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Astor, the wealthiest American of his time, engages in fur trading, shipping, real estate investment, and general merchandise trading. Astor's career illustrates the immediate pre-modern management era: types of decisions, time horizons, and number of transactions.

Makes possible a discussion of the growth of the railroads in the nineteenth century and the impact of that growth on the American economy.

Examines the coming of mass production (continuous and large-batch processes and those involving fabricating and assembling of interchangeable parts), and relates the beginnings of modern factory management to the needs and opportunities created by the new technology. Besides focusing on the interrelatedness of technology and management, it examines issues created by the responses of management and labor to the new machines and methods.

A vehicle for the discussion of early antitrust legislation in the United States from 1890 to 1914.

The rise of Standard Oil and its relation to the development of the American oil industry and new form of business organization.

Consists of three selections by the most innovative of the early American railroad managers describing the organizational structures and control systems they created. Questions to be asked are: why and how such managerial techniques were created, how well they worked, and how they differ from present-day techniques.

Discusses urban rivalry and the growth of New York City early in the nineteenth century.

The rise of Standard Oil and its relation to the development of the American oil industry and new form of business organization.

Concerns the role of Jay Gould in causing the creation of large regional rail systems after the Civil War in the United States. In class it will be used to show the inevitability of consolidation in that industry.

Describes the problems of early banking, early attempts at central banking, achieving a sound uniform currency, and economic growth. Illustrates the problems of developing a sound money economy in a developing country and shows the difficulties of branch management in an era of primitive communication.

Describes the competitive situation that has arisen in the commercial aircraft manufacturing industry since Airbus entered in 1970. Having overtaken McDonnell Douglas for second place, Airbus announces plans to challenge market leader Boeing's last pocket of dominance. Industry and government officials have long complained about assistance that Airbus receives from its governments, and this new challenge threatens to spark a new battle between the governments. Pushes students to examine issues facing industry players--high risk, long-term investments; technological change; intense selling competition--and issues facing their national governments--fair vs. unfair trade; important national industries--in a highly visible time frame for players and governments.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 391-106.

Japanese firms dominate the facsimile machine industry, accounting for more than 90% of worldwide sales. This case explores the reasons for this dominance.

The results of the HBR World Leadership Survey found that change is indeed everywhere--regardless of country, culture, or corporation. But the idea of a corporate global village where a common culture of management unifies the practice of business around the world is more dream than reality. In addition to profiling the views of the average manager, the survey detected the deep and powerful national differences that overwhelm age, sex, or industry distinctions among respondents.

Percy Barnevik, president and CEO of ABB Asea Brown Boveri, is moving more aggressively than any CEO in Europe, perhaps in the world, to build the new model of competitive enterprise: an organization that combines global scale and world-class technology with deep roots in local markets. He offers a detailed guide to the theory and practice of building a "multidomestic" enterprise. He describes ABB's matrix system and a new breed of global managers.

A growing imbalance between the world's labor supply and demand is driving the globalization of labor. While the developed world accounts for most of the world's gross domestic product, its share of the world work force is shrinking. Meanwhile, in the developing countries, the size and educational level of the work force is quickly rising. Developing nations that combine their young, educated workers with investor-friendly policies, and industrial countries that keep barriers to immigration low, will benefit from the new global work force.

Global negotiations are increasingly between the people of the United States and global managers, rather than between American companies and foreign nations. These global managers are supranational corporate players who have no particular allegiance to any one nation. The United States is disadvantaged in negotiations because states and cities bid against each other, permitting global managers to play us off against ourselves. To remedy the situation, Reich suggests the creation of a U.S. Investment Representative and a GATT for Direct Investment.

Shrinking revenues and taxpayer uprisings that threatened the town of Madison, Wisconsin's financial security led the author, during his six years as mayor, to introduce W. Edwards Deming's business quality concepts to city government. He learned that, like problems in business, problems in government are more likely to lie in flawed systems than in flawed workers, and that empowered frontline employees generate more improvements than management can.

Combination of 90111 and 91206. Unadvertised.

Spreadsheet supplement for case 391156.