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Describes the economic logic leading to the deregulation of the U.S. airline industry in 1978 and subsequent competitive developments. The roles of computerized reservation systems, airport hubs, route strategies, and fleet management are raised as unanticipated tactical responses. The decision focus of the case emphasizes the prospect of regulation. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

Merck's acquisition of Medco Containment Services in November 1993 set off a wave of controversial mergers between pharmaceutical companies and prescription-benefits-management companies. Drug-company executives argue that PBMs can provide valuable information about the way drugs are prescribed and used. But critics of the mergers question the PBMs' practice of offering incentives to retail pharmacists who persuade physicians to prescribe certain drugs. Critics also speculate that aggressive growth of acquired PBMs contributes to price competition, which may decrease profits and incentives for new-drug research. The PBM acquisitions are attempts to confront profound changes in the industry, but does ownership of PBMs create competitive advantage? Proponents of the mergers argue that a PBM can provide a pharmaceutical company with superior information, better access to customers, and the opportunity to introduce new products, such as capitation and disease management. But before drug companies can fully exploit the potential of alliances with PBMs, they face enormous challenges, including an environment that may favor less investment in R&D and important ethical and legal questions.

Saturn was General Motors' (GM) response to Japanese companies' dominance of the small car market during the mid-1980s. In the three-and-a-half years since its first sedan rolled off the assembly line, the Saturn Corp. had accumulated an impressive list of achievements. In April, 1994 Saturn's top management team met with GM's leadership to discuss the subsidiary's business plan. As Saturn's president reflected on the company's future and on his experience at GM, he felt confident that the executive committee would approve expansion if the Saturn team showed that it had achieved a sustainable position. Illustrates strategic analysis of sustainable competitive advantage.

In the Spring of 1994, Saturn Corp. was setting sales records by attracting more than 25,000 buyers per month. Saturn officials believed there was a long-term opportunity to sell 400,000 to 500,000 cars per year in the United States and selected international markets. Saturn managers had been reviewing options for a second assembly plant (known as "Module II") with General Motors (GM) since the beginning of the year. One possibility was to expand capacity at Saturn's existing production facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee. A second set of options involved refitting one of several plants that had been mothballed or was scheduled to close shortly.

Emphasizes the connection between a firm's activities and its prices, costs, and volumes. A firm obtains a competitive advantage when it adopts a system of interrelated activities that generate superior profitabiltiy. Briefly describes differentiation and low-cost strategies.

Sunrise's CEO must decide whether to intervene in a decision by a division, Guardian Products, to introduce a new lightweight standard wheelchair. Guardian wants to introduce the wheelchair to complement its line of commodity crutches, walkers, and other patient aids. If introduced, the new wheelchair will compete with an existing product offered by the largest and most profitable Sunrise division, Quickie Designs. The CEO hesitates to take action because he does not want to disrupt a precedent of total divisional autonomy that is integral to Sunrise's culture.

Executone has posted low returns in 1992 in the face of intense competition from AT&T and Northern Telecom, its principal rivals. Alan Kessman, president and CEO, is considering whether mid-course adjustments in strategy are necessary in the firm's telecommunications hardware and software businesses. Diagnosis of strategic issues in both the internal and external environment is a prerequisite to establishing a plan of action. Designed to illustrate concepts in strategy identification, evaluation, and formulation.

Describes the importance of industry structure and competitive positioning to the profitability of U.S. corporations between 1981 and 1994. Cites recent research indicating that persistent industry differences and persistent competitor differences account for 19% and 32%, respectively, of variation in profit. Additional evidence is developed to show the relationship between industry-average performance and competitor differences.

Requires students to consider Philip's options in 1991, when it unveiled its digital compact cassette, the next generation in audio technology for the firm. Reinforces the generality of issues described in the (A) case and draws attention to the analytics required for their resolution.

Updates students to 1982. Asks students to consider Philips' best strategy for investing in disc-pressing capacity dedicated to the United States market. The analysis draws on game theoretic techniques (in normal form with subgame perfection as the governing equilibrium principle). The analysis illustrates the tension between competitive pressure to preempt and the value of flexibility in the presence of uncertainty about demand.

Asks that students adopt the perspective of Philips in 1979, after technical development of the CD was complete, but three years before it was introduced commercially. At that time, Philips' management had to decide whether to attempt to establish a CD standard through an alliance with another consumer electronics firm. Raises questions regarding the costs and benefits of standardization, optimal pricing of CD players and discs (given their complementarity), optimal pricing of a durable good, and the effects of proprietary information on entry strategies. Also requires analysis of several related industries, with special attention to opportunities to invest in product-specific capital.