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Cash Technology Limited is a Xiamen-based manufacturer of self-service banking machines, touchscreens and related software. The company was set to issue its initial public offering on the Singapore Exchange. The proceeds from the IPO would help the mid-sized, entrepreneurial and private company secure its position in the burgeoning Chinese market for automated teller machines and related equipment. With six weeks left before the IPO, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer attempted to value their company by various methods and assess the reasonableness of the offering price proposed by the IPO manager. The case challenges students to examine the attractiveness and value of a business from the perspective of the issuer and potential investors, and can also provide the opportunity for students to develop a strategy for communicating with institutional investors.

Cash Technology Limited is a Xiamen-based manufacturer of self-service banking machines, touchscreens and related software. The company was set to issue its initial public offering on the Singapore Exchange. The proceeds from the IPO would help the mid-sized, entrepreneurial and private company secure its position in the burgeoning Chinese market for automated teller machines and related equipment. With six weeks left before the IPO, the chief executive officer and chief financial officer attempted to value their company by various methods and assess the reasonableness of the offering price proposed by the IPO manager. The case challenges students to examine the attractiveness and value of a business from the perspective of the issuer and potential investors, and can also provide the opportunity for students to develop a strategy for communicating with institutional investors.

Sante Fe Relocation Services was a premium provider of relocation services based in Hong Kong. Founded in 1980, the company had built a reputation as a reliable, high-quality packer and mover of household goods. By 2000, the company also offered a full range of relocation support services, including visa and immigration applications, home searching, and cultural and language training. Santa Fe relocated expatriates and their families between Asian countries and between Asia and other regions. The company had its own staff and assets in Asia and managed its international operations through a network of partners. In 2005, the chief operating officer faced three key challenges: differentiating and positioning the brand in a crowded and often price-driven market; incorporating an expanded service line under the original brand and gaining market recognition for those additional services; and managing the brand across the Asian region with an effective balance of standardization vs. local adaptation.

The human resources manager for logistics and supply chain management at BAX China must consider her company's high rate of staff turnover. In her monthly report to the managing director, the turnover had reached 12 per cent in the first eight months of the year. The human resources manager must evaluate the company's current methods of dealing with turnover and consider what additional action should be taken. Logistics was a complex and rapidly growing industry, particularly in mainland China. Many multinational and domestic service providers were entering the marketing and expanding their operations; however, these companies had to respond to complex operational challenges and escalating customer demands. The resulting demand for skilled workers led to high turnover rates across the industry and at all organizational levels, and created margin pressure and other management challenges. The case offers a uniquely Chinese perspective on workforce recruitment, management and retention. The industry and the broader economy were growing rapidly. Skilled workers were in short supply because logistics was a new and developing discipline in the former command economy. Also, in the human resources manager's opinion, cultural attitudes resulted in low loyalty among the workers.

Sante Fe Relocation Services was a premium provider of relocation services based in Hong Kong. Founded in 1980, the company had built a reputation as a reliable, high-quality packer and mover of household goods. By 2000, the company also offered a full range of relocation support services including visa and immigration applications, home searching and cultural and language training. Santa Fe relocated expatriates and their families between Asian countries and between Asia and other regions. The company had its own staff and assets in Asia and managed its international operations through a network of partners. In 2005, the chief operating officer faced three key challenges: differentiating and positioning the brand in a crowded and often price-driven market; incorporating an expanded service line under the original brand and gaining market recognition for those additional services; and managing the brand across the Asian region with an effective balance of standardization versus local adaptation.

This note examines Hong Kong's deregulated telecommunications industry from both industry and public policy points of view in March 2005. In recent years, the industry had been viewed as a model of deregulation and free enterprise, offering high quality service to consumers at a low price. However, the industry conditions were exceedingly challenging for the operators. Cutthroat competition had resulted in low margins and a high degree of fragmentation. The operators faced new challenges in the form of disruptive technology, new market opportunities in mainland China and the possibility of new competition at home. This note allows students to examine the determinants of industry structure, the goals and mechanisms of industry regulation, and market and non-market strategies that firms may use to respond to market conditions.