個案總覽

Describes an entrepreneur's attempts to invent, manufacture, and distribute an inexpensive electric toothbrush.

Describes entrepreneurial marketing as both a mind-set and a process. Draws on some 30 business field cases and some 300 student projects that provide insight into what managers do in high-potential settings.

Companies in many industries are feeling immense pressure to improve their ability to innovate. But executives know that the best ideas aren't always coming out of their own R&D labs. That's why a growing number of companies are exploring the idea of open-market innovation--an approach that uses tools such as licensing, joint ventures, and strategic alliances to bring the benefits of free trade to the flow of new ideas. For instance, when faced with the unanticipated anthrax scare last fall, Pitney Bowes had nothing in its R&D pipeline to help its customers combat the deadly spores. So it sought help from outside innovators to come up with scanning and imaging technologies that could alert its customers to tainted letters and packages. In this article, Bain consultants Darrell Rigby and Chris Zook describe the advantages and disadvantages of open-market innovation and the ways some companies are using it to gain competitive advantage. Creative types within a company will stick around longer if they know their ideas will eventually find a home--as internal R&D projects or as concepts licensed to outside buyers. However, the authors warn against entering into open-market innovation without properly structuring deals: Xerox and TRW virtually gave away their innovations and had to stand by while other companies capitalized on them. The company with the most powerful assets will have the greatest growth potential.

Involves a start-up, X-IT Products LLC, whose founders had designed an innovative, lightweight, and easy-to-use--yet strong--escape ladder. After X-IT had filed a patent application for the ladder in the United States, X-IT was approached by Kidde PLC, one of the largest vendors of fire protection products in the world. Negotiations to license X-IT's invention or to buy X-IT ensued. The parties entered into a confidentiality agreement, which gave Kidde's patent counsel access to X-IT's confidential patent application for the narrow purpose of reporting to Kidde whether the patent claims were weak or strong. After the X-IT founders saw Kidde representatives displaying a ladder at a major trade show that was almost identical to X-IT's ladder, X-IT's CEO had to decide what to do next. Although suing Kidde for violating the confidentiality agreement was an option, X-IT barely had sufficient cash to fill orders, not to mention pay attorney fees.

Describes the implementation in Seattle Public Schools, under the direction of Superintendent Joseph Olchefske, of a systemwide standards and accountability scheme, known as the Performance Agenda. The Performance Agenda set academic standards for students and defined professional expectations for teachers and administrators. A primary goal of the agenda was to align teaching practices with academic outcomes for students and to introduce performance-based practices into the management of teachers and staff. Focuses significantly on the interaction of the district's labor contracts with efforts to introduce teacher accountability.

Presents the decision by the Federal Court of Appeals for the ninth Circuit in the spring of 2002 to invalidate Seattle's use of race as a factor in allocating space in Seattle's oversubscribed schools. Summarizes the posture and content of the litigation, including its pending review in the Supreme Court of Washington and its origins in Washington's anti-affirmative action movement. Data are presented on the reconcentration of students by race and class that will result from the court decree.

A student contemplates creating and selling calendars to fellow students in order to raise funds for charity. He must decide the nature of the calendars, the target audience, the pricing, promotion and distribution of the calendars. The supplement (B) case, product 9B02A019, outlines the promotion and distribution of the calendars, and provides a reaction to the calendar. The supplement (C) case, product 9B04A001 discusses the publishing of the third edition of the calendar.

Provides an introduction to depositary receipts. Recently, these instruments have been used with increasing frequency by firms seeking to list their shares on stock exchanges in other countries, especially in the United States. Describes different types of depositary receipts and comments on their prevalence over time. Also discusses issues that managers need to consider when contemplating the issuance of American Depositary Receipts (ADRs).

Metro, a German wholesaler, sued Cartier, a French luxury retailer, to require Cartier to honor Cartier's guarantee on its watches that Metro sold, even though Metro is not part of Cartier's selective distribution network. Is such a network incompatible with the European Union Treaty?

Silhouette, an Austrian eyeglass frame manufacturer, sued Hartlauer, an Austrian retail discounter, for reselling Silhouette frames within the European Union (EU) that Hartlauer had purchased outside the EU. Does the EU follow the principle of exhaustion of trademarks?

GolfLogix has developed a small, GPS-based device to help golfers track their play. They must decide how best to distribute these devices: 1) sell them directly to golfers through traditional retail channels; 2) sell them to courses, which would then provide them to golfers as part of their greens fee or for a nominal rental charge; or 3) simultaneously sell them to both groups. Complicating the decision is the fact that GolfLogix has two devices it is trying to sell: a distance-only device, which tells golfers how far they are from the green, and a complete device that additionally allows golfers to track how far and how accurately they are hitting the ball with each club and how many putts they are taking on each hole. The distance-only device is easy to use and explain, whereas the complete device likely requires some support from the golf courses. Contains color exhibits.

This technical note explains in detail the investment evaluation techniques introduced in "Bonnie Road", HBS case no. 813-186.

Global Healthcare Exchange Canada is a business-to-business exchange that connects hospitals and their major suppliers through an electronic procurement process. Founded as a subsidiary of its global parent, the exchange has become the leading health-care exchange in the country, but it is still far short of break-even. It must develop a compelling value proposition if it is going to drive adoption among hospitals and suppliers to the target levels. To do so, it must overcome considerable inertia among hospitals that are often very reluctant to change from frequently inefficient purchasing processes. Although there are major benefits to be realized from automating supply chain operations in the industry, the adoption decision process among hospitals is highly complex, but very idiosyncratic. In confronting these challenges, the exchange must also re-examine its own business model, in particular its pricing strategy for both suppliers and hospitals.

The management team at Athleta is attempting to raise equity capital for the company in March 2002. Athleta is a catalog and online retailer of women's athletic clothing. The company has made substantial progress, with anticipated 2002 sales over $20 million, but has been undercapitalized. Given the decline in values in the capital market in early 2002, the company has limited prospects for raising capital on attractive terms.

In the early 2000s, crisis management is a growth industry. Scarcely a month passes without news of organizational crises. Instantaneous media exposure worldwide raises the stakes for even modest size domestic businesses. Once-local ventures, when faced with crisis, may confront worldwide exposure. Whether challenged by hostile takeovers, plant explosions, equipment sabotage, product contamination, violence or some other threat to the viability of an organization, we work in a world where the need for crisis management skills and knowledge is on the rise. This note provides a basic background on organizational crisis management including how to determine what to prepare for and who can help.

Fast Learning Inc. was a private firm that developed software and learning materials largely for preschool-aged children. It is considering moving into two new ventures: opening an early childhood education center and purchasing an existing day-care center. Fast Learning has approached a strategy consulting firm for advice on these ventures. One of the team members evaluating the proposals must determine the appropriate costs of capital (or hurdle rates). He considers whether to base the calculations on the cost of new sources of financing or an average of the costs of existing sources, and whether required returns should reflect actual past costs or current market costs.

In the early 2000s, crisis management is a growth industry. Scarcely a month passes without news of organizational crises. Instantaneous media exposure worldwide raises the stakes for even modest size domestic businesses. Once-local ventures, when faced with crisis, may confront worldwide exposure. Whether challenged by hostile takeovers, plant explosions, equipment sabotage, product contamination, violence or some other threat to the viability of an organization, we work in a world where the need for crisis management skills and knowledge is on the rise. This note provides a basic background on organizational crisis management including how to determine what to prepare for and who can help.

Jay Entrepreneur had to decide whether it was worth his time to plow through a 12-page term sheet for a Series A round of preferred stock prepared by HBS Investors, a well-established venture capital firm that did seed, early-round, and mezzanine financings. He could also send the sheet over to the solo practitioner he'd hired to incorporate the company he'd formed with his partner, Dr. Mark I. Tech, inventor of a revolutionary new drug-delivery device. Family and friends had already provided $10,000 for lab space and equipment, and Jay and Mark had maxxed out their credit cards to pay the $7,500 retainer patent counsel required. Time was short, however, because Jay had promised to get back to HBS Investors later that week with any comments or concerns. He also had to decide (with or without the advice of counsel) whether to accept the proposal terms.

Protagonist Frank Ruderman evolved from entrepreneur to traditional angel investor and later to innovative angel or hybrid investor. Ruderman's investing group, Tenex Greenhouse, was created as a hybrid investing fund that brought together Ruderman's angel network with two institutional partners. At the outset of the case, Ruderman is in conversation with an entrepreneur/CEO who is seeking funding from the Greenhouse. Prepared for a class on venture capital, the case can serve as an introduction to angel investing and new innovations in angel investing. The fund in question has developed new techniques for fundraising (institutional partners) and investing (a narrow but deep focus).

As a major player in Western Canada's real estate market, Mainstreet Equity Corp. has a unique strategy for success: instead of simply buying and selling properties, Mainstreet also upgrades and manages them, thereby enhancing their value. In particular, Mainstreet concentrates its efforts on the multifamily sector, acquiring apartment buildings and townhouses to rented or sold at a profit under the Mainstreet brand. The company president and chief executive officer is at a professional crossroads where the future of Mainstreet is concerned. He wants to ride the wave of rapid growth that his young company is experiencing, yet at the same time, he wants to preserve the values of a small entrepreneurial firm. Control over issues such as quality, service, buying and staffing is important to him and easy to facilitate under current conditions. But the opportunity to expand is also tempting and at hand. Mainstreet's board of directors must work towards a decision regarding whether or not to expand the business, and if so, how rapidly and where? Or if not, the board must decide on an alternative course of action that would prepare the company for expansion in the future.