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The business development manager for General Electric (GE) Canada, met with executives from GE Supply, a US-based distribution arm of GE. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss new business opportunities in energy management and efficiency. The business development manager had identified some opportunities for business development in Canada, while leveraging GE's strategic capabilities did not fit well with GE's corporate structure. He was keen to work with GE Supply but wanted to retain a high level of operating autonomy. The challenge was to put together an appropriate organizational structure and find a home for the new development idea. (A sequel to this case is available, GE Energy Management Initiative (B). A 12-minute video may also be purchased with this case, GE Energy Management Initiative - Video.)

Six months into the operation of the energy management business, GE Energy Management Initiative has lost a bid for a large contract. Its general manager learns that the division to which it reports is getting out of the energy management business because of a questionable strategic fit within the division, and a lack of results. The general manager wonders how to proceed. (This is a sequel to GE Energy Management Initiative (A).)

This case, the first in a six-part series, describes the situation Pierre Godfroid encountered when he took over as Sabena’s CEO in 1991. At that time, Sabena was in crisis, facing imminent bankruptcy. On the strength of a restructuring plan developed by Godfroid and his staff, the Belgian government had agreed to bail out the airline in return for assurances that this would be the last time government assistance would be requested. Godfroid’s task was to transform the company into a viable private enterprise. The case provides the opportunity to evaluate the viability of Godfroid’s strategy and more generally to explore strategy formulation in a global industry. More importantly, it sets the stage for a sequence of follow-up cases (9A94M004, 9A94M005, 9A94M006, 9A94M007, 9A94M008) dealing with the implementation of the strategy. (Sabena Belgian World Airlines - Video which is broken into segments to coincide with the case series, can be purchased with the case.)

This case is the first supplement to Sabena Belgian World Airlines (A). It outlines the strategic changes implemented by Pierre Godfroid, Sabena’s CEO, and introduces Erik Weytjens, a recent graduate of an MBA program. This case outlines Weytjens’s first assignment to solve a major logistics problem in the dishwashing department. The case, along with the follow-on series of cases, provides the opportunity to: 1) make decisions and take action under realistic constraints of limited information, time, and credibility; and 2) reflect on how the pattern of actions supports or undermines strategy.

This case is a supplement to Sabena Belgian World Airlines (A). Set in autumn of 1992, it deals with the aftermath of Sabena’s first lay-offs, when aggressive workers tried to get their colleagues to join a strike. Background information is provided in case 9A94M003 and 9A94M004; subsequent related cases are 9A94M006, 9A94M007, and 9A94M008.

This case is a supplement to Sabena Belgian World Airlines (A). It deals with the backlash Weytjens faced when he demoted a sous-chef for violating company standards. Background information is provided in cases 9A94M003 and 9A94M004; subsequent related cases are 9A94M005, 9A94M007, and 9A94M008.

This case is a supplement to Sabena Belgian World Airlines (A). It describes Weytjens’s meeting with an aggressive union leader. Background information is provided in cases 9A94M003 and 9A94M004; subsequent related cases are 9A94M005, 9A94M006, and 9A94M008.

This case is a supplement to Sabena Belgian World Airlines (A). Dealing with Weytjens’s efforts to increase productivity in the spring of 1993, it offers the unique opportunity to reflect on how managers sustain their energy and commitment in the face of adversity. Background information is provided in cases 9A94M003 and 9A94M004; other related cases are 9A94M005, 9A94M006, and 9A94M007.

This note examines an industry that is losing its competitive advantages due to globalization. Suitable for use in a section of an international strategy/business policy course which introduces the topic of industry analysis.

A Montreal animated film producer and distributor requires an infusion of capital to finance its growth. The film industry can be a high risk industry and finding investors is difficult. Two venture capital companies are approached to allow the business to grow. It is now time to negotiate the deal.

The case addresses some basic personal financial planning issues that a couple with children may encounter. Specifically addressed are the taxation of different components of employment income, the trade-off between paying down a mortgage and investing in an RRSP and the creation of a RESP to save for a child's education.

The president of Image Processing Systems has plans to expand but is facing the challenge of obtaining financing. After considering and rejecting the use of venture capital, he is actively considering a proposal put forward by McDermid, St. Lawrence, Chisholm; a mid-sized Canadian investment company. The proposal involves a private placement of equity followed by an IPO.

There is a very personal and dramatic confrontation between the chairman and the CEO of the board of directors. This circumstance will offer the students the opportunity to analyze corporate governance and the authority and accountability issues that arise when role descriptions are unclear. The case also examines the escalation of conflict and resolution alternatives.

Royal Trustco presents a chronology of some of the key decision points in the history of the firm (the parent firm of Royal Trust) from 1980 to 1992. To clarify the concept of corporate governance, a number of interesting discussion questions are presented: How did Royal Trustco get to the point where the directors had to sell the company to save it? Why did this happen? Was it appropriate for Royal Trustco directors to keep paying dividends given the problems the company faced? Were there any signs that the company's actions might lead to problems in the future? Could the problems have been prevented? Why might the board not have believed the CEO's assessment of the situation? What are a director's legal obligations in the operation of a firm? What can a director be held responsible for? If you had been a director of the company, would you have resigned at any point in time? Why or why not? The case is intended to serve as the starting point for a discussion of corporate governance in Canada.

A heavy equipment manufacturing firm is considering three different levels of investment in a professional services firm that performs consulting engineering work for industrial firms. To assess the impact of the different levels of investment, financial statements need to be prepared using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), for one year after the planned investment.

The owner and manager of the Texas Longhorn Cafe of Mississauga, Ontario, was trying to decide how to deal with an irate customer. Earlier that day she had made an elaborate birthday cake and delivered it to the restaurant in preparation for the party to celebrate her husband's 40th birthday. Inadvertently, the restaurant staff had already served it to another group. Now the customer was loudly berating the restaurant. The case is intended for a relatively short discussion concerning recovery from service failures.

Alex MacDonald, president and owner of AWC Inc., a southwestern Ontario aluminum fabrication operation, is confronted with a decision of whether to install ventilation equipment that will negatively affect the financial performance of the company, possibly forcing the company out of business. His alternative is to ignore environmental regulations and risk being charged by government authorities for contravening the law. This case provides the opportunity to discuss several environmental forces that impact business decision making.

The assistant plant manager was trying to decide on production scheduling and inventory management policies for the new computer diskette plant. Students are presented with three demand forecasts of increasing complexity as variability between and within product lines emerges. The case is suitable for students to do an economic order quantity (EOQ) analysis and draft a production schedule.

An introduction to a series of cases with a small, international high technology company. The subsequent cases deal with marketing S-S Technologies Inc. (B) - Marketing, measurement issues S-S Technologies Inc. (C) - Measurement Issues(C), and organizational design S-S Technologies Inc. (D) - Organizational Design.

A consultant wasn't convinced that all relevant items, for example, leading and lagging indicators, were either currently being identified and measured, or would continue to be in the future. That is, he questioned whether the company was adequately following a strategic approach to measurement. At the same time, he wondered what changes were necessary to effectively implement such an approach.