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This case describes Molson's experiment with social media for creating brand awareness. In November 2007, Molson, part of the Molson Coors Brewing Company, ended a social media promotion after facing criticism that it promoted binge drinking. Molson was faced with the difficulty of how quickly the contents of social media could spread to various audiences. The case encourages readers to ponder whether Molson's action was the only option available and to consider what its next steps might be.

A group of six university students wondered if they should proceed with Pack-iTS, an entrepreneurial venture. Pack-iTS would be a healthy lunch preparation and delivery service serving some of the elementary schools in London, Ontario. The students must analyze the marketing, operating and financial aspects of the business venture to determine the promotion strategy and financing requirements before making a decision as to whether to proceed with the new venture.

The Crescent Standard Investment Bank Limited (CSIBL) was the largest investment bank quoted on all the stock exchanges in Pakistan, so when it declared a huge loss of Rs2.1 billion (US$35.5 million) for the year December 31, 2005, the market was taken by surprise. There had been some rumours that all was not well and that the investment banking regulator, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), had sent a team to investigate the affairs of the bank. Since the main shareholders were individuals or companies of the well-known business group known as the Crescent Group, there was enormous interest in the CSIBL affairs by financial and political circles.The case describes the various types of entities that were merged to form the CSIBL, principally to protect the stakeholders by creating an entity with a large capitalization. The bank had reported in its annual reports that all the internal control mechanisms for good governance stipulated by the SECP were in place and the auditors (internal and external) had reported that these were satisfactory. Yet, when subjected to an investigation, it was revealed that the internal management was involved in a variety of acts of misrepresentation and concealment. The case focuses on the weaknesses in the structure of the corporate governance regime in Pakistan. The fact remains that no amount of internal or external checks can stop internal management from colluding to perpetrate fraud.

In the spring of 2007, a vacationer is upset by the poor hotel experience he has had on the island of Guam. At the onset, the reasons for the bad experience seem to point to seemingly minor issues: bad management, poor service and old rooms. The value of the case lies in the analysis of the symptoms and arriving at the root causes of the problem, particularly the profit maximization strategy of the hotel's owners in a mature industry. The case uses a different method of analysis, starting with micro indicators and moving to macro indicators: the analysis of symptoms, arriving at root causes, determining company strategy and finally assessing the company's position using the Product Life Cycle Model.

The growing globalization of many industries has led many U.S.-based companies to open facilities overseas. In the process, researchers have counselled U.S. companies to adopt many local customs and policies to increase their probability of success in these new locations. During this same time period, many foreign-owned companies have moved into the United States and either purchased existing facilities or started new operations. The purpose of this case is to investigate how a non-American company (Toivonen) has adapted to the U.S. environment. It assesses the role of the parent company culture in the day-to-day operations of the American subsidiary.

This case deals with H&R, a company that distributes sewing equipment in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its future is in jeopardy because of fundamental changes in the global sewing industries stemming from changes in trade restrictions. The consequence is that Canadian sewing activities are in decline as activities in low-cost foreign countries grow rapidly. As Canadian activities decline, H&R's performance has been suffering. But the management of the family-owned company has had trouble seeing the challenge it faces because it has been highly successful for two generations. The case asks what the new CEO and third generation owner should do to save the company.

The new country director of CHF International (CHF), a U.S.-based organization that initiated operations in Sudan with USAID funding, must review the successes of CHF's early interventions, and its strategic interest in the fuel efficient stoves project. The practical decision concerns a US$65,000 investment in a local manufacturing facility that would allow CHF to scale up the production of a stove design endorsed by the Lawrence Berkeley National lab using locally tested prototypes with USAID support. Students are asked to contemplate whether and how economies of scale would bring the costs down to a tipping point where internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Darfuri camps could afford the benefits of greater efficiency and convenience. They also need to balance cost cutting considerations with alternative decision criteria for local development: the success of this project depends on IDPs' preference among alternative stove providers - which encompasses, in addition to fuel economies, the characteristics of the stoves themselves (i.e. quality, fuel efficiency), the engagement of the community in their production, and the ability to use and repair the stoves. The role play supplements 9B08M062A to 9B08M062F will highlight several aspects of the competitive dynamics among the key players. A summary of the dynamic interaction between the players is provided in the supplement Competing for Development (C): Success, Bittersweet.

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfur's fuel efficient stove interventions, including the Intermediate Technology Group , renamed to Practical Action in 2005 (ITDG/PA), the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Aprovecho, the International Lifeline Fund, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and organizations representing local, female, internally displaced persons (IDPs).

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfur's fuel efficient stove interventions, including the Intermediate Technology Group , renamed to Practical Action in 2005 (ITDG/PA), the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Aprovecho, the International Lifeline Fund, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and organizations representing local, female, internally displaced persons (IDPs).

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfur's fuel efficient stove interventions, including the Intermediate Technology Group , renamed to Practical Action in 2005 (ITDG/PA), the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Aprovecho, the International Lifeline Fund, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and organizations representing local, female, internally displaced persons (IDPs).

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfur's fuel efficient stove interventions, including the Intermediate Technology Group , renamed to Practical Action in 2005 (ITDG/PA), the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Aprovecho, the International Lifeline Fund, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and organizations representing local, female, internally displaced persons (IDPs).

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfur's fuel efficient stove interventions, including the Intermediate Technology Group , renamed to Practical Action in 2005 (ITDG/PA), the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Aprovecho, the International Lifeline Fund, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and organizations representing local, female, internally displaced persons (IDPs).

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfur's fuel efficient stove interventions, including the Intermediate Technology Group , renamed to Practical Action in 2005 (ITDG/PA), the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Aprovecho, the International Lifeline Fund, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and organizations representing local, female, internally displaced persons (IDPs).

This supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur (A), product 9B08M061 provides a summary of the dynamic interaction between the key players from 2007 to 2008 and offers students a new decision point for how CHF Sudan could harness the momentum of change moving forward.

A group of business students and their professor travel to rural Kenya to work with Free The Children (FTC), an in-situ, non-governmental organization (NGO) that is focused on generational social change through education for children. This Canadian NGO has had considerable success in meeting this original objective and now sees health care and economic development concerns as being the next barriers to expansion of its educational thrust for the local population. The business group has focused on microcredit for hardcore poor mothers (mommas) as a means to economic development, as this approach has proven successful with similar populations in other parts of the world. At the level of the momma, the charitable NGO is considering loans or grants to implement some joint liability financing. The business students have been asked to gather the data, consider the implications of their analysis and make a recommendation as to which financial structure will be more effective to the NGO's management group within Kenya. The students also have been asked to create an action plan for implementation of their recommendation that considers the broader context of the organization's overall activities in Kenya.

The owner of Windhorse Farm (WHF), a sustainably run woodlot and woodshop in Nova Scotia that produces building products as well as tonewood (wood used for guitar, mandolin, violin tops), is reaching retirement age. Since there is no heir apparent to run the businesses, he needs to determine whether he should stay in or exit the building products business and/or the tonewood business. The decision must conform to the criteria set out by the four pillars (economic, social, environmental and spiritual), which guide the mission and strategy of WHF. The case objectives are: 1) To provide a rich opportunity for students to examine how a small business uses a triple (in this case, quadruple) bottom line approach to corporate mission definition and strategy formulation. 2) To demonstrate how product extension decisions need to be integrated into the dynamics of the overall company, especially in terms of the relationship between existing product lines and new marketing, production and personnel requirements. 3) To expose students to business and community-based strategies that can enhance the sustainability of the forest industry. 4) To present students with a decision-making opportunity in a market such as tonewood where market knowledge and available data are highly impressionistic and informal. 5) To highlight how personal priorities, such as retirement and succession, may override other concerns.

The chief executive officer of an oil and gas company must decide whether he wants to invest heavily in reducing greenhouse gases. Specifically, Suncor Energy must evaluate whether it should invest $425 million in carbon capture and storage or wait until there is greater certainty in the political, social and business environment. The case will help students develop skills of analyzing business decisions under higher environmental uncertainty, especially when the outcome is a long-term goal. Further, the issues presented in the case open up discussions about climate change and the interaction between business actions and societal expectations. There is also an opportunity to speak about the interaction between business and public policy.

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (Dr. Reddy's), a large pharmaceutical company in India, is trying to acquire the fourth largest generics manufacturer in Germany. Dr. Reddy's quoted $570 million in a competitive bidding situation. The company's chief negotiator is getting ready to close the deal if selected. Students will examine the issues for the chief negotiator, such as: is the price right, is the fit strategic, will the acquisition add value, how can the synergies be fully exploited and how should management proceed with the integration. The (A) case is positioned just before the acquisition and hints at the possible risks. The supplement case, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (B), product # 9B08M065, is positioned two years post-acquisition and examines a major risk which, as it unfolded, brought the viability of the business model into question.

This supplement to Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (A), product # 9B08M064, looks at the two years post-acquisition and examines a major risk which, as it unfolded, brought the viability of the business model into question.

The chief executive officer of a chemical company supplying cleaning and hygiene products is preparing a bid worth $3 million in new business. Students are asked to analyze the industry, construct and interpret a statement of cash flows, calculate and interpret financial ratios, perform a differential analysis, project a cash budget, calculate sales breakeven and project a statement of earnings and a balance sheet.