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Describes Ralph Stayer's decision to leave the active management of the company, his decision to step back into the presidency, and the reorganization of Johnsonville into customer-focused teams.

Presents a conceptual framework for understanding the general management task, and given this framework, explores the challenges growth presents.

Explores the various transitions in approach and style that are required to cope with the challenges of growth.

Describes a model for thinking about the hiring and selection process.

A six-step technique for solving business problems is presented: stating the problem, developing a framework for analysis, identifying key issues, performing analysis, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations. Intended to be used with a case or cases that highlight the use of these tools.

Mark Ain is the founder and manager of Kronos, which has grown to a $33 million dollar company in 13 years. The case focuses on Ain's rrole in the company. Presents data from a personality assessment of Ain and his senior management team as input to this decision. .

Provides a follow-up to Kronos (A). Describes Mark Ain's resolution of the issues, and his perspectives on the rationale for his choices.

Doug Mason wished to create a new product that would cater to the interests of a new age generation, and he chose the development of a beverage that would have a healthy lifestyle image. His entrepreneurial start-up led to very rapid expansion and ultimately to sales in other countries. Clearly Canadian relies upon other companies to provide equipment for transportation and distribution, enabling it to operate with relatively few employees and a small base of physical capital. The case poses an interesting question, Is the company a small service sector enterprise or a large manufacturing business?

Describes Dan Gordon's first month on the job as Chief Operating Officer of Club Sports International (CSI), a chain of 7 health and fitness clubs. Describes the company's strategy and organization. The company needs Dan to tighten up its operations and create a base that will permit CSI to grow to 30 clubs. Describes virtually no systems, controls, or mechanisms that are in place to actually manage the business. Thus students must paint this blank canvas with their view of the systems needed to manage the business, and what Dan must do to make it work.

Focuses on the young general manager of a new cable TV system and on its customer service department. Jeanne LaFrance, the general manager, has an uneasy feeling about the way in which the department is being managed. She sees symptoms of what she suspects are serious problems. It takes too long for customer service reps to answer the phones, and many customers hang up before their calls are answered. There is little in the way of performance standards, measures, or controls. Yet there is not enough data in the case for students to resolve these issues. The objective is to develop a plan for learning about these problems. What are their hypotheses about the issues? What analysis would they need to do to address these issues? How would they get the data to do this?

Focuses on the new CEO of a growing software firm, the culture he's tried to create, and the need to hire a manager to spearhead a new product division. Includes details on how the search was conducted and presents resumes of four candidates who are being considered for the position. Designed to allow students to think through the recruitment, selection, and interview process.

Professional service firms, in law, accounting, advertising, consulting, and so on are ubiquitous and relatively easy to start. Few firms, however, gain scale or permanence. This case explores the reasons behind McKinsey & Co.'s exceptional success in building a prestigious, global institution and the role played by its leader in making it so. May be used with McKinsey & Co. (B)--1966. Describes many interrelated strategic, organizational, and governance issues facing the partners of McKinsey & Co. in 1956.

Entrepreneurship is more popular than ever: courses are full, policymakers emphasize new ventures, managers yearn to go off on their own. Would-be founders often misplace their energies, however. Believing in a "big money" model of entrepreneurship, they spend a lot of time trying to attract investors instead of using wits and hustle to get their ideas off the ground. A study of 100 of the 1989 Inc. "500" list of fastest growing U.S. start-ups attests to the value of bootstrapping. In fact, what it takes to start a business often conflicts with what venture capitalists require. Seven principles are basic for successful start-ups: get operational fast; look for quick break-even, cash-generating projects; offer high-value products or services that can sustain direct personal selling; don't try to hire the crack team; keep growth in check; focus on cash; and cultivate banks early.

After 30 years on the corporate fast track, Ken Veit lost his high-powered job at one of the world's largest insurance companies and was forced to take an entrepreneurial leap of faith. In 1989, Veit signed a franchise agreement to own and operate a Cartoon Corner store in a new mall in Scottsdale, Arizona. But despite Veit's careful forecasting, he suffered a series of unexpected catastrophes. The mall failed to keep its promises. The franchiser lost its venture capital. The Gulf War dried up retail traffic. When the mall and his store finally opened in May 1991, they did so in the midst of a recession. Although the media is full of the inspirational stories of other former executives, Veit has learned that the life of an entrepreneur is not all it's cracked up to be.

Supplements the (A) case.

Focuses on the problem of determining whether to continue with a start-up after the first market test. The company has seen product success but is far from break-even and needs additional financing. Focuses on opportunity analysis and the use of market data to assess whether progress is being made.

The two major partners in Russki Adventures contemplated their next move. They had spent the last year and a half exploring the possibility of starting a helicopter skiing operation in Russia. Their plan was to bring clients from Europe, North America and Japan to the Caucasus Mountains to ski the vast areas of secluded mountain terrain made accessible by the use of helicopter and the recent business opportunities offered by 'glasnost'. Three options for proceeding were being considered. The first was to proceed with the venture on their own, in the Caucasus Mountains area that had been made available to them by a Soviet government agency. The second was to accept the offer of partnership with Extreme Dreams, a French tour operator that had recently begun operations in the Caucasus region. The final option was to wait, save their money and not proceed with the venture at this time. This is a good case to emphasize small-scale international ventures and the complexities of operating in a rapidly changing and politically unstable environment.

Daytun Inc. is a small office equipment company ($6 million in revenues) which focuses primarily on photocopier sales and service in the London, Ontario market. In the 10 years since its formation, Daytun's strategy of high quality products and high levels of service at moderate price has enabled them to outperform local operations of large multinationals such as Xerox and Canon, and they currently have the leading market share position in London. However, industry maturity, impending economic recession, and increasingly threatening moves by major competitors raise concerns about Daytun's ability to grow with their current product lines. It appears Daytun must either expand their product line and/or broaden their scope to new geographic markets in order to achieve their growth objectives. An accompanying industry note, North American Photocopier Industry - 1990 is available.

Identifies concepts and tools of finance that are useful to general managers and critical to entrepreneurs: cash, risk, and value.

Covers the period from Steinberg's founding in 1917 through the company's growth to a major firm in 1969.