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This note describes the use of the OptQuest tool (updated July 2009) for optimal decision variable searches based on Crystal Ball Monte Carlo simulations. Setup of the objectives and constraints, selecting run options, saving results, and a simple example are all included.

In the early 2000s, crisis management is a growth industry. Scarcely a month passes without news of organizational crises. Instantaneous media exposure worldwide raises the stakes for even modest size domestic businesses. Once-local ventures, when faced with crisis, may confront worldwide exposure. Whether challenged by hostile takeovers, plant explosions, equipment sabotage, product contamination, violence or some other threat to the viability of an organization, we work in a world where the need for crisis management skills and knowledge is on the rise. This note provides a basic background on organizational crisis management including how to determine what to prepare for and who can help.

The rise and fall of central planning rank among the most significant events in the 20th century. For much of the century, central planning, which had catapulted Russia from a backward country in 1921 to a world-class superpower in the 1960s, was looked upon as a viable model of economic development for many developing countries. By the 1980s, however, the limitations of central planning had become apparent. Countries in the Soviet bloc were stagnant and appeared to be falling further behind Western countries in economic and technological development. In contrast, countries in Asia and South America that undertook market-oriented reforms had experienced rapid economic growth. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, most formerly communist economies have engaged in a historical transition process to market economies. Despite its initial success, central planning as a system of organizing and directing a national economy had proven to be less efficient than the market system. Why this is so is the focus of this note. After a brief historical account of the rise of central planning, this note offers a conceptual framework for understanding how the centrally planned economy is organized and how central planning works, or rather how it doesn't work.

Contains a detailed analysis of Microsoft's financial performance from 1985 to 2001. During this time, Microsoft improved its profitability and cash flow generation--changes that led to a dramatic rise in valuation. Also addresses the issue of determining how much excess profit the company might have earned as a result of its illegal activities, as alleged and proved by the U.S. government.

This note provides an overview of fiscal-policy tools and how fiscal policy influences GDP through the income multiplier. The mechanics behind the income multiplier are explained and an algebraic derivation is provided. The note also provides examples of how parameters associated with disposable income (e.g., the tax rate and marginal propensity to consumer) influence the magnitude of the income multiplier.

This note provides a summary of the primary fiscal and monetary policies. It also provides a matrix of the expected effects on GDP and interest rates when these policies are enacted simultaneously.The matrix reflects the interactions of the policy mix when both policies are expansionary and contractionary, and when one is expansionary and one is contractionary.

The objective of this note is to provide an overview of monetary policy tools and the primary policy objectives. The mechanics behind the money multiplier are explained, and an algebraic derivation is provided. The note also provides examples of how parameters associated with the money multiplier influence its magnitude, including the propensity of the public to hold currency relative to demand deposits and the propensity of banks to hold reserves relative to demand deposits. The companion exercise allows students to walk through the mechanics of expansionary monetary policy.

This note describes different exchange rate regimes that are currently used in the world economy. It also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of fixed versus floating exchange rate regimes.

This note defines exchange rates and explains changes in exchange rates (appreciations and depreciations). The note also introduces the concept of the real exchange rate as an inflation adjusted measure of the purchasing power of a country's currency and as a measure of the competitiveness of a country's products. The note discusses factors that influence the real exchange rate. The note contains assignment questions.

Introduces the central concepts involved in determining customer lifetime value, with detailed analysis and examples from the realm of direct marketing. Implications for marketing strategy and customer relationship management are briefly discussed.

This technical note explains how group membership affects who a person thinks she or he is and how that person behaves in organizations. Hofstedes's levels of identity model are introduced and a simple description of Social Identity Theory is laid out. This note is a helpful tool for discussions about group differences because it argues that identification as a group member is not inconsistent with also being a unique individual. The note was written for use in Interpersonal Behavior and can be useful in a range of organizational behavior courses.

Covers the evolution of retail real estate in the United States. Specifically covers types of retail centers, such as neighborhood, community, regional, and super-regional as well as the recent phenomenon of the 1990s to 2002 of the growing emergence of value retail, i.e., discount, off-price, and manufacturer outlet retailers.

This case covers the general characteristics of convertible securities and briefly discusses their history, investors, issuers, and method of valuation.

Lays out a framework for understanding the impact of government on business strategy. Distinguishes between two major types of "games" that businesses play that involve government: value net games and public interest games. Highlights the multiple roles that government agencies play as players, rule makers, and referees as well as the need to factor in the impact of multiple levels of government.

This case lays out a framework for how smaller companies should approach building strategic alliances with larger partners.

This case summarizes how American courts measure damages in wrongful death suits. Various standards are compared, as are their implications for business management.

Lays out a framework for the management of customers using examples of forms in a variety of industries.

This case highlights an application of current thoughts in complexity science to negotiation theory. It emphasizes a provocative approach that questions much of traditional negotiation research thus far. The case explains the roots of complexity science and some broad ideas and definitions, such as linearity versus nonlinearity, feedback loops, and chaos. It turns to a subset of complexity science--the study of complex adaptive systems. These systems have interactive feedback loops and critical junctures that affect the future course of the system. Also, they are highly adaptive and creative. Negotiations are complex, adaptive systems and should be studied at the micro, interactional scale. Five key lessons are drawn: 1) seemingly simple negotiations can take surprisingly different paths; 2) situations that appear complex may be driven by only a few key factors; 3) large patterns are often reflected in small ones; 4) complex adaptive systems, like negotiation, are not utterly random, yet neither do they have a fixed equilibrium; and 5) creativity is spawned at the chaotic edge.

This is the fourth in a series of lecture notes which, if tied together into a textbook, might be entitled "Practical Regression." The purpose of the notes is to supplement the theoretical content of most statistics texts with practical advice based on nearly three decades of experience of the author, combined with over one hundred years of experience of colleagues who have offered guidance. As the title "Practical Regression" suggests, these notes are a guide to performing regression in practice. This technical note introduces the concept of endogeneity bias with specific coverage of omitted variable bias. Students who read this note will understand why omitting key predictors can sometimes bias the coefficients of included variables. The note illustrates omitted variable bias by means of an extended example and offers practical advice for model building that balances the desire for parsimony developed in a previous note with the need to limit omitted variable bias.

Uses a numerical example to demonstrate that when you discount the cash flows to capital from a project at the weighted average cost of capital, you get same net present value result as you obtain when discounting the cash flows to equity at the cost of equity. Also demonstrates why it is far easier to do a net present value calculation using the weighted average cost of capital (assuming a fixed debt ratio and market value weights) than it is to do the same calculation using the cost of equity.