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The three founders of a London-based, start-up smoothie company must decide between three growth options: expansion of the existing product line into Europe, extension of the brand into other product categories, or continued organic growth within the United Kingdom.

An executive wonders if it is possible to increase profits by changing the mix of products at a shipyard. The yard currently operates below the breakeven point, so must achieve profitability or default on loan payments.

The Bonita Bay Marina, founded 20 years ago by the Bonita Bay Group, established a reputation of high-quality service delivery. According to the marina's manager, customers' high regard for their services was due to the organization's adherence to a well-defined customer service philosophy known as the E5 Customer Service Philosophy. The manager must decide whether the benefits of pursuing a Clean Marina certification program would bolster the level of service quality and, ultimately, the reputation of Bonita Bay Group in the marketplace. Further evaluation of the current customer service program is needed to determine whether the clean marina certification would complement the existing E5 Customer Service Philosophy and create synergies that would enhance customer perceptions of their services as well as contribute to profit margins for years to come.

This case details the history of Southwest Airlines from its inception, in 1971, until 2004. The case provides details of Southwest's business model and reasons for success. It ends with a description of the company's competitive pressures in 2004. The case can be used for a course in service operations or strategy.

This case outlines the history of JetBlue Airways from its inception, in 2000, until 2004. The case provides details of JetBlue's business model and reasons for success. It can be used in a course on service operations or strategy.

In June 2004, members of the Material Flow Committee at Stanford Hospital and Clinics were faced with the challenge of implementing important process improvements in the operating room. Though notable progress had been made in the recent past, complaints from surgeons, nurses, and technicians regarding the availability of surgical instrumentation had reached an all-time high. Finding a solution was urgent, but opinions varied widely regarding the best course of action. Some individuals believed that instrumentation sterilization and processing should be adopted as a core competency (and made central to employee training and compensation). Others felt the hospital should invest in additional instruments and information technology to improve efficiencies. A third faction believed that instrumentation issues resulted, in large part, from low morale and a lack of cross-functional camaraderie and teamwork within the operating room. A decision had to be made to devote Stanford's limited time and resources to the solution that would have the greatest, most immediate impact on its operating room effectiveness.

The founder and CEO of a CRM software start-up must decide between an attractive acquisition offer and the opportunity to go public. Discusses the growth of the company--including a lengthy discussion of entrepreneurial bootstrapping--as well as an aborted IPO attempt in 2000. The central question is whether the company will create more value by staying independent or by joining a larger organization.

Explores fiduciary duty issues that arose in litigation among partners in the partnership that owned and controlled the Mall of America. Describes the complex real estate transaction in which one partner attempted to purchase an additional interest in the mall from a nonpartner financing entity and the litigation that ensued.

Explores how IBM incorporated diversity into its business strategy, making the case that workforce diversity is critical to marketing its products and services to its customers. In the early 1990s, Ted Childs, vice-president of Workforce Diversity, proposed to CEO Lou Gerstner the creation of eight diversity task forces. Delves into the organizational and cultural impediments to starting a diversity task force initiative and how IBM overcame these obstacles to implement an effective diversity strategy. After the task forces were established, they underwent tremendous growth and became global in scope. Childs also faces the challenge of taking a U.S.-based diversity strategy and applying it to IBM's global organization. Teaching Purpose: To demonstrate how a company can implement an effective diversity strategy and integrate it into its overall business strategy.

In June 2001, the men's wrestling program at Marquette University was terminated, despite the fact that the program had been operating for several years with privately raised funding. Bucknell University discontinued its wresting program the same year. An important factor in the termination of these programs was Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which required that "no person...on the basis of sex...be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." Title IX was primarily intended to help women overcome discrimination in academic programs, but it also applied to athletics. Marquette and Bucknell sued the U.S. Department of Education to eliminate what they viewed as the unintended consequences of Title IX implementation in reducing opportunities for men. Describes Title IX, its implementation, and controversial issues faced by institutions attempting to meet the objectives of the law.

In 1993 there was a major realignment of college football conferences, as three schools left the Big East Conference to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, leading to a wave of changes as the Big East moved to replace the departing schools. The University of Notre Dame was the nation's premier independent intercollegiate football program, unaffiliated with any conference. Notre Dame periodically had considered joining a conference, and had done so for its non-football sports, but had remained independent for football. Independence brought considerable financial benefits, primarily in the form of a lucrative television contract, but also caused difficulties. With the conference landscape changing, the school reconsidered its future, and the possible benefits of joining a conference. Describes the intercollegiate conference system and the related economic issues.

The case describes how Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. grew under the visionary leadership of Barry Sternlicht, its founder and CEO. It documents how Sternlicht acquired, financed and integrated two leading hotel brands - Westin and ITT Sheraton to become a globally diversified leading hotel chain. The company's newly appointed president of Asia Pacific was given the goal of boosting the share of operating profit from 10 to 25 percent by 2007.

The Walt Disney Internet Group (WDIG) Japan has recently launched an entirely new set of interactive mobile character/agents for the NTT DoCoMo iMode platform, called Dimo. Having built Japan's most successful mobile entertainment business using traditional Disney-branded characters and related content, these Dimo characters have been designed to go well beyond entertainment and become valuable guides, assistants, and friends for users of the continuously evolving mobile Internet and the increasingly complex tasks enabled by this platform. Although the WDIG Japan team feels strongly that these types of character/agents will be the future of human-device interactions, subscription figures six months after Dimo's launch suggest that Japan's mobile consumers may not share this belief.

The introduction of digital imaging in the late 1980s had a disruptive effect on Kodak's traditional business model. Examines Kodak's strategic efforts and challenges as the photography industry evolves. After discussing Kodak's history and its past strategic moves in the new landscape, the case 'Kodak and the Digital Revolution' questions how CEO Daniel Carp can use digital imaging to revitalize Kodak. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

The management team of Marvel Enterprises, known for its universe of superhero characters that includes Spider-Man, the Hulk, and X-Men, must reevaluate its marketing strategy. In June 2004, only six years after the company emerged from bankruptcy, Marvel has amassed a market value of more than $2 billion. Originally known as a comic book publisher, the company now also has highly profitable toy, motion picture, and consumer products licensing operations. However, doubts about Marvel's business model and its growth potential continue to exist. Had Marvel's winning streak been just a fluke? Was Marvel's success dependent on a limited set of blockbuster characters, most notably Spider-Man, and should Marvel continue to capitalize on those characters? Or was it time to seek growth in a larger set of lesser known characters? In exploring growth opportunities, was it wise for Marvel to venture outside its current business model and move into more capital-intensive activities? What marketing strategy would allow Marvel to sustain its success in the coming years? Includes color exhibits.

In 2004, the $16.8 billion U.S. health club industry continued its strong record of growth. There were almost 27,000 health clubs in the United States, up from 6,700 two decades earlier, and these clubs claimed 41 million members, over 14% of the U.S. population. Nearly 67 million people used these clubs in 2004. As the industry grew, many large chains began to emerge, opening new outlets and buying up smaller chains and independents. Most industry observers believed the growth and consolidation would continue, providing many opportunities for investors. However, few health club chains were publicly listed, and the leading listed company, Bally Total Fitness, was under U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation for accounting irregularities. Yet this investigation did little to dampen enthusiasm for the new personal health phenomenon, and rumors abounded of private equity deals in the offing. The key question for investors seemed to be how best to take advantage of the opportunity.

Focuses on a crisis in the board at Vivendi. Highlights the difficulties that arise when dramatic pressure from outside the boardroom affects boardroom dynamics. In this case, there are two events. The first is an unexpectedly large financial loss and a pending cash flow crisis that forces Vivendi's directors to deal with the issue of dismissing their CEO. Whatever they decide, their actions will be scrutinized by the press and investors and will likely be revisited in a legal environment. The second is the board diagnosing its role in the financial crisis by approving a series of costly acquisitions in recent years that led to the crisis.

Explores Martha Stewart's December 2001 sale of ImClone Systems common stock, the ensuing federal investigations into possible insider trading, and Stewart's criminal prosecution and sentencing. Discusses the impact of publicity on Stewart's company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, and on her personal image, and raises issues of prosecutorial discretion. Challenges students to consider the validity of the insider trading charge against Stewart as well as the securities fraud charge included in the indictment, the appropriate sentence, and whether federal authorities unfairly singled out Stewart for investigation.

On September 17, 2004, Ford Motor Company announced the details of a "revitalization plan" for its ailing Jaguar Cars subsidiary. The plan was aimed at cost savings and reducing excess capacity and overhead expenses (e.g., withdrawing from Formula One racing). In the same period, Jaguar launched a Web-based advertising campaign for its entry-level X-Type and a provocative ad series for its XJ flagship model based on themes from the Seven Deadly Sins. The case provides opportunities to discuss Jaguar's innovative ad campaign and to explore economic models that explain expenditures on non-informative advertising as a signal of product quality (handicap principle).

Describes a small, luxury retail chain's operational sophistication achieved through the use of technology and "high-touch" customer service. A family-run business, Mitchells has built its success with a customer service strategy known internally as "hugging." The term is deceptively simple. The firm's true success lies in its blend of a warm, other-oriented corporate culture, sophisticated information technology, and an effective family business structure. It is currently considering further expansion for future generations. A rewritten version of an earlier case.