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The city of McAllen, Texas and its partners have worked on attracting an automotive assembly plant to the region for over fifteen years. Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) provision, this region enjoys the advantages offered by both sides of the Mexican-U.S. border. Even during the economic downturn of 2007 to 2008, McAllen experienced a lower unemployment rate compared to other cities in the United States. One of the primary reasons was its close proximity and economic ties to Mexico. Lower labour cost, a right-to-work state and proximity to Mexico were some of this region's strengths, while a high illiteracy rate, limited numbers of automotive suppliers and small workforce were among its weaknesses. Based on publicly available data and aggregate score evaluation methods, McAllen is compared to other potential sites. The case addresses a wide range of issue regarding site selection factors within the automotive industry.

Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics Centre (CSTAR) had had a successful year during which its new director had ensured that CSTAR's budget deficit was on target to be reduced by 50 per cent. CSTAR still faced significant hurdles to becoming financially stable and a leader in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The director wanted CSTAR to be financially self-sustainable within two years, and identified goals to overcome these hurdles: development of a sustainable financing plan that would support its annual operating budget; setting strategies for its four revenue streams; and development of an operating plan to support CSTAR's new educational facility. Additionally, the MIS sector had no clear leader to set clinical care standards or establish industry best practices. The director wondered how CSTAR could position itself to fulfill that leadership role and generate funding through its business development activities. As director of the centre, he had to design these strategies and design a financing plan to push CSTAR into the black.

Murray Douglas is the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Douglas Fine Foods (DFF), a family-owned business in its 80th year. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, DFF has grown to become Canada's largest privately held food services company, doing $30 million worth of business annually. DFF provides business dining, residence and camp food services, catering, vending machine services, and food service equipment and design. The business serves clients in various industries including schools, sports arenas and concessions, warehouses, government offices and corporations. Douglas needs to make several key decisions concerning DFF, including how to pay for a buyout of his brother's shares; whether to renew a contract with an undesirable customer; whether to pursue an active acquisition strategy; and how to transform the business to become a world-class, professionally managed organization. Students must evaluate complexities and trade-offs in making a sequence of decisions; outline a clear strategy and vision for the company; prioritize strategic options; define elements of an acquisition strategy; determine financing options for cash-constrained firm; and manage internal culture transformation.

Protegra is a small company established in 1998 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The company specializes in the area of computer software development and business performance consulting. Protegra features a unique organizational design, characterized by a lack of hierarchy and a collegial, professional culture centred on employee and customer values. Various information systems support Protegra's design. In the process of expanding into foreign markets and enlarging staff, Protegra has been concerned with preserving its way.

<p style="color: rgb(197, 183, 131);"><strong> AWARD WINNER - Association of African Business Schools (AABS)/EMERALD case competition</strong></p><br>In early 2005, South African company Tiger Wheels Limited (Tiger) had established a global footprint in the manufacture of aluminum alloy wheels with customers comprising several high-end automotive producers. It was the 10th largest alloy wheel company in the world with a solid balance sheet and net current assets of $42 million. Tiger had a chance to expand and grow with the potential purchase of a new world-class alloy wheel facility in Kentucky, United States for half of its estimated value. The Kentucky plant came with a significant long-term Ford contract to supply aluminum wheels at attractive prices. To Tiger's chairman, it seemed an attractive offer, but the pros and cons of purchasing the plant would have to be carefully evaluated by the board of directors. An African Tiger Case A is a part of An African Tiger case series, which includes A and B cases.

<p style="color: rgb(197, 183, 131);"><strong> AWARD WINNER - Association of African Business Schools (AABS)/EMERALD case competition</strong></p><br>In January 2007, Tiger Wheels (Tiger) and ATS informed its lead banker in Germany that it was forecasting a breach of its covenants, just 18 months after acquiring the Kentucky wheel plant. This was a critical matter and, as a result, the top management at Tiger was intimately involved in the deliberations. ATS had borrowed from a consortium of European banks to fund its growth. The borrowings were covenant driven and not set against any ATS assets. Under the loan agreement, the banks had the right to call in the loan if ATS were to breach one or more of the three covenants. The aim of the top management of Tiger and ATS was to win the confidence of the banking consortium by presenting a comprehensive strategy, including an action plan, which would restore ATS's financial health and make it compliant with its covenants once again. An African Tiger Case B is a part of An African Tiger case series, which includes A and B cases. The case series can be taught in the main strategy course of an MBA program to focus the discussion on the portfolio of competences within the resource-based view of the firm. The cases are also ideal for teaching an elective course on global strategy in MBA and executive programs. Ideally, case A and case B should be used in sequence over two sessions. In programs with time constraints, instructors could choose to use only case B as the case clearly brings out the issues of country differences and difficulties in transferring competences. In such situations, the instructor can distribute the summary of the case A from the teaching note along with case B. The important learning themes are: 1) the challenges in recognizing and developing new competences, 2) the limits of the control and influence of the majority owner in the execution of strategy, when the key competences reside with the minority shareholder and 3) the relationship between corporate response, managerial cognition, monitoring and divisional operations in a large company.

Praxis Language is a small company in China started by three non-Chinese entrepreneurs. Originally focused on teaching Chinese to native English speakers using podcasting and other online tools, Praxis has also developed content to teach English to native Chinese speakers, which the company perceives as a much bigger market. The case describes the challenges facing the co-founder of Praxis as he navigates emerging mobile technology (hardware and software), the complexities of doing business in China, and the consequences of explosive growth.

<p style="color: rgb(197, 183, 131);"><strong> AWARD WINNER -Euro-Mediterranean Managerial Practices and Issues Award, European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Case Writing Competition</strong></p><br>The case focuses on the vice-president and regional head of corporate banking for Noor Islamic Bank in Dubai as she arrives in the United States to promote the first global network for women in Islamic banking and finance, known as Durra. As a result, Islamic banks have been growing at a rate of 15 per cent per year, and have assets approaching $1 trillion, despite the recent banking crisis. Islamic banks also have a hard time filling the 30,000 new jobs created each year because of the specialized training required. One of the purposes of Durra is to help more women fill critical positions in Islamic banking and to help them manage their careers in order to assume leadership positions. The case also raises questions about how best to build a non-profit organization. Issues include how to attract new members and financial backers and how to build a useful and robust website that fulfills the needs of the organization.

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has put in place a strong governance structure to ensure that excess contributions (by Canadians) can be invested with a singular mandate - to maximize the rate of return without undue risk of loss. In September 2009, a private member's bill seeks to regulate Canadian government agencies' dealings with Canadian mining companies operating in developing countries. A senior manager at the CPPIB has been asked to help craft the CPPIB's response to the bill.

The chief financial officer (CFO) of the Richard Ivey School of Business (Ivey) is reflecting on the state of the school. Ivey's MBA program was just beginning its inaugural year in the new 12-month format at the Spencer Leadership Centre (Spencer), and all signs pointed to a successful start. However, it was becoming obvious to the CFO that the Executive Education programs at Ivey would face some serious capacity constraints, given the resulting reduction in available space in the building. The CFO was considering the need for a $7 million expansion to Spencer to ensure that Ivey would be able to continue its number one position in the executive education market in Canada.

Silver Sales Company's president is building a growing company that sells extremely accurate flow meters used to measure water flow in pipes and channels. In addition, Silver Sales Company provides inspection and assessment services to water agencies. The president owns 31 per cent of the company. Ring Manufacturing, the sole owner of the intellectual property and manufacturing facility for the flow meters, controls 62 per cent of the ownership of Silver Sales Company. The president is considering his long-term stake in the organization. Recently, the president has been approached by a U.K. company that is a sales agent for Silver Sales Company's products. The company has expressed an interest in a possible merger or acquisition between the two companies and has further indicated that it has an investor to support its desires. The president is now trying to determine whether a closer relationship with, or sale to, the U.K. company might be a way for him to capture some of the value he has created over the last several years.

Pinnacle West is in the energy-related services business and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Its largest subsidiary, APS, is a power utility that serves over a million customers across Arizona. The case was written when one of the biggest recessions in recent history hit global and U.S. markets. Written from the perspective of the vice-president and chief information officer, the case chronicles the various recent successful process change initiatives at Pinnacle West. The vice-president has achieved initial success in instituting a process-oriented culture inside his own information technology (IT) services organization, and in some specific business units within Pinnacle West. He now faces a significant crossroads in his process orientation strategy for Pinnacle West. He has to devise a strategy for a wider rollout of a process-oriented strategy throughout Pinnacle West and determine if the larger enterprise is ready for this strategy. He has to consider various issues in making this decision - resource availability, change management competency and buy-in from other top-level managers. He has to carefully weigh the various options in rolling out this strategy, as he fears that any misstep may derail his carefully executed plans for bringing a process-oriented approach to managing at Pinnacle West. This case can be used in an introductory systems course. It can also be used in a course on business process management or operations management.

This case focuses on New Balance, a privately held company and the fourth largest athletic footwear manufacturer in the world. Founded over 100 years ago, New Balance has a strong social responsibility culture and mission established by its owners. Its commitment to employees, for example, was expressed through maintaining domestic manufacturing in the United States (the only large footwear manufacturer to do so presently) and avoiding layoffs in the deep recession of 2007-2009. In the late 1990s, the company established the Responsible Leadership Steering Committee to address human rights issues in overseas factories. Throughout the years, private ownership had allowed New Balance to take risks and make choices that publicly held companies might not have been able to do; at the same time, private ownership also meant lower pressures to disclose social and environmental performance. The owners were also very humble and hesitant to talk aloud about social responsibility. As a global player, the present challenge for the company has become to move corporate social responsibility (CSR) to the next level from doing what's right to fully integrating CSR into the business strategy. The overall goal of the case is to use the provided information from a comprehensive company assessment to identify a few key areas where New Balance can focus on and demonstrate industry leadership while also supporting the bottom line. A set of key questions is included at the end of the paper to guide student's discussion around critical issues for building an integrated CSR strategy for New Balance, considering its culture, structure and present level of corporate citizenship management.

Under pressure from the Rainforest Action Network to make their lending policies more sustainable, executives at the Royal Bank of Canada who deal with issues of corporate citizenship and sustainability must decide whether to continue financing companies involved in extracting oil from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada. The case asks students to consider the following questions: 1) Should banks lend to any business or industry the government deems to be sustainable? 2) What are the risks of lending to businesses some stakeholders deem unsustainable? 3) How should banks respond when pressured by an interest group? 4) How does a bank decide what is sustainable lending practice? The supplement B case RBC-Financing Oil Sands (B), product number 9B10M016, is also available.

The director of the Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic (the Clinic) at the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario has a better understanding of the process flow and bottlenecks at the Clinic and also has ideas for some possible solutions. The director can turn her thoughts to addressing a recurring issue raised by the hospital's management - how the Clinic's performance should be measured. The director pondered the mission of the hospital, which was to improve access to patient care and patient safety while sustaining the hospital's ability to deliver patient care into the future. She knew the Clinic was also committed to this mission, and she was prepared to evaluate the performance of the Clinic against this mission. Once again, the monthly executive meeting was looming, and the director wanted to be in a position to present a framework for her clinic's performance evaluation. This case is suitable for introducing the concept of performance measurement in a non-profit setting as well as the pitfalls associated with collecting the information. This is a follow-up case to Paediatric Orthopaedic Clinic at the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario (A), product # 9B08D001.

The president of a small Toronto, Ontario consulting firm specializing in sponsorship and experimental marketing looks at adding a public relations division to the firm. Students are required to analyze the external environment, identify corporate strengths and weaknesses, identify qualitative pros and cons, prepare projected statements, look at the timeliness of the option, and evaluate the business plan before arriving at a final decision.

The Swagruha Foods case has been developed to highlight the challenge facing many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) all over the world. There are many SMEs that have successfully overcome the initial survival challenge. They have a stable base of loyal customers, are able to command attractive prices, and have built up a reputation for good quality. Yet they are unable to grow beyond a certain point. Why? What must they do to overcome the growth challenge? Swagruha Foods is a good example of an SME that has enjoyed considerable success, thanks to the dedication and commitment of the Chagarlamudi family as well as to the changing socio-economic situation in India. Yet, there are several indications that it is unable to fully exploit its growth opportunities.

Against all odds, the founder of Mk II Corporation (Mk II) has started an American watch company. The founder, a former investment banker and a Wharton MBA graduate, began his venture in 2002 with no prior experience in the watchmaking trade. He started his company to produce watches in the United States during an era when U.S. manufacturing was in decline and the country had no indigenous watchmaking firms to speak of. In addition, the economy was recovering from the dotcom bust and there was intense competition from large, vertically integrated players. Despite all this, the founder has managed to deliver a few thousand watches and watch parts, and has a growing customer list. His challenge in March 2009 turns from trying to survive to figuring out how to manage Mk II's explosive growth.

A stock analyst is reviewing information about Finning International Inc. He wonders how strategy at Finning's business unit-level is translated into financial and individual performance metrics at the line of business level. The case study describes Finning's internal management systems and shows how the metrics at the various levels are in alignment with the company's overall objectives.

This case examines how CEMEX adapted its flagship corporate social responsibility (CSR) program (Patrimonio Hoy) to the specific socio-economic realities of Puerto Rico - Fundacion Arte en Concreto (the Foundation). The Foundation was a partnership between a number of entities in the private, public and not for profit sector. For CEMEX, the main partner and founder, Arte en Concreto provided a way to promote concrete as an art form while contributing to the economic and social development of Puerto Rico. The goal of the Foundation was to rehabilitate prisoners through vocational training. The case also examines a number of external factors that affected the Foundation in 2008-09, such as global and local economic recessions, a slowdown in the construction sector, destabilizing effects for a public-private partnership of a new political party in government, and a general distrust of CEMEX's environmental record. The staff at the board of directors needed to develop a strategy that could guarantee the future of the Foundation.