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Candym Enterprises is a wholesaler specializing in producing, importing and exporting giftware, and selling these items through independent sales representatives. The president and founder has discovered that performance in one territory is falling. A major trade-show is approaching, and changes need to be made in the territory quickly. The president feels he has several options, including replacing an independent sales rep with a company sales rep, which would be a new strategy for the company. Learning objectives include understanding the pros and cons of salary-based relationship building, the importance of excellent customer relationship management, and recognizing that using distributors/independent sales reps has some risk.

The top sales person for Alchemy Training Firm has visited three potential clients, an existing customer, a warm call referral and a cold call, to sell a new offering from the company. While the company was well-known for providing top quality sales management training programs, the owners have decided to branch out with a new offer of supply chain management/purchasing training courses. The sales person must prepare a report of these sales calls for a planning session, and is concerned that the outcome may not be successful. He wonders what he could have done differently. The case highlights the difficulties in selling a new intangible service when firm reputation, trainer reputation, and course customization opportunities compete with cost as main buyer priorities. The differing opinions of the owners on the firm's growth strategy are an issue, as well.

The director of communications at a large university has reviewed results of a communication survey completed by employees. He is pleased that the overall results were favourable, but is concerned with comments in a recent employee newsletter that provided negative feedback of the survey. It is the director's responsibility to take the results of the research and develop a formal communications plan, but as he compares the study findings to the article is confused as to how he should tackle the problem.

A real estate analyst has been hired as a government employee to manage Canada's overseas property holdings, including its embassies and diplomatic residences. Despite strict government regulations regarding the procurement of overseas accommodations and policies relating to fiscal accountability, the analyst has witnessed the luxurious accommodations enjoyed by diplomatic staff posted abroad. She documents the abuses and reports the finding to her supervisor, who does nothing. The analyst must decide whether to take her finding further. The supplements Price of Speaking Out Against the Betrayal of Public Trust: Joanna Gualtieri (B), (C) and (D), products 9B04C030, 9B04C031 and 9B04C032 looks at her decision and the events that follow.

The research and development improvement manager at Shanghai Bell, a major telecommunications device manufacturer in China, has just finished a meeting with top management on strategic initiatives suggested in the corporate information systems plan report. One project that was suggested in the report — implementing a collaborative product commerce (CPC) system — is about to begin. The manager must review the project planning process and examine the extent to which the company, a European-Chinese joint venture, is ready to undertake the project.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s Shanghai branch has successfully launched its Internet-based private banking service. The vice director of e-banking felt that the project was a success in terms of schedule and quality, and he needed to present his experiences and lessons learned to senior management. Of particular importance were the e-banking system’s benefits to users, the consumer profile, impacts on the bank’s performance, and factors influencing the effective implementation of the system.

Kalista's Fine Chocolate is a home-base business that produces high-quality chocolate products. The company has been very successful and had purchased a kiosk at local mall to accommodate the increase in business, but the demand for Kalista's products is still growing and the owners must decide whether to move into a larger space or continue working out of their home.

MapQuest is a leading provider of mapping services and destination information as well as a publisher of maps, atlases and other guides. On the Internet, they provide these products and services both to consumers directly and to other businesses enabling these businesses to provide location, mapping and destination information to their own customers. The company completed a successful initial public offering five years ago and were in a strong competitive position. However, the markets were allowing competitors to quickly get funding in both private and public deals. As well, there were perceptions that a general stock market bubble existed for technology companies. The chief executive officer had several options available, and wanted to consider those options and present a recommendation to the board. Possible options included splitting the firm's old and new-line business units, raising capital to fund an acquisition strategy, forging a set of alliances, focusing on organic growth, and pursuing the sale of the firm.

A new biotechnology firm, Pharma Technologies, has developed a competing method for the treatment of erectile dysfunction which promises significant advantages over Pfizer's blockbuster drug, Viagra. With deep-pocketed pharmaceutical companies also pursuing product development efforts, the president of Pharma Technologies is charged with deciding how to leverage his company's superior proprietary technology into a viable product before the window of opportunity closes. Students can explore the trade-offs is pursuing internal versus external development of new technology, the strategic implications of in-licensing and out-licensing, and the criteria used in identifying potential alliance partners to expedite the commercialization of new technology.

HSBC is one of the largest and most global financial institutions in the world. The company has identified Bital, Mexico's fourth largest bank, as a potential acquisition target. Negotiations have come down to the wire, and the controlling Mexican shareholders are trying to get HSBC to raise its offer. Is it worth it? HSBC must decide on both strategic and short-term financial criteria under some degree of uncertainty as illuminated by a due diligence process. The HSBC executive who has handled the acquisition at a local level, and would be chief executive officer of HSBC Mexico should the deal go ahead, is assessing the pros and cons of the acquisition and must also identify the priorities which he and his team would have to address, including culture change issues, re-branding Bital as HSBC Mexico, personnel issues and maintaining the continuity of the business.

A recent MBA graduate describes the joys and frustrations of an expatriate life - both at personal and professional levels - as experienced by a young, single woman. She has been living in Bangkok for three years and is slowly adjusting to the local way of life when she receives a job offer that will relocate her back to her home in Hawaii. Reaching a decision, however, is not easy given career-related uncertainties in both countries as well as the array of conflicting emotions that confront her. She must decide how to sort through these issues. Should she remain in Bangkok or return home? Her decision is complicated by the fact that she had not entertained the idea of returning to the United States.

A supervisor at a telesales office has received very low ratings on an employee survey and the marketing manager is concerned that this team leader is not performing well. The marketing manager must decide what actions are needed to improve the leadership skills of this supervisor.

A summer assignment is turning into a nightmare for an intern at a large consulting firm. He has just receive his third reprimand from his boss, and is concerned how this relationship is distracting him from the project he needs to complete and how it could hurt his chances of obtaining full-time employment. He must decide how he can salvage the relationship with his boss and whether this organization is the best fit for him.

The vice-president at a large investment firm has discovered that some clients have taken significant losses and determines that it was due to the actions of one of the firm's investment advisors. He has no choice but to terminate this advisor's employment with the firm and must determine how to communicate with and maintain the relationships with these clients. The supplement, Greentree Investment Corporation (B), product 9B04C016, continues with the situation and looks at dealing with angry customers.

A partner at a law firm has been given a choice by one of the firm's assistants, either increase her salary or she would give her two-week resignation notice. The firm was extremely busy with clients and could not afford a reduction in staff, however, this employee's performance had not been up to standard and the partner must decide whether or not he should agree to this pay increase or if there are other options.

InsureTech is an online insurance business focusing on the small business owner market. An analyst with the company was asked to investigate and determine a solution for the problem of tracking and reporting sales results, currently a manual process. The analyst assigned to the project would work independently and was aware that the success of this project would significantly benefit the company but would also boost his own career. After six months of working on the project, the analyst presented the new system to the management committee. The system was well received but there were some reservations; he felt these issues would be resolved within a year. The launch date was set for the following month and he prepared the plan to ensure a smooth implementation. Weeks after the launch, the analyst discovered that the sales staff was still using the manual process and feedback on the new system was not favourable. He must determine why the sales staff are reluctant to use the system and what steps to take to deal with this resistance to change.

Canadian Tire is a large automotive parts, sports and leisure, and home improvement retail store chain. With the rise in the number of large retail outlets, the company needed to look at ways to maintain and increase sales. Continuous improvements were made to store design and in-store operations. The vice-president of store planning and merchandising was evaluating checkout configurations. He needed to make his decision soon to avoid delaying the construction of four new test stores. He has three options; continue using the current tandem system, add self check-outs or switch to a single line configuration. He must analyze the three options to determine the benefits and trade-offs of each.

The part owner of Rynard Farms needed to determine what changes, if any, to make in the farm's overall strategy to ensure its profitability and keep up with the demands of the industry and his family. Rynard Farms had been passed down from generation to generation for more than 130 years and focused on producing beef cattle and some cash crops. However, this tradition of successful farming faced an aging ownership and a lack of strategic direction.

Three engineering students consider the direction they should take with their award-winning design project, the Golf Swing Analyzer. Media attention to their project indicated that the idea had the potential to become a successful business venture. The students were unsure whether to manufacture and market the device themselves or sell the design to an interested party.

Broad Air Conditioning is a Chinese company with a proactive environmental attitude, but suffering from deteriorating financial results. The company founder and chief executive officer must decide whether to start producing electricity powered air conditioners to improve its financial results easily or stick to its ideal and only manufacture machines powered by heat. The major theme of this case is to understand corporate social responsibility, by discussing how an enterprise can find a way to harmonize the relationship between benefitting the company and protecting the environment, especially in developing countries.