個案總覽

Presents three scenarios involving behavior that could arguably be called sexual harassment. The first scenario is set in a medical supply company in an unnamed emerging market region. The second is set in a New York-based securities firm. The third is set in a U.S. aerospace company. In the first two scenarios, a general manager must respond to complaints made by female employees about the behavior of their male managers. In the third scenario, a general manager must decide whether to approve a proposed plan to eliminate harassment.

Efi Arazi, the president of a start-up called Imedia, must determine an appropriate pricing strategy for an innovation that will change the basis of competition in the cable TV industry.

Describes the process of transforming a recently formed division of Hewlett-Packard.

Unilever, one of the world's largest food product manufacturers, has achieved impressive growth in Europe, primarily by acquiring local food companies. Initially Unilever allowed each acquired company to manage its own product development in a way that was tailored to local tastes and competition. This case describes the struggles that European managers confronted in trying to establish stronger central direction over Pan-European product development, branding, and marketing.

Describes the continuous flow process used to generate orange juice concentrate. Production involves several tightly coupled process steps with varying production rates and setup times. Given production constraints and customer requirements, management choices must be made to maximize the greatest contribution.

Describes a large-volume automotive parts contract in a high-quality machine work company. Quality and delivery problems arise when one of the four men on the job is replaced with a high producer who cannot earn a substantial bonus because of machine interference. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

Focuses on the nonmarket strategy of a high technology company to influence European standard setting for control networks. Echelon Corp. is a small, privately-held company located in Palo Alto, CA that produces open architecture control networks--communications systems that integrate disparate pieces of electronic hardware over some distance. These systems have applications ranging from automated assembly lines, to patient monitoring in hospitals, to fly-by-wire systems. This case addresses standard setting in Europe. Echelon's European competitors, led by Siemens, sought to establish application-specific standards that would limit the demand for Echelon's open architecture technology. Echelon had followed a strategy of blocking Siemens's attempts in the European Union standard-setting bodies by enlisting the support of its customers in countries such as the United Kingdom. The absence of standards caused by this blocking strategy was detrimental, however, to the development of the market for control network applications. Echelon had to determine whether it should continue with its current strategy, or work directly to have open architecture standards established, or initiate discussions with Siemens and other companies to develop open architecture standards jointly. Poses the strategy issue and asks how the strategy should be implemented.

Discusses the strategic challenges facing Electronic Arts in 1995 as they try to maintain their leading position in the video game industry. Addresses the evolution, competitive environment, and key trends in the industry, as well as the position and strategy of Electronic Arts.

Discusses the strategic challenges facing Disney in 1996, especially those relating to the proliferation of digital content and the influence of information technologies. Provides the opportunity to discuss the importance of distribution channels in a digital age, along with the strategic reasoning behind Disney's acquisition of ABC in 1995.

Dave Pottruck, president and co-CEO of Charles Schwab Corp. (CSC), is contemplating a piece of news in the June 1, 1999 edition of the Wall Street Journal that was about to send shock waves through the brokerage community. The newspaper had just announced Merrill Lynch's decision to launch online trading on December 1, 1999. Customers at Merrill Lynch would be able to trade online for $29.95/trade or, for a minimum annual fee of $1,500, make as many trades as they wanted. Now that Merrill Lynch had joined the online trading revolution, Pottruck wondered, how would this affect Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Schwab), and what should the company do in response? Pottruck observes that Merrill Lynch, ETrade, WingspanBank, and Schwab, although competing for similar customers, appeared to be doing so from very different starting points. Pottruck considers the competitive dynamics of the brokerage industry and wonders: How can Schwab maintain its growth trajectory in the face of so many, varied competitors? What other firms might enter the space? How could Schwab protect and grow its existing customer base? Was Schwab getting "squeezed in the middle" or could it create a "category of one?"

The case describes the actions taken by Dennis Hightower as president of Disney Consumer Products in Europe and the Middle East from 1988 to 1994. It focuses on how he has gone about establishing a regional office and knitting local operations closer together, the benefits that the process has generated, but also the tensions it has created within the organization. It ends with Hightower contemplating whether he should be changing directions, given the emerging strategic and organizational challenges.

A division of Allentown Materials Corp. has financial and organizational problems. Conflict and lack of coordination exist between functional groups. Employees do not have a sense of direction, and morale is low. The cause of these problems is found in a change in business environment followed by changes in organization and management. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

The general sales manager for Rossiter Tool Company, PLC, has received a request from a dealer who has been selling the Rossiter line of tools for approximately four years. The dealer wishes to be considered as a territorial distributor, thus qualifying him for additional discounts on purchases from Rossiter. Rossiter executives realize that granting this request will mean a shift in the company's distribution policy.

Depreciation policies at Delta Air Lines and Singapore Airlines are compared and contrasted against a summary of operating data from each airline. Questions focus attention on differing depreciation policies.

The marketing director and finance director must set the price for an expensive yet competitive fabric. Recent price increases have not been matched by competitors, and market share has been lost. The case provides an opportunity to practice contribution analysis considering variable and fixed costs as reported in a typical cost report.

Common-size balance sheets and financial ratios are given for thirteen companies. Students must identify which company is in which of thirteen industries. Gives students practice in using financial ratios and exploring financial characteristics of companies and industries.

The founder, president, and CEO of a leading software security company has just announced the $5.1 million cash acquisition of a key competitor. As a result, his company becomes the market share leader in Europe and number two in the United States. But now, he and the rest of the management team have to determine whether and how to integrate the worldwide marketing, sales, and distribution of the firm's two overlapping software security product lines.

Three brothers inherit a business in Egypt; the complications begin as each gets married, has a family, and becomes torn among different family interests. Now the third generation is appearing.

Describes the first major risk financing using catastrophe bonds. Provides a basis for discussing the securitization of insurance risks.

Numeric Investors manages equity portfolios with the use of a momentum model and a value model. The momentum model is based on earnings surprise and analysts' revisions of their earnings estimates. The firm offers long-short as well as long-only strategies, and its approach involves high portfolio turnover. Numeric has experienced rapid growth in assets under management, which has resulted in higher transaction costs. The firm has already closed many of its products to further investment, and needs to decide where to go next. The case provides a rich setting within which to discuss value investing, momentum investing, the efficiency of analysts' earnings estimates, stock market efficiency, long-short investing, transaction costs, the relationship between assets under management and performance, performance fees, and the business strategies of investment management firms.