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Abstract: Ricoh Canada Inc., headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is a fully owned subsidiary of Japanese technology giant Ricoh Company, Ltd. The case's core problem stems from the fact that the perpetual success of a business model based on selling and maintaining digital print solutions is coming to an end. Ricoh Canada Inc. is at the front lines of a company trying to change its appearance. For so long Ricoh has been known as the "printer guys," however, within three years the market that Ricoh Canada Inc. has so long relied on is going to contract. With strong cash flow from its legacy business Ricoh Canada Inc. must decide where to invest to ensure returns for the future; services such as IT support and document management seem to be the obvious answer, but the question of how Ricoh Canada should grow in these new markets is not so obvious

The chairman and chief executive officer of Sun Microsystems Inc., is struggling to take the company he co-founded into a profitable direction. There is strong evidence that a new strategy is necessary. Segments of Sun's business are growing but open source solutions and commoditization of products are driving revenues toward zero. Decisions involve market focus, pricing and investment in new technologies. The case illustrates the role of management preferences and the limits to an executive's span of attention/control. Both the chairman's and Sun's success is contingent upon an accurate assessment of the industry and the relative position of partners as well as the ability to generate creative solutions.

The chairman and chief executive officer of Sun Microsystems Inc., is struggling to take the company he co-founded in a profitable direction. There is strong evidence that a new strategy is necessary. Segments of Sun's business are growing but "open source" solutions and commoditization of products are driving revenues toward zero. Decisions involve market focus, pricing, and investment in new technologies. Illustrates the role of management preferences and the limits to an executive's span of attention/control. Both the chairman's and Sun's success is contingent upon an accurate assessment of the industry and the relative position of partners as well as the ability to generate creative solutions.

The director of purchasing and financial systems at The University of Western Ontario notices that paper pulp prices are rising and realizes that both of the University's paper suppliers would like to pass along increasing costs. Moore is forced into a precarious situation when one of the suppliers unilaterally raises prices despite a fixed contract. Moore faces a range of options, from placidly accepting this increase to taking legal action. The case demonstrates issues of bargaining (including strategic signaling) and control.