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Frank Waterhouse, CEO of Argos Diesel, Europe, is exasperated. Bert Donaldson, who arrived in Zurich a year ago to create a European team--to facilitate communication among the parts suppliers that Argos has acquired over the past two years--just isn't working out. Although he has excellent credentials, both as a successful team builder at Argos International in Detroit and as a teacher in Cairo, his style seems abrasive here and he is behind schedule in implementing the team-building program. Moreover, Waterhouse is worried that Donaldson's failure will reflect badly on himself. But Waterhouse can't simply fire Donaldson. Donaldson is a smart man with a record of genuine successes in the States. If he gets fired, his career may be destroyed. Further, the CEO of Argos International thinks the world of him and is counting on Waterhouse to make this assignment work. Can Waterhouse teach Donaldson cultural awareness? Can he help him become effective in his job? Waterhouse has scheduled a conversation with Donaldson to discuss the situation. What should he say? In 95401 and 95401Z, Douglas A. Ready, Susan Schneider, Bjorn Johansson, Fons Trompenaars, and Roman Borboa offer advice on this fictional case study.

Examines an Indian joint venture between a large U.S. telecommunications company and a small Indian software company, including a business and legal analysis of a joint-venture term sheet. Issues include extraterritorial application of U.S. antitrust and civil rights laws, protection for computer software afforded by Indian intellectual property and employment law, application of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and circumstances under which a buyer of goods can stop payment on a letter of credit issued in favor of a seller that shipped nonconforming goods.

A high-technology manufacturing company was recently given profit-and-loss "stand-alone" status by its parent. No longer a captive supplier, it must seek new markets for its technology and products on the outside world. Describes a benchmarking study by a group of consultants to determine future operations improvement.

In the latter half of the 1980s, the collapse of the Soviet empire created an unprecedented opportunity for Western businesses. Among those most attracted were the oil firms, who rushed to investigate Russia's vast petroleum reserves. But, as they soon discovered, investing in Russia still entailed tremendous risks--commercial, legal, and political. The case examines how three companies (Phibro, Mobil, and Conoco) have evaluated the risks of Russia and formulated a strategy for investment.

This is a four-player negotiation simulation in which a newly-privatized British water utility must deal with contentious unions and national collective-bargaining agreements. Explores the question of coalitions and multi-lateral negotiations, and the value of interlocking guarantees. This case describes the general scenario.

In December 1984, a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, sprung a leak, releasing thousands of gallons of highly toxic gas into the atmosphere. By the time the leak was sealed, over 2,000 people had died. In a series of three excerpts from published accounts, the case covers the events that led up to the tragedy and the aftermath--financial, legal, and emotional--for Union Carbide's management. The case is designed to allow students to explore the complex set of responsibilities that surround foreign direct investment. It enables them to discuss the extent to which Union Carbide's U.S.-based management was responsible for actions undertaken by Indians in India, and then to think of this responsibility in terms of its various components--financial, commercial, and moral.

Describes distribution operations in Polaroid Europe. In the late 1980s, Polaroid senior management in the United States proposed moving from a system of 12 decentralized warehouses to a centralized distribution system in which all inventory for European retailers would be held in Polaroid's Dutch distribution center. Most subsidiary general managers opposed the proposal, as did Polaroid's European marketing organization. Describes several distribution alternatives Polaroid considered in 1990 including: 1) direct distribution to retailers through Europe from the Dutch distribution center, 2) hiring a third-party logistics organization to take over all of Polaroid's European distribution activities, and 3) establishing regional satellite distribution centers. Provides an overview of changes in the European retailing and distribution industries at the beginning of the 1990s, with a specific focus on the diverse service expectations of retailers in different European countries and of different retail segments.

Describes strategic acquisitions by Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola in the late 1980s. The context allows students to evaluate the implications of the mergers for the competitiveness of the industry.

The Turkish general manager of a successful telecommunications equipment-manufacturing joint venture between the Canadian company Northern Telecom and local partners in Turkey reviews the solutions to a crisis in 1989 and wonders whether the company will be able to handle another problem situation following Turkey's local elections in 1993.

The financial results of Euro Disney and the problems experienced after its start-up are described. It can be used as a follow-up to the Harvard Business School case Euro Disney: The First 100 Days, HBS 693013.

Ready-to-eat breakfast cereal has historically been a stable and highly profitable industry, dominated by the Big Three of Kellogg, General Mills, and Kraft General Foods (Post). In 1994, private label cereals are making significant market share gains, and promotional competition among the manufacturers of branded cereals is heating up. What steps should one of the Big Three take to prevent these trends from undermining industry profitability, especially in light of likely competitor reactions?

Dennis R. Beresford, Chairman of the FASB, reflects on the AT&T and NCR merger and AT&T's desire to qualify the transaction for pooling of interest treatment, an accounting method allowing companies to record assets acquired in business combinations at historical cost rather than at fair value required by purchase accounting.

In March 1990, Baring Capital Investors faced a decision about whether and how much to bid for Acova Radiateurs, a subsidiary of Source Perrier. Source Perrier had decided to sell Acova, and Baring Capital Investors thought it might make a good leveraged buyout candidate.

This case describes an example of overworking in the non-U.S. culture of Iran. The CFO of a successful office machine supply company has overworked himself consistently for years. He finds himself at the hospital after a terrible accident caused by his falling asleep at the wheel on his way home. Company executives think they have solved the problem of Shahrasebi's obsessive work behavior in one afternoon.

Lexus executives and dealers in the United States are debating how to respond to the U.S. Trade Representative's announcement of 100% tariffs on 13 models of Japanese luxury imported cars.

Describes the antitrust issues that arose in 1994 and 1995 with respect to Microsoft's marketing practices.

Discusses Wal-Mart's entry strategy in East Asia, specifically Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and China.

Analyzes the strategies pursued by Coke and Pepsi in the emerging Asian soft drink market. Analyzes the tactical battle of the cola giants in China specifically.

The merchandising manager of a supermarket chain leads an effort to reorganize the process of buying and delivering products from manufacturers to their warehouse for further distribution to stores. The company is an early mover in implementing efficient consumer response.

ToyWorld, a fast growing retailer, was revitalizing its information technology (IT) infrastructure and called in AT&T to help plan for the future. Five strategic alternatives for use of information and communications technology were identified through value chain analysis and use of proprietary AT&T methodology. While two could be implemented by ToyWorld action alone, two would require external cooperation, and one represented an entirely new (but related) line of business.