Ashton Thyme's, an upscale furniture boutique in Athens, Georgia, has been granted exclusive territory to sell antique-reproduction furniture from Country Market Collection. But a customer has found the same Country Market Collection products Ashton Thyme's carries for a lower price online. The customer offered Ashton Thyme's the opportunity to match the online price, which the manager declined. This situation prompts an angry call from the manager to the owner of Country Market Collection, arguing that sales to websites infringe on Ashton Thyme's exclusive territory rights.

Soon after Pernod Ricard acquires Absolut vodka and other brands, the economic downturn results in changes in purchasing behavior away from premium to standard products. Brand managers consider whether to introduce a "basic" Absolut, promote a lower-priced alternative, or rebrand other vodkas under the Absolut brand to trade on its considerable brand equity.

Each year the DM Bicycle Company focuses its CSR efforts on fighting childhood obesity, a program that's popular with everyone and in line with the company's mission. This year, though, the CEO's nine-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with Batten disease, and that's all he can think about. For the next fiscal year, he'd like the company to focus on Batten disease research instead of obesity prevention. The HR director, the protagonist of the case, wonders if the effort is more personal crusade than corporate social responsibility. Is it ethical for the CEO to ask employees to share in his family's struggle? Two experts comment on this fictional case study in R1006L and R1006Z.

Each year the DM Bicycle Company focuses its CSR efforts on fighting childhood obesity, a program that's popular with everyone and in line with the company's mission. This year, though, the CEO's nine-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with Batten disease, and that's all he can think about. For the next fiscal year, he'd like the company to focus on Batten disease research instead of obesity prevention. The HR director, the protagonist of the case, wonders if the effort is more personal crusade than corporate social responsibility. Is it ethical for the CEO to ask employees to share in his family's struggle? Two experts comment on this fictional case study in R1006L and R1006Z.

Each year the DM Bicycle Company focuses its CSR efforts on fighting childhood obesity, a program that's popular with everyone and in line with the company's mission. This year, though, the CEO's nine-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with Batten disease, and that's all he can think about. For the next fiscal year, he'd like the company to focus on Batten disease research instead of obesity prevention. The HR director, the protagonist of the case, wonders if the effort is more personal crusade than corporate social responsibility. Is it ethical for the CEO to ask employees to share in his family's struggle? Two experts comment on this fictional case study in R1006L and R1006Z.

ReliantShare Bank is about to receive $5 billion in U.S. federal assistance. After all the negative publicity, CEO Ben Marshall knows he needs to deliver a positive message to customers and the market. His chief customer officer, Ammon Rodriguez, proposes an ad campaign thanking the taxpayers for their "investment." CFO Vernon Scott argues instead for focusing investors' and opinion makers' attention on the bank's recapitalized balance sheet and future growth prospects. What message should ReliantShare send to restore the public's confidence? Three experts comment on this fictional case study R0906B and R0906Z. An effective thank-you campaign, says University of Miami professor Michael McCullough, would need to include a clear statement of the bank's intention to translate the $5 billion into increased capacity to serve the public. But, he adds, if Ben isn't willing to eat a little crow, then Vernon is right - they'd be better off keeping their gratitude to themselves and quietly rebuilding their business. Brunswick Group chair Alan Parker asserts that ReliantShare must show contrition and acknowledge its role in creating the mess it's in - though that won't be enough. The bank will probably also need new leadership. Parker suggests that Ben get ahead of events and orchestrate a clean, orderly departure by publicly expressing his regret for shareholders' losses, ensuring that ReliantShare executives aren't walking off with extravagant bonuses, and tendering his resignation. C. William Pollard, former chair and CEO of ServiceMaster, says that Ben would make things worse if he resigned, because a new leadership team would take too much time to get up to speed. But Pollard does think that some heavy-duty PR is in order - not a campaign simply expressing gratitude, but one that emphasizes stewardship, transparency, and a restoration of trust.

ReliantShare Bank is about to receive $5 billion in U.S. federal assistance. After all the negative publicity, CEO Ben Marshall knows he needs to deliver a positive message to customers and the market. His chief customer officer, Ammon Rodriguez, proposes an ad campaign thanking the taxpayers for their "investment." CFO Vernon Scott argues instead for focusing investors' and opinion makers' attention on the bank's recapitalized balance sheet and future growth prospects. What message should ReliantShare send to restore the public's confidence? Three experts comment on this fictional case study R0906B and R0906Z. An effective thank-you campaign, says University of Miami professor Michael McCullough, would need to include a clear statement of the bank's intention to translate the $5 billion into increased capacity to serve the public. But, he adds, if Ben isn't willing to eat a little crow, then Vernon is right - they'd be better off keeping their gratitude to themselves and quietly rebuilding their business. Brunswick Group chair Alan Parker asserts that ReliantShare must show contrition and acknowledge its role in creating the mess it's in - though that won't be enough. The bank will probably also need new leadership. Parker suggests that Ben get ahead of events and orchestrate a clean, orderly departure by publicly expressing his regret for shareholders' losses, ensuring that ReliantShare executives aren't walking off with extravagant bonuses, and tendering his resignation. C. William Pollard, former chair and CEO of ServiceMaster, says that Ben would make things worse if he resigned, because a new leadership team would take too much time to get up to speed. But Pollard does think that some heavy-duty PR is in order - not a campaign simply expressing gratitude, but one that emphasizes stewardship, transparency, and a restoration of trust.

ReliantShare Bank is about to receive $5 billion in U.S. federal assistance. After all the negative publicity, CEO Ben Marshall knows he needs to deliver a positive message to customers and the market. His chief customer officer, Ammon Rodriguez, proposes an ad campaign thanking the taxpayers for their "investment." CFO Vernon Scott argues instead for focusing investors' and opinion makers' attention on the bank's recapitalized balance sheet and future growth prospects. What message should ReliantShare send to restore the public's confidence? Three experts comment on this fictional case study R0906B and R0906Z. An effective thank-you campaign, says University of Miami professor Michael McCullough, would need to include a clear statement of the bank's intention to translate the $5 billion into increased capacity to serve the public. But, he adds, if Ben isn't willing to eat a little crow, then Vernon is right - they'd be better off keeping their gratitude to themselves and quietly rebuilding their business. Brunswick Group chair Alan Parker asserts that ReliantShare must show contrition and acknowledge its role in creating the mess it's in - though that won't be enough. The bank will probably also need new leadership. Parker suggests that Ben get ahead of events and orchestrate a clean, orderly departure by publicly expressing his regret for shareholders' losses, ensuring that ReliantShare executives aren't walking off with extravagant bonuses, and tendering his resignation. C. William Pollard, former chair and CEO of ServiceMaster, says that Ben would make things worse if he resigned, because a new leadership team would take too much time to get up to speed. But Pollard does think that some heavy-duty PR is in order - not a campaign simply expressing gratitude, but one that emphasizes stewardship, transparency, and a restoration of trust.