個案總覽

The president and founder of a premier luxury car rental agency located throughout Europe must decide on the composition of the fleet of cars for the upcoming summer season. She has to balance a desire for high utilization versus the possibility of having to turn away clients if they request a car that is not in stock. Can be used to introduce or reinforce a number of concepts, including break-even analysis, basic descriptive statistics, and the new vendor model.

Alan Kendricks struggles to address many challenges facing him as a recently promoted medical director for Cardiology Associates at Southeastern Pennsylvania University Hospital. He must balance his time taking care of patients, running a practice, managing up, down, and laterally, managing stars with little formal authority, allocating resources fairly, developing his people, providing strategy and direction, building an organization, and spending time with his family. Offers insights into the dilemmas of a "producing manager," a person who is simultaneously responsible for producing and managing.

The new CEO of a small manufacturing firm pursues growth through the launch of Entrepreneurial Subsidiaries. While the firm grows revenues from $600 million to over $2 billion in 10 years, problems surface as the subsidiaries are integrated into the established business

A non-profit organization, partnered with a microfinance organization would send undergraduate students from a business school to teach entrepreneurship in Third World countries: Kenya, India and South Africa. The case requires students to develop fairly straightforward cash budgets and to consider sensitivity analysis based on exchange rate fluctuations. Students are introduced to the concept of micro financing as an effective tool for improving the socio-economic status of entrepreneurs in Third World countries. Students are encouraged to think about relevant issues in gaining sponsorship for a non-profit venture.

In January 2007, "MedNet.com" is a leading website that provides science-based health information free of charge to online visitors. MedNet communicates with traditional web journalism, interactive software, and social media tools such as blogs, video reports and virtual reality tours. The site operates conservatively within the government-regulated health information market. MedNet's business model relies on advertising sales, primarily to pharmaceutical companies. MedNet competes for advertising dollars with large search engines, category specific sites, and clinical trial sites. In 2007, large search engines charge for "results," or "click throughs." Other sites, such as online newspapers, charge for impressions. Advertising campaigns depend on numerous variables (an efficient audience size, audience frame of mind, willingness to complete a transaction, etc.) In the face of fierce advertising competition, MedNet is forced to defend key elements of its business model vis-a-vis a large search engine. However, in defending the advertising value MedNet delivers, MedNet executives may be building the case for why niche sites may be a better investment for the advertiser's budget.

Surveys the overall sequence of processes needed for the success of a strategy based on customer analytics. In particular, it charts the formulation and implementation of this strategy by a Spanish bank that decided to expand into the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) segment. Starting with the creation of information necessary for the bank to compete in this segment, it describes the strategic selection of the target customer group, the definition of the product offering, and the organizational changes needed to implement such a strategy.

Traces the history of organic agriculture from its pre-industrial roots to the present day, and examines the growth of Whole Foods Market in the context of the broader growth of the organic industry. Also investigates John Mackey's role as a founder and leader of the largest natural-foods retailer in the world.

Deals with the operational phase of a privately operated urban infrastructure project, Hong Kong's Western Harbour Crossing, a toll road tunnel from West Kowloon to Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Island, developed as part of the prestigious Airport Core Program supporting the new Hong Kong Airport development in the early- to mid-1990s. The tunnel opened for business in 1997 and has underperformed financially since then. Explores the hypothetical purchase of the tunnel as an infrastructure portfolio asset by a prominent bank acting for a private equity group. The bank is also interested in providing long-term debt financing on a non-recourse/limited recourse basis to the potential purchasers. Revisits the economics of the project, valuation of the tunnel as a going venture, and financing of the purchase, and discusses the merits of investing in it as a portfolio decision. Considers two corporate/project finance activities. First, as a fundamental capital budgeting function, considers valuation of the Western Harbour Crossing as a going concern relative to its historical cost ("book value") in order to highlight the problems associated with sunk costs and irreversibility in underperforming real fixed assets structured as project-financed ventures. Secondly, outlines the potential purchaser's financing decision and the approach that banks take in syndicating very large financial commitments to very risky projects.

In October 2005, in an auditorium filled to capacity in Bentonville, Arkansas, Lee Scott, Wal-Mart's president and CEO, made the first speech in the history of Wal-Mart to be broadcast to the company's 1.6 million associates (employees) in all of its 6,000+ stores worldwide and shared with its 60,000+ suppliers. Scott announced that Wal-Mart was launching a sweeping business sustainability strategy to dramatically reduce the company's impact on the global environment and thus become "the most competitive and innovative company in the world." He argued that, "Being a good steward of the environment and being profitable are not mutually exclusive. They are one and the same." He also committed Wal-Mart to three aspirational goals: "To be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy; to create zero waste; and to sell products that sustain our resources and the environment." Against this backdrop, the case introduces Andrew Ruben, vice president of corporate strategy and business sustainability, and Tyler Elm, senior director of the same group. Ruben and Elm, who were chosen by Scott to lead the sustainability strategy, recognized that they needed to keep environmental improvement tightly coupled with business value and profitability for the strategy to succeed. The case describes Wal-Mart's efforts to accomplish this, focusing on three of the company's primary focus areas (seafood, electronics, and textiles) and their effect on the company's operations, supplier relationships, and results. It also explores how Wal-Mart is measuring and communicating its ideas about sustainability to its suppliers, associates, customers, and the public.

Dr. Iqbal Surve, a self-described "medical doctor, philanthropist, and social entrepreneur," was born in 1963 and grew up in poverty, like virtually all non-white South Africans during apartheid. During the 1970s and 1980s, he served in leadership positions in the ANC, struggling against apartheid. After apartheid ended, Surve served as a medical doctor to many prominent South African leaders, like Nelson Mandela, and to the national soccer team. But by the mid-1990s, Surve, like many of his comrades, grew frustrated by the huge economic disparities that existed in South Africa, even though its progressive constitution afforded all citizens equal rights. It seemed the government's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies were only enriching a few. In 1997, Surve and three of his comrades founded Sekunjalo, an investment holding company that sought to offer "a gentler capitalism" that stressed putting people before profits, and talent development as a means of raising the lives of previously disadvantaged South Africans. By 1999, the company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, making 36-year-old Surve the youngest CEO of a listed diversified conglomerate. From its inception, Sekunjalo only purchased controlling stakes in companies, hoping to empower black workers. In 1999, it had purchased a 5% stake in LeisureNet, a white-owned and -run South African company that operated health clubs globally and was seeking a BEE partner. Surve hoped to eventually purchase a majority stake in the company, but in 2000 the company went under in the biggest corporate scandal in South African history. In one day, Sekunjalo's stock dropped 44%. Surve, already a very public figure in South Africa, had to decide what to do, especially what to tell his loyal employees who had invested so much in Sekunjalo's mission.

In 2006, newspaper firms in developed markets were severely threatened on three fronts: the growth of online news, online classified advertising, and free newspapers. Schibsted, however, had managed to cope with these challenges successfully, and had become something of a legend in the newspaper community. Describes the evolution of Schibsted's strategy from print media towards electronic media starting in 1995, including their choices around the internal structuring of new ventures. In September 2006, the management team confronted a few salient questions: first, should Schibsted allow Google to crawl its online news sites in Scandinavia?; and second, were Schibsted's successes within Scandinavia repeatable outside it? Indeed, how far could Schibsted's competitive advantage travel?

This case focuses on The Broach Theatre, a nonprofit performing arts theater located in the historic section of downtown Greensboro, NC. The theater offers plays for both adults and children and operates out of a small 166-seat facility that was until 30 years ago a Salvation Army shelter. As the Broach approaches the end of the 2005 season, its 18th year, Director Stephen Gee worries that his loyal audience is aging and he must do something to attract a younger audience and fight strong competition from another, newer theater located nearby. The Broach has done very little marketing, and Gee realizes it needs a revised marketing strategy. He is considering applying for a grant in order to employ a consultant to develop the new strategy.

The case takes place in 2006 and is focussed on Binatone's stabilizer business in Nigeria. Stabilizers are used in many developing countries to transform irregular current (from wall outlets) into a current that is safe for electrical appliances and equipment. Binatone's 1000W stabilizer business was under pressure due to multiple factors. The first source of pressure was that the market had become increasingly price sensitive. The buyers of stabilizers seemed unresponsive to quality differences between different brands in the 1000W category. Second, the market was flooded with low-priced, low quality brands that were not government approved. Finally, the Nigerian government has recently enacted a new set of regulations to ensure the safety of electrical equipment throughout the country. The regulations forced legitimate manufacturers like Binatone to go through a long, expensive and unpredictable approval process. Faced with this situation, management at Binatone was contemplating a number of potential responses to revitalize its 1000W stabilizer business. These included the possibility of changing the standard mark-up policy employed for all Binatone products, the launch of a 1000W stabilizer line extension, and new distribution and communication policies.

At the 2005 Group of Eight summit, world leaders agreed to relieve the world's poorest countries' debt burden and double aid to Africa by 2010. The announcement raised questions whether debt relief would really help the poor. By examining past aid trends and policies of multilateral institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, this case also questions whether aid can allow poor countries to break their vicious cycle of poverty, and/or how aid can be used effectively.

This case illustrates a comprehensive valuation of a publicly-traded firm specializing in building and managing prisons. Students must assess the firm's strategy and risks, evaluate key financial reports, derive forecasts of future performance, and use these forecasts to value the firm.

In 2005, Relational Investors, a registered investment advisor, launched a proxy contest to gain two seats on the board of directors of Sovereign Bancorp. Relational accused Sovereign of operational mismanagement and poor corporate governance, representing a breach in fiduciary responsibility by the company's board of directors. Relational claimed that a board reconstitution was in the best interest of investors. Subsequently, Sovereign entered into a controversial three-way deal with Banco Santander Central Hispano of Spain, which thwarted Relational's efforts by diluting its ownership position and by giving Santander board seats and veto power over the removal of Sovereign's CEO. Discusses the tactics used by Relational Investors to attempt to derail the Santander deal and the tactics used by Sovereign Bancorp to defend it.

Describes the economic and cultural models that have led to the success of Keller Williams Realty. By 2006, Keller Williams was one of the most profitable real estate companies in the United States (if not the most profitable); in addition, it was on its way to becoming one of the largest in terms of number of agents (over 70,000). Describes the factors that led to this company's success--including its operational model, compensation model, profit sharing model, and culture. Readers are asked to evaluate how these factors contribute to the company's success and whether they will continue to enhance the company's growth going forward. In addition, explores the critical role that culture and organizational practices can have on a company's operating performance.

It had been four years since the chief of the Waterloo Regional Police Services (WRPS) met with the board to discuss critical next steps regarding vendor management for the Common Information Management System (CIMS) project. CIMS was an information systems project originally involving the WRPS and seven other police organizations. Since then, considerably more resources had been invested into the CIMS project by all stakeholders involved. The relationship with the current vendor, ITG, was growing less productive and the chief knew it was time to reassess the project to determine the best next steps toward successful project implementation. It was September 2005 and the chief found himself preparing for an important board meeting to discuss the fate of the CIMS project.

An abstract is not available for this product.

June 2005 was to bring online gambling out of the shadows and into the spotlight. PartyGaming, a start-up formed in 1997, launched a flotation (Initial Public Offering) on the London Stock Exchange that valued the firm at £4.64 billion giving it a larger market capitalisation than British Airways. PartyGaming had become the dominant player in the booming online poker market with its PartyPoker brand having over 50% market share. However, this float - as with Internet gambling in general - was not without controversy. While PartyGaming had an online gambling license from the tax haven of Gibraltar, nearly 90% of its revenue came from the United States, where the authorities viewed Internet gambling as illegal and threatened legal action. The complex operations of this truly global firm with bases in London, India, Gibraltar and Canada, the background of its founder Ruth Parasol in Internet pornography and the handling of its flotation also raised concerns from an ethical perspective, with some commentators questioning whether the float should have been allowed at all. These concerns were then confirmed as US legislation to curb online gambling was passed in September 2006, leading to PartyGaming's exit from the US market and an immediate fall of 58% in the share price. This case study analyses the entrepreneurs behind PartyGaming, its growth, the challenges it has faced, the ethical issues it poses and its future prospects. The case draws on theory from e-commerce, strategy and ethics.