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The Finnish brewer Hartwall and the Swedish brewer Pripps had to decide how to react to the rapidly changing European political, economic, and business environment in 1989-1990.

Examine the life journey of an HBS 2002 alum, in her own words, and her perspective on success.

Examine the life journey of an HBS 1969 alum, in his own words, and his perspective on success.

The case describes 2 individuals who have met and are in the process of starting a company together. Each is still at his/her former employer, and each has signed a different employment agreement that on paper may prohibit some contemplated acts - i.e., soliciting customers or employees. The case focuses on how individuals should think about leaving their employers in general and how these specific legal agreements may impact the situation in this case. In addition, the case includes issues around dealing with venture capitalists, non-disclosure agreements, as well as how to select and work with a lawyer.

The NFL faces a decision on how to continue efforts to grow its fanbase in the UK. The decision needs to take into account lessons learned from previous NFL activities in Europe, market research on the UK sports fan and the implications of any move on the U.S. fan. Moreover, the decision should be couched within the broader context of the NFL's goal to expand internationally. Alistair Kirkwood, head of NFL UK, and Chris Parsons, VP of NFL International, must propose a course of action that the London-based team can both execute and that will receive the approval of the NFL's commissioner and owners.

In 1999, Enron was the #1 company in innovation and quality of management. Less than two years later, it filed for bankruptcy in one of the most portent fraud cases of the decade. The story of Enron's rise and fall tells a lot about manipulation of accounting and regulatory standards and about the disregard of ethics and law in pursuit of money and excellence. Against the backdrop of the company's history and main players, the case explains the law-bending tactics used by Enron's management and partners, eventually leading to speculations and the resignation of then-CEO Jeff Skilling. The stock price crash and resulting bankruptcy are also discussed, and the profile ends with the main findings of the ensuing SEC investigation. This case is included in Module 3 of the course Business Thought & Action.

Twitter has become an incredibly popular micro-blogging service since its launch in 2006. Its founders have ambitious plans for the service, and are backed by $155 million of venture capital funding, which valued the company at $1 billion in 2009. Twitter seems to attract a diverse audience of users from political organizers looking to disseminate information to their followers; businesses looking to reach out, in real time, to potential customers; and for social networking purposes. The company charges consumers nothing for its service. By 2009, competitors have emerged - some of whom have deep pockets. Yet, it remains unclear - at least to observers - whether the company will ever make money from its service.

By 2009, China's exports had increased dramatically from $250 billion in 2000 to a projected $1,500 billion in 2009. This enormous growth of exports severely damaged competing businesses in the advanced nations, particularly the United States and Europe. China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001 guaranteed China's right to export to these nations, but at the same time the WTO required China to adhere to certain rules that sought to support fair trade and create a level playing field. Several broad subjects each gave rise to a series of trade disputes: the protection of intellectual property, health and safety concerns about China's products, labour and environmental standards, China's manipulation of their currency, and costs and prices determined by the government rather than free markets. This case examines each set of trade disputes and China's attempts to resolve them. Many disputes were embedded in cultural practices and ideological positions and so they might not disappear quickly. Shortcomings in China's legal and judicial system hampered enforcement. In addition, many rested on the government's desire to protect the interests of Chinese businesses and their employees, and so China might alter its practices only if confronted with credible retalitory threats. China's central government experienced the principal-agent problem where its wishes and decisions could be ignored by local governments and firms. Meanwhile, changes in industry structure within the advanced nations were altering the negotiation positions of Western governments. The case examines the WTO dispute resolution procedures and enforcement mechanisms that have been directed at China's trade disputes.

In early 2009 Andrew Sears, Executive Director of TechMission, a Christian social service nonprofit, faced a challenge known to many not-for-profit organizations, how to develop a sustainable organization, especially in an economic climate where charitable giving had declined. With limited resources and an expanding portfolio of programs, he had to balance three competing factors within TechMission: staying true to its Christian principles, sustaining its credibility in urban communities, and using technology as the driver for promoting social justice. Different initiatives presented different paths for potential growth. As well as determining the correct path, Sears knew that any path would require obtaining additional funding, potentially from secular organizations. The challenge was securing this funding in a tightening market and then allocating it to the initiatives that had the most potential. Additionally, it would be necessary to assure that all initiatives had the right programs, people and funding to move forward.

Within 10 months of Gregg Steinhafel's taking over as CEO at Target, the U.S. was mired in the most significant economic downturn in 50 years. Top competitor Wal-Mart had positioned itself well for the crisis, while Target's same store sales began to slide. While Steinhafel believed that Target's long-term strategy and positioning were right, he pondered a set of strategic and operational challenges. Did Target have the right mix of offensive and defensive tactics to weather the downturn and position itself for the economy's eventual recovery? How far could Target go in emphasizing low price-the "pay less" side of its slogan-without eroding the company's core promise of offering unique and upscale products that customers would not see at other low-priced retailers? Would the benefits of adding fresh food to Target's general merchandise stores outweigh the associated challenges?

In 2010, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the largest private prison operator in the U.S., was considering expansion options. The company's largest customers, federal and state governments, were under economic pressure to reduce the incarceration rate and lower operating costs, potentially jeopardizing CCA's profits. Should CCA follow its competitor's footsteps and expand overseas? Or could it count on an ever-increasing population of U.S. prisoners to fuel continued growth?

In the summer of 1931, Germany was struggling with a deepening economic crisis. Production had fallen, unemployment was high, and bank deposits and gold were being withdrawn from the country at a rapid pace, threatening the value of the German mark. The country's third largest bank, the Danatbank, was especially hard hit by the flagging economy and the flight of capital. By July, the Danatbank was on the verge of collapse, and the bank's charismatic and controversial senior partner, Jakob Goldschmidt, appealed personally to the government, the central bank, and his private banking rivals for a lifeline.

Sweden's Highland District County Hospital, similar to a community hospital in the US, undertook a major restructuring to integrate care delivery for medical conditions served by the Department of Medicine. Each subspecialty within the Department would form a single, co-located unit with its own budget that encompassed both inpatient and outpatient care. This case examines the experience of the Highland Gastroenterology Unit, comparing the delivery model for inflammatory bowel disease in 2001 and 2009, before and after the reorganization. The case can be used to examine health care provider strategy, integrated care delivery, and quality measurement. The case also profiles Sweden's single-payer health care system, allowing for a discussion of national health systems and health policy.

Describes the steps the vice-president of human resources takes in revamping an HR function that was noncooperative and, at times, competitive and introducing the company to the notion of HR as a strategic business partner. Explores changes made to the company's compensation, performance management, and succession planning processes.

In 2009 several companies were competing in the UK for a share of the fast-growing online grocery market, using two different business approaches. Ocado, a purely online grocer operated out of a dedicated distribution center. The company was founded by three former investment bankers in early 2000. By 2009 Ocado had grown from its original three founders to over 3,000 employees and was just about to become profitable. It faced competition from Tesco.com, the biggest online grocer in the world. Tesco, the UK's leading supermarket chain, had started an internet add-on to its regular business and used existing supermarkets to run its online operations. Learning objectives: This case compares Ocado and Tesco.com business models from a consumer proposition, operational efficiency, profitability and sustainability point of view. Participants will be challenged to think about the challenges online grocers face to meet shoppers' expectations, how operational choices impact the consumer proposition and what opportunities both companies have to further grow their business.

In 2009 several companies were competing in the UK for a share of the fast-growing online grocery market, using two different business approaches. Ocado, a purely online grocer operated out of a dedicated distribution center. The company was founded by three former investment bankers in early 2000. By 2009 Ocado had grown from its original three founders to over 3,000 employees and was just about to become profitable. It faced competition from Tesco.com, the biggest online grocer in the world. Tesco, the UK's leading supermarket chain, had started an internet add-on to its regular business and used existing supermarkets to run its online operations. Learning objectives: This case compares Ocado and Tesco.com business models from a consumer proposition, operational efficiency, profitability and sustainability point of view. Participants will be challenged to think about the challenges online grocers face to meet shoppers' expectations, how operational choices impact the consumer proposition and what opportunities both companies have to further grow their business.

How do you blow a $1.7 billion merger? You buy a company with a popular brand name, dilute the brand, and sell it for a fifth of what you paid for it. This case explores the merger between Snapple Beverages and Quaker Oats, considered "one of the worst mergers of all time". Using this case, students will learn about the importance of a brand name. Snapple Beverages is also included in Module 3: Sources of Business Stress of the course Business Thought & Action.

This case focuses on an opportunity that American Electric Power (AEP) has to invest, with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), in one of the world's first projects for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). The proposed plan was to protect 812,000 hectares of rich, biologically diverse forest land, known as Bosque Rojo, in central Peru. This project would address the two issues targeted by REDD by ending both deforestation from the local communities' conversion of land from forest to farmland and forest degradation from commercial logging. REDD projects offered a substantial opportunity to mitigate climate change, as deforestation and forest degradation contributed approximately 15-20 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Protecting Bosque Rojo could prevent the release of millions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). The project partners and investors would obtain certified offset credits equivalent to the reduction in emissions over the 30-year project lifetime. Among U.S. power companies, AEP had one of the highest levels of CO2 emissions. It estimated its 2009 emissions would reach 150M metric tonnes. With climate change legislation on the horizon, it wanted to set an example for Congress to show that REDD offsets could lead to cost-effective reduction in GHG emissions, and also gain experience in the international REDD scene. AEP expected to have to substantially reduce its own emissions (e.g. by substituting wind power for coal in electricity generation) or obtain offset credits either on the open market or through direct participation in external emission reduction projects. AEP believed that REDD projects would be much cheaper than any of its other options to obtain offset credits. To confirm this belief, the company needed to calculate a net present value (NPV) for the project, understand the project's risks, and determine if Bosque Rojo was, indeed, the best use of company funds.

In 2008, more than 750 million cell phones were produced in China. A significant portion (20 percent, or about 150 million units) of these phones were produced by Shanzhai companies. These companies had rapidly taken a significant share (about 10 percent) of the worldwide market. This phenomenal growth was primarily due to nonconventional approaches to the global market in market positioning, rapid product development, and tightly coupled, responsive and efficient supply chain management. Though Shanzhai often has been perceived as a term for counterfeiting, in reality it is more than just copying. Modern cell phones contain sophisticated hardware, software and systems technology, yet Shanzhai companies of only 10 people could leverage a sophisticated (though informal) network of product designers, manufacturers, and distributors to make a successful business. This case describes the Shanzhai phenomenon, and how these companies operate. It also provides an example of one company that successfully transitioned from a Shanzhai culture to become a major mainstream force in the Chinese mobile phone industry. The case also discusses forces that challenge the future of the Shanzhai model.

In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Robert Mueller, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), sought to transform the storied Bureau. The FBI had long served as both the chief law enforcement agency and the main domestic intelligence wing of the U.S. government. In practice, though, law enforcement had overshadowed intelligence at the FBI. The terrorist attacks made it tragically clear that the United States required a much stronger domestic intelligence service, and Mueller believed that that service should reside within the FBI. Critics, however, called for the Bureau to narrow its scope, focus on law enforcement, and cede domestic intelligence to a new, specialized agency. Should the FBI retain both the law enforcement mission and the domestic intelligence mission? If so, how should it change itself to succeed in both missions? This case, a supplement to the "Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2001 (Abridged)" case (710-450), reviews the FBI's progress from 2001 to 2007.