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This case deals with H&R, a company that distributes sewing equipment in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its future is in jeopardy because of fundamental changes in the global sewing industries stemming from changes in trade restrictions. The consequence is that Canadian sewing activities are in decline as activities in low-cost foreign countries grow rapidly. As Canadian activities decline, H&R's performance has been suffering. But the management of the family-owned company has had trouble seeing the challenge it faces because it has been highly successful for two generations. The case asks what the new CEO and third generation owner should do to save the company.

The new country director of CHF International (CHF), a U.S.-based organization that initiated operations in Sudan with USAID funding, must review the successes of CHF's early interventions, and its strategic interest in the fuel efficient stoves project. The practical decision concerns a US$65,000 investment in a local manufacturing facility that would allow CHF to scale up the production of a stove design endorsed by the Lawrence Berkeley National lab using locally tested prototypes with USAID support. Students are asked to contemplate whether and how economies of scale would bring the costs down to a tipping point where internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Darfuri camps could afford the benefits of greater efficiency and convenience. They also need to balance cost cutting considerations with alternative decision criteria for local development: the success of this project depends on IDPs' preference among alternative stove providers - which encompasses, in addition to fuel economies, the characteristics of the stoves themselves (i.e. quality, fuel efficiency), the engagement of the community in their production, and the ability to use and repair the stoves. The role play supplements 9B08M062A to 9B08M062F will highlight several aspects of the competitive dynamics among the key players. A summary of the dynamic interaction between the players is provided in the supplement Competing for Development (C): Success, Bittersweet.

A group of business students and their professor travel to rural Kenya to work with Free The Children (FTC), an in-situ, non-governmental organization (NGO) that is focused on generational social change through education for children. This Canadian NGO has had considerable success in meeting this original objective and now sees health care and economic development concerns as being the next barriers to expansion of its educational thrust for the local population. The business group has focused on microcredit for hardcore poor mothers (mommas) as a means to economic development, as this approach has proven successful with similar populations in other parts of the world. At the level of the momma, the charitable NGO is considering loans or grants to implement some joint liability financing. The business students have been asked to gather the data, consider the implications of their analysis and make a recommendation as to which financial structure will be more effective to the NGO's management group within Kenya. The students also have been asked to create an action plan for implementation of their recommendation that considers the broader context of the organization's overall activities in Kenya.

The owner of Windhorse Farm (WHF), a sustainably run woodlot and woodshop in Nova Scotia that produces building products as well as tonewood (wood used for guitar, mandolin, violin tops), is reaching retirement age. Since there is no heir apparent to run the businesses, he needs to determine whether he should stay in or exit the building products business and/or the tonewood business. The decision must conform to the criteria set out by the four pillars (economic, social, environmental and spiritual), which guide the mission and strategy of WHF. The case objectives are: 1) To provide a rich opportunity for students to examine how a small business uses a triple (in this case, quadruple) bottom line approach to corporate mission definition and strategy formulation. 2) To demonstrate how product extension decisions need to be integrated into the dynamics of the overall company, especially in terms of the relationship between existing product lines and new marketing, production and personnel requirements. 3) To expose students to business and community-based strategies that can enhance the sustainability of the forest industry. 4) To present students with a decision-making opportunity in a market such as tonewood where market knowledge and available data are highly impressionistic and informal. 5) To highlight how personal priorities, such as retirement and succession, may override other concerns.

The chief executive officer of an oil and gas company must decide whether he wants to invest heavily in reducing greenhouse gases. Specifically, Suncor Energy must evaluate whether it should invest $425 million in carbon capture and storage or wait until there is greater certainty in the political, social and business environment. The case will help students develop skills of analyzing business decisions under higher environmental uncertainty, especially when the outcome is a long-term goal. Further, the issues presented in the case open up discussions about climate change and the interaction between business actions and societal expectations. There is also an opportunity to speak about the interaction between business and public policy.

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (Dr. Reddy's), a large pharmaceutical company in India, is trying to acquire the fourth largest generics manufacturer in Germany. Dr. Reddy's quoted $570 million in a competitive bidding situation. The company's chief negotiator is getting ready to close the deal if selected. Students will examine the issues for the chief negotiator, such as: is the price right, is the fit strategic, will the acquisition add value, how can the synergies be fully exploited and how should management proceed with the integration. The (A) case is positioned just before the acquisition and hints at the possible risks. The supplement case, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (B), product # 9B08M065, is positioned two years post-acquisition and examines a major risk which, as it unfolded, brought the viability of the business model into question.

The chief executive officer of a chemical company supplying cleaning and hygiene products is preparing a bid worth $3 million in new business. Students are asked to analyze the industry, construct and interpret a statement of cash flows, calculate and interpret financial ratios, perform a differential analysis, project a cash budget, calculate sales breakeven and project a statement of earnings and a balance sheet.

The director for the Tom Baker Cancer Centre (TBCC) and vice-president of the Alberta Cancer Board (ACB) took a moment to reflect on the past six months. He had assumed the leadership of the TBCC in December 2006. Alberta Health & Wellness had created an ambitious provincial vision for cancer in which the director would play a key role. The director recognized that it would be difficult to gain buy-in from the different stakeholders because they were used to a different way of operating. Before moving forward, the director wanted to have several discussions with ACB, his management team and the front-line staff, and present to them some preliminary objectives.

Around 1994, competition in the credit card market was based on price (i.e., interest rates and annual fees). After Chase and American Express launched bonus point programs in 1993, HSBC was forced to follow in 1994. The original program was targeted at high-income consumers as with luxury brand redemption items. Competition reacted and consumers quickly learned to expect a points program as a standard feature. Again, HSBC differentiated their credit card products by adding a wider range of redemption items, and lowering redemptions levels. Problems emerged in 1997-1998 as the program became a source of complaints because of operational difficulties in fulfillment and a lack of competitive advantage in the marketplace. In 1999, HBSC's credit card was rated poorly, largely because of the problems with the bonus point system. Research was used to understand consumers and revitalize the program. Significant changes were made in the features, improved operations and an improved selection of redemption items. By 2002, the program was rated as one of the best in the industry. The challenge is, Where does HSBC go from here?

On January 2006, the director of performance management for Callaway Golf Canada (Callaway Canada) was in his Toronto office preparing for his upcoming meeting with Callaway Canada's managing director. The managing director had asked the director of performance management to assess the results of the mobile performance team (MPT) and to design a plan for the 2008 golf season that would ensure that Callaway Canada would stay one step ahead of its competitors, who, the director of performance management believed, were preparing to increase their focus and resources on service.

On March 12, 2005, the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Chartwell Technologies (Chartwell), a company that specialized in Internet gaming development, noticed something interesting. The CNN headline news ticker on his television read: Online Poker Industry Expected to Grow by Billions within the Year. The CEO and his partner, the vice-president of business development, were about to decide whether to acquire MicroPower Inc. (MicroPower), an online poker company, for US$2.6 million in cash. The industry certainly had the potential for explosive growth. The CEO had to decide whether Chartwell should upgrade its current technology or purchase MicroPower to gain instant access to its C++ platform to take advantage of the growth on the online poker industry.

The case illustrates the tensions, trade-offs and adaptation challenges involved in designing a clean technology venture in a changing regulatory, funding and competitive context (Ontario, Canada, 2006-2008). The multiple decision points in the case have the students critically and iteratively assess the prospects of clean technology ventures and the evolving interface between technology and strategy in Canada's emerging clean energy sector. Beyond understanding the specific challenges faced by the venturing team, students are asked to grapple with the controversies and priorities for Canada's environmental policies in the energy sector, discuss competitive tension or symbiotic relationships between incumbents and disruptors, and actively align new venture design and strategy with a rapidly morphing regulatory, technological and competitive environment. The case discussion also opens up a broader platform for exploring the role of incumbents and disruptive business models in informing provincial and national responses to climate change, and, more generally, the role of cleantech venturing and venture capital in fostering climate change readiness and greener energy solutions. The A case asks students to compare and contrast the clean technologies available, discuss their pros and cons, and articulate a compelling business proposition.

Carrefour, the second largest retailer in the world, had just announced that it would open its first Green Store in Beijing before the 2008 Olympic Games. David Monaco, asset and construction director of Carrefour China, had little experience with green building, and was struggling with how to translate that announcement into specifications for store design and operations. Monaco has to evaluate the situation carefully both from ecological and economic perspectives. In addition, he must take the regulatory and infrastructure situation in China into account, where no official green building standard exists and only few suppliers of energy saving equipment operate. He had already collected energy and cost data from several suppliers, and wondered how this could be used to decide among environmental technology options. Given that at least 150 additional company stores were scheduled for opening or renovation during the next three years in China, the project would have long term implications for Carrefour.

This case presents points of contention and issues in the brand launch of a new telecommunication service of KTF, one of Korea's mobile telecommunication companies. As the second-place player in the 2G service market, which offered voice and text-messaging services, KTF decided to be the number one player in the new 3G service market, which offered stable video communication and high-speed data transmission as well as voice and text-messaging services. To do so, KTF developed a new brand, called SHOW, and implemented various integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategies to attract customers. After only four months since its launch, KTF had successfully attracted more than one million members. Several critical points for successfully launching a new brand in the mobile telecommunication service can be determined from this case. The introduction highlights the success of KTF's new brand launch strategy. Then the mobile telecommunication service market situation in South Korea is summarized. The next section provides a brief explanation of KTF and its new brand launch strategy in the 3G service market, covering topics from the market survey for 3G service to the brand-building processes. This is followed by an examination of how KTF used marketing-integrated communication for its new SHOW 3G service brand. Finally, the competitor's reaction to KTF's successful brand launch is summarized.

Late in the afternoon on January 20, 2006, one of the owners of The Health Nut hung up the phone. Her account manager had just called to tell her that the bank was not going to extend any further credit to her small retail natural health products (NHP) store located in Grand Bend, Ontario. She and her life and business partner had owned The Health Nut since May 2003. While they had successfully grown sales, the business was not generating enough cash to sustain itself and provide the partners with adequate compensation. As a result, the business relied heavily on borrowing from the bank. Now that the bank was no longer a source of financing, the owners had a major problem on their hands. What should they do now? Something was going to have to change. They had about four weeks left before the business ran out of cash. The students will learn: 1. The role of emotion in decision making. 2. The nature and importance of due diligence. 3. When to let go of the business. 4. The importance of having enough working capital. 5. The dangers of over reliance on debt. 6. The challenges of cash flow management.

The Blue Bulls rugby team enjoyed a fanatical fan base and had been performing well in local and international competitions recently. As a leading South African rugby franchise, the Blue Bulls faced a social and political environment that emphasized racial transformation. An up-and-coming Afrikaans musician had become best-seller with his De La Rey song, which was about a Boer soldier who calls on General De La Rey to lead the Afrikaner people to victory in the second South Africa War between the Boer Republic and colonial Britain. Given the emotive theme of the song and the response by some to view it as a reassertion of Afrikaner nationalism, the song had attracted significant media coverage and controversy. As part of the entertainment at the Vodacom Super 14 rugby game between Western Force and the Vodacom Blue Bulls, De La Rey was played over the stadium loudspeakers. This delighted most of the mainly White Afrikaans spectators. As the evening progressed, the acting head of the Blue Bulls Company, the organization that managed the Blue Bulls rugby team and the Loftus Versveld stadium, received a number of complaints from supporters about the playing of the De La Rey song and thus decided to remove the song from the official stadium playlist. By Monday morning, a media frenzy had erupted about this decision and the acting head was faced with a number of options of how to respond. The case is written for a first-year MBA module and is designed to explore the following themes: 1) race, identity and language as consumer behaviour variables 2) spectator, supporter and consumer processes within sports marketing 3) sports brand development and sponsorship relationships.

The vice-president of marketing at Arts & Crafts was reflecting on the company's extremely successful year in the music business. New artists had been added to the company's roster, experiments with digital releases and marketing campaigns had been successful, and plenty of international licensing opportunities were emerging. In addition, one of the company's artists, Leslie Feist, had received multiple music awards. On the other hand, the music industry was facing some difficulties and most analysts predicted nothing but doom and gloom. The vice-president of marketing had to consider the future strategy of Arts & Crafts while considering the overall health of the industry.

On their return to Croatia following a six-year visit to the United States, a couple has decided to open their own coffee house, one that is new to Croatia — a California-style coffee house that offers the quality, service, product assortment, ambiance, and efficiency found in sophisticated coffee shops in developed markets, and all for a locally affordable price. The major challenge faced by the couple is how to grow. Specifically, should they consider franchising over organic growth? If so, how should they go about franchising in a country where the market is developing and where franchising is under-regulated, underdeveloped, and misunderstood?

The owner of Cenabal, faced an important decision. She had received an offer from two investors on the television show The Dragon's Den. She wondered if it would be wise to give up 50 per cent control of her organic salad dressing and bread dipping business in return for their $200,000 investment. Would losing a considerable amount of control over the business be worth gaining access to capital and their notable business experience? The supplements Cenabal (B) and (C) look at subsequent events.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of Fortune Motors, the largest Mitsubishi dealership in Taiwan, has to consider his vision for the survival of the company. Fortune Motors' sales in 2003 had fallen below 50,000 units for the first time in 10 years, and market share had been falling for several years. The CEO had a plan to enter the business of financing used-car purchases. He thought that the balanced scorecard would be a useful tool to help him implement this change. The first step was to construct a corporate scorecard.