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In the past two decades, along with China's rapidly growing economy and its integration into the world economic system, the Chinese software outsourcing industry has also risen from zero to being fairly significant in the world IT market. It is currently growing much faster than the world market. Beyondsoft Co. Ltd., established in 1995, is a leading company in China's software outsourcing industry. This case poses challenges for future development, post the world financial turmoil of 2008-2009.

Juner New Materials (Juner) is a private China - based company that develops, produces, and distributes modified plastic compounds. Founded in 1995 by female serial entrepreneur Xiaomin Chen, Juner has exhibited strong performance and growth potential in the past fifteen years. The company currently has a workforce of more than 300 employees and is an icon of high-technology ventures in Zhejiang province. As Juner strives to become the leader in China's modified plastics industry, the company presently faces scalability challenges primarily limited by financing constraints. Recently, with two major competitors having raised additional capital through their respective public offerings, Juner has reacted to these market changes. Since competition was aggressively dedicating new resources toward production and service capacity expansion, by June 2010 it was apparent that external funding was imperative for extending and sustaining Juner's competitive edge. Upon several discussions, Chen and the board of Juner concluded that it was opportune to take Juner public. The decision to go public has led to the discussion of several issues: (1) the choice of stock exchange, (2) the "justified" valuation based upon Juner's fundamentals and respective comparables, and (3) the methods Juner would adopt to maintain its growth rate and exceed investor expectations before and after the IPO.

This case focuses on the competitive strategy of the number two management software company in China, Kingdee, as it competes with UFIDA and major international firms SAP and Oracle for position in the Chinese market. A particular focus is on its internal culture as it tries to grow rapidly with a very young non-Hokou-bearing staff in Shenzhen.

The five-case UFIDA series is about China's largest supplier of management/ERP software, its 20-year evolution, and current strategic challenges. The (A) case is the cornerstone of the series. It introduces the company's history, strategic turning points, current market position and competition. It is a standalone case that may be used in a strategy course. It may also be used to highlight the interaction between strategic competitors within an industry. In this situation, subsequent classes would be devoted to the Kingdee and Beyondsoft cases. It may be paired with the UFIDA (B) case to add a focus on people and their values. It may be used in an accounting and control course, paired with the UFIDA (C) case, to illustrate the evolution of planning and budgeting systems. It may be used in a finance course, accompanied by the UFIDA (D) case, which highlights the critical role of capital markets and finance in a growing company. Finally, it can be used in an international course with the UFIDA (E) case to focus on the special international expansion issues of a Chinese firm.

In January 2010, John Fahey, president, CEO, and chairman of the board of trustees' executive committee of the Washington, D.C.-based National Geographic Society (NGS), must decide how best to organize the 121-year old mission-driven organization for a world of accelerating digital convergence and decreasing magazine sales. Historically a proponent of evolutionary change, he is considering a radical move: creating a senior management position responsible for e-commerce to coordinate web-based offerings and outreach across the Society's various departments, transition NGS from its many disparate and independent direct mail efforts to a more integrated and strategic e-commerce strategy, and leverage the NGS relationship with its members-currently defined as magazine subscribers, since a subscription comes with Society membership. Putting the final touches on the position and its reporting arrangements has led to significant debate within the organization, and Fahey is torn about how to proceed.

A securitized small real estate investment vehicle fails and the many individual owners have to decide how to manage or dispose of the asset. This case follows Ruby Collins, a small investor, through the logic of Section 1031 Like Kind Exchanges as well as the consideration of Tenant in Common ownership. Tenancy in Common has some attractive aspects but its regulation falls between a security and a real estate investment. The risk and control characteristics also vary. This case explores both the valuation of the property and the logistical issues around managing it, and also the relationships between individuals who now find themselves business partners with no prior familiarity with each other.

Arcadia Biosciences is seeking to introduce genetically modified rice to China that will lower farmers' costs and generate environmental benefits through reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The case describes challenges facing this small agricultural biotechnology company, notably uneven enforcement of intellectual property in emerging market countries, and uncertainty regarding the provision and market value of carbon credits under international climate change agreements. In September 2008, Eric Rey, Arcadia's CEO, faces an inflection point concerning his leading technology, genes for nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in rice. He can determine a price to charge for NUE seed based on savings to farmers from their reduced use of expensive nitrogen fertilizers. Or he can advance a plan to earn revenue from carbon credits allocated under the Kyoto Protocol to China for use of Arcadia's rice, because reduced nitrogen fertilizer use will lower greenhouse gas emissions. The case provides context on the company; describes advances in seed technologies focused on climate change and the associated resource issue of fertilizer use; and presents the strategic choices facing a start-up company operating at the intersection of business, agriculture, and climate change agreements.

In October 2010, Triangulate's founder/CEO must determine what product features to develop and what marketing programs to pursue in order to boost the odds of successfully raising another venture capital round for his nine month-old Facebook dating application. The case recounts the process of launching a consumer internet startup, from idea conception through initial efforts to validate the concept, followed by product launch and subsequent business model "pivots."

An HBS student is asked by his employer to misrepresent himself during the course of his summer internship in order to obtain data from industry competitors.

Reliance Industries had evolved into a major player in the Asia Pacific region and had begun to make its presence felt in the global petrochemicals and refining business segments. It had also made forays into exploration and production for oil and gas in multiple regions worldwide. This case study addresses the evolution of the company from a fairly small-scale textile manufacturer to a global powerhouse. It provides insights into how the company was able to trade on its competitive advantages at home in building a global strategy. The case allows for a rich thematic discussion around understanding the modes of competition adopted by companies from newly industrializing contexts.

This case describes a series of events over an eight-year period involving a power plant project in the Caribbean. An executive from the project developer, PowerGen, is looking back over the period and thinking about what can be learned from the experience. The project experienced issues with site selection, the joint venture partnership, construction and equipment contractors, community relations, project financing, a nearby hotel, and project management. Going forward, what could be done differently in other projects to prevent similar problems from occurring?

Rede Alta Velocidade, SA RAVE, the state-owned company responsible for planning and developing a major high-speed rail project in Portugal, must persuade both public officials and lenders that the project is worth undertaking. It must also make a recommendation on the appropriate organizational form for the enterprise. Specifically it must determine the role of the Portuguese government in financing and operating the high-speed rail network, with options ranging from full development and management of the project by the public sector to completely private development and management. Lying in between these two polar cases were a variety of hybrid models often referred to as public-private partnerships (PPPs). Using data in the case, students have the opportunity to perform a benefit-cost analysis of the project. They also must think carefully about the optimal role of the government in a major new infrastructure project.

In December 2010, one U.S. legislative action was largely overlooked in the popular press: the one-year extension of the 45-cent-per-gallon Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC), commonly known as the "blender's credit." Both proponents and opponents of the blender's credit liked to cite data to support their positions. Proponents pointed out the number of jobs created by new ethanol plants, while opponents cited unfavorable energy balances from the use of ethanol and the overall budgetary impact of the blender's credit. What was less clear-but potentially much more important than the selective data cited by advocates and critics of ethanol-was the overall impact of the blender's credit on the U.S. economy. In particular, to what extent did the ethanol subsidy-by influencing the allocation of resources to the ethanol market-act as a drag on efficiency in the U.S. economy? This case presents a history of ethanol in the U.S. and an overview of the market for ethanol-based motor fuel, including data on demand and supply fundamentals. It also discusses the broader U.S. energy market, as well as the U.S. market for corn. The case reviews other policy interventions besides the ethanol tax credit that have an impact on the market for ethanol-based motor fuel, such as tariffs and mandates. Finally, it surveys the ways other countries around the world, such as Brazil, have supported the use of ethanol-based fuel.

After celebrating their nineteenth harvest and seventh year as California producers and marketers of premium wine in September 2007, the Mexican-born owners of Ceja Vineyards were considering whether or not to make a concerted effort to target U.S. Hispanic consumers. Doing so would enable Ceja to capitalize on its heritage as one of the first Hispanic-owned and operated wine businesses in America, but this was no easy decision. Targeting the emerging and potentially vast U.S. Hispanic consumer segment might require extensive repositioning of Ceja's premium varietal wine brands, result in a diminution of effort to sustain its rapidly growing wine club, pose additional future expenses for promotion of wine consumption to U.S. Hispanic consumers, and erode the high-end premium wine brand. In addition, the Hispanic wine consumer living outside the U.S. represented another high potential market opportunity and was of serious interest to Amelia Ceja, co-founder of the winery, and her family partners.

Goldman Sachs was a bank, but it did not take deposits, issue credit cards, make mortgage loans, or interact with consumers. For most of its history Goldman was organized as a partnership and operated as an investment bank engaging in underwriting new securities to raise funds for corporations and public agencies, advising clients as in mergers and acquisitions, and managing assets for clients. It began to engage in securities trading and risk arbitrage in the 1950s, when it developed its philosophy of being "long-term greedy," which the bank understood as focusing on long-term profitability rather than short-term performance. Goldman went public in 1999, forecasting that its investment banking business would continue to provide most of its revenue and profits. Soon, however, its proprietary trading and trading on behalf of clients began to dominate both its revenue and profit streams. The leadership of the firm also shifted from investment bankers to traders, such as Henry Paulson and CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein. Goldman was a major player in the events leading to the financial crisis and was a major participant in the CDO market. As with most financial institutions Goldman was heavily criticized for its role in the crisis. The disclosure that Goldman had allowed an investor to select securities for inclusion in a CDO that the investor intended to short caused an uproar, particularly because the purchasers were not informed of the investor's role. The media covered the issue extensively, Congress held hearings, the SEC filed a lawsuit against Goldman, private investors filed lawsuits, and some issuers of securities shunned the company. Goldman's reputation was damaged. The company faced the decision of how to rebuild its reputation as it addressed new regulations on banks as a result of Dodd-Frank and Federal Reserve actions.

Many luxury brands are able to command high prices because of their excellent quality, solid reputation, and limited availability. But it can be tricky both to maintain that cachet and continue to grow if the next generation of consumers is completely priced out of your market. Fictional winemaker Chateau de Vallois, a traditional estate with centuries of experience in producing luxury wines, faces that dilemma and is now considering whether to launch an affordable brand. A new wine of good quality at a lower price could attract younger fine-wine drinkers who might then upgrade to more expensive wines later on. On the other hand, the estate must be careful to preserve its exclusive image and avoid damaging the perceived value of its existing high-end wines. Should Chateau de Vallois stick with what it does best or branch out and begin producing a new brand? The authors of this fictional case study are Daniela Beyersdorfer, who is a research associate at Harvard Business School's Europe Research center, and Vincent Dessain, the center's executive director. Commentary is offered by Corinne Mentzelopoulos, the owner and CEO of Chateau Margaux, a first-growth estate in the Bordeaux region of France; Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, the vice chairman of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, a family firm that manages both first-growth and branded wines; and HBR's readers.

Many luxury brands are able to command high prices because of their excellent quality, solid reputation, and limited availability. But it can be tricky both to maintain that cachet and continue to grow if the next generation of consumers is completely priced out of your market. Fictional winemaker Chateau de Vallois, a traditional estate with centuries of experience in producing luxury wines, faces that dilemma and is now considering whether to launch an affordable brand. A new wine of good quality at a lower price could attract younger fine-wine drinkers who might then upgrade to more expensive wines later on. On the other hand, the estate must be careful to preserve its exclusive image and avoid damaging the perceived value of its existing high-end wines. Should Chateau de Vallois stick with what it does best or branch out and begin producing a new brand? The authors of this fictional case study are Daniela Beyersdorfer, who is a research associate at Harvard Business School's Europe Research center, and Vincent Dessain, the center's executive director. Commentary is offered by Corinne Mentzelopoulos, the owner and CEO of Chateau Margaux, a first-growth estate in the Bordeaux region of France; Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, the vice chairman of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, a family firm that manages both first-growth and branded wines; and HBR's readers.

Many luxury brands are able to command high prices because of their excellent quality, solid reputation, and limited availability. But it can be tricky both to maintain that cachet and continue to grow if the next generation of consumers is completely priced out of your market. Fictional winemaker Chateau de Vallois, a traditional estate with centuries of experience in producing luxury wines, faces that dilemma and is now considering whether to launch an affordable brand. A new wine of good quality at a lower price could attract younger fine-wine drinkers who might then upgrade to more expensive wines later on. On the other hand, the estate must be careful to preserve its exclusive image and avoid damaging the perceived value of its existing high-end wines. Should Chateau de Vallois stick with what it does best or branch out and begin producing a new brand? The authors of this fictional case study are Daniela Beyersdorfer, who is a research associate at Harvard Business School's Europe Research center, and Vincent Dessain, the center's executive director. Commentary is offered by Corinne Mentzelopoulos, the owner and CEO of Chateau Margaux, a first-growth estate in the Bordeaux region of France; Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, the vice chairman of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, a family firm that manages both first-growth and branded wines; and HBR's readers.

A short case recounting Caitlin Elliot's history at a company called Microenterprises Incorporated and her negotiation with its CEO, George Baker, about a promotion and a bonus. The case is good for discussion about what makes negotiating for oneself in an organization more difficult than negotiating on behalf of others. The video can be analyzed using a moves and turns framework and it ideal for management and leadership courses in addition to negotiation and conflict resolution courses.

The Brazilian government has just hired GCA to do the valuation of the pre-salt fields on their behalf. At this stage it is clear that Petrobras will go for an equity issue, but the conditions of it are not yet clear, as it depends on the negotiation for the transfer of rights for the new pre-salt oil fields. If successful closure is achieved on this negotiation, Petrobras will have to pay the government for the new pre-salt fields, in addition to getting external capital to support its investment plan 2010-2014. Learning objectives: The learning objectives focus on the approach to the negotiation.