aiding the company in certain ways, and also a substantial hindrance to progress. Designed to study how Apple tries to keep what is good and change what is bad about the culture.

Explores how the human resource (HR) function at Apple Computer can best support the company's strategy. Describes in detail the HR function. The function is considering a reorganization at the end of the case, in response to criticism from non-HR employees and cost-cutting imperatives at Apple.

Provides a follow-up to the (C) case. A new organization chosen for the human resource (HR) function is described. Students must compare the design chosen by Apple's HR managers with the one they chose.

Provides a summary of technical and organizational details that led to the decision to launch the Challenger Space Shuttle, and to the ensuing accident. Details of design and testing milestones of the Space Shuttle, with a focus on the Solid Rocket Booster, offer opportunities for project management and organizational analysis. NASA's risk management structure and its use for the Space Shuttle program exposes students to issues of risk associated with the use of technology. Principles of engineering versus managerial decision making, the role of professional knowledge, and issues related to data representation, and qualitative versus quantitative analysis are addressed. Some issues of professional ethics and individual responsibilities, as related to complex decision making in a technology intensive environment are presented in a context of a crisis situation. The analysis of the case should include assessment of project management, and ideas about organizational changes to avoid recurrence.

Presents some of the events after the Challenger disaster. Includes the activities of the Rogers Commission, the changes in Morton Thiokol, and some recent problems with the Space Shuttle.

Describes grassroots effort which culminated in Digital's winning a competitive bid for the outsourcing of Kodak's internal telecommunications business. Describes the "Telstar" project, from the initial identification of the business opportunity to the process of crafting a partnership contract. Discussion topics include obtaining managerial and peer support, mobilizing informal networks, building an ad hoc team, managing relationships across organizational boundaries, and planning the transition from project team to ongoing operations. As the case ends, a key player must be replaced and a decision must be made concerning which Digital group will manage the new business. Russ Gullotti, the Digital executive who has overseen this effort considers how to help the team achieve a successful contract negotiation and subsequent transition to operations. Should also prompt discussion about leadership under ambiguity and management of innovation.

Describes "Frantic Friday," the day the Digital-Kodak contract was scheduled to be signed. Designed to be handed out in class.

Lays out the business challenges facing First Chicago Corp. in 1986: the banking industry has been deregulated, many corporations are bypassing banks in their search for capital, and foreign competition has increased. Their traditional market--corporate banking--has eroded. The strategy they choose is to strengthen their corporate banking business by adding investment banking to its portfolio of products, and distinguishing itself as a "relationship" bank. They also want to move into the middle and retail markets in order to build a "superregional" bank.

In an effort to grow and contain costs, the airline initiates a series of cultural change programs designed to increase employee participation and decision-making, and accordingly decrease the proportion of supervisors. CTL is the most recent, and by far the most expensive and pervasive of these programs. The case poses the questions of how to evaluate, or quantify the gains from CTL, and how to further the cultural change effort.

American Airlines is pursuing a growth strategy through international and domestic route expansion. At the same time, the airline is working hard to cut costs while trying to provide the best customer service possible. Is this strategy achievable given the recent surge in jet fuel prices and the competitive framework of the industry?

Examines the economic tradeoffs affecting a firm's decision to offer one or more versions of a product to a segmented market. Also presents some arguments for and against product variety.

Gives an elementary introduction to formulating linear programming models and interpreting linear programmings output. Other aspects of linear programming are discussed briefly.

Circuit City sells consumer electronic equipment, appliances, and extended service and warranty contracts which supplement those provided by equipment manufacturers. Equipment is sold at low margins, while warranties carry very high margins. A question has been raised about the proper method for recognizing revenues on the warranty portion of the combined sale. Deferring revenue will cut profit reported at the time of sales but may better match costs of warranty service.

Describes the improvement of manufacturing performance in a job shop through the application of a variety of techniques such as group technology, manufacturing cells, and CAD-CAM. As well as exploring the limitations and merits of these methods, the case explores the conflict between computer-integration and shop-floor autonomy. The teaching objectives are to provide an understanding of computer techniques available in modern small-batch manufacture, sources of manufacturing improvement, and the implementation of computer-integrated manufacturing.

Describes James Houghton's actions in assuming the role of CEO at Corning in the midst of a recession. Not only must he turn around operating performance, he must also revitalize a demoralized organization and set a new, clear strategic direction. In doing so, the case focuses on the changing role of alliances and partnerships in Corning operations. Increasingly, they are moving from a peripheral role in providing market access interchange for technology, to a more central role at the core of Corning's business. The strategic and organizational challenges this presents are highlighted through some specific decision issues facing Houghton.

Provides a follow-up to Honda Motor Co. and Honda of America (A). Describes the memos of Nobuhico Kawamoto, newly appointed Honda president, and Shoichiro Irimajiri, newly appointed executive vice president, with respect to the challenges facing Honda in the 1990s. Contains their thoughts on what is likely to happen to the automotive industry as a whole and also discusses the priorities of Honda's senior management team.

Looks at the magazine development at Time Inc. in light of the growing dominance of the video group and the modern management of the 1980s. Highlights the firm's magazine development during 1989.