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Supplements the (A) case.

On June 12, 2003, the proposed merger of Random House and Time Warner Book Group was called off by the CEO of Random House's parent company, Bertelsmann. The announcement was welcomed by several critics who had questioned the logic of further consolidation in the book publishing industry, citing the power of the major publishing houses--Random House was already the world's largest book publishing company--and the accompanying commercialization of literature. Peter Olson, CEO of Random House, had to decide how to proceed and confront several other challenges facing the publishing industry: most notably, backward integration by Barnes and Noble into book publishing and the potential for digital devices such as e-books to undermine the traditional value chain of book publishing. Describes each of these tensions.

Details events in the home video-game industry from the late 1970s until the early 1990s. Tells the story of the rise and fall of Atari Corp., the dominant player in arcade and home video games in the 1970s and early 1980s. During this period, Atari became the fastest growing company in the history of the United States, but the wild ride came to a crashing halt in 1983, when the bottom dropped out of the video-game market, partly as a result of Atari's actions (or inaction). Describes Nintendo's revival of the home video game industry in the mid-1980s and its dominance of the market in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Addresses the creation of value by sparking dormant demand and the capture of value relative to other players in the industry. Part of a case series examining the competitive dynamics in the home video-game industry from 1970 into the new millennium. A rewritten version of two earlier cases.

Part of a series on the home video game industry that illustrates the underlying economics and competitive dynamics of the industry. Provides general information about the industry.

Supplements the (A) case.

It's been only four years since First Rangeway Consulting went public, but to CEO Kenneth Charles, it seems like a lifetime. In the grand old days of its IPO, the company couldn't grow fast enough to meet customer demand; top talent answered the siren call of its options; and the owners gleefully watched their wealth escalate along with the stock. Post-bubble, First Rangeway's stock is down 80% from its peak value, potential hires are wary, and the company feels beleaguered by Sarbanes-Oxley and SEC requirements. First Rangeway's stock price is on the mend, and there are some extremely tempting opportunities on the horizon that will require a heap of capital. Rangeway's CFO speculates that these opportunities could mean as much as 30% growth over the next several years. Should First Rangeway remain public or go private? In R0402B and R0402Z, four experts weigh in on this fictional case study: Tom Copeland, the former chair of UCLA's finance department and managing director of corporate finance at Monitor Group; Chan Suh, the cofounder, CEO, and chairman of Agency.com; Ed Nusbaum, the CEO of Grant Thornton; and John J. Mulherin, the president and CEO of the Ziegler Companies.

Measuring the value of intangible assets such as company culture, knowledge management systems, and employees' skills is the holy grail of accounting. Executives know that these intangibles, being hard to imitate, are powerful sources of sustainable competitive advantage. If managers could measure them, they could manage the company's competitive position more easily and accurately. In this article, the creators of the Balanced Scorecard draw on its tools and framework--in particular, a tool called the strategy map--to present a step-by-step way to determine "strategic readiness," which refers to the alignment of an organization's human, information, and organization capital with its strategy. In the method the authors describe, the firm identifies the processes most critical to creating and delivering its value proposition and determines the human, information, and organization capital the processes require.

More than 5,000 joint ventures, and many more contractual alliances, have been launched worldwide in the past five years. Companies are realizing that JVs and alliances can be lucrative vehicles for developing new products, moving into new markets, and increasing revenues. The problem is, the success rate for JVs and alliances is on a par with that for mergers and acquisitions--not very good. The authors, all McKinsey consultants, argue that JV success remains elusive for most companies because they don't pay enough attention to launch planning and execution. The launch phase begins with the parent companies' signing of a memorandum of understanding and continues through the first 100 days of the JV or alliance's operation. During this period, it's critical for the parents to convene a team dedicated to exposing inherent tensions early. Specifically, the launch team must tackle four basic challenges. First, build and maintain strategic alignment across the separate corporate entities, each of which has its own goals, market pressures, and shareholders. Second, create a shared governance system for the two parent companies. Third, manage the economic interdependencies between the corporate parents and the JV. And fourth, build a cohesive, high-performing organization (the JV or alliance). Using real-world examples, the authors offer their suggestions for meeting these challenges.

It's been only four years since First Rangeway Consulting went public, but to CEO Kenneth Charles, it seems like a lifetime. In the grand old days of its IPO, the company couldn't grow fast enough to meet customer demand; top talent answered the siren call of its options; and the owners gleefully watched their wealth escalate along with the stock. Post-bubble, First Rangeway's stock is down 80% from its peak value, potential hires are wary, and the company feels beleaguered by Sarbanes-Oxley and SEC requirements. First Rangeway's stock price is on the mend, and there are some extremely tempting opportunities on the horizon that will require a heap of capital. Rangeway's CFO speculates that these opportunities could mean as much as 30% growth over the next several years. Should First Rangeway remain public or go private? In R0402B and R0402Z, four experts weigh in on this fictional case study: Tom Copeland, the former chair of UCLA's finance department and managing director of corporate finance at Monitor Group; Chan Suh, the cofounder, CEO, and chairman of Agency.com; Ed Nusbaum, the CEO of Grant Thornton; and John J. Mulherin, the president and CEO of the Ziegler Companies.

It's been only four years since First Rangeway Consulting went public, but to CEO Kenneth Charles, it seems like a lifetime. In the grand old days of its IPO, the company couldn't grow fast enough to meet customer demand; top talent answered the siren call of its options; and the owners gleefully watched their wealth escalate along with the stock. Post-bubble, First Rangeway's stock is down 80% from its peak value, potential hires are wary, and the company feels beleaguered by Sarbanes-Oxley and SEC requirements. First Rangeway's stock price is on the mend, and there are some extremely tempting opportunities on the horizon that will require a heap of capital. Rangeway's CFO speculates that these opportunities could mean as much as 30% growth over the next several years. Should First Rangeway remain public or go private? In R0402B and R0402Z, four experts weigh in on this fictional case study: Tom Copeland, the former chair of UCLA's finance department and managing director of corporate finance at Monitor Group; Chan Suh, the cofounder, CEO, and chairman of Agency.com; Ed Nusbaum, the CEO of Grant Thornton; and John J. Mulherin, the president and CEO of the Ziegler Companies.

This case describes the challenge faced by the executive director of a (disguised) human rights watchdog agency. The state wants to increase the number of inmates in its prisons (without increasing the size of the facilities). This requires the approval of the board of the watchdog agency. Staff to the board has conducted a study that suggests that additional crowding in the prison might be dangerous, and recommends against approving the increase in inmates. Notwithstanding the staff arguments and recommendation, a majority of the board is set to approve the increase. The question posed is whether, in this circumstance, the executive director has a moral duty to leak the report or other information about the decision, to the press. HKS Case Number 1728.0

Supplements the (A) case.

Yamato Transport is the leading Japanese parcel delivery company and has dominated its industry for more than two decades. In response to new competitive challenges, Yamato must decide how to reposition itself in the industry and optimize the size of its network. The recently corporatized Japan Post is the only company that can deliver personal mail

Electronic Arts (EA), the world's largest independent video-game publisher, must decide whether to support Microsoft's initiatives in online gaming. Historically, EA has been platform-agnostic, releasing versions of its titles for all major console platforms. However, its managers have serious concerns about Microsoft's strategy for its online gaming service, Xbox Live. Microsoft has maintained tight control over game features and customer relationships and has refused to share online gaming subscription revenues with game publishers. Sony has offered terms for Playstation2 online games that are acceptable to EA. Can EA afford to forfeit sales through Microsoft's platform?

This case from a three-case series that includes S-0110 and S-0111 explores competitive strategies in a mature industry within the context of the Asia-Pacific region and is appropriate for use in competitive dynamics, international business, or business strategy courses. The state-owned Port of Singapore Authority wanted to become the World's Port of Call. The port of Singapore was one the world's busiest and a model of efficiency and operational excellence. But, by the end of 2001, it had lost two key customers to an emerging competitor, the port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), in neighboring Malaysia. In 2002, the Chinese shipper COSCO Pacific was considering a shift to PTP. By 2003, the port of Singapore had laid off staff and tried to explain the reasons behind the layoffs.

In the 'Delta Air Lines (A): The Low-Cost Carrier Threat' case, the top management of Delta Air Lines must decide how to respond to the threat posed by low-cost carriers such as Southwest and JetBlue. Among the options considered is the launch of a low-cost subsidiary by Delta itself. Prior efforts to launch a low-cost subsidiary, by Delta and by other full-service airlines, have failed. Can Delta devise a better response?

Supplements the (A) case.

Canada's tobacco manufacturers all faced similar marketing challenges: a decrease in the proportion of the population who smokes, a growing list of government restrictions on promotional opportunities, and increases in taxation on tobacco products. Despite the variety of packaging formats, the 10 most popular brands, produced by the three leading manufacturers, had been priced identically. When the number two manufacturer reintroduced one of its products as a discounted brand, the marketing executives at the rival companies needed to decide on their response.

Supplements the (A) case.

Although McDonald's breakfast and snack sales increased, they have not kept pace with industry growth. The primary barrier to this sales growth in the Canadian market, according to a franchise owner, is the quality of the coffee. McDonald's in Canada has tried to build its coffee brand equity for many years. It had switched to the Higgins and Burke coffee but had little success changing negative customer perceptions. To change customer perceptions, McDonald's needed to revolutionize its coffee program. McCafe was introduced in response to this coffee issue: a full-service coffee bar located in a McDonald's restaurant as an extension to the front counter or located as a stand-alone restaurant. Over 300 McCafes existed worldwide. Although McDonald's would like to get a piece of the lucrative coffee market, McCafe's main objective was to eliminate coffee as a barrier to breakfast and snack sales. The question for one franchise owner is whether McCafe's strong initial sales can be sustained.