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This case is a supplement to Ellen Moore (A): Living and Working in Bahrain. After living and working overseas, a customer service employee recounts her experiences. She explains the decisions that she made and her experiences and opinions about women in management.

The vice-president, corporate and public affairs, at an insurance company has to prepare the next year's internal communications program at a time when the company is undergoing a revolution - an effort to improve service and profits through a radical organizational and cultural change. The small communications department has played a key role and tried new methods in the company's move toward empowerment and increased accountability. At this point, creating a communications strategy on a limited budget means choosing among priorities, but a recent survey of employee attitudes has provided some input into needs.

Valley Farms International (VFI) describes some of the problems and issues involved in selling and exporting dairy cattle to a middle-east country. The decision that John Roberts of VFI must make is whether or not to employ the services of a middleman in that country, a practice which is against the law of that country. This case is the first in a series of cases, Valley Farms International (A) through Valley Farms International (F).

The partner describes some of the problems and issues involved in selling and exporting dairy cattle to a middle-east country. He must decide whether or not to employ the services of a middleman in that country, a practice which is against the law of that country. The case describes John Roberts' decision on the issue in the Valley Farms International (A) case. This is the second in a series of cases, Valley Farms International (A) through Valley Farms International (F).

The partner continues to export cattle to a middle-eastern country but must decide whether to give in to the demands of an airline crew. They are demanding a cash payment as danger pay in order to take off with the load of cattle, however, this payment is outside the terms of the contract. This case is the third in a series of cases, Valley Farms International (A) through Valley Farms International (F).

Valley Farms International continues to export cattle to a middle-eastern country. This case describes some of the issues and problems associated with negotiating the contract, transportation and financing arrangements. The decision facing John Roberts in this case is whether to give in to the demands of an airline crew who are demanding a cash payment as danger pay in order to take off with the load of cattle. This payment is outside the terms of the contract. This case describes John Roberts' decision on the issue in Valley Farms International (C). This is the fourth in a series of cases, Valley Farms International (A) through Valley Farms International (F).

The partner continues to face and solve problems regarding the transportation of exported cattle. The cattle inspectors from the middle-eastern country have been called home and the cattle are on a ship at sea. The inspectors left, however, without signing all the necessary documents, however, the partner has their signatures on some blank forms. Should he use these in order to collect on the letter of credit? This is the fifth case in a series of cases, Valley Farms International (A) through Valley Farms International (F).

The partner continues to export cattle and to face and solve problems regarding transportation. The cattle inspectors from the middle-eastern country have been called home and the cattle are on a ship at sea. The inspectors left without signing all the necessary documents, however, he has their signatures on some blank forms. Should he use these in order to collect on the letter of credit? The case describes John Roberts' decision on the issue in Valley Farms International (E). This is the sixth in a series of cases, Valley Farms International (A) through Valley Farms International (F).

The manager of human resources wonders what disciplinary actions he should recommend to the vice-president of human resources in a case of assault. He learns that a maintenance technician assaulted a fellow technician and the situation is complicated by the fact that the assailant is a mentally challenged employee. The conflict arose as the result of a misunderstanding. Subsequently, the assailant's actions stunned his co-workers as well as the human resources manager.

The human resources manager and the department supervisor interview the individuals involved in the incident described in Johnson & Johnson Company (A). The human resources manager's recommendations are presented.

The president and the general manager have to make some quick decisions about how to deal with the media after an advertisement has offended the black community and caused angry complaints of racism. The company also wants to develop plans to avoid similar problems in the future.

A newly appointed manager of customer services for a department store, must decide whether or not to offer a job to an employee who was recovering from a serious illness, and who might experience a relapse if she took on this high-stress position.

A division manager for a chain of medical and research centres must deal with allegations of misappropriated funds. The chain has recently undergone an organizational restructuring, a fact which tends to muddy the issue. Case analysts address ethical and public relations considerations, in light of the fact that one of the key players has threatened legal action against the corporation.

The director of the international division of a software company has to mediate and resolve a major impasse between one of his project managers and a visiting Chinese programming expert. The Chinese computer expert, a woman of strong views, appears to feel an injustice has been done and is withholding a crucial program which she has completed. The project manager will suffer a significant delay if the computer expert does not relinquish the program and potential sales at a trade show are at stake. (Two sequels to this case are available titled Canada-China Computer Crisis Case, case 9A86C013 and 9A87C016.)

A hotel's personnel director wonders if he should attempt to get even greater employee involvement after setting up Work Excellence Committees. The committees are comprised of union and management representatives at sectional, departmental and top management levels and they provided the coordinating mechanism for the hotel's many productivity activities. The positive end result was progress in labour-management relations.

A nephew in an Indian family business has prepared a consulting report advocating changes in organizational structure and practices. His North American MBA training has influenced both the content of his recommendations and the process of suggesting them. Both the content and the process violate norms of the Indian culture as well as those of the African culture in which the family business has flourished for 40 years. The problem is what to do given that his actions and report have stirred up deep feelings and conflicts within the family business.

The general manager of a division of an international cosmetic company must decide hoe to deal with a lack of response to a memo. The general manager wrote to the vice-president of operations to elicit some response from Operations that would lead to better communication between marketing and operations. It is now only three days until the next meeting between operations and marketing and the vice-president has made no response to the general manager's memo.

A consulting engineering firm, is involved in a road construction project in Asia which is plagued with difficulties. The firm is working with the local government highway department on the project and has the status of advisor. Actual construction is done by the government department. The problems that the firm must contend with include technical problems, a budget process, differing objectives and intercultural relations. Two years into the project, only 17 kilometres of the 245-kilometre highway were under construction. This case provides the background briefing for the in-basket exercise, An International Project Manager's Day, consisting of three cases, An International Project Manager's Day (A), An International Project Manager's Day (B) and An International Project Manager's Day (C). An alternative teaching approach, as a decision-making exercise, is presented in the teaching note 5A84C40 and supplementary case, An International Project Manager's Day (D).

In response to dismissal of a newly hired administrative assistant, all 10 of this company's executive assistants have vacated their posts and demanded that the plant's manager reverse the young woman's discharge. Otherwise, the 10 women have threatened to walk out in order to air their protest on a national news program.

This note discusses the steps involved in the analysis of a business case: reading, problem definition, information analysis, formulation of alternatives, evaluation of alternatives, choice, implementation and control.