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The president of the University of Western Ontario was contemplating how best to handle a potentially explosive issue: the planned award of an honorary degree to Dr. Henry Morgentaler. In this supplement to Weathering a Storm: Awarding an Honorary Degree to Canada's Pioneer Abortion Doctor (A), product 9B05C033, the events of the day of convocation are highlighted.

Use of streaming media; audio and video content delivered over an Internet Protocol (IP)-based network, was not as ubiquitous as e-mail, but was rapidly increasing. Workplace usage of streaming media hit 22 million users in October and November of 2001, increasing 11.3 per cent over the same period in the previous year. The users of streaming media were diverse. Enterprises used audio and video to jazz up their public-facing websites to improve the quality of on-line customer service, and to cut the costs of running a parallel closed-circuit television network for corporate communications and distance learning. Media and entertainment companies were aggressively pursuing the Internet as a distribution channel for movie trailers, and as an advertising channel to spur CD and DVD sales, and as a new revenue stream with pay-per-view delivery of entire films directly to a user's computer. Despite the best efforts of technology and service providers, TN-quality streaming, and the business models that depended on it, streaming media still faced several hurdles. This technical note provides a high-level background on the challenges involved in delivering audio and video content over the Internet in 2001. It then gives an overview of various technical solutions that have been developed to address those challenges. It concludes with a discussion of the six critical areas that organizations must consider if they plan to include audio and video components in their business applications. This is a supplement to Mercedes-Benz USA: Investing in IT Infrastructure, product 9B06E003.

The national manager for technical training at Mercedes-Benz USA, is considering using streaming media and distance learning as a supplement to class-room based education, but is concerned that this innovative and risky IT investment could have a negative affect on the company's quality reputation. He needs to evaluate the viability of the e-learning option, including selecting between two vendors, Microsoft and Real Networks. This case provides students with an opportunity to develop a methodology based on capital budgeting analysis for evaluating and executing IT investments. The case is particularly valuable for helping students to consider the risks related to the execution of IT investments, even when an investment has a high ROI. Supplement material, Implications of Streaming Media: A Technical Note, product 9B06E002 is available.

After the U.S. sales manager of a large multinational company emails his supervisor regarding the supply of a new product, the message is forwarded to two others. The final recipient, the president of the Franco-Japanese joint venture partner that is manufacturing the new product, is offended by what he perceives as unfair criticism. The supplemental case, Charles Foster Sends an Email (B), product number 9B05C020, includes the sales manager's response to the president, and the ensuing correspondence from the joint venture. Together, the (A) and (B) cases present a setting for discussing three issues; the relationship between a communication situation and the medium chosen to deliver it, the effects on business relationships when an inappropriate communications medium is chosen and the processes needed to communicate effectively in multicultural business relationships.

After the U.S. sales manager of a large multicultural company emails his supervisor regarding the supply of a new product, the message is forwarded to two others. The final recipient, the president of the Franco-Japanese joint venture partner that is manufacturing the new product, is offended by what he perceives as unfair criticism. The sales manager draws on his recent training in intercultural management to try to salvage the situation. The companion case, Charles Foster Sends and Email(A), product number 9B05C019, includes the complete series of email. Together, the (A) and (B) cases present a setting for discussing three issues: the relationship between a communications situation and the medium chosen to deliver it, the effects on business relationships when an inappropriate communications medium is chosen and the processes needed to communicated effectively in multicultural business relationships.

A senior accountant at Bristol-Myers Squibb has to assess the appropriateness of revenue recognition as the company has dramatically altered its relationships with its channel customers. The decision maker has to determine not only appropriateness but the right approach to deal with senior management on the issue.

The Global Media manager for adidas International is responsible for developing and championing a new marketing strategy at adidas called brand in the hand that is based on the convergence of cell phones and wireless Internet. The case presents company background information, data on the penetration of mobile devices such as cell phones, the growth of global mobile marketing practices, and several mobile marketing communications campaigns that adidas launched in 2004, such as a mobile newsticker for the 2004 European soccer championship. The case then introduces a specific campaign - Respect M.E. - featuring Missy Elliott, a popular female hip-hop artist, and discusses the company's mobile marketing strategy to support MissyElliott's new line of sportswear. This case can be used to highlight the role of new technology in overall marketing strategy and integrated marketing communications.

This is a supplement to PETA's Kentucky Fried Cruelty, Inc. Campaign, product 9B03C045. PETA escalated its tactics to pressure Kentucky Fried Chicken to implement stronger animal welfare guidelines. KFC was once again embarrassed worldwide when an investigation for PETA captured video of chickens being kicked and stomped on by workers at a processing plant that the company used. The footage provided new ammunition for PETA to increase the pressure on KFC to make significant changes, including protesting of KFC executives at their homes and encouraging celebrities to organize a boycott of KFC. Both PETA and KFC testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee presenting their sides of the story. One had to wonder whether the campaign unleashed by PETA had gained enough momentum to pressure the decision-makers at Kentucky Fried Chicken into making meaningful changes in its animal welfare practices, and if so, how the conflicts between KFC and PETA could ever by resolved, given both the increasing escalation and philosophical differences between the two organizations.

This note describes the process a student might go through in writing a report, describes the main sections in a report and, in a supplement, reviews some points of usages, style, grammar, etc. It should be used after the Note on Case Analysis, product 9A81L002.

This note examines Hong Kong's deregulated telecommunications industry from both industry and public policy points of view in March 2005. In recent years, the industry had been viewed as a model of deregulation and free enterprise, offering high quality service to consumers at a low price. However, the industry conditions were exceedingly challenging for the operators. Cutthroat competition had resulted in low margins and a high degree of fragmentation. The operators faced new challenges in the form of disruptive technology, new market opportunities in mainland China and the possibility of new competition at home. This note allows students to examine the determinants of industry structure, the goals and mechanisms of industry regulation, and market and non-market strategies that firms may use to respond to market conditions.

The National Hockey League's collective bargaining agreement was due to expire on September 15, 2004. As executive director of the National Hockey League Players' Association, it is Bob Goodenow's responsibility to negotiate a new agreement in the players' best interests. The NHL has demanded that a salary cap be imposed in the next collective bargaining agreement and has threatened a lockout by owners if the players' association does not agree. The NHL has implemented a successful communications strategy and gained public support. Goodenow must decide how to proceed in order to gain a favorable position going into the negotiations and retain the loyalty of the fans on which the sport depends.

Bp's green re-branding efforts began officially with the unveiling of its new bp Helios mark, named after the Greek sun god. The new logo did away with 70 years of corporate branding, replacing the bp shield, long associated in consumers' minds with the strength of British imperialism. The Helios mark cost US$7 million to develop and was forecast to cost the company another US$100 million a year to integrate into marketing and operations over the next two years. At the logo's unveiling, the company's chief executive officer directed attention to the company's recent purchase of the solar energy company Solarex, an acquisition that made bp the world's largest solar energy company. The unveiling of the Helios logo was a formalization of a re-branding strategy that had begun to emerge the year before with the CEO's announcement that 200 new bp sites around the world would be powered in part by solar energy, through solar panels placed on the roofs of gas pumps, and his commitment to reducing bp's own carbon dioxide emissions by 10 per cent by the year 2010. From the start, however, environmental groups heaped scorn on bp's green re-branding. Greenpeace gave the company its Greenhouse Greenwash Award, given to the largest corporate climate culprit on earth.

Information technologies outsourcing is one the emergent fast-growth industries in the global high-tech economy. India is the leading country for IT outsourcing and Infosys is the largest Indian company in this sector. The branding challenge for Infosys is to leverage its reputation for predictable excellent results for information technology outsourcing. Management had identified overall company top-line revenue growth to achieve 30-40 per cent annual increases while allocating a negligible budget for marketing communications. Therefore, the key to the global brand strategy would not be through brand image advertising, but through communications of product strategy developments to large global IT outsourcing companies. The goal for Infosys is to be on the short-list of providers for the large, most sophisticated assignments for IT services to bid against IBM and Accenture, while leapfrogging over other competitors in the fast growing and fragmented information technology outsourcing market.

The Walkerton tragedy, an E.coli outbreak that resulted in seven deaths and 2,300 people sick, was unprecedented in Canada. The medical officer of health for Grey-Bruce was told that a number of people in the Walkerton area had developed serious illness. E.coli was confirmed and the medical officer suspected contaminated water as a source of the problem. However, the public utilities commission had assured him that the water was fine. Still he had a bad feeling that Walkerton was the verge of a very serious outbreak. He wondered what his next step should be in the complex situation he faced; he did not have much data to act on. Supplements We Have a Terrible Tragedy Here (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F), products 9B05C023, 9B05C024, 9B05C025, 9B05C026 and 9B05C027, follow the events as they take place.

The Walker tragedy, an E.coli outbreak that resulted in seven deaths and 2,300 people sick, was unprecedented in Canada. A couple of days after the medical officer of Grey-Bruce was notified of a case of E.coli in the Walkerton area, he was still concerned about the source and of the outbreak and issues a boil water advisory. This is a supplement to We Have a Terrible Tragedy Here (A), product 9B05C022.

The Walkerton tragedy, an E.coli outbreak that resulted in seven deaths and 2,300 people sick, was unprecedented in Canada. With 100 cases of E.coli having been reported, the medical officer for Grey-Bruce was reasonably certain that the cause of the outbreak was the water supply, and stresses the urgency for the Ministry of the Environment to become involved. This is a supplement to We Have a Terrible Tragedy Here (A) and (B), products 9B05C022, 9B05C023.

The Walkerton tragedy, an E.coli outbreak that resulted in seven deaths and 2,300 people sick, was unprecedented in Canada. To prepare for a meeting with the utilities commission, the health unit gathers data about the outbreak and narrows down the likely date of transmission of E.coli. Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Environment received the results of tests on collected samples of water from the area, and the results clearly show that the water is contaminated. This is a supplement to We Have a Terrible Tragedy Here (A), (B) and (C), products 9B05C022, 9B05C023 and 9B05C024.

The Walkerton tragedy, an E.coli outbreak that resulted in seven deaths and 2,300 people sick, was unprecedented in Canada. With the water test sample results confirming that the water supply was the source of the outbreak and an increasing number of Walkerton area residents becoming ill, the medical officer of health holds a press conference to communicate the seriousness of the situation. This is a supplement to We Have a Terrible Tragedy Here (A), (B), (C), and (D), products 9B05C022, 9B05C023, 9B05C024 and 9B05C025.

The Walkerton tragedy, an E.coli outbreak that resulted in seven deaths and 2,300 people sick, was unprecedented in Canada. The aftermath of the initial Walkerton E.coli outbreak is discussed: how the outbreak occurred, what could have been done to prevent it and the formal government inquiry. This is a supplement to We Have a Terrible Tragedy Here (A), (B), (C), (D) and (E), product 9B05C022, 9B05C023, 9B05C024, 9B05C025 and 9B05C026.

Two brothers have developed Williams Coffee Pub into a 44-unit, quick service restaurant franchise in Southwestern Ontario. Williams Coffee Pub has a very broad positioning with different segments frequenting it in different parts of the day. The brothers have hired a new chief executive officer and they are about to hand significant operational and strategic control to this new executive and the new board of directors. The broad positioning is an issue and the future communications campaign is also an issue.