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Radio One (NYSE: ROIA and RIOAK), the largest radio group targeting African-Americans in the country, had the opportunity to acquire 12 urban stations in the top 50 markets from Clear Channel Communications, Inc. (NYSE: CCU) in the winter of 2000. The stations were being sold by Clear Channel Communications, Inc. to obtain Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval for its acquisition of AMFM, Inc. (NYSE: AFM). Radio One was also negotiating the acquisition of nine stations in Charlotte, North Carolina, Augusta, Georgia, and Indianapolis, Indiana. The proposed acquisitions would double the size of Radio One. The case focuses on the strategic and financial evaluation of the proposed acquisitions.

Zachary Cohen, who will graduate soon from business school, wants to enter his family's business under certain conditions--he wants shares in the company and wants to change a buy-sell agreement. His father and his uncle seem to want to explore his entering the family business, but do not respond to his proposal.

National Logistics Management (NLM), a third-party logistics company, is a successful, profitable business that provides a more cost-effective and efficient means to expedite premium freight. With the logistics landscape changing, NLM's market niche is threatened. Can NLM survive in the newer, faster e-business logistics world? What are NLM's options for growth?

Joe Casey (HBS class of 1992) reflects on the path that has led him into a venture career and contemplating his next moves.

The Community Standards Panel of Harvard Business School must determine whether two students have violated the school's community standards, and if so, what sanction would be appropriate. Concerns allegations of plagiarism. In a second-year elective course, two students submitted a joint paper, substantial portions of which were taken nearly verbatim from their sources. The material was not footnoted. However, the sources were listed in the bibliography provided at the end of the paper. The students, who are not from the United States, claim that they followed the citation practices customary in their home country.

The CEO of a successful Internet start-up must decide whether to delay the company's initial public offering following a significant decline in the NASDAQ market during the spring of 2000. The company's CFO is asked to reevaluate the company's projected cash flow needs in light of the new requirement that in order to go public, Internet companies must show positive cash flows within a 12-month horizon. While examining ways to extend the company's working capital, the CFO considers various changes to the company's existing business model, including changes in the company's contractual relationships with both its suppliers and its customers.

A successful entrepreneur (retailing) starts a new venture in dry cleaning. The case focuses on transferable models, skills, and knowledge from one venture to the next. Areas of emphasis are: managing growth, challenges of operations, financing, and competitive moves.

Examines the turnaround of Gucci and its transition from a single brand to a multi-brand company. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

Set in a German automotive company, this case traces the dynamics of a consulting project team doing a high-profile strategic project as part of a company-specific international management program. With weeks to go, the team is in a shambles, the project presentation a disaster, and the team dynamics terrible. A decision about what to do with the team must be made immediately by the project director. The case focuses on how to make a tough management call with serious implications as well as on how to intervene constructively in a cross-functional, international team. See also the B case (UVA-OB-0706).

This case focuses on a fictional company's satellite launch vehicle decision. The basis analysis requires the student to construct a decision tree using discrete probabilities. Further analysis can include the value of information and the value of control. The scope of the decision can include Monte Carlo simulation once continuous probabilities are added to the base case. This case has been used as a quiz.

An online resource for independent professionals must create a marketing plan to build brand awareness. Along with the tone and message of the ads, the executives must choose from several different treatments and media, keeping within their budget.

Sarah Simons, an investment analyst for the retail industry, has just received the Sears, Roebuck and Co. 1999 annual report. Sears has had trouble in the past with the collectibility of receivables from customer credit purchases using the Sears card. These problems have led to past write-offs, as well as legal problems, which have depressed the stock. Sarah must evaluate the provisions that the company has made for possible problems in collecting the receivables. This case provides background information on Sears' business and past problems, an introduction to accounting for contingencies, and financial information from public sources on Sears and the industry.

Presents results of a consumer survey used to guide selection of a new corporate brand name. Four alternative names are tested for their ability to communicate desired company attributes to consumers. The pros and cons of developing brand names at corporate versus subunit levels are also considered. Strategic recommendations for the company's brand architecture and its unifying corporate values provide background for the naming decision at hand.

Kana is a young Internet software company wondering how it should react to the rapid emergence of Application Service Providers (ASPs), firms that host software applications for customers who can reach those via the Internet. ASPs may be a new channel of distribution for software vendors. Issues of channel design, channel conflict, and resource allocation are all addressed.

Volkswagen of America introduced the New Beetle at the Detroit auto show in January 1998 to rave reviews from the automobile press and industry gurus. Elisabeth Vanzura, marketing director of Volkswagen American had the challenging task of converting this enthusiasm to sales. Her first set of decisions related to the target market selection and positioning of the New Beetle. Includes color exhibits.

CEMEX is a Mexican company that has become a major international competitor in cement while maintaining a higher level of profitability than other, longer-established majors. CEMEX's superior profitability supplies a basis for discussing the sources of superior performance in a global context. In addition, the wide array of benefits that CEMEX derives from its operations in different countries broadens conventional notions of why firms globalize.

This case shows George Lassiter's revised forecast based on "George's T-Shirts" (UV0680) and "George's T-Shirts Addendum" (UV0689).

Describes the start-up and first-year difficulties of Freeport Studio, a unit of L.L. Bean, founded in 1998 to sell women's clothing by catalog. First-year sales were far below plan, and projected profits did not materialize. Fran Philip must identify the problems and plan what must be done to make the unit profitable by year two. Includes color exhibits.