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The chief executive officer (CEO) of Taiwan Taxi must assess the adoption of iCall by the firm's taxi drivers. When originally conceived, iCall was supposed to be the basis for substantial growth in the number of taxi drivers signing up with Taiwan Taxi. But even after many years, adoption still lags behind the plan. The CEO must assess the reasons for the slower adoption of iCall and make recommendations on whether to revise the goal or improve adoption in order to meet it. The case demonstrates the many complexities involved in realizing business value from the adoption of information technology.

The case captures the challenges Komatsu, the second largest manufacturer of the earth moving equipment faced during the past five decades as it sought to globalize its operations. By 2007, it had become the second largest manufacturer of the earth moving equipment with more than 80% of its sales coming from outside of Japan. It has built a network of plants, distributors and service centers around the world. Senior management is convinced that a major reason for its success is its culture, recently articulated as the Komatsu Way. The central issue in the case is how to transmit and embed it to its far flung operations throughout the world.

This case examines the causes and consequences of the credit crisis of 2008 from a national and global perspective and explores the actions taken and proposed by the U.S. and European governments.

On March 30, 2010, Prime Minister Najib Razak presented his new economic model (NEM) for Malaysia. With the goal of raising per capita income to over $15,000 by 2020 from the current level of $6,634, the plan included measures to improve human capital, reduce migration and privatize inefficient government linked corporations (GLCs). However, the most controversial part of the NEM was the dismantling of the new economic policy (NEP), an affirmative action program for native Malays that had alleviated racial tensions and reduced inter-racial income inequality over the previous 40 years though, some argued, at the cost of fostering corruption.

In 2010, the bicentennial anniversary of Mexico's revolution against Spain, Mexican President Felipe Calderon hoped he could orchestrate several crucial reforms that Mexico needed. Mexico had not grown much over the course of the last decade, losing competitiveness to China and other Asian countries. Several of its institutions, including labor, education, healthcare, energy, and antitrust, seemed uncompetitive. But with a weaker peso and greater governmental attention to infrastructure, Calderon hoped that Mexico's higher-tech exports could recapture U.S. market share and make headway in Europe and Latin America.

This Case describes a controversial 2010 decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and alludes to some of the broader challenges of building international institutions. The case briefly highlights certain milestones in international relations preceding the ICC's formation; provides an overview of the ICC and its activities as of March 2010; and outlines Kenya's post-election crisis in 2007-2008 and the ICC's decision to intervene. The ICC's involvement was a divisive issue: some argued it would destabilize Kenya, while others claimed it was an important step towards lasting peace. The Kenya scenario presents many aspects for consideration, including the wisdom of the ICC's involvement (given the complex historical, economic, and cultural issues underlying the 2007-2008 crisis), as well as the likelihood that Kenyan officials will cooperate with the ICC. Students can also weigh the broader implications for the ICC as it seeks to establish itself as a legitimate, fair, and just institution.

Revenue recognition is a critical issue for companies. Proper revenue accounting can be complex, particularly when vendors provide a mix of products and services, making it difficult to determine the appropriate timing and amount of revenue to be recognized. Financial reporting standards require disentangling multiple revenue streams to ensure that revenue is not recognized before it is earned. Compliance with recognition standards can affect access to capital, firm valuation, and employee bonuses. Errors can have severe consequences, including earning restatements. The case discusses key issues in revenue recognition, with particular focus on transactions with multiple deliverables. It uses Fluidigm Corporation to illustrate revenue recognition principles. This company sells a range of products, including analytical instruments, disposables, software, and services. The case also illustrates the evolving nature of revenue recognition standards, and the consequences of guidance changes on financial reporting and company procedures.

Petro Refinery LLC, a crude oil refinery, faces an issue common in many production and service industries: finding the optimal product mix or input mix. A central difficulty is that each product consumes different amounts of the firm's shared resources, but contributes different revenues toward the firm's fixed costs. Managers do not necessarily want to sacrifice the production of one product for another just because one has a higher contribution. Even so, the best utilization of the firm's resources toward a good product mix should drive the firm's marketing strategy-what mix of products will result in the most profit? Petro Refinery is a simple but realistic exercise to illustrate product mix decisions.

The case opens in July of 2009 with Becky Splitt, CEO of StudyBlue, facing a series of difficult decisions. These include: determining the appropriate business model to monetize the StudyBlue site, which customer segment to target, and how much new capital to raise (and from whom). The case tells the story of how StudyBlue was begun as a side project of Chris Klündt and Steve Wallman in 2006 and how it evolved into a full-fledge start-up with seven employees. Over the course of three years, StudyBlue develops a healthy following of college users and adds significant new features and functionality. However, by the close of the case, there is still uncertainly around how quickly it can grow revenue in the future. Given new competitors on the horizon and the window for Series A funding round closing, Splitt must make her decisions quickly.

Part A of the case opens in July of 2009 with Becky Splitt, CEO of StudyBlue, facing a series of difficult decisions. These include: determining the appropriate business model to monetize the StudyBlue site, which customer segment to target, and how much new capital to raise (and from whom). The case tells the story of how StudyBlue was begun as a side project of Chris Klündt and Steve Wallman in 2006 and how it evolved into a full-fledge start-up with seven employees. Over the course of three years, StudyBlue develops a healthy following of college users and adds significant new features and functionality. However, by the close of the case, there is still uncertainly around how quickly it can grow revenue in the future. Given new competitors on the horizon and the window for Series A funding round closing, Splitt must make her decisions quickly. Part B of the case describes Splitt's decision of choosing a financing partner for StudyBlue's Series A funding round. She must weigh the benefits and disadvantages of partnering with a mature angel investor group where she would face less restrictive terms than partnering with a venture capital firm but also less money and consequently a shorter operating runway. Her other option is to partner with a venture capital partner which will guarantee savvy advisors, recruiting help and more dollars but also more restrictive terms and a potential requirement to relocate the company from Wisconsin to the west coast. Finally, Part B of the case highlights the many changes in the competitive landscape between 2009 and 2010, including the introduction of two new players and the acquisition of several others by large corporate entities.

Jones Electrical Distribution is faced with a need for increased bank financing due to its rapid sales growth. Students must determine the reasons for the rising bank borrowing, estimate the amount of borrowing needed and assess the attractiveness of the loan to the bank. Allows students to practice ration analysis, financial forecasting and evaluating financing alternatives.

In late September 2009, the CEO of the Nasdaq-traded solar cell and module manufacturer, Canadian Solar, was at an inflection point in the formation of its international strategy. The company had experienced dynamic growth during the past five years buoyed largely by aggressive incentive schemes to install solar photovoltaic (PV) technology in Germany and Spain. The credit crunch, coupled with changes in government incentive programs, caused a major decline in the demand for solar PV technology and analysts were predicting that full year 2009 sales would decline. Furthermore, competition in the industry was fierce with diverse players ranging from Japanese electronic giants to low-cost Chinese producers. Canadian Solar had decided to focus on 10 major markets in the next two to three years where strong renewable policies existed. Students are challenged with deciding if any changes to the company's global strategy are necessary.

This case describes the history and activities of the A-Team, a major alliance of bicycle assembly firms and parts suppliers in Taiwan, which was created in 2003. A strategic alliance with competitors posed challenges. For the A-Team, it was more complicated because the alliance was between both competing bicycle assembly firms and between parts suppliers. By 2006, progress had been made in making the alliance work but the senior executives were wondering what they could do to ensure future progress. The case can be used in a strategy module or course on alliances/joint ventures in a section examining the competition versus cooperation challenge.

This case study explores the factors that are important in analyzing the health and soundness of a project in a growing nonprofit housing company with multiple program areas. A new loan officer at a community development financial institution must decide whether to recommend approval of an application by Greater Miami Neighborhoods (GMN) for financing the construction of a mixed-income condo building in downtown Miami. GMN recently has become the largest nonprofit developer and owner of low-income housing in Florida, with fifty-eight affiliates and subsidiary legal entities responsible for the development, preservation, and management of more than 6,000 units of low-cost rental and for-sale homes. It has grown by taking on new and far-flung real estate projects-including Lighthouse Bay, a 1,100-unit apartment complex in Jacksonville, Florida-and acquiring its own property management and construction companies. But the organization has also experienced a few setbacks-including a rejection in the final round of a large loan from the MacArthur Foundation. It is up to the inexperienced loan officer-and readers of the case study-to find ways to assess the situation and decide whether GMN has been experiencing mere growing pains or a more serious organizational illness. HKS Case Number 1922.0

Target Corporation is concerned that the company might be left out of one of its most lucrative and attractive product categories, video games and game players, as these products increasingly migrate to digital distribution models. What steps should the company take to maintain its relevance and build sustainable competitive advantage as these trends play out? What are the implications for the company's multi-channel online and offline format portfolio going forward?

By 2009 Netflix had all but trounced its traditional bricks-and-mortar competitors in the video rental industry. Since its founding in the late 1990s, the company had changed the face of the industry and threatened the existence of such entrenched giants as Blockbuster, in large part because of its easy-to-understand subscription model, policy of no late fees, and use of analytics to leverage customer data to provide a superior customer experience and grow its e-commerce media platform. Netflix's investment in data collection, IT systems, and advanced analytics such as proprietary data mining techniques and algorithms for customer and product matching played a crucial role in both its strategy and success. However, the explosive growth of the digital media market presents a serious challenge for Netflix's business going forward. How will its analytics, customer data, and customer interaction models play a role in the future of the digital media space? Will it be able to stand up to competition from more seasoned players in the digital market, such as Amazon and Apple? What position must Netflix take in order to successfully compete in this digital arena?

Julie Smith, brand manager for dog food manufacturer Pedigree, has to determine how best to jump-start growth in the slumping business. The (A) case centers on the debate over which type of strategy to pursue, brand building versus in-store activity, while the (B) case focuses on the concept of cause marketing as a growth strategy.

The case examines a competitive situation in the market for Scotch whisky in Thailand. Two multinationals fight for market share with a complex portfolio of products under the Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker, and Ballantine brand names. Students must understand a broad array of branding, consumer behavior, pricing, and regulatory issues in order to arrive at recommendations for Chivas Regal to defend against recent gains of Johnnie Walker. The case can be taught with a focus on the Chivas Regal 12 Year product and recommendations for its growth, but also can be taught as a broader portfolio case, with students aligning a portfolio of Chivas and Ballantine products at different quality levels to maximize sales and profit.

Liana, a product developer-turned-entrepreneur, is invited back to her old company to take over her former boss's job. She's excited about the prospect of trying out some new ideas there, and the CEO says he's eager to see what she can do, but Liana wonders how receptive to change he and the rest of the executive committee will really be when projects are on the line-and whether her reputation as someone who'd previously quit will harm her ability to lead her old team. Two experts comment on this fictional case study in R1004M and R1004Z. Claudio Fernandez-Araoz, a senior adviser at Egon Zehnder International, thinks Liana should conduct a thoughtful, proactive job search rather than jump at this opportunity. Rosario Vaina, a vice president in the financial services practice at AlixPartners, argues that Liana's familiarity with the company, combined with the start-up experience and fresh perspective she's acquired since she left, will give her the tools she needs to succeed in the role.

Liana, a product developer-turned-entrepreneur, is invited back to her old company to take over her former boss's job. She's excited about the prospect of trying out some new ideas there, and the CEO says he's eager to see what she can do, but Liana wonders how receptive to change he and the rest of the executive committee will really be when projects are on the line-and whether her reputation as someone who'd previously quit will harm her ability to lead her old team. Two experts comment on this fictional case study in R1004M and R1004Z. Claudio Fernandez-Araoz, a senior adviser at Egon Zehnder International, thinks Liana should conduct a thoughtful, proactive job search rather than jump at this opportunity. Rosario Vaina, a vice president in the financial services practice at AlixPartners, argues that Liana's familiarity with the company, combined with the start-up experience and fresh perspective she's acquired since she left, will give her the tools she needs to succeed in the role.