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The Department of Corporate Sponsored Research & Licensing (CSRL) at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) serves as the primary interface between the hospital and the private sector. Examines the range of issues related to the commercialization of MGH's technologies. Discusses the debates surrounding the CSRL office mission and measures of its success as well as the impact of conflict of interest policies on technology development and commercialization.

Patrimonio Hoy is a program targeting the housing needs of the low-income population by CEMEX, a major Mexican company and a leading global cement producer. Originally conceived as a project to understand the customers in the self-construction segment better, a major component of Mexican home-building concentrated in low-income neighborhoods, Patrimonio Hoy has generated recognition and good will for the company. Its innovative approach reduces significantly the cost and time needed by the poor to improve their housing. Begun in 1998, the program has reached break-even in 2004, with strong prospects of growth in the future. The president of CEMEX North America wonders whether the program should be turned into a major line of business for the company. Provides a good understanding of financing mechanisms available to home builders in Mexico and represents an interesting application of microfinance and product design to open a new market segment based on the needs of low-income customers.

The KIPP Academies are, two high-performing public middle schools founded in 1995 by Michael Feinberg and David Levin in Houston and New York. In January 2000, Feinberg and Levin meet with Scott Hamilton, managing director of the Pisces Foundation, to discuss the possible national replication of the KIPP school model. In addition to covering the wisdom and nature of a possible expansion strategy, they need to assess their common understanding of the essential attributes of the KIPP school program. The history of Feinberg and Levin's efforts to open their schools and the characteristics of their mature schools are presented.

The Electronic Product Code (EPC) is a successor to the Uniform Product Code and will improve the efficiency and traceability of the global food system. Focuses on how best to implement this new system and respect the privacy of the ultimate consumer. Teaching Purpose: To analyze the impact of EPC on the global food system.

Mario Quintana, managing partner of Pegasus Capital, was preparing for the upcoming Musimundo board of directors meeting. He was satisfied with the investment decisions of the entertainment retailer, as actual performance surpassed the initial budget. However, given a recent market rebound, Quintana worried that the firm might be falling short of its potential. Additionally, the board of directors would have to analyze a proposal to reset sales targets for the different stores.

In 1998, STMicroelectronics initiated the e-Chain Optimization (eChO) project with one of its major customers in a joint effort to streamline the company's planning and replenishment operations. Prior to eChO, inefficient and disconnected manual processes were used to match customer demand with ST's fab capacity. This, combined with high demand uncertainty, resulted in inefficiencies in capacity utilization, inventory management, product-mix decisions, and capacity investments. As part of the eChO project, a new B2B system, based on RosettaNet standards, was put in place to enable collaborative planning and replenishments. The new solutions were to be based on a vendor-managed-inventory (VMI) model. The eChO project was successful, allowing both business partners to improve substantially the efficiency of their internal operations and increase customer satisfaction while simultaneously reducing their inventory-related and other operating costs. In addition, it helped foster greater customer loyalty. The discovery process for the first implementation project took a total of three years and required significant investments from both business partners. To reap the most benefits from this investment, ST had to apply the key findings and duplicate the RosettaNet-enabled business processes to other trading partners. However, ST was likely to face several major obstacles along the way, such as an unwillingness of other customers to make the required initial investments.

Designed as an overview of all aspects of the strategy process: industry analysis, positioning, dynamics and sustainability, and scope issues of corporate strategy, including vertical integration, horizontal diversification, and location issues. Ice-Fili is the largest ice cream producer in Russia in 2002, but is facing strong competition from Nestle despite its success over other multinational competitors. Contains detailed exhibits, allowing deeper analyses. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

Two members of Deutsche Bank's Fixed Income Research Group are discussing how to advise clients on bond vs. equity asset allocation. A critical aspect to this asset allocation decision is the equity risk premium. Discusses a unique way developed by the bank for understanding the implications of the risk premium.

Deutsche Bank's Fixed Income Research Group is looking for yield curve trades to pitch to clients as well as for their proprietary trading desk. The group has data on recent bond trades and a proprietary term structure model, which they can use to develop trading ideas.

Focusing on one entrepreneur, Jerry Rao, this case examines the international career paths of Indian business professionals and engineers since the development of public policies beginning in the 1960s to attract them to developed countries like the United States. Explores why these professionals often chose to leave India in pursuit of economic opportunities abroad in the 1960s through 1980s and why many seem now to be returning to their homeland to start or run businesses. Also, considers the role of Diaspora of Indian professionals in contributing to the development of the export-oriented Indian IT sector.

In September 2003, Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric, must evaluate a final proposal for GE to acquire Amersham plc, the leading producer of contrast agents used in medical diagnostics. The case permits the valuation of Amersham based on peer firms, comparable transactions, and recent trading history. But the focus of analysis is on the robustness of Amersham's intellectual property (IP). On close examination, the company's IP position is weaker than it appears, given recent patents filed by competitors. The economic impact of these IP challenges may be tested in the case of the company's leading product, Visipaque, for which the case gives cash flows. Discounted cash flow analysis reveals great sensitivity to the remaining years of effective patent life. A key lesson underscores the importance of due-diligence research on a firm's IP position.

In the summer of 2002, Brad and Brent Handler established Exclusive Resorts, a luxury vacation residence venture, to meet the demand for luxury vacation residences that avoided the hassles of owning a second home and being tied to a single location. The challenge was to position the venture in both the market and nonmarket environments. The positioning in the market environment was successful, and Exclusive Resorts was an instant success. In the nonmarket environment, Exclusive Resorts was organized like a country club, allowing it to avoid state time-share regulations. The success of Exclusive Resorts soon spurred others to enter the luxury vacation residence club industry and, at the same time, nonmarket threats began to grow. The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) had many concerns: Were luxury vacation residence clubs operating outside the law (consumers were not protected by state time-share law)? Were contractual arrangements transparent to consumers? Could possible fraud or failures among the clubs tarnish the entire resort development industry, including its members? ARDA sought to have luxury vacation residence clubs registered in the states in which they held properties and in which they sold memberships. If state registration were required, Exclusive Resorts would be subject to costly and burdensome regulations. Indeed, a core component of the Exclusive Resorts business model, inventory replacement via the sale of residences, would be prohibited.

Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid, a leading European soccer team, is preparing for a press conference in which he will be asked about his plans for the coming season. Economic success and some sports mishaps during the prior season represent the scenario in which planning decisions are made.

In 2003, Steve Hash, research director at Lehman Brothers, prepared to initiate the firm's "Ten Uncommon Values" stock-picking process for the year. An investment committee had to pick the 10 best stocks from about 100 stock ideas presented by the firm's analysts. The performance of the stocks selected for the Ten Uncommon Values had historically been strong--an investment strategy to acquire the recommended stocks and hold them for one year would have outperformed the S&P 500 for 39 of the last 54 years. However, during the latest three years--2000 to 2002--the recommendations had performed poorly, generating an average return of -22.5% vs. -11.7% for the S&P 500. Hash pondered several questions: What was the importance of the Ten Uncommon Values for Lehman Brothers and its clients? How much time and effort should the firm put into the process of selecting stocks for the report? How many members should be on the Investment Policy Committee, and who should be selected? What should the process for selection be? Should analysts whose stocks were selected be compensated for their picks? Finally, should they continue the process? Teaching Purpose: Using both qualitative and quantitative data, to allow students to discuss a range of issues: the optimal process of selecting stocks, the optimal size of the committee, how much time to spend with each analyst, private or public voting on stocks by the committee members, the right decision-making process, and whether incentives play a role in the process.

Petrolink's business plan looks like a winner. At present, the only available pipeline for operators in the Baltic Sea's newly developed Helmark gas field is owned and operated by the Russian oil and gas company Gazprom. Petrolink's founders believe that the company that opens a new pipeline should find ready customers among the field's numerous independent producers. The Petrolink team has been talking with two potential investors. After six weeks of due diligence, London Development Partners--a large, well-established venture capital firm with no experience in the gas business--offers a relatively small early round of investment without any tangible commitments to future rounds, far from what the team had hoped for. Polish venture capital firm BRX Capital has been in business fewer than five years, but it has already made investments in the Eastern European oil and gas industry. BRX agrees to the capital structure that Petrolink proposes, and to invest both the first- and second-round equity amounts. One of the start-up's main objectives has been to ensure that no one investor has too much clout, so the BRX arrangement suits them. But now that a four million eurodollar check is on the table, there's been an apparent breach of trust by the Polish VC. Petrolink's founders discover that an agreed-upon provision covering ownership dilution has been changed. Should they take BRX's money or go elsewhere? In R0411A and R0411Z, George Brenkert of Georgetown University; Sonia Lo of Chalsys Partners; William Sahlman of Harvard Business School; and Charalambos Vlachoutsicos, adviser to 7L Capital Partners Emerging Europe, comment on this fictional case.

Petrolink's business plan looks like a winner. At present, the only available pipeline for operators in the Baltic Sea's newly developed Helmark gas field is owned and operated by the Russian oil and gas company Gazprom. Petrolink's founders believe that the company that opens a new pipeline should find ready customers among the field's numerous independent producers. The Petrolink team has been talking with two potential investors. After six weeks of due diligence, London Development Partners--a large, well-established venture capital firm with no experience in the gas business--offers a relatively small early round of investment without any tangible commitments to future rounds, far from what the team had hoped for. Polish venture capital firm BRX Capital has been in business fewer than five years, but it has already made investments in the Eastern European oil and gas industry. BRX agrees to the capital structure that Petrolink proposes, and to invest both the first- and second-round equity amounts. One of the start-up's main objectives has been to ensure that no one investor has too much clout, so the BRX arrangement suits them. But now that a four million eurodollar check is on the table, there's been an apparent breach of trust by the Polish VC. Petrolink's founders discover that an agreed-upon provision covering ownership dilution has been changed. Should they take BRX's money or go elsewhere? Commenting on this fictional case study in R0411A and R0411Z are George Brenkert of Georgetown University; Sonia Lo of Chalsys Partners; William Sahlman of Harvard Business School; and Charalambos Vlachoutsicos, adviser to 7L Capital Partners Emerging Europe.

Petrolink's business plan looks like a winner. At present, the only available pipeline for operators in the Baltic Sea's newly developed Helmark gas field is owned and operated by the Russian oil and gas company Gazprom. Petrolink's founders believe that the company that opens a new pipeline should find ready customers among the field's numerous independent producers. The Petrolink team has been talking with two potential investors. After six weeks of due diligence, London Development Partners--a large, well-established venture capital firm with no experience in the gas business--offers a relatively small early round of investment without any tangible commitments to future rounds, far from what the team had hoped for. Polish venture capital firm BRX Capital has been in business fewer than five years, but it has already made investments in the Eastern European oil and gas industry. BRX agrees to the capital structure that Petrolink proposes, and to invest both the first- and second-round equity amounts. One of the start-up's main objectives has been to ensure that no one investor has too much clout, so the BRX arrangement suits them. But now that a four million eurodollar check is on the table, there's been an apparent breach of trust by the Polish VC. Petrolink's founders discover that an agreed-upon provision covering ownership dilution has been changed. Should they take BRX's money or go elsewhere? Commenting on this fictional case study in R0411A and R0411Z are George Brenkert of Georgetown University; Sonia Lo of Chalsys Partners; William Sahlman of Harvard Business School; and Charalambos Vlachoutsicos, adviser to 7L Capital Partners Emerging Europe.

Examines the early-stage venture capital industry in India in 2004. Focuses on technology-based, early-stage venture capital, as opposed to private equity-type investments. Using the past success of Draper International Fund as background, briefly visits the history and evolution of venture capital in India and current market opportunities. Next, presents a basic framework for examining a venture capital ecosystem, and analyzes the promise of the Indian venture capital market in its context. The emergence of a strong Indo-U.S. corridor is also highlighted, and comparisons are made with Silicon Valley, California, and Israel.

Describes Salomon Brothers' recovery from the August 1991 Treasury auction scandal. Details the impact of the firm's disclosure of bidding improprieties and describes how the new management team, led by Warren Buffett and Deryck Maughan, guided the company through the ensuing crisis. The impact of the crisis is followed through the end of 1992. A rewritten version of an earlier case.

The (A) and (B) cases describe the evolution of HP supply chain for its PC business in Europe between years 1992 and 1999 and the different initiatives: build-to-order, vendor-managed inventory, supply hubs, top value, channel assembly program, etc. What should be the next step in this highly competitive environment?. Case (C) deals with HP strategy of outsourcing production to SCI, a contract manufacturer.