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The international marketing manager of Sterling reviews his options for selling their newly-developed embosser in the United Kingdom. Possibilities exist for licensing, exporting, joint ventures and acquisitions. In addition, the product is attracting attention from dealers around the world. Sterling requires an international expansion strategy in terms of which markets to enter, speed of entry and choice of mode.

In June of 1988, Lee Greenspoon and Michael Bellman, two students at The University of Western Ontario, were excited about a new business proposal. After months of research they were anxious to launch their own bean bag chair to the university student market. Many decisions including product type, price and promotion strategy needed, would have to be made quickly if they were to be ready to sell bean bags by September 1988.

Lisa's Waterbed Emporium Inc. is a mini case requiring completion of an income statement, statement of retained earnings and a balance sheet. The case tests the students' knowledge of these three statements as well as the individual accounts.

The manager of human resources wonders what disciplinary actions he should recommend to the vice-president of human resources in a case of assault. He learns that a maintenance technician assaulted a fellow technician and the situation is complicated by the fact that the assailant is a mentally challenged employee. The conflict arose as the result of a misunderstanding. Subsequently, the assailant's actions stunned his co-workers as well as the human resources manager.

The president and the general manager have to make some quick decisions about how to deal with the media after an advertisement has offended the black community and caused angry complaints of racism. The company also wants to develop plans to avoid similar problems in the future.

Aer Lingus, the Irish international airline, is proposing to buy ATS, a small but rapidly growing robotics firm. Negotiations have been protracted and earn out is professed. The owner appears to be getting cold feet. Should Aer Lingus continue? This is the first in a three case series titled, Aer Lingus - ATS (A), Aer Lingus - ATS (B1) and Aer Lingus - ATS (B2) addressing minority shareholders who are also key managers. (A 12-minute video, Aer Lingus - ATS (A) - Video can be purchased with this case.)

The CEO of IPL Inc., was reassessing his company's policy regarding involvement in custom-molded plastic products. A leader in the Canadian injection molded plastics industry, IPL had traditionally relied on proprietary products rather than the manufacturing-on-order of custom products for other firms. However, since 1984 IPL had been supplying custom-molded auto parts for the Ford Motor Company and had recently been offered a contract to manufacture a large volume of additional parts for them. Having only one month to respond to Ford's offer, the CEO was concerned about how he should proceed.

Focuses on the decision Intel's top management faces at the end of 1984 of whether to exit the DRAM (dynamic random access memory) business. Discusses the evolution of Intel's distinctive technological competencies and of the critical linkages between its corporate, technology, marketing, and manufacturing strategies. Examines the effect of apparent industry structural changes on the relative importance of different technological competencies and the linkages between corporate, technology, marketing, and manufacturing strategies. Intel was the first successful mover with DRAM products, yet it finds itself with an inconsequential market share at the end of 1984. While the organization still believes that DRAMs are critical both from market and technology viewpoints, DRAMs have actually played a minor role in Intel's product mix in the past five years. Logic products based on microprocessor technology have replaced memory products as Intel's core business. Leads to discussions about the implications of organizational beliefs on technology and manufacturing strategy and top management's role in evaluating those beliefs during changing times.

Valley Farms International (VFI) describes some of the problems and issues involved in selling and exporting dairy cattle to a middle-east country. The decision that John Roberts of VFI must make is whether or not to employ the services of a middleman in that country, a practice which is against the law of that country. This case is the first in a series of cases, Valley Farms International (A) through Valley Farms International (F).

Lisa's Waterbed Emporium Inc. is a mini case requiring completion of an income statement, statement of retained earnings and a balance sheet. The case tests the students' knowledge of these three statements as well as the individual accounts.

The manager of human resources wonders what disciplinary actions he should recommend to the vice-president of human resources in a case of assault. He learns that a maintenance technician assaulted a fellow technician and the situation is complicated by the fact that the assailant is a mentally challenged employee. The conflict arose as the result of a misunderstanding. Subsequently, the assailant's actions stunned his co-workers as well as the human resources manager.

Presents common-sized financials for two companies, each of which is in a number of industries. The companies have different market niches, and students are asked to identify the companies from details provided. Also allows for financial comparisons among industries.

Explores many of the issues that face rapidly growing venture-backed companies in high technology industries. Provides an opportunity for students to examine the issues involved in managing a cash flow crisis. Begins with the new MIPS CEO, Robert Miller, facing a number of serious problems. Overall, MIPS has been performing poorly. When Miller assumes his position, the company's cash account contains only $700,000 less than one month's funds. His cash problems are compounded by serious internal disagreement between the company's functional departments, which hold differing points of view regarding the direction the company should take both strategically and tactically. Provides a history of the company and its technology, beginning with its founding in 1983 based on a completely new technology that had been developed at Stanford University. Describes the goals of founding management and the company's subsequent difficulties in meeting these expectations. Students are asked to put themselves in the role of the CEO, examining what options they have and what process should they follow to reach a solution.

Major government-funded public works projects are often touted both for the needs they will fulfill and the jobs they will provide. This case examines the assumptions underlying San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros' push for publicly financed construction of a domed sports stadium. HKS Case Number 896.0

Economic Analysis Version of case HKS257 (896.0). Major government-funded public works projects are often touted both for the needs they will fulfill and the jobs they will provide. This case examines the assumptions underlying San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros' push for publicly financed construction of a domed sports stadium. HKS Case Number 896.3

In April 1983, the City and County of San Francisco and two irrigation districts in Merced and Stanislaus counties commissioned a feasibility study of their long-standing proposal to dam the Tuolumne River for power and water. At the same time, a coalition of environmentalists, rafters, fishing enthusiasts and California residents known as the Tuolumne River Preservation Trust was lobbying Congress to protect the river from further development under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The dam proponents had already produced several favorable cost-benefit studies of their proposal; in June 1983, the Trust asked economists at the Environmental Defense Fund to respond to those studies with an economic assessment of the proposed dam's environmental costs.This case is intended to provoke a discussion of how to place an economic value on environmental benefits that are seemingly intangible. The case calls particular attention to the measurement of user benefits, and the special problem of calculating the value placed by non-users on the sheer existence of an environmental asset ("existence value") and the option to use it someday ("option value"). Also relevant is the problem of discounting over the life of a long-term project. HKS Case Number 701.0.

On June 9, 1986, General Electric Co. acquired the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) for $6.8 billion, setting a record for the largest non-oil merger in US history. GE wanted RCA for its defense-related businesses and for its solid domestic sales of consumer goods, an area where GE was faltering. But the "jewel in the crown" was the RCA-owned television network, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). GE was delighted with its new NBC subsidiary, which the media press had christened the "Cinderella network" for its recovery from a profound slump to become the most successful of the nation's three networks. The network's news division, however, was different. It had rarely balanced a budget and was losing at least $50 million a year. From the standpoint of GE--a company which had successfully boosted revenues by ruthlessly cutting expenses and personnel--NBC News needed simply to cut costs. This case describes the process GE underwent to make NBC a profitable venture. HKS Case Number 939.0.

Nestle SA is the world's largest food company; its acquisition of RowntreePlc in 1988 was, at 2.5 billion British pounds, the largest ever foreign takeover of a British company. This case is the first in a three-part case series positioned before, during, and after the acquisition of Rowntree by Nestle and gives an inside look at a major international acquisition. Includes a note on the world chocolate industry and ends at the point when Nestle must decide whether to launch a hostile bid for Rowntree. Written from Nestle's point of view, it provides the opportunity to consider the benefit of various acquisition possibilities in the industry. Also raises questions as to why Rowntree became a takeover target as well as Nestle's policy of not making hostile takeovers.

A condensed version of the Nestle-Rowntree (A) and (B) cases. Intended for use by instructors who wish to move directly to the acquisition negotiation. Ends at the same point in time as the existing (B) case. To reduce the length of the case, some data from the (A) case is eliminated.

Two-party negotiation between a developer and a city representative over the amount of money the developer will pay the city to defray costs associated with development. Manatee Townhomes, Inc., has proposed a residential development for a harbor island in Bay City. Before proceeding it must obtain the approval of Bay City's Department of Streets and Thoroughfares. Streets and Thoroughfares will grant approval only if Manatee agrees to pay a sum money in the form of a traffic impact exaction. In this exercise, the two groups meet to determine the amount of the exaction. Manatee wants a low exaction in order to keep its profits high; Streets and Thoroughfares wants a high exaction in order to minimize future tax levies. Neither side knows too much about the interests of the other side.