個案總覽

In the 'Delta Air Lines (A): The Low-Cost Carrier Threat' case, the top management of Delta Air Lines must decide how to respond to the threat posed by low-cost carriers such as Southwest and JetBlue. Among the options considered is the launch of a low-cost subsidiary by Delta itself. Prior efforts to launch a low-cost subsidiary, by Delta and by other full-service airlines, have failed. Can Delta devise a better response?

How should the debt of sovereign countries be restructured when countries approach default? Anne O. Krueger of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is proposing a new approach to sovereign defaults: the Sovereign Debt Restructuring Mechanism (SDRM). The SDRM would create a new international legal framework for sovereign defaults, similar to bankruptcy proceedings in the private sector. A new judicial group within the IMF would oversee the SDRM, and it would be implemented through international treaties. Krueger has to construct a convincing case that the SDRM would be more effective than alternative approaches to sovereign defaults. The case provides information on some major sovereign defaults (the crises in Latin America, Mexico, and Asia) and on the existing institutions and processes that creditors and debtors turn to in sovereign defaults. Students must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches to sovereign defaults.

On April 14, 1994, two U.S. Air Force F-15 fighters accidentally shot down two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters over Northern Iraq, killing all 26 peacekeepers onboard. Describes the initial investigation and response to this accident and raises questions about the role of human behavior in the accident. Told through the eyes of three of the main participants--Captain Eric Wickson, Lieutenant Ricky Wilson, and Brigadier General Jeffrey Scott Pilkington.

When Jeffrey Swartz became the third generation in his family to lead the Timberland Co., he made community involvement an integral part of the company's strategy. Under Swartz's leadership, Timberland formed a close partnership with City Year, the national corps of young adults engaged in community service events, established a community enterprise division to schedule community service events, and gave each employee 32 hours of annual paid leave to participate in service work. As a result of these initiatives, Swartz believed the idea of community service at Timberland had gone beyond traditional notions of philanthropy or cause-related marketing to become a central feature of the company and brand's identity. However, in 1995, the spectacular sales growth Timberland enjoyed during the first years of Jeffrey Swartz's tenure as COO leveled off. The company reported its first loss and initiated significant restructuring. The tough times prompted some observers to question Timberland's continued commitment to community service. An abridged version of a case.

This case is about African-American, Latin American and Asian undergraduate, international business majors from a Boston-area university who traveled to Spain, France and Germany for a year-long period of study and work. Presented are their experiences being minority students in Europe. The experiences range from annoying stares to aggressive propositions from men. This case can be used with the note The Changing Face of Europe: A Note on Immigration and Societal Attitudes, product 9B03M050 to prepare business students for overseas study and internships.

Although McDonald's breakfast and snack sales increased, they have not kept pace with industry growth. The primary barrier to this sales growth in the Canadian market, according to a franchise owner, is the quality of the coffee. McDonald's in Canada has tried to build its coffee brand equity for many years. It had switched to the Higgins and Burke coffee but had little success changing negative customer perceptions. To change customer perceptions, McDonald's needed to revolutionize its coffee program. McCafe was introduced in response to this coffee issue: a full-service coffee bar located in a McDonald's restaurant as an extension to the front counter or located as a stand-alone restaurant. Over 300 McCafes existed worldwide. Although McDonald's would like to get a piece of the lucrative coffee market, McCafe's main objective was to eliminate coffee as a barrier to breakfast and snack sales. The question for one franchise owner is whether McCafe's strong initial sales can be sustained.

Raymond James Financial (RJF) currently sells financial services through two channels. It is considering adding a third in the "middle" of the other two. The current strategy has one channel with employees and another with independent contractors. These attract very different financial advisers with various interests. The new proposal would create a "quasi" employee who would have some of the benefits of being an employee, but enjoy a lot more freedom than a traditional employee in running his or her own business. Raises many important issues at a general level as well as those specific to service industries. First, students must decide how many different services the firm should offer. How targeted should the firm be? How does the firm ensure that the right people select the right offering? Which salespeople should sell in which model? Given the competitive dynamic, the class is able to discuss why an adviser comes to work at RJF as compared with another firm and what this means for his or her business. Offers an opportunity to apply marketing principles to a human resources problem and discuss how test markets differ between business and consumer marketing and between products and services.

Describes the turnaround of America Latina Logistica, a $200 million revenue, formerly state-owned, railway in Brazil that has been restored to profitability by its CEO, a recent MBA graduate. After successfully transforming the company's operations, finances, and organization, the CEO must decide whether to acquire a trucking company and offer integrated logistics solutions to customers or stay focused on its core business of rail transportation. Provides rich data describing the details of the company's turnaround and also provides sufficient industry and financial data to analyze the strategic and financial implications of the proposed merger.

David Fischer is trying to raise $200 million for a first-time venture debt fund that will be affiliated with Silicon Valley Bank, a major technology lender. Despite his lengthy experience in venture lending, the process is proving difficult. He and his partners are considering whether to continue trying to raise the full amount or to close a smaller sum that is readily available and prove the model before trying to raise a larger fund. In making their decision, the partners must consider the structure of the fund and the value added by their links to the bank as well as how to counter conflict of interest concerns raised by the potential limited partners.

Even though Ford Motor Co. reports improved profitability, an equity analyst issues a sell recommendation and Standard & Poor's downgrades long-term debt.

The December 20, 1994 Mexican devaluation creates U.S. dollar losses for an unprepared U.S. corporation with multiple operations in Mexico.

Founded by Mr. Yuen Shu-Wah in 1982, Manfield Coatings Co. Ltd. was a niche player producing customized industrial coatings for various industrial products. A quality management system was first implemented at Manfield in 1996. By 1997, Manfield was certified for ISO 9001:1994. In the following years, Yuen continually pitched the company against audits and examinations through award applications, and Manfield continued to receive quality awards and certificates.

For a century, Tata Steel has provided a level of compassion that is unmatched in its sector or its country. But the onslaught of global competition and, crucially, global capital markets have sparked serious debate on the role, level and the sustainability of social spending at Tata Steel. In particular, a new emphasis on EVA risks upsetting the century-old commitment to CSR.

The set of three cases Online Music (A), (B) and (C) trace the tumultuous developments in the online media sector since the commercialization of the Internet. Heralded by Napster, Internet-based sharing programs revolutionized the consumption and sharing of music in the late 1990s. Music majors struggled to respond to the technology-driven changes around them. The case series traces the responses of players such as Apple, who introduced a new model in the music business, and ends with a discussion in Case (C) on the lessons for the movie sector from the experience of the music industry.

The case covers the use of partnerships by a business development group of Motorola to gain quick access to new, complementary technologies and highlights how Motorola manages collaborations with smaller, entrepreneurial firms. The case ends with questions about how Motorola will jockey for position in an ecosystem formed by its customer, BT. customer's ecosystem, which regrouped firms such as Vodafone, a mobile operator, and Ericsson and Alcatel, competitors in some of Motorola's markets.

This case describes the dramatic rise and fall of Saatchi and Saatchi in the Advertising industry, based on their vision of scale, globalization and diversification, driven by an aggressive acquisition strategy. The (A) case, set in 1988, is a condensed version based on the earlier INSEAD case by Sumantra Ghoshal and Alice Aves (INSEAD, 1989).

Examines Mondavi Winery's struggle to communicate its value proposition to the market following an apparently successful IPO. The Mondavi Winery had a strong reputation for innovation in the wine industry and had undertaken an IPO to secure the funding needed to continue to build on this tradition. Although the IPO was an initial success, the stock price soon began to fall. Places students in the role of the company founder, Robert Mondavi, as he considers how to communicate the vision of his family's company to investors. Beyond the primary issue of developing a communication strategy, this case allows students to consider the demands for communication created by an IPO and the impact on the management of the company.

Employees, officers, and directors of Texas Gulf Sulphur acquired or tipped off others to acquire common stock or options before and concurrent with the announcement of a major discovery of ore. The question is whether any of these acquisitions violated either federal securities law, state fiduciary law, or ethical standards.

This case describes how the Boston archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church handled allegations of clergy sexual abuse during the 1990s. In 2002, the archdiocese was confronted by public revelations of how the allegations were handled. Professional organizations first and foremost must protect the interests of those whom the profession serves. Professional organizations, however, also protect and further the interests of their members. The case also describes the Boston archdiocese's initial response to the storm of public criticism that followed the revelations.

This case explores how the public reputation of a profession evolves as its membership changes. The public reputation of a professional relies on its association's credibility for ensuring, through rigorous certification and self-regulation, that its members place client interests foremost. It demonstrates that if associations deviate from this objective and focus instead on the well-being of their members, the public goodwill of the profession suffers.