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Tom Chong is the country manager in Malaysia for Jextra Stores (Jextra), a multinational retailer with supermarkets throughout Asia. The company is based in Hong Kong. Jextra operates ten Neighborhood Market supermarkets in Malaysia. Chong has two issues he must resolve. One involves a recent conversation with the mayor of a town in which Jextra would like to build a new store. The mayor suggested that Jextra's application for rezoning would be more likely to be approved if Jextra contributed to building a new primary school. The mayor also wants Jextra to help pay for a flyover at the road intersection for the proposed site. Chong's other issue involves one of his category managers. The manager may be accepting money and gifts from suppliers. Although Chong has no proof that the manager is acting inappropriately, there are many rumors floating around Jextra's office.

The CIO addresses a decision to replace salesmen netbook PC's with iPhones, including converting the company's sales and customer applications to the iPhone platform

The founder of organicKidz is trying to create a plan to grow her start-up manufacturing firm. Calgary-based organicKidz is a manufacturer of stainless steel baby bottles and is sold in more than five countries. The founder's challenge is how to convey the superior benefits of her product and manage her retail channels given her limited resources. The setting of the case is at the September 2009 juvenile products tradeshow in the United States where organicKidz has to make a few key decisions about product promotion. All the key buyers from the retail organizations the founder is targeting will be at the show. In particular, the buyer from Costco, a large warehouse club chain, is interested in carrying her bottles and the founder wonders how she should respond.

L'Oreal S.A. is in the process of implementing a global diversity strategy. The firm's Europe diversity director is working with various country units to roll out the strategy. The director faces obstacles such as cultural differences between countries and, generally, low awareness of the benefits a diversity strategy can bring.

This case illustrates the founding and growth of Veja, the first eco-sneaker company in the world, in the broader context of the evolution of the fashion industry and the emergence of the eco-fashion movement. By September 2010, the five-year old venture had become a reference in ethical fashion, and an inspiration for other eco-fashion start-ups. Its path, its successes and its aspirations made it a perfect acquisition target; like-minded companies like Timberland were already feeling out the two founders. Sébastien Kopp and François-Ghislain Morillion were still fulfilling their dream. They had fun trying to craft ever more sustainable business approaches. They were still excited about the opportunity to develop solutions or workarounds for socially- and environmentally-problematic business practices. The case presents several solutions, focusing on the development of sustainable business practices in organic cotton, wild natural rubber and traditional veggie-tanned leather. The case also deals with the issue of how ventures integrate sustainable practices into a holistic and ever improving offering, which engages multiple supply chain participants (employees, consumers, suppliers, partners, even artists) in co-devising a value proposition that appeals not just to our sense of fashion, but also to our conscience. Essentially, the case is a story of fashioning identities by artfully bending consumers' appreciation towards the expression of unity with the earth and across cultures.

Sanford C. Bernstein, a premier sell-side research firm, is expanding globally, and has recently opened an office in Hong Kong. Global Director of Research Robert van Brugge must consider how best to organize the firm's research department to enhance cross-sector and cross-geography collaboration among the senior research analysts in order to adapt to the challenging realities of global expansion in the financial services industry.

By October 2010, American Electric Power, the largest coal-fired, electric utility in the United States, had been operating a carbon capture and sequestration pilot plant for one year. Using a proprietary, Alstom chilled ammonia technology, AEP was capturing and sequestering 90% of the carbon dioxide in a small waste stream at its Mountaineer plant in West Virginia. As part of its larger carbon reduction strategy, AEP was launching construction of a $680 million demonstration plan, partially funded with DOE money. Mike Morris, AEP's chairman, was frustrated though, that Congress had not passed a cap-and-trade bill, and was worried how he would recover AEP's share of this huge investment. Could he find partners in this cutting-edge demonstration, or at least, add it to his utility rate base?

Primedic is a Mexican start-up that aims to deliver affordable primary and preventative healthcare to those at the base of the economic pyramid. The company is about to exhaust its first round of venture capital funding, and the business model has yet to gain traction. How should the business model be changedm and should the venture capitalists continue to fund the company?

A new management team at VW do Brazil develops and deploys a strategy map and Balanced Scorecard to accomplish a turnaround and cultural change after eight consecutive years of financial losses and market share declines. The team uses the strategy map to align financial and project resources to the strategy, and to motivate its more than 20,000 employees by communicating the strategy in multiple ways and installing reward and recognition programs. It also establishes new programs to align the extensive networks of suppliers and dealers to the strategy. But after a sharp decline in sales triggered by the global financial crisis of 2008, the executive team faces a dilemma: should cut back production levels and funding for strategic initiatives until sales recover, or should it continue to invest for the future?

The A case, Financial Strategy at BAA PLC, discusses the structure of the target company and specifically its capital structure. BAA's asset base was very stable, low risk and very well protected from competition. The firm had been generating substantial cash flows over the past few years and had completed some acquisitions at home and abroad. Yet, it was underleveraged, not only according to the simple capital structure theory but also compared to its peers. Therefore, Grupo Ferrovial (and Goldman Sachs, which was competing to acquire BAA) found a great value opportunity by leveraging up BAA's assets. The B case, Ferrovial Conquers the UK, guides us through the acquisition process and in particular through the financing aspects of the deal. The BAA-Ferrovial Acquisition received the Finance Package of the Year Award by Acquisitions Monthly Magazine. The deal was the largest infrastructure acquisition financing ever undertaken in the debt markets; it contained the largest second lien tranche ever, which maximized liquidity, tapping interest among both banks and fund investors; and had a groundbreaking structure designed potentially to survive a whole-business securitization. Learning objectives: The case can be used with a broad range of audiences and provides opportunities to discuss the basics of capital structure and financial policy; to describe the functioning of debt markets; to follow a complex acquisition that went from hostile to friendly; to discuss syndication in the credit markets; and to analyze the challenges that CFOs face in order to balance the threat of acquisitions with the need for a conservative capital structure. It can be used in a basic finance course to introduce capital structure and debt financing. It can also be used with finance teams and with executives in general as a way to discuss the complex terms of the transaction.

The Kyoto Protocol established targets for reductions in greenhouse gas concentrations by creating a mechanism of restrictions for developed countries, and incentives for developing countries, to cut their greenhouse gas emission levels. By the end of 2005, Brazil is beginning to consolidate its recent economic progress. However, among the challenges brought by economic progress is the creation and management of a basic services infrastructure. Solid waste management has been raised to the top tier of Brazilian President Lula de Silva's administration priorities. Population growth, economic affluence, expanding consumption, and urbanization have continued to push up the rate of solid waste generation. The problem is compounded by the fact that current waste processing capacity is under severe strain in the big Brazilian metropolis, and is virtually crumbling in large parts of the country. In addition, current practices, especially the discarding of residues in open dumps, have caused the release of large quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas (GHG), into the atmosphere. Innovative thinking, openness to risk-sharing, and political will are necessary to put in place solutions that can accelerate the delivery of waste management services in the scale and quality that the Brazilian society is starting to demand. Private Public Partnerships have become a sound option, provided that an appropriate legal framework is approved in Congress. Private Public Partnerships will allow private sector capital and technology to help the government extend infrastructure services to the population.

Bernie and Ruby Merwald live in Menlo Park, California during their retired ages when Bernie falls ill to dementia and Alzheimer's. This causes him to have significantly complex medical problems that result in familial conflicts, violence and avoidance of the doctor's orders. When Bernie has a heart attack on top of his failing health, siblings want to pull the plug, but their protective and isolating mother disagrees. Because of a California law, the mother is responsible for all medical decisions and continues to subject her husband to over-medication and worsening of his condition against the doctor's orders.

Mark Hellendrung, CEO of Narragansett Brewing Company, is deciding whether to partner with a local television station for the upcoming NHL Winter Classic outdoor hockey game between New England's own Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park. He had purchased the trademark of the historic New England-based company, Narragansett Beer, four years earlier in 2005. The hockey game offered the company an opportunity to expose millions of potential consumers to their brand. Hellendrung was just one of many local business owners looking to take advantage of the marketing opportunity. The case explores whether investing in a professional sports event represented the right shift in strategy.

Cherie Blair was famous, or infamous, in the United Kingdom as first lady from 1997 to 2007. Her marriage to Tony Blair, however, was the result of her own groundbreaking career in law--a career she fought to keep during the 10 years of her husband's tenure as Prime Minister, even though it meant bringing suit against his government at times. Blair balanced multiple roles and expectations.

In 2009, Parle Products Pvt. Limited (Parle), a leading Indian biscuit manufacturer, had the distinction of producing the largest selling glucose biscuit brand by volume in the world, the Parle-G. Parle-G biscuits sold for approximately US$1 per kilogram and as very few processed and ready-to-eat foods were available at this price point, Parle-G was strongly associated with offering value for money (VFM). A looming problem in this brand category for Parle was that the input prices of two major raw materials for the Parle-G biscuits (which together accounted for 55 per cent of their input costs) had risen enough in the past 18 months to decrease margins from 15 per cent to less than 10 per cent. Pressure to restore margins led Parle to consider a price increase yet a previous attempt had caused dramatic reduction in sales. Parle subsequently addressed rising input costs by reducing the weight of the package, franchising production, reducing supply chain costs and reducing packaging costs. Parle could not ignore the deeply entrenched perception of VFM when devising both short- and long-term marketing plans to retain Parle-G's success in the marketplace. These plans needed to address segmentation, positioning and changing Indian demographics when considering a potential price increase for Parle-G biscuits.

In October of 2010, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) was unable to extricate itself from a year long recall crisis that had subjected the firm to criticism from Congress and regulators, resulted in the resignation of one of the firm's most senior officers, and cost hundreds of millions of dollars from lost sales of J&J brands. This case examines the series of recalls, and the strategic and cultural changes at the company that may have led to the recalls. It allows for an exploration of the reality of the iconic J&J "Credo" - its long standing set of corporate values.

Can multinationals wield competitive advantage by aggressively hiring talented members of the excluded social group in each market? This is the subject of Siegel's global strategy research as well as the focus of this case study.

On September 2003, Richard Grasso stepped down as chairman and CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, following weeks of intense public criticism over the size of his $190 million compensation package. As chairman of the committee that oversaw Grasso's payout, Ken Langone believed firmly that the payment was fair and reasonable. However, NYSE members, government regulators, and the media alike blamed the board for its oversight and viewed Langone as the mastermind behind Grasso's huge payout. Calls to oust Langone as director from all his board positions came within days of Grasso's resignation. This case follows immediate backlash against Langone over his role at the NYSE as well as the connection this scandal had on his eventual departure from General Electric's board of directors. Should Langone have resigned from GE's board?

In the fall of 2009, Fred Hochberg, Chairman of The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im), and his team struggled to find a way to help finance the sale of Boeing aircraft to Emirates. Ex-Im responds to the challenges in the credit market with an innovative offering. This case provides students with an opportunity to analyze the structure and activities of an export credit agency and to value the expected costs of issuing a loan guarantee.

The four-part case study (text cases A, B, C, and video case D) illustrates key concepts and lessons about leading adaptive change in the context of some extra-musical initiatives of Berlin-based and world-famous conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim. The case illustrates the challenges associated with resistance to adaptive change, understanding of stakeholders, management of conflicts, and the psychological challenges of leading unpopular, although important, change efforts under the conditions of pressure from various affected parties, who consciously or unconsciously attempt to divert the change-oriented leader from pushing forward. The case serves as fruitful ground for exploration of the theory of adaptive change (as put forward by Heifetz and Linsky), discussion of the dangers of leading, and psychological challenges of leading.