個案總覽

Quest Foods International is one of the world's largest manufacturers of fragrances, flavors and textures for the food, beverage and consumer products industries. Quest Foods' regional vice-president is in the process of implementing a business process re-engineering project for the company. His current efforts focus on developing an information technology-based customer relationship management (CRM) system that he believes could give the company a sustainable competitive advantage with customers in the region and throughout the world. His ultimate goal is to bring Quest to the next phase of e-business. Despite high ambitions, his initiatives are making little headway. Internal opposition to change is significant and some key customers are growing concerned that Quest's CRM plans might miss the mark. Faced with considerable time and resource pressures, he is wondering how to set priorities and where to focus his energies.

In the wake of the fraud conspiracy convictions of its former executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling, the name Enron will likely long be synonymous with corporate corruption. But how did it rise, to the point of being the sixth highest-value US corporation, before its precipitous 2001 fall? This case provides a glimpse of a key element of Enron in action, as well as illuminating the complex process of foreign direct investment in a developing economy. The case focuses specifically on the Enron Development Corporation, that arm of the complex web of Enron subsidiaries which sought to build and operate power facilities around the world, including Argentina, Guatemala, the Philippines, Colombia and China. HKS Case Number 1617.0

A U.S. automotive supplier follows a major customer to Asia, and forms a joint venture with a Thai company to build and operate a new manufacturing plant. Key parts are also sourced from the Thai partner's existing plant. The Asian currency crisis causes devaluation of the Thai currency as well as problems for the joint venture, requiring the restructuring of the joint venture and the resourcing of parts from another company. Issues in the case include the recovery of tooling and equipment from the joint-venture partner and cost analysis to determine the best sourcing alternative. An optional Excel template is available for use with this case.

Cushy Armchair, based in Hong Kong, is a leader in the global armchair business, controlling fully autonomous business groups in 17 countries. Cabletronica has recently acquired the company and has sent one of their own senior personnel to restructure operations and integrate the company with another of their furniture divisions outside of the country. Acting as a consultant, the founder of Cushy is approached regarding a communication on a change in policy, but the new head of the company decides to use the parent company's standard method and now must manage with the results change can have on a cross cultural, multinational business.

The Taiyuan Project involved the construction of a pipeline to supply water from the Yellow River to Taiyuan, the capital city of Shanxi Province, China. The main contractor for the project intended to appoint Taiyang Company, a six partner joint venture, as the supplier of the 82 kilometres of prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) needed for the project. The general manager for Taiyang Company had to decide what the company's involvement should be. The company was the only supplier of PCCP in China, however, due to a slow start, it had no cash. A new factory and new equipment would be required to meet the requirements of this project. He would have to work out a capital budget for a cash-constrained situation while considering whether to find a joint venture partner and what the most advantageous way to structure the company would be from a tax perspective.

This case focuses on product design as a source of competitive advantage. In the late 1990s, Carrier France faced extremely high labor and overhead costs relative to smaller Italian competitors in one segment. The only way Carrier could compete was by designing a product with low labor costs. While one design alternative would lower assembly costs and space requirements, market acceptance was unpredictable. Relative to another more conservative design alternative, a delayed launch was likely. The case contains rich qualitative and quantitative information on the costs and benefits of the two Aquasnap design concepts in consideration, and focuses on which alternative to introduce.

The founding partners of Three Fish Solutions, a Hong Kong-based Internet start-up company, developed what they thought was a powerful business plan in preparation for a meeting with a deep-pocketed, potential equity partner. The meeting was critical because the partners were short of cash and because it would provide them with their first opportunity to discuss their business plan with a highly respected investor. Students have the opportunity to analyze a business plan of an e-commerce-based start-up company; identify critical success factors that are generic to start-up companies and areas of risk that need to be mitigated; and better understand the motivations of venture capital firms and the considerations they make when evaluating business plans. The Three Fish Solutions (B) case, product 9B01M013, discusses the meeting with the investor and the options facing the company.

PepsiCo Inc. spanned more than 190 countries and accounted for approximately one-quarter of the world's soft drinks. The vice-president of finance for PepsiCo East Asia had been collecting data on the firm's proposed equity joint venture in Changchun, People's Republic of China (PRC). While PepsiCo was already involved in seven joint ventures in the PRC, this proposal would be one of the first two green-field equity joint ventures with PepsiCo control over both the board and day-to-day management. Every investment project at PepsiCo had to go through a systematic evaluation process that involved using capital budgeting tools such as new present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR). He needed to decide if the proposed Changchun joint venture would meet PepsiCo's required return on investment. He was also concerned what the local partners would think of the project. The final decision would be made after a presentation to the president of PepsiCo Asia-Pacific.

Lufthansa, the flagship German airline, was undertaking an aggressive expansion program. The chairman of the board had negotiated a deal with Boeing for the purchase of 20 new aircraft at a cost of US$500 million. The U.S. dollar was at historic highs and he had to decide how much, if any, of the US$500 million purchase price to hedge and best method to use. Since Lufthansa's revenues were mainly in deutsche marks and this amount was payable in one year, he needed to determine how to deal with the resulting foreign exchange risk by examining principle foreign exchange hedging strategies. Covenants restricting Lufthansa to take on new debt made it critical that he be sure of the financing and risk exposure before finalizing the deal.

International finance plays a large, although often hidden, role in our lives. As a result, an understanding of this market is essential to understanding the new global economy. In this note, students are provided with a thorough introduction to the foreign exchange market from a Canadian perspective. The history of the Canadian dollar, from confederation until the present is chronicled. Many aspects of the current flexible exchange rate system and the terminology used in the different exchange markets - the spot, forward, future, options and swap markets - are introduced.

The financial uncertainty in Hong Kong and Asia from mid-1997 to mid-1998 was caused in part by the Asian flu and the return of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. A large North American-based insurance company was faced with the decision of managing its Asian assets in light of this uncertainty, especially the possible breaking of the peg between the Hong Kong dollar and the U.S. dollar. As the vice-president of capital markets at Manulife Financial contemplated what strategy he would recommend to the senior executive group, he considered the concepts of fixed/pegged exchange rates and the use of different strategies to manage the risks, as well as the potential profit opportunities that may arise when a fixed/pegged exchange rate is under attack and may break.

The chief executive officer of the venture capitalist Portal Investments had to decide whether to invest in eHarvest.com, a company with a vision to become the worldwide Internet portal for production agriculture. To do so, he needed to examine Portal Investment's strategic objectives; eHarvest.com's business model and the challenges and opportunities it faced in carrying it out; and issues related to valuation and deal structuring.

<p style="color: rgb(197, 183, 131);"><strong> AWARD WINNER - Regional Asia-Pacific Case Writing Competition</strong></p><br>Spin Master Toys was a Canadian manufacturer of toys ready to produce its latest product, E-Charger, an electrically powered model airplane. The operations manager had to decide which supplier should design and manufacture this new product. The timeframe from design to delivery was very short, requiring an accelerated development schedule. The company had a short list of two potential companies, both located in the major toy manufacturing district of southern China, near Hong Kong. The operations manager had to develop the appropriate criteria for this decision and evaluate the two suppliers. With relatively little information and already behind schedule, the company must make its decision in the face of considerable uncertainty. The supplemental cases Spin Master Toys (B): A New E-Chargers Supplier? (product 9B01D002) and Spin Master (C): Keeping the E-Chargers' Wings On (product 9B01D003) follow the progress and the challenges of the production of the E-Charger.

AWARD WINNING CASE - This case was one of the winning cases in the 2002 Regional Asia-Pacific Case Writing Competition. A manufacturer had been selected to produce Spin Master Toys' new product, E-Charger. Two weeks into the product design process, the operations manager was concerned because the manufacturer's progress was unsatisfactory and that, as a result, Spin Master Toys would likely miss its shipping date for the product launch. His options were to push ahead with the current supplier, try to negotiate with the other company that quoted on the contract, or look for yet another supplier. He had to evaluate the options and the impact each would have on meeting the shipping date. This is the second in a three case series that follows the selection of a manufacturer and the progress of the production of a new product. The accompanying cases are Spin Master Toys (A):Finding a Manufacturer (product 9B01D001) and Spin Master Toys (C): Keeping the E-Chargers' Wings On (product 9B01D003).

AWARD WINNING CASE - This case was one of the winning cases in the 2002 Regional Asia-Pacific Case Writing Competition. A few weeks after production started on Spin Master Toys latest product, E-Chargers, an electrically powered model airplane, the operations manager had to deal with a persistent and serious quality problem; up to 30 per cent of the current production of the wings were substandard. He knew he had to do something fast. The company could not afford any more supply problems. This is the third case in a three case series that follows the selection of a manufacturer and the progress of the production of a new product. The accompanying cases are Spin Master Toys (A):Finding a Manufacturer (product 9B01D001) and Spin Master Toys (B): A New E-Chargers Supplier? (product 9B01D002).

PacificLink iMedia was a Hong Kong based Internet marketing company that specialized in Web design using Flash technology. The company had grown six-fold since its inception 18 months ago. The directors of the company anticipated that the company would double in size in the next six months, and they were considering moving into three new markets, as well as into new business areas. The concepts of competitive advantage in the Internet industry, and the structure of this industry are introduced from the perspective of a company that provides business services. See also the second and third cases in the three-part series, 9B09M023 and 9B16M202.

Jamaica's relationship with the International Monetary Fund had often been tense. Currently, the country had no agreements with the IMF, and Prime Minister P.J. Patterson had sworn that his country would never again borrow from the Fund. Still, there were significant advantages to be gained from cooperation with the IMF. Not only was it a source of valuable technical expertise, but Fund approval of the government's policies could facilitate borrowing on world financial markets or from other multilateral organizations. Recently, the IMF appeared to be softening in its opposition to the government's policy direction. However, it seemed unlikely that the country could reach a borrowing agreement with the IMF without significant policy adjustments, particularly in the matter of the exchange rate. Under these circumstances, Dr. Davies had to determine whether he should approach the Fund for assistance, and if so, what policy changes the government would be willing to make in order to secure that assistance. HKS Case Number 1602.0

South African Breweries (SAB) was the only profitable international brewer in the crowded and hyper-competitive beer market in China. SAB's keen understanding of emerging market environments allowed it to develop a unique strategy for the Chinese market. This resulted in large market shares in each of the provinces in which it was present. However, SAB and its joint venture partner, China Resources Enterprise, only served five per cent of China's immense population. The managing director was faced with decisions: how to expand to other markets where SAB's approach would be replicated, how SAB could expand its successful business model to new markets, and what would happen when it ran head-to-head with a global giant or a well-positioned local competitor.

Two young university graduates evaluate the possibility of introducing a new room reservation system for tourists in Greece, replacing some of the unreliable existing methods. Recent improvements in the telecommunications grid and the emergence of several Internet service providers across Greece, coupled with existing hardware and software technology, paved the way to a window of opportunity for their Ikaros Project, a collection of transactional interactive networked kiosks. The kiosks would allow customers to obtain real-time information on hotel room availability and make their reservations. Convinced that the system would be accepted by the tourists, there were still many considerations to be researched and resolved: acceptance of the system by the hoteliers, connection costs, system capacity, pricing and the system architecture.

Canadian Closures was a joint venture (JV) between the Australian firm, Melbourne Closures (Melbourne), and Macklin Breweries (Macklin) which was based in Canada. The JV manufactured beer bottle caps based on Melbourne's technology; its only customer was Macklin's 10 breweries. Continuing product quality and performance problems resulted in the general manager being replaced. The new general manager was faced with the challenge of resolving these issues and balancing what was best for the parent companies in the short-term and what was best for the JV in the long-term. Macklin wanted reimbursement for faulty caps, which would have a significant impact on the profit objectives that both parent companies expected the JV to meet. The general manager had to find a solution that would satisfy both parent companies while minimizing negative impacts on the JV's results. The supplemental case, Canadian Closures (B), product 9B00M020, presents what happened and addresses another challenge later in the JV's life cycle.