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Lucent Technologies' successful New Ventures Group must present company executives with a strong case for continuing corporate venturing activities despite a troubled financial performance in difficult market conditions.

Enron is evaluating whether to build the Escondido Power Plant, a 500 MW combined cycle natural gas plant in Douglas, Arizona, at a cost of $250 million. The plant would sell energy under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA). Construction of the plant, expected to be completed in 18 months, would be financed with a loan from Credit Suisse First Boston (CF First Boston). During construction, interest would be capitalized. Upon completion of construction, the plant would be financed with 60% debt and 40% equity. Enron and General Electric Capital (GE) would each provide 50% of the equity. At the end of the 20-year period, the plant would be sold at book value.

This case looks at the strategy formulation and implementation in global private banking, from the perspective of the pre-eminent firm in this industry.

This case examines the dramatic growth of the Vanguard group. It specifically examines the value logic that drove this growth.

This series of three cases shows how a newly appointed manager, with support of the parent company helps an MNC in the dairy industry renew and strengthen its leadership. The MNC becomes more market responsive and less fragmented A specific re-engineering project increases rationalization and product standardization The company launches a revolutionary product to regain true technological advantage.

This case looks at entrepreneurial leadership and business development on several levels. It addresses issues that typically arise in new ventures and bricks to clicks transformation, including: evolution from the messy start-up stage to a more professional organization; entrepreneurship and internal incubators; strategies for continued growth and diversification; and brand management and marketing. It also looks closely at entrepreneurship in the very complex political and economic environment in Russia, and analyses the way past history and culture influence the course of an entrepreneurial organization's development insights which can be applied to organizations in other Eastern European countries. Finally, the case is a chronicle of a founder-entrepreneur¿s hopes, fears and impressions, an intimate look at the birth and growth of an entrepreneurial organization.

In the summer of 1997, the executive team of GPS, a very successful French retailer in the one-hour photo finishing and one-hour eyewear business, is trying to decide whether to purchase Vision Express of the United Kingdom. Both companies are very entrepreneurial, fast growing, and have pioneered the one-hour service concept in their respective countries. The founder of Vision Express was Dean Butler, the American who previously founded Lens Crafters in the United States. In spite of their similarities, the formula for success of the two companies is rather different, with Vision Express relying heavily on advertisements that feature two-for-one sales and GPS competing on high service levels and repeat business. The acquisition, if made, would be GPS's first major expansion outside France.

Takes an inside look at ABB's unprecedented 1997 to 2000 transformation under Gvran Lindahl, the second CEO of this electrical engineering powerhouse, who succeeded Percy Barnevik during late 1996. After a highly successful first decade of existence under Barnevik (1988 to 1996), ABB found itself in the midst of a crisis by the end of 1997, after the combined effects of global deregulation, radical technological innovations, and an unpredictable but sweeping financial crisis across most emerging markets. ABB's response was to shift its strategic focus radically to favor knowledge- and service-based offerings across all of its businesses. The company's implementation of such strategy took place in two bold steps. The first one comprised a major global restructuring of ABB, as a result of which the company divested from mature manufacturing businesses such as power generation and transportation and became a global leader in areas such as industrial process automation and electrical distribution solutions. The second step was to transform ABB into a fast-growing high-technology company, moving from old to new economy Internet-based services and solutions. The case contains two mini-cases in ABB distribution solutions and ABB's global information systems group--two instances that show first-hand the pains of rapidly transforming a vast, manufacturing concern into an Internet- and solutions-based powerhouse as the new millennium unfolds.

The year 1998 was an excellent one for Toyota in Europe: The company posted record sales in 10 European countries and had topped Nissan's sales in Europe for the first time ever. However, on a global scale, the European market was still a weak spot for Toyota. The market share in Western Europe stood at only 3%, whereas the company had secured over 10% in other international markets such as the United States. Early 1999 marked a turning point and Toyota publicly announced its goal to raise the European market share to 5% by the year 2005. However, many executives considered the different positioning and perception of the Toyota brand across Europe as a main obstacle to growth. The new president of Toyota Europe had to decide whether there was a need to reposition the brand. If yes, should he recommend a unified brand image within Europe. How could this be achieved? Provides data on the European market for automobiles, customer segments, and positioning of Toyota vs. the competition. Also outlines the intricacies of growing a business by making bold changes to the positioning of products and brands.

Deals with the depletion of fish stocks in the late 1990s. Unilever, one of the biggest fish producers in the world, had a strong interest in finding a solution for this dilemma. Unilever decided to found the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This council is run as a joint venture with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF). Provides detailed background of both Unilever and the WWF to understand their intentions. Describes the process of setting up the MSC and deals with the issues of stakeholder management. Interestingly, other environmental groups heavily criticized the WWF for joining forces with Unilever.

Hilti France has the challenge to increase its sales and profitability as part of Hilti's Champion 3C strategy. It has three key market segments: upper, middle, and lower. Alain Baumann, the managing director, must decide how to prioritize his opportunities.

Online grocery retailing, despite its unproven track record, had generated a substantial amount of interest by mid-2000. Although no online grocery retailer had managed to develop a business model that consistently delivered profits and created value for the customer, several companies touted value propositions and fulfillment models that hoped to overcome the challenges facing the industry. Presents five companies with different fulfillment models: Streamline, Webvan, NetGrocer, Tesco Direct, and Le Shop. Challenges readers to think about which online grocer creates the most value for customers and which grocer will likely be able to overcome the challenge of fulfillment, i.e., building the last mile to the customer.

A/S, a Danish company specializing in underwater acoustics and ultrasonics, needs to rethink how it manages new product development. Reson's R&D is working with proprietary basic technologies with development times up to three years. To realize the company's global growth potential, Reson's management must expand its customer base, rethink how to apply proprietary technologies in innovative ways, and bring new customer-specific solutions fast to market. The focus for project management is time, i.e., meeting project deadlines. This sets completely new requirements for project planning and company cooperation.

Traces the development of the Nespresso System in a 100%-owned affiliate deliberately placed outside Nestle's main organizational structure. Highlights the team's successes and challenges in creating a new, small, niche segment in the mature coffee market and its prospects for growing the business from 150 million to 1 billion Swiss francs within the next decade. A radical departure from most Nestle lines of businesses targeted to the mass market, the Nespresso story offers provocative lessons about innovation in large, highly structured organizations.

In June 1999, Leif Abildgaard, the managing director of Akzo Nobel UK, faced a difficult decision: he had to figure out how to revive the company's trade business. Akzo Nobel UK had two principal lines of business: the retail business, which sold paint to the domestic, do-it-yourself market, and the trade business, which sold paint to professionals using a network of traditional paint merchants, builders merchants, and the company's own distribution outlets. Abildgaard, along with some of his more senior managers, decided in 1999 to reduce the number of brands in the trade business portfolio. Although Akzo Nobel had successfully reduced the number of brands in its retail business portfolio, no attempt had ever been made to drop brands from the trade portfolio. Because the trade business consisted of professionals who tended to be brand loyal, Abildgaard knew that any decision he made would likely alienate some of his customers. Nevertheless, Abildgaard pressed ahead in his effort and had to decide which brands to discontinue.

A Dutch partner in a Big 5 professional services firm is experiencing difficulty in getting his Mexican partner's cooperation in serving a British multinational client. Because part of the firm's competitive positioning is seamless global service, the customer is getting more and more angry. After a particularly hostile exchange with the customer, Johannes van den Bosch writes a very angry e-mail to his Mexican partner, cools off for an hour, and then edits his original e-mail to stick to facts and figures. He sends it off expecting to receive the required information and future cooperation soon. Are the medium and the message appropriate for the circumstances?

The Mexican partner in a Big 5 professional services firm reacts angrily to his Dutch partner's e-mail about providing information for their British multinational client. Puzzled by the response to his e-mail, Johannes van den Bosch takes his original e-mail to two of his partners in adjoining offices and asks their opinion. They see nothing wrong and are surprised when he shows them Pablo Menendez's reply. He wonders what to do now.

Discusses Schneider Electric's shift from local to global account management. Focuses on the experience of Fritz Keller, international account manager in Switzerland. Covers the main challenges a global account manager faces, including internal issues and client examples. Looks at organizational issues, local vs. global issues, defining and setting up a global account structure, information management issues, as well as internal buy-in issues. Ends with the current challenges the global account manager faces when attempting to reconcile local and international priorities.

Since 1993, the Aravind Eye Hospital had grown significantly in terms of service delivery and infrastructure, having added a fourth hospital to its operations. Plans were underway in 2000 to set up a fifth hospital. Aravind had also made progress in two other key areas. First, it set up its own manufacturing facility, Aurolab, to produce an intraocular lens (IOL), given that cataract surgery using IOL implants was most successful in treating blindness. Second, Aravind created the Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology, a training facility designed to educate health-related and managerial personnel in the development and implementation of efficient and sustainable eye care programs in India, Asia, and Africa. In July 2000, Aravind's founder, Dr. Venkataswamy, now 81 years old, continued his campaign to spread the Aravind model to every corner of India, Asia, and Africa. Ends with a conversation between Dr. Venkataswamy and the case writers, during which he explains what still needs to be done to eradicate blindness around the world.

Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the 32-year-old CEO and founder of easyJet airlines, achieved profitability for the first time in 1999, almost four years after launching his London-based, low-cost carrier. The concept behind easyJet was to offer low-cost airline service to the masses, and the airline accomplished this by adopting an efficiency-driven operating model, creating brand awareness, and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. A key issue in the case is whether the airline will continue to grow and survive in the highly competitive, low-cost segment of the market. In 2000, Haji-Ioannou was anxious to try his hand at launching other businesses, so he started a chain of Internet cafes. Some questioned whether Haji-Ioannou would be able to transfer his low-cost business model successfully to Internet cafes. Undeterred, Haji-Ioannou moved ahead with his plan to create easyEverything, with the belief that he could make a profit by encouraging customers to surf the Internet, send e-mail, and shop online. A 2002 and 2001 ECCH award winner.