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Describes the adoption and evolution of product development teams and business teams at Quantum. Emphasizes integration of team capabilities with product development and competitive advantage in a rapidly changing environment.

Chris Hackett and Val Rayzman have spent six months after graduating from business school exploring the possibility of building a chain of upscale drycleaners. This fragmented industry looked ripe for an innovative new entrant. Chris and Val have researched the industry thoroughly, selected a metropolitan area in which to start, searched for acquisition candidates, and considered the prospect of de novo start-up. They have uncovered only one feasible acquisition candidate. With time and money running out, they feel pressured to decide whether to go through with the acquisition, to start their own store, or to abandon the project. This case is designed to focus on the strategic aspects of entrepreneurial management. May be used to emphasize the importance of understanding industry economics and competitive dynamics. May also be used to examine acquisition as an alternative to start-up.

Highlights Kimberly-Clark's perspective on the fierce competitive battle with Procter & Gamble (P&G) in the diaper industry. The competitive struggle involves a broad range of issues including: rapid product development, international threats and opportunities, diversification options, and public pressure over environmental concerns. In particular, Kimberly-Clark must decide on a response to P&G's most recent product introduction.

A general manager at Lexon Computer Corp. must decide whether interception and surveillance of employees' e-mail is acceptable company practice, and whether to follow the advice of his computer operations manager who wants to fire the person who complained that the practice violates employees' privacy. The case introduces the topic of employee privacy in the electronic communications environment and potential conflicts between employees' privacy interest and employers' property interests. This case series permits students to compare and contrast the perspectives and modes of reasoning of managers, judges, and policy-makers as they approach the question of employee privacy in the electronic work environment.

The cases describe the development, worldwide launch, and subsequent marketing of a new pharmaceutical product which, although it represented only a slight improvement over the category pioneer, not only became the leading product in its category, but the largest prescription pharmaceutical product overall worldwide. Its success propelled Glaxo, the company which developed and marketed the product, from the minor leagues to the top ranks in the pharmaceutical industry.

Used to introduce the assembly line process to first-year MBA students. Three different variations of an assembly line process for packing greeting cards are presented for analysis. To choose among the three, the students must address issues of time standards, capacity, supervision and training. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

FBO, Inc. is a fixed-base operator at a large metropolitan airport. The general manager must decide if the current pooling format is the appropriate way to staff the commercial refueling operations. If pooling is deemed inappropriate then the implementation of a different format in the face of a hostile management/union relationship is a concern. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

The vice president of marketing is reviewing the 1991 marketing plan and budget for Maison Bouygues, the leading builder of new single family homes in France. Due to recession, the company's sales are forecast to be flat and adjustments may need to be made in the marketing and selling mix.

SunLife Assurance Co., a large life-insurance firm, wishes to provide a greater degree of computer support for its sales agents. A program to encourage agents to acquire laptop computers for use in selling had been established for some time. However, only a few agents had taken advantage of the program. The company decided to develop a new system, termed Maestro, which would provide a suite of tools to help agents perform their jobs more efficiently and effectively. The tools would be made available to agents using laptops; also, agents were charged a fee for the software by the company. The development of the new tools was handled by the individual marketing group, not by the MIS function. Initial rollout of the new system has been only partially successful, and the director of individual marketing is concerned about how to improve the acceptance and adoption of the system by agents in the future.

In the summer of 1991, the semi-annual meeting of the board of Toppan Moore, a joint venture between Toppan Printing of Japan and Moore Corp. of Canada, took place in Tokyo. With sales exceeding U.S. $1 billion, Toppan Moore was a leader in the Japanese business forms industry and widely considered one of the most successful international joint ventures in Japan. While pleased with the venture's recent results, the board members want to ensure continued prosperity.

Four minority employees at Inland Steel encourage their company to initiate more aggressive affirmative action and diversity efforts. The "gang of four," as they call themselves, challenge a white general manager to join them in promoting increased opportunities for minorities and women. This case focuses on diversity, strategies for social change in organizations, and how senior managers can respond to grassroots campaigns. It can be used in Organizational Behavior and Ethics courses

A long-time community development worker creates hundreds of jobs for low-income women and minorities by forming a for-profit home health care cooperative, Cooperative Home Care Associates. May be used in Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, Organizational Behavior, Human Resources Management, and Ethics courses to help students explore: 1) the motives of an entrepreneur starting a venture to meet a tangible social need--the "social entrepreneur;" 2) the concept of worker-ownership and its potential consequences; 3) how to simultaneously serve the needs of various groups in an economically deprived area; and 4) the creation of jobs for individuals many dismiss as "unemployable" (single mothers on welfare, etc.).

Building on its existing strengths in the systems integration business, Andersen Consulting is aiming to create the business of "business integration", i.e. to help clients re-structure their companies through an integrated and coherent review of strategy, operations and information technology capabilities. The case describes the challenges being faced by Andersen in creating the new competencies required to support this business thrust, and in integrating these competencies with its existing strengths in the systems integration business.

In response to being challenged in its home market by a smaller rival, Kirin Brewery, Japan's leading brewer, rejuvenated its lager beer and launched three new products, including a dry beer to compete with Asahi Breweries' enormously successful Super Dry. Shortly after launch of Kirin Dry, two other major Japanese brewers also introduced dry beers. Kirin executives must now develop a strategy for the 1989 beer season.

Describes the total transformation of a wholly owned subsidiary of Aegon, one of the largest insurance companies in the Netherlands, which deals in the sale of financial instruments, such as annuities, savings, and investment products. The new managing director forms a management team, and together they segment the market, introduce a variety of distribution methods, and increase sales by dramatic amounts while keeping the number of staff constant. Looks at team building, market segmentation by focusing on customer values, distribution strategy, and management philosophy. An ECCH award winner.

Two-party, single-issue negotiation between two neighbors regarding the potential sale of a vacant lot. The Parkers and the Gibsons own homes on adjacent plots of land. The homes are separated by a 1/2 lot the Parkers purchased years ago in hopes of building a tennis court, which they never got around to. The Parkers are now moving out of state and are interested in selling the half lot, as the buyer of their home is not interested in it. The Parkers have approached the Gibsons (who have interest in the lot for home improvements they have planned) about purchasing the lot. Neither party knows much about the other's interests. The Parkers and Gibsons are meeting to explore whether a mutually beneficial transaction is possible.

Two-party, single-issue negotiation between two neighbors regarding the potential sale of a vacant lot. The Parkers and the Gibsons own homes on adjacent plots of land. The homes are separated by a 1/2 lot the Parkers purchased years ago in hopes of building a tennis court, which they never got around to. The Parkers are now moving out of state and are interested in selling the half lot, as the buyer of their home is not interested in it. The Parkers have approached the Gibsons (who have interest in the lot for home improvements they have planned) about purchasing the lot. Neither party knows much about the other's interests. The Parkers and Gibsons are meeting to explore whether a mutually beneficial transaction is possible.

Whether as analyst or deputy director at the federal Office of Management and Budget, or as the chief executive of Alcoa, Paul O'Neill has sought to inspire those working for him to approach their tasks with vision and without preconceptions. In considering how he has applied disciplined, analytical techniques to different organizations, O'Neill dismisses the assertion of significant distinctions between the public and private sectors.

Granite Rock is an exceptionally well-run company and has consistently gained market share in a commodity business dominated by multinational giants, in spite of a 6% price premium. The case contains a brief history of Granite Rock from its founding in 1895 until 1992, the year the company received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Gives an opportunity to observe an ideologically driven company that has put its values to work for the company. Discusses the inner workings of Granite Rock, which is rich with mechanisms and management practices that drive the organization to continually improve the critical aspects of its business. The entire organization and management are driven by a passion for the process of continuous improvement. Illustrates how processes and mechanisms can be institutionalized so that a company can become an exciting and vibrant "ticking clock."

A major teaching hospital in inner-city Richmond seeks to retain its tradition as a public research hospital serving all in need, at the same time it attracts new, fully-insured patients. As a first step, a new top administrator decides to institute a "guest relations" program designed to augment the hospital's culture with aspects of hotel methods. The relatively simple idea proves less than simple to implement, however. Staff members with a commitment to the existing hospital culture are skittish; some even fear that the new policy implies better-insured patients are to receive a better level of care. A complex administrative structure exempts doctors, who report to academic, not administrative overseers, from training programs. Nurses are wary. HKS Case Number 1017.0