In early 2010, Paul Conforti of Finale, the Boston-area premium dessert restaurant, decided to replace its more traditional mystery shoppers with Survey on the Spot to collect market research data. Survey on the Spot uses a smart phone-based 'app' to collect data from actual customers in real time. Based on early results, Conforti was concerned that the results might be 'too good' and his decision to end mystery shopping might be precipitous. Students can evaluate both the new market research technique and the conclusions drawn from the information. Note: Finale and Survey on the Spot is one of two companion cases. The companion case, Finale - Just Desserts, deals primarily with data analysis and data interpretation and has an SPSS data set available. Finale and Survey on the Spot allows students to deal with the managerial implications of the data.

In early 2010, Paul Conforti of Finale, the Boston-area premium dessert restaurant, decided to replace the more traditional research methods with Survey on the Spot mobile surveys to collect market research data. The company used a smart phone-based 'app' to collect data from actual customers in real time. With early results in, Conforti found that while Finale was getting positive results, he questioned whether his summary provided a complete picture and has asked market researcher Felicity Klass to do a more thorough analysis. Students have access to the mobile survey data and can perform their own analysis, drawing conclusions and making recommendations to the restaurant co-founder, based on stated goals for the survey. Note that Finale-Just Desserts is one of two companion cases. This case, Finale - Just Desserts, deals primarily with data analysis and data interpretation and has an SPSS data set available.

This is an MIT Sloan Management Review article. During the last decade, virtual work -professionals working remotely from home, from client locations or simply from the road -has become increasingly prevalent. Some Fortune 500 companies, including Procter & Gamble, IBM, Accenture and AT&T, have already partially or fully eliminated traditional offices. As much as 10% of today's work force telecommutes from home -more than triple the level of 2000. This trend will accelerate in the coming decades in response to the ongoing globalization of work, ever-increasing customer demands and the cost and time of commuting. However, remote employees as well as managers are becoming increasingly aware of the challenges associated with virtual work as they relate to internal communication, social interaction and employee satisfaction and commitment. The article focuses on four critical challenges involving remote work that require management attention: (1) finding the right work-life balance, (2) overcoming workplace isolation, (3) compensating for the lack of face-to-face communication and (4) compensating for the lack of visibility. For each issue, the authors offer a set of management coping strategies drawn from interviews with managers and remote workers. Successful companies will find ways to adjust to the differences and provide specialized training, mentoring and broad opportunities for social and business interactions with both traditional and remote employees.