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In an era when businesses increasingly have to depend on their suppliers to lower costs, improve quality, and drive innovation, traditional contracts don't work. They often undermine the partnerlike relationships and trust needed to cope with external uncertainty. The remedy is to adopt a totally different kind of arrangement: a "formal relational contract" that creates a flexible framework designed to foster collaboration in complex strategic relationships over the long term. These contracts, which are legally enforceable, specify mutual goals and establish governance structures to keep the parties' expectations and interests aligned. They are especially useful for complex purchasing arrangements, outsourcing, strategic alliances, joint ventures, franchises, public-private partnerships, large construction projects, and collective bargaining agreements. Crafting a formal relational contract involves five steps: laying the foundation, co-creating a shared vision and objectives, adopting guiding principles, aligning expectations and interests, and creating systems for staying aligned.

This case explores one company's attempt to experiment with a different underlying model for a capitalist enterprise. Brunello Cucinelli, S.p.A. is a leading manufacturer of luxury fashion apparel. Despite being a publicly traded enterprise with annual revenues exceeding 500 million, the company follows a somewhat unique human resource and cultural model. The company's founder, Brunello Cucinelli, has striven to create an enterprise that follows principles of what he calls "humanistic capitalism". Human capitalism, according to Cucinelli, means pursuing growth and profitability in a "gracious way." At the company, humanistic capitalism manifests itself in a very specific set of policies and behavioral norms. Workers are paid wages that exceed 20% of the market norms; the workday (even fore senior executive) is limited to the hours of 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM; emails are not to be sent after hours or on weekends; lunch breaks are one and half hours long to allow workers to have lunch at home should they choose. There are also strong cultural norms emphasizing respect and dignity. As part of this culture, employees are expected to keep their workspaces clean; eating at desks is not permitted; water can only be drunk from cups (not bottles,); speaking should be done in hushed tones so as not to disturb colleagues. None of these cultural norms, however, are explicitly described in any written documents. The company has adopted this model in both its Solomeo, Italy headquarters and in its North American headquarters located in New York City.

Legal Time is a two-party dynamic negotiation simulation. Students take the role of either the prosecution or the defense in a case that centers on a client who has been accused of spear-heading a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. This conflict-resolution scenario gives students the opportunity to see how their negotiations are influenced by important situational and behavioral factors - specifically, (i) fairness considerations and self-serving motives, (ii) time pressure, and (iii) learning from one's own experience and the experiences of others.

Legal Time is a two-party dynamic negotiation simulation. Students take the role of either the prosecution or the defense in a case that centers on a client who has been accused of spear-heading a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. This conflict-resolution scenario gives students the opportunity to see how their negotiations are influenced by important situational and behavioral factors - specifically, (i) fairness considerations and self-serving motives, (ii) time pressure, and (iii) learning from one's own experience and the experiences of others.

Legal Time is a two-party dynamic negotiation simulation. Students take the role of either the prosecution or the defense in a case that centers on a client who has been accused of spear-heading a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. This conflict-resolution scenario gives students the opportunity to see how their negotiations are influenced by important situational and behavioral factors - specifically, (i) fairness considerations and self-serving motives, (ii) time pressure, and (iii) learning from one's own experience and the experiences of others.

This case is based on a negotiation that took place in the fall of 2018 between a BMW customer and BMW Customer Relations over the continued and repeated failure of Bridgestone Potenza Run-Flat (RF) original equipment (OE) tires. The case provides an in-class experience for students to discuss and learn multiple facets, strategies, and tactics of negotiations. It can be used within any undergraduate or graduate negotiations class or in a course that explores elements of marketing and customer service. The role of social media in this case adds an interesting and unique discussion point. In this case, the negotiation is presented in five rounds. Students should read the five rounds one at a time and sequentially, with a pause at the end of each round for an instructor-led discussion.

Supplement to case 919022

Supplement to case 919022

Supplement to case 919022

Supplement to case 919022

Supplement to case 919022

Supplement to case 919022

Supplement to case 919022

Supplement to case 919022