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When Blindstogo.com, the online project of Blinds To Go (BTG), was first proposed in mid-1999 its board of directors was lukewarm to the idea. However, after six months of operation and seeing other retailers start to go online and the tremendous valuation being given to dot.coms, the board was encouraging BTG to devote more resources to the project. Plans were already in place to further expand their retail store network. Senior management at BTG had received sales, spending and survey results from their retail e-commerce venture. Data obtained from the Web site indicated that the people who visited the site were the same people that visited the stores. The vice-chairman of BTG wanted to evaluate the results of this online venture by examining the fit of the e-commerce project within the overall business strategy, to determine where resources should be focused.

Many CEOs are naturally inclined - and responsible for - overseeing the day-to-day operations of their respective firms. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but in the years ahead, one of a company's major competitive advantages will be its ability to attract, develop, excite and retain talent. Responsibility for managing that talent is already being assumed by some CEOs, who, these co-authors and McKinsey consultants say, are fast coming to the realization that their respective organizations are going to have to improve their talent management practices. In this article, which is based on their recently published book, The War for Talent, the co-authors survey the state of talent management as practiced by 13,000 managers. While becoming a talent manager is imperative, it will require a fundamental shift in how a CEO sees his or her job and a significant time commitment, tasks that the authors describe in the article.

Much of the discussion about globalization has missed a very important point, these co-authors claim, and seeing this point and understanding it are critical if executives are to really grasp what globalization is all about. The co-authors write that far from a single, global market, most trade takes place within regional blocks or clusters. Trade activity effectively occurs in the triad of North America, the European Union and Japan, and an approach based on national or regional realities, not global ones, will make the most sense for companies. The authors have ample evidence to substantiate their argument and they suggest what executives can do to counter and manage despite the widely propagated myth of globalization.

In a fast-moving, increasingly competitive world, a firm's only enduring source of advantage is its knowledge. Managing that knowledge is therefore crucial, and this article offers suggestions on how leaders can meet that challenge effectively. The author describes a practical six-step process for making knowledge management work. The process he describes will interest CEOs and managers of global corporations as much as it will entrepreneurs of small and medium-sized firms.

The manufacturer of TotalMint mouthwash graded its television commercials internally to judge their potential effectiveness in the marketplace. New television commercials were shown to planned audiences and diagnostic data points were used to judge the commercial based on several criteria. TotalMint was able to assess the extent that a particular commercial was likely to drive sales by comparing the results of the test against a historical database of television commercials. The product manager for TotalMint received the raw data from the advertising effectiveness tests of the latest commercial and was ready to start the evaluation by categorizing the verbatim comments and the overall recall responses. Once tallied, she needed to compare the results to the two previous TotalMint commercials.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Excel data file for product 9A99E005.

Supplementary Excel data file for case.

Extend run time program to be distributed with case.

A regional director of donor services for the American Red Cross was wondering how to improve services to blood donors. Faced with an increasing number of complaints that donors were being held up in long lines at Red Cross' mobile blood collection operations - commonly termed bloodmobiles - she was considering several design alternatives for the blood collection process. Using the accompanying Extend run-time model (product #7B00D024), data file and structured assignment, students can explore changes in staffing assignments, donor registration and donor-bed configurations. For each alternative, a comparison is possible along a number of performance dimensions.

The vice-president of National Hockey League Enterprises Canada is faced with an opportunity to pursue the development of a retail outlet dedicated to Brand NHL merchandise. He must decide among three implementation options: retain control of the facility, relinquish control to a management firm or retain operational control. This case is suitable for an introductory business course and may be taught over two one-hour classes.

PacificLink iMedia was a Hong Kong based Internet marketing company that specialized in Web design using Flash technology. The company had grown six-fold since its inception 18 months ago. The directors of the company anticipated that the company would double in size in the next six months, and they were considering moving into three new markets, as well as into new business areas. The concepts of competitive advantage in the Internet industry, and the structure of this industry are introduced from the perspective of a company that provides business services. See also the second and third cases in the three-part series, 9B09M023 and 9B16M202.

The technology deployment specialist of the Adelaide District School Board needed to make immediate changes to the purchasing system to respond to service demands. The current system was not widely accessible or user-friendly and was creating heavy workloads and the need for overtime. Senior management recognized the advantages of implementing a system that would integrate the data processing of all functions, including human resources, inventory, finance, purchasing, etc., and gave her the mandate to find an integrated system and develop a proposal for its implementation. In addition to finding a system that would meet these criteria, she had to consider the conflicting interests of different users, a new system that had been implemented in the finance department, and the ongoing changes in the organization.

South African Breweries (SAB) was the only profitable international brewer in the crowded and hyper-competitive beer market in China. SAB's keen understanding of emerging market environments allowed it to develop a unique strategy for the Chinese market. This resulted in large market shares in each of the provinces in which it was present. However, SAB and its joint venture partner, China Resources Enterprise, only served five per cent of China's immense population. The managing director was faced with decisions: how to expand to other markets where SAB's approach would be replicated, how SAB could expand its successful business model to new markets, and what would happen when it ran head-to-head with a global giant or a well-positioned local competitor.