個案總覽

A wealth management company in Chile that provided financial advisory services to high net worth individuals and pension funds was at a crossroads. After 15 years in business, the company had become very successful. To increase its value without incurring undue corporate financial risk, the owner, who has invested most of his personal wealth in the company, has the opportunity to make an investment in a similar wealth management company in Colombia. What are the risks and rewards of such a complex international merger and acquisition for this medium-sized enterprise operating in an uncertain political and economic environment?

A large U.S. investment management corporation has recently acquired a prominent Canadian investment management company with the justification for the cost of the acquisition largely based on huge economies of scale from integrating parts of the operations of both companies. A senior vice-president of the Canadian company has been asked to recommend how this should be done. She concludes that it would be best to keep administrative functions under the Canadian company’s authority, but when she presents her report to the chief executive officer of the U.S. firm, he requests that she change her report to give these functions to the Canadian branch of the U.S. company. Should she bow to her superior’s wishes and change her recommendation? What are the ethics and career impact of changing a professional opinion under pressure from top management?

In 2009, the owner of a Broadway theatre has to figure out whether to switch to a new show or continue with the current one, which is not generating the revenue expected. He already has a new show booked to begin in five weeks; each new show requires a week of set-up time during which its producers pay rent to the theatre but there are no ticket sales. Is it worth closing the current show and replacing it with an unknown show for a very limited run? Or should he just let the current show continue until the new, already contracted show is set to begin? A freelance analytics consultant helps him solve the problem by analyzing past data on the weekly box office performance of shows.

This case examines the mindset of a father who faces a complex situation when his adult son, who works with him in the family business in India, begins pressuring him to make a will. The father’s thought processes are revealed as he tries to understand the reasons behind his son’s motivation. The case explores the issue from the father’s point of view. It examines his hesitation to make a will and the points in favour of doing so.

A budding entrepreneur wants to start a mobile software company by developing a golf scoring and playing app called Golfgamez. He has assembled some raw data related to market size, as well as start-up and development costs, but is unsure how to proceed. He must evaluate the revenue and cost estimates for this business idea and prioritize the issues he faces. He must also consider the costs and benefits of available funding options, such as debt, equity or accelerator funding; crowdfunding; government grants; or sweat equity funding. Should he quit his successful career in banking to pursue his dream, should he try to do this part time and risk failure or should he give up altogether? Golfgamex (B): Funding a Digital Startup, 9B13E011, is the supplement to this case.

The owners of a wedding videography startup, which offers three levels of services at different price points, are looking to hire someone to design a website prototype for the fledgling business. They believe the website should allow their customers to scroll through the various services included with each package, display standard prices and provide an order/contact form. They are unsure if they expect their customers to access the site using mobile devices as well as computer-based browsers, since they are worried about the cost of the different design approaches required for different screen sizes. This sets the stage for an introductory demonstration of a free visual wireframing and process prototyping tool called justinmind (www.justinmind.com).

In 2012, an investment banking summer intern in the head office of a leading international financial institution has received some stellar reviews. His manager hints that as long the intern keeps up the good work, his full-time return offer is all but guaranteed. However, the 120-hour work weeks would deprive him of any opportunity to spend time with his family. He must choose between taking advantage of the organization’s Summer Intern Mobility Program, which would allow him to apply to work full time at another office, closer to his family, versus staying put at the head office, where he has already established a good reputation and where a full-time job offer seems imminent.

The Smith family is in a cash crunch. Even with a combined gross family income of $80,000 per year, monthly cash outflows are still greater than inflows. Joel and Amber Smith are aware of these cash flow problems, but do not understand where their money goes and struggle to set financial goals. They have contacted a financial advisory firm to help them develop a plan and set realistic future goals. The Smiths face financial problems common to young families such as saving for their retirement and children’s education, paying down credit card debt, paying down (and possibly refinancing) their mortgage, buying a new vehicle, and providing adequate healthcare insurance. Students are tasked with playing the role of the family’s financial advisor and helping them bring their finances under control.<br><br><br><br>The case is built in two parts, (A) and (B). These can be used in separate 75- to 90-minute classes, with Smith Family Financial Plan (A) covered at the midpoint of the course and Smith Family Financial Plan (B), product 9B13N006, covered near the end. Alternatively, it can be used as a two-part major assignment, with Part (A) as the first major submission and Part (B) as the second.

A retiring professor must establish a comprehensive financial plan that enables him and his wife to achieve their target lifestyle. In preparing this plan, they devise a budget and a travel agenda and then determine whether they can achieve these outlays and, if so, what risks are involved and how they might manage these risks. They must consider the optimal mix of debt and equity, domestic and foreign currencies, and short- and long-term debt issues.

The owner of a maple sugar farm and tourist facility must prepare the company books for the fiscal year according to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) rules. The owner must decide how to account for operating and finance leases.

The owner of a scenic flying tour operation reviews the financial details of his company's fixed assets for the purpose of completing the necessary accounting transactions for the fiscal year.

A small startup firm in the environmental services industry has spent the majority of its time developing its technology and overcoming the significant regulatory hurdles involved in bringing its technology to market. Having achieved success with the technology, the company must now decide which path to take to grow. The owners can try to raise the money themselves through a bank loan and do the expansion on their own terms. On the other hand, they can forge a financial partnership with a venture capital firm or a strategic partnership with another firm, or they can issue preferred shares to a local investment fund or corporate bonds to a local insurance company. These alternatives will share the risks and expense of expansion, but the company may lose some autonomy in its decision making in future.

Two aspiring musicians and music producers launch and incorporate their own record label. At the end of the company’s first year of operations, the partners face their first financial year-end, and they wonder how the company’s assets, many of which are intangible, should be presented in the statement of financial position.

The sole shareholder and manager of a premier soccer cleat retailer/wholesaler must analyze his company's 2010 performance. The company had experienced significant growth during the past two years and the manager was anxious to find out if the company's recent expansion was as profitable as he had predicted.

An accounting firm has just informed the president of a 55-year-old, third-generation family-owned and -operated company that the family business is beginning to struggle financially. This news pushes years of simmering tensions and conflict within the family business into open conflict. The president has accused his sister, a vice president, of not doing her job. The sister is frustrated and needs to decide what action to take.

The founder and CEO of Veranda Brands, a designer and marketer of home furnishing products, is preparing to coach three department managers so that they are ready to work well in a growing organization. Through staff layoffs, the company (founded in 2002) survived the 2008 financial crisis and actually increased the founder’s personal investment. The company has since grown to $8 million in sales and its staff has grown to 50 employees (2012). To continue this growth and progress to the next level, the company’s top employees need to function at a higher level which can be reached through targeted coaching.

A procurement officer has got himself into some difficulties by trying to do what he thinks was the right thing in being responsive and accommodating for an internal client. In doing so, he has violated a number of unwritten ethical expectations of his role. He is wondering what he could have done differently and, specifically, how to handle an upcoming conversation with his chief executive officer about his future with the company.

Green Mills Inc. operates several lumber mills throughout the Northwestern United States that produce a variety of wood products. The company is currently considering expanding operations to Chile as a vehicle for reducing the costs of raw materials. In that regard, the management team is interested in analyzing the cost implications as a vehicle to properly assess this backward integration strategy. More specifically, management wishes to evaluate several different aggregate planning policies including level, chase and mixed policies.

In 2012, the owner of a popular batting cage reveals financial details about her company’s long-lived assets for the purpose of completing the necessary fiscal-year accounting transactions.

The chief financial officer (CFO) and major shareholder of a small charter sport fishing company must prepare the company books for the fiscal year according to international financial reporting standards (IFRS) rules. The CFO must deal with both finance and operating leases.