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This is a supplement to Maple Leaf Foods (A): Leading Six Sigma Change, product 9B01C032. The vice-president Six Sigma discusses the experience the company has gone through now that Six Sigma is a year into implementation. Some issues that he is grappling with include managing excessive demand for Six Sigma Black Belts, managing Black Belts as an organization and working to keep Six Sigma top of mind for managers as other business-related programs (or campaigns) emerge.

At WestJet, a regional airline service, the director of public relations and communications is wondering how best to manage journalist inquiries in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. In the past, journalists were used to candid communication from WestJet and are expecting the same treatment this time around. Should the extraordinary circumstances presented necessitate a change in communications strategy?

The unionized warehouse employees at Tepperman's Home Furnishings, a large furniture retailer, had been on strike for more than three weeks. Tepperman's, a family-owned and operated business, had a reputation for commitment to its employees and the community. Since the strike began, store sales were declining and picketers were causing difficulties for customers and other employees. Management needed to make some fast strategic decisions in order to manage the crisis situation. The supplement Tepperman's Home Furnishings (B), product 9B03C029, looks at the situation two months after the strike.

This is a supplement to Tepperman's Home Furnishings (A), product 9B03C028. Two months after the end of a month-long strike by the warehouse employees, Tepperman's executive board of directors had another key decision to make: should the company lay off 12 warehouse employees in order to reap the benefits of using a contract delivery service? Relationships were still strained within the company and management wondered what they should do.

A top student in an MBA program had been pursued by the top-tier consulting firms that were recruiting at his school. Impressed by the prestige of the industry, he decided to choose a career in management consulting. After less than a year in the profession, the recent graduate is disillusioned. He is offered a marketing position that pays much less, but may be a better fit for him in a number of ways. He considers whether he should leave his lucrative career, whether he should accept the offer for the lesser paying position and whether he could be making another faulty career decision. In the case supplement Jack Harris (B), product 9B03C038 the former consultant reflects on his career decision-making.

Elite Inc. is a highly successful public relations firm. Elite's chief financial officer has been spending 18-hour days in an effort to get his work done. The newly appointed chief executive officer must determine the cause of the excessive workload and develop a strategy to deal with the chief financial officer's performance. The supplement Elite Inc. (B), product 9B03C040 discusses the implementation of the strategy and its outcome.

A year and a half after calling off their campaign against fast-food giant McDonald's, the vegan campaign coordinator of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), contacted Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) to warn them that they would be the next target. He pointed out in his letter that while many of KFC's competitors had convened advisory panels to help them investigate the welfare of animals raised and slaughtered for their businesses, KFC appeared completely uninterested in the issue. PETA would rather not engage KFC in a campaign, but if the company refused to put together an animal welfare panel and to begin to look into the issue of how to raise and slaughter their chickens more humanely, all the leaflets, action alerts, posters, billboards, T-shirts and press releases PETA was now preparing would be dedicated to KFC and its cruel treatment of chickens. In January 2003, PETA, fed up with what it saw as KFC's lack of open communication, public misinformation, and outright stonewalling on change, announced a campaign against the company to the media in a news event replete with bloody descriptions of the cruelties of KFC's animal factories. Now it was time for Kentucky Fried Chicken to respond.

Chrysler and Daimler-Benz shareholders approved the largest corporate merger in history. After months of talks, the chairman of the German-based Daimler-Benz management board and the chairman and chief executive officer of the U.S.-based Chrysler Corporation were preparing for when the two companies would officially combine forces to create the fifth largest automobile company in the world. These two managers were officially charged with the responsibility of amalgamating two enterprises that were vastly different from each other. Chrysler was known for its efficient production and economically priced vehicles. Daimler-Benz sold only luxury vehicles, and its reputation was based on craftsmanship, quality and safety. Chrysler executives were in the habit of limiting business expenses; Daimler-Benz executives were not. Between the two companies, there were huge discrepancies in cultures, market segments, product lines, salaries and attitudes. Aware of the excitement of their investors and the concern of their critics, the two leaders are expected to forge and promote the vision on which Daimler-Chrysler will base its future.

Rudolph Giuliani was the mayor of New York City during the events of September 11, 2001, and became world renowned for his leadership. Outlined is a description of his background, his first few years in office, the troubles he faced in his last year in office and the sudden shift in his popularity post-September 11, 2001.

GTI is Global Traffic Inc., a U.S.-based sign manufacturer. The vice-president of the company is asked to recommend a human resources strategy for possible entry in the Russian market. He must develop a plan for expatriate assignment, the selection and compensation of personnel and the training needs, as well as outline the organizational culture.

The Erie Performance Polymers division manager in China and general manager of Wuhan Erie Polymers joint venture, has just received approval for his requested transfer to divisional headquarters in the United States. In preparing the division and joint venture for the change, a key decision concerns his successor. He has received information on six candidates under consideration and knows that his recommendation will carry heavy weight in the final decision. The general manager has attempted to inculcate in his mainly Chinese workforce an appreciation for Western business practices and ability to enact them. At the same time, acknowledging their substantial differences, he has tried to mix elements of both Chinese and Western values in creating a culture for the joint venture. He believes strongly that his successor must be responsive to the tensions between the relevant cultures. As he compares them, he wonders which candidate has the best set of qualities to succeed him as general manager.

A new server at an established franchise restaurant is finishing her shift and has to decide how respond to a situation that happened with a customer earlier that day. The customer had found a lemon wedge in his milk. She resolved the problem with the customer but was concerned that this was another of many incidents that happened since she started. Should she deal with the person she believed was responsible directly or discuss the issue with the restaurant manager?

Cinatron Computing is a leading producer and distributor of managing workload software. The newly hired marketing manager has just received a phone call from the travel department requesting authorization for an employee's trip to a workshop. She thought she had already addressed this issue with the employee and now it seems he is going over her head. Why did this occur and what is her next step?

There's a lot more to Six Sigma than its usefulness as a cost-cutting tool. Properly developed and implemented, it can be a powerful and motivating tool for managing an organization. Which is why managers must ensure that Six Sigma is seen as a strategy for achieving business objectives, rather than simply a cost-saving initiative. This noted expert describes what Six Sigma is and is not, how it should be used.

Transparency and trust may be the ideal attributes of the well-governed corporation, but they also play a critical role in organizational behaviour, specifically in determining whether or not an organization's culture will facilitate - or impede - innovation. Just how do some managers and organizations prevent the formation of a culture that supports innovation? And, what can they do to change their behaviour? These authors have some key suggestions.

Behind most downsizing announcements is a viewpoint that sees employees as costs to be cut. Another viewpoint, one that is rarely expressed, sees employees as assets to be developed. These viewpoints are important, not just because they may influence an executive's decision to downsize, but because they usually influence how employees see themselves - and perform. As this author points out, it's almost a difference between assets and liabilities.

To become flexible, a decided asset in today's global environment of business, a company's infrastructure needs to be like Velcro, cohesive and workable when in place, but capable of being easily re-arranged when circumstances and strategy call for it. But developing a Velcro-like infrastructure requires formidable mastery of the basics. This noted management expert has some helpful advice for executives.

A consultant at a large consulting firm has found out that she will not be promoted even though her performance review was above average. She must determine what caused this situation and what her options are.

A black Canadian woman is hired as vice-president of marketing and brand positioning for an Amsterdam-based computer software company. Shortly after joining the firm she encounters a number of cross-cultural and equality issues. She must decide whether or not to renew her contract with the company. The supplement case, Julie Dempster (B), product 9B03C012 outlines her decision.

This is a supplement to Julie Dempster (A), product 9B03C011. A newly hired vice-president of brand positioning must decide whether to renew her contract after experiencing cross-cultural and equality issues.