In 2007, Bunge, an agribusiness company, had over $26 billion in worldwide sales and was considered, along with Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), one of three very integrated worldwide agribusiness companies. Headquartered in White Plains, NY, the company has traditionally possessed a strong presence in Brazil. Describes Bunge's tradeoff between efficiency of global operations and local responsiveness in an uncertain business environment. New world developments were effecting Bunge directly: high oil prices, a growing demand in emerging economies like China and India, and the possibility of agribusiness companies competing successfully in the production of biofuels. Bunge had traditionally followed an organizational model that was integrated but decentralized, trying to strike a balance between the efficiency of a global entity and the speed of local businesses. What would be the best strategy for Bunge to respond to the external changes imposed by high energy prices and increasing demand from emerging economies? How aggressively should Bunge invest in the rising biofuels markets?
The Department of Corporate Sponsored Research & Licensing (CSRL) at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) serves as the primary interface between the hospital and the private sector. Examines the range of issues related to the commercialization of MGH's technologies. Discusses the debates surrounding the CSRL office mission and measures of its success as well as the impact of conflict of interest policies on technology development and commercialization.
The Pasteur Institut is implementing a proactive commercialization strategy under the direction of Christian Policard. Highlights the government's innovation policy and the role that the Pasteur Institut can play in shaping it. Also addresses issues relating to higher education and life-sciences research in France.
Chiang-Sho Ltd. is a joint venture producing agricultural machinery in China. The CEO must decide how to respond to pressure from the Chinese partner--also the joint venture's largest customer--to increase production and lower prices. The CEO must choose either a growth or harvest strategy.
A Sydney-based biotechnology company is attempting to enter the fast-growing proteomics area. This case highlights choices in business design and changes in these over time. Also addresses issues in geographic location.
Steve Briggs, a PhD biologist, is asked to propose a strategy to take global life-science giant Novartis into the rapidly expanding field of plant genomics.
Incat is a cutting-edge manufacturer of high-speed aluminum catamaran ferries. The company has been an entrepreneurial success story, growing to be the largest private employer in its home state of Tasmania, Australia. By 2000, Robert Clifford, the company's dynamic CEO and founder, must choose between two lucrative orders for different ferry designs. One order builds off of the current 96-meter design while the other would push Incat to make a quantum jump to 200 meters. Analysis of the tradeoffs in this "bet-the-company" decision raises issues of manufacturing complexity, operations capabilities, and the challenges of sustainable growth.
Stainless Steel Studios is the latest entrepreneurial venture of renowned computer game designer Rick Goodman. Goodman must now decide the role of customer feedback in crafting the next generation of computer games. This case addresses how operations systems can be designed to manage significant uncertainty.
DuPont must decide whether to launch a new non-GM (genetically modified) soybean that is tolerant to chemical sprays. In the face of rapid introductions of GM products by competitors, DuPont faces the challenge of ensuring the identity preservation of its new product through the agricultural distribution network. DuPont must choose the best business model to manage this large and unwieldy value chain.
Mary Alice McKenzie is facing numerous issues in growing her Vermont-based fresh-prepared foods business. She must address immediate operational problems--such as bottlenecks and capital equipment decisions--as well as decide on a long-term strategic position. This case investigates how she can structure her operations today to take advantage of the continued growth in the home meal replacement market.
Display Technologies, Inc. (DTI) is a new joint venture between Toshiba and IBM Japan that is manufacturing the most advanced form of flat panel displays. With success in achieving significant production volumes, DTI has been asked to double its output as quickly as possible. Mr. Shima, DTI's president, must decide among three options, each of which has immediate and long-term strategic consequences.
Delamere Vineyard is a small, integrated winemaking business in Tasmania, specializing in pinot noir (red) and chardonnay (white) wines. Richard Richardson, Delamere's owner and winemaker, manages and operates the vineyard and winery largely alone. His products have won praise and awards in the past, but Richardson strives continuously to improve. Delamere competes in the high-priced segment, in which quality is paramount. Richardson is well equipped as a winemaker--with a Ph.D. in agricultural chemistry and 15 years' experience--but he faces both quality problems and improvement opportunities. He is also under cost pressure. Customers and industry experts provide conflicting advice. At the time of the case, Richardson faces a choice among three potential quality improvement projects: development of an effective means to prevent oxidation during the wine's maturation; implementation of a means to deepen the wine's color; and experimentation to find the optimum mix of berries and stalks during fermentation. Examination of these options reveals that they imply an emphasis on divergent conceptions of quality, as well as divergent paths to improvement. They also suggest different opportunities for longer term growth.
In many industries, superior technology integration--the approach used to choose and refine the technologies employed in a new product, process, or service--is the key to achieving superior R&D productivity and speed, and superior products. In this article, which is based on an ongoing study of R&D in various segments of the global computer industry, Marco Iansiti and Jonathan West contend that technology integration has become much more important--and challenging--for obvious reasons. A radical change in the approach of U.S. companies to technology integration helps explain the resurgence of the U.S. electronics industry in the 1990s. But one size does not fit all. Indeed, the authors have found that an approach that works well in one country may not be the best for another. To be effective, an approach must suit the local culture and conditions.
Display Technologies, Inc. (DTI) is a new joint venture between Toshiba and IBM Japan that is manufacturing the most advanced form of flat panel displays. With success in achieving significant production volumes, DTI has been asked to double its output as quickly as possible. Mr. Shima, DTI's president, must decide among three options, each of which has immediate and long-term strategic consequences.
Time Life has historically been a continuity book publisher, selling 20-volume book series via direct mail. Now, however, music and video/TV divisions have been added, and the CEO is trying to craft a strategy that will align the divisions so they can produce multimedia products. There is also an immediate decision facing the CEO about the advertising for a new book and TV series, and questions for the division managers about how to shape and improve their businesses' creative processes.
An entrepreneurial division within Corning, Serengeti Eyewear, has grown rapidly in its brief 10-year history. Now it must decide whether to launch a new line of sunglasses and take on the industry leader. The company has prospered by developing and cultivating relationships with suppliers, customers, employees, and retailers. Its leader, Zaki Mystafa, has created a remarkable, flexible, and responsive organization. The case describes Mystafas's highly informal managerial style, and his skill at managing "up" to his superiors at Corning.