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Chairman and CEO Alain Gomez discusses Thomson, the French leader in TVs and related products since its 1987 acquisition of the GE/RCA consumer electronics business. In order to overtake Asian competitors European companies must consolidate through acquisitions or ventures. Thomson has expanded market share through acquisitions and has backed joint ventures with competitors to gain access to critical technologies; invested heavily in its own R&D; and participated in European R&D consortia. Cultural diversity is one asset that both Europe and the U.S. must learn to leverage more aggressively. It is also time to rethink old assumptions about markets, states, and economic success.

In this case, presented in the form of two memos, a grocery store prepares for renegotiating a contract with the Grocery Workers International Union. The grocery store wants to discuss issues including high employee turnover rates and problems presented by the store's new service-intensive products. The union has issues involving management trying to sidestep seniority. Carol R. Goldberg, president and COO of the Stop & Shop Companies and CEO of Bradlees Department Stores; Gerald L. Good, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia; James T. Boyle, business representative of Local 464A, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union; and David Lewin, professor of business and director of the Industrial Relations Research Center, Columbia University Graduate School of Business, discuss how the grocery store and its union can deal with a problematic confrontation.