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Provides guidance to junior generation members of a business family concerning negotiating their entry into their family's business.

As a multi-generational family business with a 100-year history in industrial engineering, the Nash Engineering Company had turned many challenges into opportunities. But in the late 1990s, the market for their products collapsed. The family and executive managers were faced with several options. Should they try to continue as a stand-alone organization? Should they pursue a strategic acquisition? Should the family sell Nash Engineering? There were many factors to consider, among them individual shareholders' need for dividends and liquidity, and the family's sense of pride in their heritage. What was the best solution for the business and the family?

Companies that retain their CEO founders when preparing for IPOs often come out ahead in the long run, says Martin L. Martens at Concordia University.

The marketing manager of Jewellworld.com was faced with the problem of a saturated Hong Kong market, and has to consider ways in which to expand the business. In a meeting with the marketing director, who was responsible for the development of the Hong Kong and Chinese Jewelry markets, one of the main topics was the expansion of the online shopping strategy into the B2C area in China; however, the staff of the marketing department held different views. The immediate question was whether Jewellworld.com should move into the B2C area at full speed or wait and see how other competitors fared in the China online market. The other issue was the segmentation that Jewellworld should employ if they decide to enter the B2C market in China. A competitor had established retail stores across China. The question was whether Jewellworld should aim to cover all market segments and product lines, or target young people who tend to use the Internet more frequently.

What are the characteristics, habits, and behaviors of the species entrepreneur? Is there such a thing as "entrepreneurial thinking"? Is there a learnable and teachable "core" to entrepreneurship? The author studied the problem-solving process of 30 entrepreneurs from a variety of industries whose companies ranged in value from $200 million to $6.5 billion. Careful analysis revealed a distinct thought process: "effectual reasoning." Using U-Haul as an example, she delineates the way in which entrepreneurs factor in affordable loss, strategic partnerships, and leveraging contingencies. Thinking entrepreneurially, as opposed to managerially or strategically, means believing in a yet-to-be-made future that can be shaped by human action, and realizing that to the extent that such action can control the future, they need not expend energies trying to predict it. It is much more useful to understand and work with the people who are engaged in the decisions and actions that bring it into existence.

Representatives of the technology transfer office are preparing a commercialization strategy of a new peptide. The function of the technology transfer office at the University of Western Ontario is to prospect for suitable technologies for commercialization, to manage the patent protection for such inventions, and to identify ways to develop such inventions. Two licensing opportunities are being considered, both of which entail creation of a startup company. The representatives must evaluate options to determine which offers the best potential for the commercialization of the invention for everyone involved.

Considers the opportunities and challenges facing Indian film producers in accessing the global film market. Provides a historical context by describing the history of the cinema and the rise of Hollywood to global dominance by the 1920s. Although film industries continued elsewhere, including Great Britain and France, their products had limited international appeal. Discusses the rise of the Indian film industry and the industry structure. Bollywood films, produced in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), are the most well-known genre. They are typically long, melodramatic, and musical. There are also regional language films produced in Chennai, independent films, and "crossover" films, typically incorporating the experience of the Diaspora in Western countries. Bollywood films in particular have sold well in Southeast Asia and among the Indian Diaspora. Raises the issue whether Indian content films can compete with Hollywood in global markets and to what extent a change in content is necessary for this strategy to work.

Supplements the (A) case. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

Supplements the (A) case.

The inventor and founder of DEKA research was deciding whether to commercialize his latest invention, the Segway Human Transporter, a self-balancing, battery-operated scooter. The transporter was envisioned as an alternative mode of personal transportation in traffic-clogged urban environments. It also had potential application in developing countries with a limited transportation infrastructure. With the versatility to carry riders on sidewalks, rough ground, icy surfaces and inside buildings, the market potential seemed unlimited. Yet, the Segway Human Transporter represented an unconventional transportation choice for potential users. Would there be a market for it, or would it be seen as nothing more than a cool invention? Should the inventor proceed with commercialization, and if so, how?

The Little Red Roaster, a retail coffee shop that offered a menu of coffees, teas, gourmet beverages, light meals and snacks, had a strong reputation for good food and coffee during the eight years it had been in operation. The owner had recently been approached to expand both its wholesale and its catering operations, but she was unsure whether she and the company were ready for expansion. Potential wholesale and catering customers would not wait for Little Red Roaster much longer, and the owner must make a decision soon about the company's strategic direction.

Ganong Bros. Limited is a fifth generation family chocolate company in New Brunswick that is facing financial difficulties. The firm has been spreading its resources too thinly and needs to develop a plan to not only return to profitability but also to grow the business while upholding its responsibility to the local community. This case helps students to develop an understanding of cutting costs in a turnaround situation and seeking out alternative lines of business for strategic growth.

In Fall 2003, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia's richest man and the CEO of Yukos, the second-largest Russian oil producer with a market capitalization of US$26 billion, was arrested and thrown into jail on charges of fraud. Several days later he resigned as CEO of Yukos. This case study tells the story of the rise and fall of a young man whom some would call a brilliant entrepreneur, and others would call a scoundrel. The case includes an interview with Khodorkovsky when he was still CEO, and offers a rare opportunity to examine the leadership philosophy of one of Russia's top business leaders.

Identifies several practical principles to keep in mind when changing a family business system.

Assist in thinking critically about facilitators and inhibitors to goals and preparing for change in a family business system.

Jim Poss' enterprise, Seahorse Power Co. (SPC), was an engineering start-up that encouraged the adoption of designing products that were cheaper and more efficient than 20th century technologies. Poss was sure that his first product, a patent-pending, solar-powered trash compactor, could make a real difference. After funding the product development and testing, by may 2004, SPC had six team members. They had all been given an equity stake in exchanged for their part-time services. Poss was seeking funding to allow him to take the business to the next level--a larger production run with reduced component costs and increased production efficiencies. Chronicles the evolution of the company and places Poss at the critical juncture of deciding how best to deal with potential investors and funding alternatives.

Presents a consolidated list of corporate governance best practices for owner-managers of private companies, including family businesses.

Ford Motor Co., General Motors, and DaimlerChrysler--the three original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that dominated the automotive industry throughout the 20th century--launched Covisint in February 2000 as an industry supply chain exchange that would drive out cost and help manage the complex communications within the rigidly hierarchical industry. The Big 3 sourced entire components of cars from large Tier 1 suppliers. By limiting the number of partners and using online technologies to support collaboration and performance tracking, as well as drive out costs from the supply chain, the OEMs hoped that cycle times could be shortened and they could finally achieve a build-to-order car. A successful exchange that united the industry was vital to this vision. Covisint was founded with "borrowed" Bid 3 employees and over $250 million in funding from the OEMs. Its business model morphed several times as it raced to bring products to market and to meet the demands of its founders. The start-up burned through six CEOs in three years and now Bob Paul is considering whether to take on the CEO hot seat.

Supplements the (A) case.

This case describes the life and career of Donna Dubinsky, a high-ranking female executive and entrepreneur. Throughout her career, Dubinsky remained on the leading edge of the technology field. In the A case, two exciting options lay ahead of Dubinsky, one with a leader she knew, respected, and had worked for before, and the other from a new contact with an opportunity to lead a small, unproven startup firm. The B case describes her decision and brings the reader up to venture number three called Numenta. The cases are intended to give management students a broad view of one executive's lifestyle, of how she built and maintained business and personal relationships, and the way she developed her personal style throughout her professional career.