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Darden Graduate School of Business Administration - University of Virginia
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 360? FEEDBACK
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| 9 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Yemen, Gerry; Clawson, James G.; Clawson, James G.
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0861
Published: 12/5/2005
Copyright Year: 2005
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: Performance effectiveness, performance evaluation, performance management, performance measurement, coaching, career management, feedback, human resources, ?, personal change, personnel management, executive compensation.
Abstract: In most organizations, the employee appraisal process causes more tension than any other aspect of personnel management. Despite the good intentions behind it, a 360? Feedback system does little to quell the fear that performance evaluation tends to instill. But is it possible to design a 360? Feedback system that is both comfortable and constructive for employees? This technical note discusses the challenges of and opportunities for creating a system that improves performance effectiveness and enhances career success.
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| A Glossary of “Lean” Terms
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| 6 pp.
| Technical Note
Author(s): Russell, Harry “Mac”
Darden ID: UVA-OM-1334
Published: 2/11/2008
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Operations Management
Keywords: Lean manufacturing, Lean implementation
Abstract: “Lean” has been defined as the “relentless pursuit of the elimination of waste.” This technical note provides a glossary of terms concerning Lean implementation, including muda, muri, nura, kanban, andon board, SMED, poka-yoke, 5S, gemba, takt time, heijunka, and kaizen.
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| A Learning Team Drama in One Act
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| 4 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Pohl, Jessica; Sinnarajah, Jason; Isabella, Lynn A.
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0896
Published: 5/24/2007
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: Teamwork, conflict, cultural difference, diversity, multicultural teams, personality, personality conflicts, teams, managing teams, problems, problem solving.
Abstract: “Hee Soap, Hee Soap,” Timothy Jones sang out in a mocking fashion towards Hee Seop Choi, a fellow learning team member at a noted graduate school of business. Hoping to gain the benefits from a diversity of resources, knowledge, and ideas, MBA students at this school were assigned to learning teams. Each member was specifically chosen with an effort to mix up gender, nationalities, professional backgrounds, and interests. But those advantages may be outweighed by problems stemming from multicultural differences. This case offers a disguised, yet real, team experience that can be used in the classroom to unpack how this richly diverse group had trouble getting along and why their personality clashes intensified. The opportunity to discuss the challenges in light of culture, and the difference between that and problems stemming from personalities will help students reap the benefits intrinsic in multicultural teams.
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| A New Team Face
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| 4 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Davidson, Martin N.; Yemen, Gerry; Magnuson, Erin
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0920
Published: 11/12/2007
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: team dynamics, diversity, integration
Abstract: A marketing team, asked to compile a marketing deck in response to an urgent request by the head of a business, has completed the task. Still the team leader is concerned about the dynamics he observed during the meeting of his marketing group team. He has noticed that a recent recruit to the team, an African American, is being ignored when he contributes to the discussion although his ideas are solid ones. The leader is left with some nagging questions: What happened to this recruit in the meeting? Why wasn’t he more integrated into the team? How was he feeling about the meeting? And most important, was there any way to make the collaborative process more effective the next time around?
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| A Technical Note on Angel Investing in Emerging Markets
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| 14 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Rodriguez, Peter L.
Darden ID: UVA-BP-0503
Published: 8/3/2006
Copyright Year: 2006
Subject Area: Global Economics
Keywords: Angel Investing, Venture Capital, Emerging Markets, entrepreneurshp, Latin America, Economic Growth
Abstract: This technical note discusses the practice of angel investing, particularly its meaning and suitability to emerging markets. Adapted from a chapter in An Executive Briefing on Angel Investing in Latin America (Batten Institute), this note focuses on business in Latin America, but the discussion and the relationships discussed are relevant and perfectly suitable to discussions of early-stage finance and entrepreneurship in all emerging economies. Additionally, the note explores the role of angel investors and venture capitalists on entrepreneurial activity and economic development.
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| A Tough Sell in Sales Management (A)
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| 3 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Grenblad, Daniel; Yemen, Gerry
Darden ID: UVA-M-0739
Published: 4/7/2006
Copyright Year: 2006
Subject Area: Marketing
Keywords: As a manager of a global subsidiary, how skilled should you be in predicting a customer’s behavior? Larry Swartz, country manager at Genua in Sweden AB, an IT services company, and one of his sales people were awaiting a promised fax about a sweet deal he
Abstract: As a manager of a local subsidiary, how skilled should you be in understanding a customer‘s behavior? Lars Falk, country manager at Genupay in Sweden AB, an IT software company, and one of his sales people were awaiting a promised fax about a sweet deal he had landed with a Swedish casino company. The timing of this contract could not have been better. The CEO of Genupay Inc., the parent company in London, United Kingdom, was putting the pressure on Falk to address some financial shortcomings. The local company was, so far, a loss-making subsidiary. In the (A) case, Falk senses a problem when the promised contract fails to appear. The (B) case, 24 hours later, reveals that the customer is canceling its purchase. The (C) case reveals that the purchasing contract signatory left the casino company, which has Falk wondering about the potential fallout of taking legal action. This case set is intended to be read and taught in a single 90-minute class. It allows for the application of frameworks on mapping functional and legal roles of actors in the buying decision and the personal selling processes. The main events of the case are actual occurrences; all actors are disguised.
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| Abbott and the AIDS Crisis (A)
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| 10 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Mead, Jenny; Werhane, Patricia H.
Darden ID: UVA-E-0311
Published: 2/29/2008
Copyright Year: 2008
Subject Area: Ethics
Keywords: ethics, ethical issues, stakeholder management, corporate social responsibility, healthcare, nonprofit initiatives, leadership, innovation, diversity
Abstract: In 1999, the 20-year-old AIDS crisis had ravaged many developing countries and, in particular, on the continent of Africa. Of the estimated 33.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide in 1998, almost two-thirds (22 million) were in sub-Saharan Africa, considered the “global epicenter” of the disease. Already 12 million had died, and life expectancy in the region plummeted from 62 years to 47. Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories had responded at the start of the AIDS outbreak by developing the HIV diagnostic test kit and then, later in the crisis, developed some of the state-of-the-art HIV/AIDS drugs. Abbott executives, led by new CEO Miles White, wanted to address the crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, but in a specific, efficient, and effective way. This case details the evolution of the AIDS crisis, Abbott Laboratories’ HIV/AIDS drug production, and the company‘s efforts — in 1999 — to find other ways to battle HIV/AIDS globally.
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| Abbott and the AIDS Crisis (B)
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| 9 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Mead, Jenny; Werhane, Patricia H.
Darden ID: UVA-E-0312
Published: 2/29/2008
Copyright Year: 2008
Subject Area: Ethics
Keywords: ethics, ethical issues, stakeholder management, corporate social responsibility, healthcare, nonprofit initiatives, leadership, innovation, diversity, global, reputation
Abstract: In 1999 and 2000, Abbott Laboratories’ senior management considered a number of philanthropic options that could make a difference and define the focus for Abbott and the Abbott Fund‘s charitable programs. Although the cause was humanitarian, it was considered important that the programs align strategically with Abbott's leadership in the HIV/AIDS arena. The Abbott Fund officially launched the Program for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in June 2000. The program assisted orphans and vulnerable children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS as well as the communities that cared for them. They chose Tanzania as host for a pilot program, which involved updating the country's community health care infrastructure. Abbott partnered with Tanzania's Ministry of Health over the next five years to upgrade the facilities at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar Es Salaam, the Tanzanian capital; build an HIV center comprising an outpatient clinic and counseling/support facilities; create a national HIV teaching center; and introduce pharmacy, health information, and management systems. The dramatic growth of the Abbott Fund HIV/AIDS programs suggested a strategic turning point for the Abbott Fund, transforming it from a domestic philanthropic program to one with a global focus, now aligned with Abbott's international business focus. By 2003, nearly $20 million from the Abbott Fund was being invested in its developing-world AIDS programs.
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| Abbott and the AIDS Crisis (C): What Lies Ahead?
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| 3 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Mead, Jenny; Werhane, Patricia H.
Darden ID: UVA-E-0313
Published: 2/29/2008
Copyright Year: 2008
Subject Area: Ethics
Keywords: ethics, ethical issues, corporate social responsibility, healthcare, nonprofit initiatives, leadership, innovation, diversity, global
Abstract: The partnership between Abbott and the government of Tanzania continued to flourish. As a demonstration of Abbott’s long-term commitment to Tanzania, in 2007, the Abbott Fund opened its first office outside Abbott headquarters in Illinois. The new office in Dar es Salaam, led by Divisional Vice President Christy Wistar, oversaw the expanding number of philanthropic projects in Tanzania. In June 2007, Abbott CEO Miles White returned to Tanzania for the third time and announced the Abbott Fund‘s future plans to modernize the 23 regional laboratories across Tanzania. By the end of 2007, the Abbott Fund had invested more than $50 million in Tanzania alone, strengthening and modernizing the health care infrastructure and systems countrywide. The Abbott Fund planned to continue its support of numerous programs and organizations that were working to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS and deliver effective care and treatment to HIV-infected patients. The Abbott Fund also supported programs that provided for the basic needs of orphans and vulnerable children in Tanzania and elsewhere in Africa and India.
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| Acquisition Of Frantz Schuler Gmbh By Titan Products, Inc.
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| 15 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Watson, Dan; Bourgeois, L. J. III
Darden ID: UVA-BP-0466
Published: 3/3/2003
Revised: 1/26/2007
Copyright Year: 2003
Subject Area: Business Policy
Keywords: post merger integration; Corporate strategy; Management of change; Cross-cultural communications; Cultural conflict; Implementation; International strategy; Mergers; Merger integration; Organizational design; Role playing; Strategy implementation
Abstract: This case is designed to allow two integration teams, each representing one of two very different companies, to construct a joint post-acquisition-integration plan: Titan Products, Inc., a large, publicly traded, North American multinational (approximately $3 billion in annual sales); and Franz Schuler GMBH, a smaller, family-owned and -operated European company (approximately $500 million in annual sales). Some of the issues addressed by this role-play case include (1) organization of Schuler, (2) staffing of management positions, (3) joint-distribution channels, (4) resolution of culture conflicts, (5) focus of strategic and operational decisions, and (6) performance metrics for assessing the success of the acquisition. The role-play requires about 60 minutes of team preparation, 30 minutes of negotiation, and a normal class session (85 minutes) to debrief. The instructions and assignment questions for the case are self-contained.
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| Advanced Laser Clinics (A)
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| 4 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Ryan, Elizabeth; Clawson, James G.
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0886
Published: 1/24/2007
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: difficult conversations, hygiene, feedback, appraisals, hiring and firing, problem employees, risk, managing employees, human resources.
Teaching Note: UVA-OB-0886TN
Abstract: How do you tell one of your direct reports that she stinks? This case explores the dynamics behind having difficult conversations, and giving and receiving feedback. It is designed to illustrate the negative effects that can result after a difficult conversation and ways to reduce the risk of adverse consequences. The case also touches on relationships in the workplace and the correlation they have to the bottom line.
In the A case students have to decide whether to confront a worker about her hygiene problems. The B case offers a role-playing situation to practice conducting a difficult conversation. We learn in the C case that the discussion went terribly wrong, and in the E case readers are provided an epilogue.
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| Advanced Laser Clinics (B)
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| 2 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Ryan, Elizabeth; Clawson, James G.
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0887
Published: 1/24/2007
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: Difficult conversations, hygiene, feedback, appraisals, hiring and firing, problem employees, risk, managing employees, human resources.
Teaching Note: UVA-OB-0886TN
Abstract: How do you tell one of your direct reports that she stinks? This case explores the dynamics behind having difficult conversations, and giving and receiving feedback. It is designed to illustrate the negative effects that can result after a difficult conversation and ways to reduce the risk of adverse consequences. The case also touches on relationships in the workplace and the correlation they have to the bottom line.
In the A case students have to decide whether to confront a worker about her hygiene problems. The B case offers a role-playing situation to practice conducting a difficult conversation. We learn in the C case that the discussion went terribly wrong, and in the E case readers are provided an epilogue.
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| Advanced Laser Clinics (C)
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| 1 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Ryan, Elizabeth; Clawson, James G.
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0888
Published: 1/24/2007
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: Difficult conversations, hygiene, feedback, appraisals, hiring and firing, problem employees, risk, managing employees, human resources.
Teaching Note: UVA-OB-0886TN
Abstract: How do you tell one of your direct reports that she stinks? This case explores the dynamics behind having difficult conversations, and giving and receiving feedback. It is designed to illustrate the negative effects that can result after a difficult conversation and ways to reduce the risk of adverse consequences. The case also touches on relationships in the workplace and the correlation they have to the bottom line.
In the A case students have to decide whether to confront a worker about her hygiene problems. The B case offers a role-playing situation to practice conducting a difficult conversation. We learn in the C case that the discussion went terribly wrong, and in the E case readers are provided an epilogue.
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| Advanced Laser Clinics (D)
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| 1 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Ryan, Elizabeth; Clawson, James G.
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0889
Published: 1/24/2007
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: Difficult conversations, hygiene, feedback, appraisals, hiring and firing, problem employees, risk, managing employees, human resources.
Teaching Note: UVA-OB-0886TN
Abstract: How do you tell one of your direct reports that she stinks? This case explores the dynamics behind having difficult conversations, and giving and receiving feedback. It is designed to illustrate the negative effects that can result after a difficult conversation and ways to reduce the risk of adverse consequences. The case also touches on relationships in the workplace and the correlation they have to the bottom line.
In the A case students have to decide whether to confront a worker about her hygiene problems. The B case offers a role-playing situation to practice conducting a difficult conversation. We learn in the C case that the discussion went terribly wrong, and in the E case readers are provided an epilogue.
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| Advanced Laser Clinics (E)
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| 2 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Ryan, Elizabeth; Clawson, James G.
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0890
Published: 1/24/2007
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: Difficult conversations, feedback, appraisals, hiring and firing, problem employees, risk, managing employees, human resources.
Teaching Note: UVA-OB-0886TN
Abstract: How do you tell one of your direct reports that she stinks? This case explores the dynamics behind having difficult conversations, and giving and receiving feedback. It is designed to illustrate the negative effects that can result after a difficult conversation and ways to reduce the risk of adverse consequences. The case also touches on relationships in the workplace and the correlation they have to the bottom line.
In the A case students have to decide whether to confront a worker about her hygiene problems. The B case offers a role-playing situation to practice conducting a difficult conversation. We learn in the C case that the discussion went terribly wrong, and in the E case readers are provided an epilogue.
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| Advertising on the Internet
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| 29 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Farris, Paul W.; McNabb, Jill Corso
Darden ID: UVA-M-0602
Published: 8/1/1999
Copyright Year: 1999
Subject Area: Marketing
Keywords: internet, advertising, media planning, marketing
Abstract: This technical note introduces the key elements of Internet advertising, including options available to advertisers, pricing, measurement, an overview of the buying process, and a comparison with traditional advertising. The note includes the following appendices: glossary, how to make effective advertisements, and tips for directing traffic to one’s site.
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| AGAINST THE CURRENT: MALDEN MILLS INC. (A)
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| 2 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Werhane, Patricia H.; Watson, Orson W.
Darden ID: UVA-E-0125
Published: 10/7/1997
Copyright Year: 1997
Subject Area: Ethics
Keywords: ethical isues; public relations/publicity; strategy formulation; strategy implementation
Teaching Note: UVA-E-0125TN
Abstract: This series of cases focuses on Malden Mills’ strategy for rebuilding its Lawrence, Massachusetts, plants following a catastrophic fire in 1995. Through an analysis of the history of the Feuerstein family‘s successful management style in the supposedly dying New England textile industry, the case illuminates a unique and consistent corporate identity based on ethics, public relations, and iron-willed determination. See also the B, C, and D cases (UVA-E-0126, UVA-E-0127, and UVA-E-0128).
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| AGAINST THE CURRENT: MALDEN MILLS INC. (B)
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| 4 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Werhane, Patricia H.; Watson, Orson W.
Darden ID: UVA-E-0126
Published: 10/7/1997
Copyright Year: 1997
Subject Area: Ethics
Keywords: ethical issues; public relations/publicity; strategy formulation; strategy implementation
Teaching Note: UVA-E-0125TN
Abstract: This series of cases focuses on Malden Mills’ strategy for rebuilding its Lawrence, Massachusetts, plants following a catastrophic fire in 1995. Through an analysis of the history of the Feuerstein family‘s successful management style in the supposedly dying New England textile industry, the case illuminates a unique and consistent corporate identity based on ethics, public relations, and iron-willed determination. See also the A, C, and D cases (E-0125, E-0127, and E-0128).
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| AGAINST THE CURRENT: MALDEN MILLS INC. (C)
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| 4 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Werhane, Patricia H.; Watson, Orson W.
Darden ID: UVA-E-0127
Published: 10/7/1997
Copyright Year: 1997
Subject Area: Ethics
Keywords: UBA-E- ethical issues; public relations/publicity; strategy formulation; strategy implementation
Teaching Note: UVA-E-0125TN
Abstract: This series of cases focuses on Malden Mills’ strategy for rebuilding its Lawrence, Massachusetts, plants following a catastrophic fire in 1995. Through an analysis of the history of the Feuerstein family‘s successful management style in the supposedly dying New England textile industry, the case illuminates a unique and consistent corporate identity based on ethics, public relations, and iron-willed determination. See also the A, B, and D cases (E-0125, E-0126, and E-0128).
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| Against The Current: Malden Mills Inc. (D)
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| 4 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Watson, Orson W.; Watson, Orson W.
Darden ID: UVA-E-0128
Published: 10/7/1997
Copyright Year: 1997
Subject Area: Ethics
Keywords: ethical issues; public relations/publicity; strategy formulation; strategy implementation
Teaching Note: UVA-E-0125TN
Abstract: This series of cases focuses on Malden Mills’ strategy for rebuilding its Lawrence, Massachusetts, plants following a catastrophic fire in 1995. Through an analysis of the history of the Feuerstein family‘s successful management style in the supposedly dying New England textile industry, the case illuminates a unique and consistent corporate identity based on ethics, public relations, and iron-willed determination. See also the A, B, and C cases (E-0125, E-0126, and E-0127).
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| Airbus and Boeing: Superjumbo Decisions
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| 1 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Lichtendahl, Kenneth C. Jr.; Bodily, Samuel E.
Darden ID: UVA-QA-0720
Published: 5/7/2008
Copyright Year: 2008
Subject Area: Quantitative Analysis
Keywords: subjective probability, decision trees, simulation, real options, game theory
Teaching Note: UVA-QA-0720TN
Student Spreadsheet: UVA-S-QA-0720
Abstract: Set in 1999, this case allows students to put themselves in the positions of both Airbus and Boeing as Boeing considered how to respond to Airbus’s decision to announce its plans to proceed or not with the $10 billion development of the world‘s first commercial superjumbo jet, the Airbus A3XX. Boeing was considering a development effort to “stretch” its 747 jumbo jet into a larger superjumbo version, the 747-X. At the time, the two companies' widely available 20-year forecasts for jumbo- and superjumbo-jet demand were particularly divergent. In light of this very public “agreement to disagree,” Boeing could pursue several alternatives, all of which were related to Airbus's decision about whether or not to develop the A3XX. This case presents an opportunity for students to make a real downstream decision. It was prepared as a final exam for an introductory decision analysis course involving subjective probability assessment, decision tree modeling, simulation, real options, and game theory. In the analysis of this case, a student is expected to utilize ideas from all five of these areas.
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| ALASKAN GOLD MINE
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| 2 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Bourgeois, L. J. III; Barach, Jeffrey
Darden ID: UVA-BP-0329
Published: 8/24/1992
Copyright Year: 1992
Subject Area: Operations Management
Keywords: leadership, motivation, strategy formulation, strategy implementation
Teaching Note: UVA-BP-0329TN
Abstract: This two-part exercise is used to introduce the strategy process. In Part I, a slightly injured gold prospector must decide which route to take to file a claim. The route through the valley is safer but may take too long. The other (over mountains) is riskier, and a storm is brewing. Part II has the prospector sprain an ankle, so he or she must rely on an uneducated, drinking trapper friend either to help get out (which may take too long) or to file the claim on the prospector’s behalf (alone). This exercise requires students to assess the external environment and their own capabilities to select a strategy. Then they must lead and motivate another, less committed person to help implement it.
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| Albany International / Geschmay Group Merger
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| 22 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Bourgeois, L. J. III; Moscoso, Ana; Cording, Margaret
Darden ID: UVA-BP-0428
Published: 8/28/2001
Revised: 5/25/2007
Copyright Year: 2001
Subject Area: Business Policy
Keywords: Mergers and acquisitions; Acquisitions; Corporate strategy; Industry evolution; Strategy implementation
Teaching Note: UVA-BP-0428TN
Abstract: Albany International, a New-York-based paper machine clothing (PMC) manufacturer, has acquired Geschmay Group, a Germany-based competitor with operations in France, Italy, Germany, and South Carolina. Its paper manufacturer customers have been consolidating quickly, forcing the PMC companies to do the same. Not only are the corporate and national cultures of the two firms different, but Geschmay itself is multicultural and poorly integrated. Albany management is faced with realizing value in a company for which it overpaid and deciding which plant to close in France, where the merger resulted in redundant facilities; meanwhile, French law and French culture makes it nearly impossible to move people between plants.
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| ALEVE LAUNCH (A)
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| 10 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Parry, Mark E.; Fehskens, Katie
Darden ID: UVA-M-0554
Published: 5/5/1998
Copyright Year: 1998
Subject Area: Marketing
Keywords: new product introduction, positioning
Abstract: In 1988, Syntex formed a joint venture with Procter & Gamble to market naproxen sodium, a prescription pain reliever sold by Syntex under the names Anaprox and Naprosyn, in the over-the-counter (OTC) internal analgesics market. The product received DFA approval for sale over the counter in January 1994, and was to be launched in June 1994 under the brand name Aleve. This was not Procter & Gamble’s first foray into marketing OTC pain relievers. In the 1980s, P&G attempted to launch Encaprin, a coated aspirin product. Encaprin was unable to compete with the ibuprofen products entering the market, and the product was eventually pulled. Syntex and P&G know that they were entering into a highly competitive, if not voracious, market. How could they build on the success of the prescription product? How could they introduce a new pain reliever in an overcrowded OTC market? How much would they have to spend to gain significant market share?
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| ALLIANCE/ANDIV
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| 21 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Gale, Christopher; Kelley, Stephen M.
Darden ID: UVA-M-0352
Published: 4/2/1991
Revised: 2/1/1991
Copyright Year: 1989
Subject Area: Marketing
Keywords: international marketing, legal issues, international case, diversity case, international
Teaching Note: UVA-M-0352TN
Abstract: A large animal-pharmaceuticals company has introduced in the United States a highly successful treatment for a common canine disease. Now, management is wondering how to introduce the product in Europe and whether the strategy should be the same as in the United States. In order to answer these questions, focus-group data on veterinarians and consumers are available for France, Spain, and Italy.
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| Alphadale Community Bank, Inc.
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| 3 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Lynch, Luann J.
Darden ID: UVA-C-2275
Published: 1/7/2008
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Accounting and Control
Keywords: financial operations, income statement, balance sheet
Abstract: Alphadale Community Bank, Inc., began operating as a one-branch bank on January 1, 2006. It was dedicated to serving those in the small community of Alphadale who just wanted basic banking services without all the bells and whistles in a place where they felt comfortable and at home every time they walked through the door. The transactions that took place during its first year of operation are listed, and students are asked to record all transactions related to the first year of operations, prepare a December 31, 2006 balance sheet, and prepare an income statement for the year ended. The worksheet to record these transactions is provided.
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| ALUFRAME CORPORATION: THE THERMOFRAME LINE
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| 28 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Landel, Robert D.; Mukherjee, Amit; Wood, Thomas
Darden ID: UVA-OM-0396
Published: 4/9/1991
Revised: 4/1/1986
Copyright Year: 1982
Subject Area: Operations Management
Keywords: inventory management; Manufacturing strategy; Quality; Quality control
Teaching Note: UVA-OM-0396TN
Abstract: Aluframe, a major company in the fabricated aluminum-window and -door market, faces major quality problems in its Thermoframe line, produced at its custom-products plant. The company fabricates the finished product from the Thermoframe extrusions and also sells six-foot Thermoframe extruded lengths to builders. Aluframe originally intended to produce primarily the fabricated product, but a huge demand exists for the extruded lengths, too. However, the plant was dedicated to custom-finished products, not extrusions. Management is now trying to improve quality and on-time delivery through reprimands to careless workers, technological changes, and a new control system that charges departments for defects. Students should evaluate the causes of the Thermoframe quality problems, management’s responses to date, and the relationship between the product/plant fit and the quality defects.
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| Alvarez at Canalven: A Visual Case (A)
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| 13 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Dell, Richard
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0864
Published: 1/26/2006
Revised: 3/29/2007
Copyright Year: 2006
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: individual behavior; interpersonal behavior; conflict situations; international management; hiring; firing; interpersonal communications; conflict resolution; personnel development
Teaching Note: UVA-OB-0660TN
Abstract: Discover the power of the graphic approach this case takes to present material on managing conflict in an organization. This version of the three-part print case “Alvarez” (OB-0660, OB-0661, and OB-0662) depicts the story of employee problems facing an international company.
Canalven was a Venezuelan aluminum manufacturing company embarking on growth through new products and new processes needed to manufacture them. To help with the growth, local management brought in foreign engineers who experienced real difficulty with a long-term, relatively uneducated Canalven employee named Alvarez. Mr. Alvarez, generally seen as a grumbler, viewed himself as the on-site machine magician. He had the habit of painting his name on equipment he built. Recently, he had taken to contradicting management’s approaches. At the end of the A case, Mr. Pinto, the assistant plant manager, is faced with managing the conflict between the engineer and Alvarez.
The case is relatively short, yet develops rich discussions around topics such as personal motivation and behavior, international management, managing relationships and difficult colleagues, and managing conflict. The B case describes what the assistant manager did — basically to provide high severance pay and fire Alvarez. The C case epilogue reveals a stunning twist.
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| Alvarez at Canalven: A Visual Case (B)
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| 2 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Dell, Richard
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0865
Published: 1/26/2006
Revised: 3/28/2007
Copyright Year: 2006
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: interpersonal behavior; interpersonal behavior; conflict situations; international management; hiring; firing; interpersonal communications; conflict resolution; personnel development
Teaching Note: UVA-OB-0660TN
Abstract: Discover the power of the graphic approach this case takes to present material on managing conflict in an organization. This version of the three-part print case “Alvarez” (OB-0660, OB-0661, and OB-0662) depicts the story of employee problems facing an international company.
Canalven was a Venezuelan aluminum manufacturing company embarking on growth through new products and new processes needed to manufacture them. To help with the growth, local management brought in foreign engineers who experienced real difficulty with a long-term, relatively uneducated Canalven employee named Alvarez. Mr. Alvarez, generally seen as a grumbler, viewed himself as the on-site machine magician. He had the habit of painting his name on equipment he built. Recently, he had taken to contradicting management’s approaches. At the end of the A case, Mr. Pinto, the assistant plant manager, is faced with managing the conflict between the engineer and Alvarez.
The case is relatively short, yet develops rich discussions around topics such as personal motivation and behavior, international management, managing relationships and difficult colleagues, and managing conflict. The B case describes what the assistant manager did — basically to provide high severance pay and fire Alvarez. The C case epilogue reveals a stunning twist.
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| Alvarez at Canalven: A Visual Case (C)
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| 1 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Dell, Richard; Celis, Ingrid; Yemen, Gerry; Clawson, James G.
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0866
Published: 1/24/2006
Revised: 3/28/2007
Copyright Year: 2006
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: individual behavior; interpersonal behavior; conflict situations; international management; hiring; firing; interpersonal communications; conflict resolution; personnel development
Teaching Note: UVA-OB-0660TN
Abstract: Discover the power of the graphic approach this case takes to present material on managing conflict in an organization. This version of the print case Alvarez [OB-00660, OB-0661, OB-0662] offers images to convey problems at an international company.
Canalven was a Venezuelan aluminum manufacturing company embarking on growth through new products and new processes needed to manufacture them. To help with the growth, local management brought in foreign engineers who experienced real difficulty with a long-term, relatively uneducated Canalven employee named Mr.Alvarez. Alvarez, generally seen as a grumbler, viewed himself as the on-site machine magician. He had the habit of painting his name on equipment he built. Recently, he had taken to contradicting management’s approaches. At the end of the case, Mr. Pinto, the assistant plant manager, is faced with managing the conflict between the engineer and Alvarez.
The case is relatively short, yet develops rich discussions around topics of personal motivation and behavior, international management, managing relationships and difficult colleagues, and managing conflict. The B case describes what the assistant manager did — basically to pay high severance pay and fire Alvarez. The C case epilogue reveals a stunning twist.
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| AMERICAN TELEPHONE & TELEGRAPH (AT&T): THE AT&T/MCCAW MERGER NEGOTIATION
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| 38 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Innes, Michael J.; Passer, William J.; Bruner, Robert F.
Darden ID: UVA-F-1142
Published: 8/22/1996
Revised: 3/1/1998
Copyright Year: 1996
Subject Area: Finance
Keywords: acquisitions; Cash flow; Entrepreneurship; Mergers; Valuation
Teaching Note: UVA-F-1142TN
Student Spreadsheet: UVA-S-F-1142
Faculty Spreadsheet: UVA-S-F-1142TN
Abstract: Set in September 1992, this exercise provides teams of students the opportunity to negotiate terms of a merger between AT&T and McCaw Cellular. AT&T, one of the largest U.S. corporations, was the dominant competitor in long-distance telephone communications in the United States. McCaw was the largest competitor in the rapidly growing cellular-telephone communications industry. Prior to the negotiations, AT&T had no position in cellular communications. This case and its companion (F-1143) are designed to allow students to be assigned roles to play. The case may pursue some or all of the following teaching objectives: exercising valuation skills, practicing strategic analysis, exercising bargaining skills, and illustrating practical aspects of mergers and acquisitions.
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| An Overview of Financial Statement Analysis: The Mechanics
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| 30 pp.
| Technical Note
Author(s): Allen, Brandt R.; Simko, Paul J.
Darden ID: UVA-C-2255
Published: 8/23/2007
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Accounting and Control
Keywords: ratio analysis forecast
Abstract: On September 20, 2000, Jonathan Weill, a Wall Street Journal reporter in Dallas, Texas, published a piece questioning the profitability and accounting of Enron Corporation. He based his article on a study of Enron’s financial statements and conversations with staff at the Financial Accounting Standards‘ Board (FASB), accounting professors, financial analysts, and others. “It took me a while to figure out everything I needed to? It probably took a good month or so. There was a lot of noise in the financial statements.” His piece was read by James Chanos, founder and president of Kynikos Associates, a firm that specialized in short-selling. How did Weill and Chanos figure Enron out when so many others were pushing up the stock price? How did they know to do that kind of analysis? Only the answer is simple: through study, application, and more application. You cannot develop financial analysis expertise overnight. Our objective in this document, however, is to present a very basic structure for financial analysis that will help move you toward that goal. We focus on what to look for in the financial statements, how to do basic ratio analysis, what financial forecasting entails, and how analysts use financial statement data in valuation. We intentionally focus on the mechanistic nature of financial analysis because these tools are fundamental building blocks common to the analysis of most firms. Without understanding this basic structure the unique issues facing a firm would be difficult to interpret.
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| An Overview of Patent Quality: Assessment Valuation and Financial Reporting Implications
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| 16 pp.
| Technical Note
Author(s): Simko, Paul J.; Bruner, Robert F.; Frank, Mary Margaret; Martin, David
Darden ID: UVA-F-1539
Published: 1/16/2008
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Business Policy
Keywords: intellectual property, corporate market values, patent practices and policies
Abstract: A significant fraction of corporate market values derive from intellectual property. It is vital for the practicing manager to appreciate the risks and uncertainties surrounding intellectual property. This note focuses specifically on patent positions, arguing that these deserve special scrutiny because of an emerging crisis within and among governments, corporations, and inventors. The objective of this note is to introduce the reader to patent practices and policies as they may affect the intellectual-property positions of firms. In particular, the note covers five aspects of importance to the practicing manager.
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| Analytical Probability Distributions
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| 1 pp.
| Technical Note
Author(s): Clyman, Dana R.
Darden ID: UVA-QA-0437
Published: 2/5/1993
Copyright Year: 1993
Subject Area: Quantitative Analysis
Keywords: probability
Abstract: This note introduces four analytical probability distributions and the underlying uncertain processes from which they can be derived. It demonstrates that, when we can build a reasonable model of an uncertain process, we can use the model to derive the probability distribution from fundamental principles and forgo the chore of estimating the distribution subjectively by assessing fractiles. The probability distributions discussed are the binomial, normal, Poisson, and exponential. The associated processes discussed include counting, accumulation, Poisson, and memoryless. The note emphasizes that, although these probability distributions have many legitimate applications, they are applicable only when the specific assumptions about the underlying processes are satisfied — that is, when the uncertain quantity is obtained from a process similar to the one used to drive the probability distribution in the first place.
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| Arcadian Microarray Technologies, Inc.
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| 18 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Bruner, Robert F.; Carr, Sean
Darden ID: UVA-F-1496
Published: 12/9/2005
Copyright Year: 2005
Subject Area: Finance
Keywords: terminal value, valuation, private equity, forecasting
Teaching Note: UVA-F-1496TN
Student Spreadsheet: UVA-S-F-1496
Faculty Spreadsheet: UVA-S-F-1496TN
Abstract: In August 2005, an investment manager of a hedge fund is considering purchasing an equity interest in a start-up biotechnology firm, Arcadian Microarray Technologies, Inc. The asking price is $40 million for a 60 percent equity interest. Managers of the firm are optimistic about the firm’s future performance; the investment manager is more conservative in his expectations. He calls on the help of an analyst with her firm to fashion a counterproposal to Arcadian‘s management. The tasks for the student are to apply the concept of terminal value, interpret completed analyses and data, and derive implications of different terminal-value assumptions in an effort to recommend a counterproposal. Very little numerical figure-work is required of the student.
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| Arvin Industries, Inc. (C)
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| 3 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Bourgeois, L. J. III; Sharma, Anurag
Darden ID: UVA-BP-0299
Published: 3/3/1991
Revised: 12/1/1989
Copyright Year: 1988
Subject Area: Operations Management
Keywords: strategy implementation, takeover defesnse, takeovers
Teaching Note: UVA-BP-0297TN
Abstract: This case, a companion to “Arvin Industries, Inc.” (UVA-BP-0297) and “Arvin Industries, Inc. (B)” (UVA-BP-0298), describes Arvin’s successfully fending off the raider‘s hostile-takeover attempt. The defense included (1) gaining commitments from each of five “friendly” corporations to buy $20 million of preferred stock, if needed, and (2) pushing an antitakeover bill through the Indiana legislature and having it signed into law — all within three weeks.
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| ASIMCO-Nanyue Joint Venture in China
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| 25 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Li, Wei; Li, Dong
Darden ID: UVA-F-1374
Published: 8/27/2002
Revised: 9/28/2005
Copyright Year: 2002
Subject Area: Finance
Keywords: Valuation Merger China Venture Forecasting ASIMCO;
Abstract: This case is written for a course on emerging markets finance. It can be used to teach valuation, merger and acquisition, and financial forecasting in an emerging market setting. Intrigued by growth opportunities in China, Jack Perkowski, a retired Wall Street investment banker, raised a venture capital fund with the backing of two large U.S. institutions in 1994 to found Asian Strategic Investment Company (ASIMCO) to explore private equity investment opportunities in China. After visiting more than 100 automotive component factories in China, Perkowski and his partners identified a few state-owned factories as potential equity joint venture partners. On top of the list was Nanyue Fuel Injection Pump Assembly Company, Ltd. (Nanyue), one of China’s largest fuel injection pump manufacturers. After three months of negotiation, the two parties struck a deal under which ASIMCO and Nanyue would enter into a joint venture with ASIMCO holding the majority ownership. Should Perkowski and his partners give this joint venture agreement their final approval? And if so, how should Perkowski integrate and restructure its state-owned partner, Nanyue? More generally, should ASIMCO invest in China‘s automotive component industry?
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| Assessing the Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
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| 11 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Li, Wei; Rodriguez, Peter L.
Darden ID: UVA-BP-0490
Published: 10/19/2005
Copyright Year: 2005
Subject Area: Global Economics
Keywords: economic analysis
Abstract: In the summer of 2005, while the U.S. economy was growing comfortably despite a few longstanding concerns over deficits and outsourcing, storms were brewing off the Gulf Coast. On August 25, 2005, Hurricane Katrina blasted New Orleans, Louisiana, and the surrounding coastal areas in the Gulf of Mexico. Barely a month later, a second storm, Hurricane Rita, swept through the Gulf region to make landfall between Sabine Pass, Texas, and Johnso’s Bayou, Louisiana. Speculation over their likely impact on the world energy markets and the U.S. economy began as soon as the hurricanes were forecast to strike the oil-rich Gulf region. This case documents the paths of the storms and provides a summary of the Congressional Budget Office‘s estimates of the storms' impact on the U.S. economy. It is designed for use in the first year Global Economies and Markets course to teach the concept of national income accounts. It can also be used to analyze the impact of exogenous shocks
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| Aurora Textile Company
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| 14 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Doe, Lucas
Darden ID: UVA-F-1536
Published: 9/11/2007
Revised: 3/25/2008
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Finance
Keywords: capital investment analysis, capital budgeting, discounted cash flow, financial distress cost, sensitivity analysis, net present value, internal rate of return, free cash flow
Teaching Note: UVA-F-1536TN
Student Spreadsheet: UVA-S-F-1536
Abstract: This case asks the student to decide whether Aurora Textile Company can create value by upgrading its spinning machine to produce higher-quality yarn that sells for a higher margin. Cost information allows the student to produce cash-flow projections for both the existing spinning machine and the new machine. The cash flows have many different cost components, including depreciation, the number of days of cotton inventory, and the liability costs associated with returns from retailers. The cost of capital is specified in order to simplify the analysis. The analysis has added complexity, however, owing to the troubled financial condition of both the company and the U.S. textile industry, which is in decline as manufacturers migrate to Asia to benefit from lower manufacturing costs. This begs the question whether management should invest in a declining business or harvest the company by paying out all profits as a dividend to the owners. The case is suitable for students just beginning to learn finance principles, but is also rich enough to use with experienced students and executives. The primary learning points are as follows:
? The basics of incremental-cash-flow analysis: identifying the cash flows relevant to a capital-investment decision
? The construction of a side-by-side discounted-cash-flow analysis for a replacement decision
? How to adapt the NPV decision rule to a troubled or dying industry
? The effect of financial distress on the NPV calculation
? The importanc
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| Bank of America Tower: Redesigning Skyscrapers
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| 5 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Larson, Andrea; Eckhoff, Anne
Darden ID: UVA-ENT-0092
Published: 1/30/2007
Copyright Year: 2006
Subject Area: Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Keywords: Innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainable business, sustainability, triple bottom line, natural environment, environmental, ecology, ecological, strategy, implementation, financial returns
Abstract: This is a minicase, one of 10 in a set of short cases written to illustrate the business benefits companies realize through adopting sustainable business strategies. This minicase describes Bank of America’s new headquarters building in New York City focusing on the “green” or sustainable design features used and anticipated benefits.
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| Battalion Chief James Scott of the Lynchburg Fire Department
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| 17 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Forbes, Ted; Isabella, Lynn A.; McMillen, Sheila
Darden ID: UVA-OB-0625
Published: 2/24/1997
Copyright Year: 1997
Subject Area: Organizational Behavior and Human Resources
Keywords: change; Management of; Leadership; Management philosophy; Public administration; Alternative bussiness issue or setting; Diverse protagonist; Race
Teaching Note: UVA-OB-0625TN
Abstract: James Scott, one of two sector commanders at the Lynchburg (Virginia) Fire Department, is about to retire. Since Scott had been promoted to this position, he had tried to inculcate a new management style in the department. Where there had once been a rigid, paramilitary hierarchy, Scott had attempted to create a team-based environment that empowered each fire fighter to do his or her job without having to report to their immediate supervisor first. The story of Scott’s management style is interwoven with the story of an actual fire that took place in Lynchburg in 1996. This story reveals the high degree of stress, uncertainty, and danger to which a fire fighter is subjected. The environment of the fireground is very different from that of the station house; the fire fighters must immediately make the transition from the relatively relaxed and informal milieu of the latter, where individuals are free to question the decisions and actions of their colleagues, to the highly structured and hierarchical environment of the former, where both civilians‘ and fire fighters' lives hang in the balance. The decision points in the case explore Scott's philosophy and the changes he has made, and challenge the student to consider how to sustain the momentum of such changes.
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| BATTLE FOR LOGAN AIRPORT: AMERICAN AIRLINES VS JETBLUE (A)
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| 25 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Chen, Ming-Jer; Anderson, Jason; Mueller, Patrick; Tolonen, Jeff
Darden ID: UVA-S-0116
Published: 10/8/2004
Revised: 1/27/2006
Copyright Year: 2004
Subject Area: Strategy
Keywords: airlines, air transportation, competition, strategy
Abstract: JetBlue, the up and coming low-cost, low-fare airline, was set to begin flying out of Boston’s Logan Airport — and American Airlines was feeling the competitive heat. Only three years old in 2004, JetBlue was growing some eight times faster than Southwest Airlines, the longtime leader among low-cost carriers, and the rapidly expanding low-cost segment of the industry — 30% of all U.S. flights, projected to rise to 40% by 2006 — presented an increasing challenge to the “major” airlines.
For American, JetBlue‘s entrance into Boston via Logan, a market AA had served for 75 years, seemed to signal a moment of reckoning. Should the airline opt for a standard competitive response, such as price reductions and frequent flyer programs? Should it take on JetBlue at Logan only, or across all the markets where it would compete with the low-cost challenger?
On the eve of JetBlue's latest incursion, American Airlines was wrestling with its strategic options. American, already weakened financially, cannot match JetBlue's prices and remain profitable. It must weigh the importance of the Boston market in its overall economic picture and the potential responses of other airlines to whatever action it takes. This case reviews the economic conditions affecting the airline industry; the business models of the three main types of airlines — Major, Low-Cost, and Regiona — and their strengths and vulnerabilities in terms of recent competitive market conditions; and the economic role airports play. The case is divided into three parts. The A case covers the above. The B case involves American's counter-attack: a fre
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| Battle Of The Asian Transshipment Hubs: Psa Vs Pt (C)
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| 4 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Leong, Jin; Leong, Jin
Darden ID: UVA-S-0111
Published: 1/22/2004
Copyright Year: 2004
Subject Area: Strategy
Keywords: competitive analysis; competitive decision making; competitive dynamics; competitive factors; corporate strategy; international business; emerging markets; strategic planning; competitive advantage; globalization
Abstract: Competition had arrived in the ports industry of Southeast Asia and was not going to disappear. Group Chairman Dr. Yeo Ning Hong and his executive team had set the ambitious goal for the state-owned Port of Singapore Authority (PSA), upon its incorporation in 1997, to become the “World’s Port of Call.” PSA operated the Port of Singapore, which was the dominant transshipment hub in Southeast Asia. The Port of Singapore had long been among the world‘s busiest ports and was a model of efficiency and operational excellence within the industry. But the events of the first few years of the millennium proved a challenge to PSA's competitive mettle. By the end of 2001, PSA had lost two key customers to an emerging competitor, the upstart Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), in neighboring Malaysia. In 2002, the Chinese shipper COSCO Pacific was considering a shift to PTP. And by 2003, for the first time in 20 years, PSA laid off staff, and both PSA and government officials were in overdrive trying to explain the reasons behind the layoffs. This three-case series (see also UVA-S-0110 and UVA-S-0111) explores competitive strategies in a mature industry within the context of the Asia-Pacific region.
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| Bear Stearns and the Seeds of its Demise
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| 27 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Chaplinsky, Susan
Darden ID: UVA-F-1574
Published: 10/22/2008
Copyright Year: 2008
Subject Area: Finance
Keywords: investment banking; Credit crisis; Hedge funds; Securitization; CDOs; Liquidity
Abstract: This case is suitable for courses on corporate finance at the graduate or advanced undergraduate level that cover banking, financing, security design, capital structure, or capital markets. The case covers the events that led to the collapse of Bear Stearns’s (Bear‘s) hedge funds in July 2007 and traces management's response to the situation through January 2008. These events include macroeconomic factors that fueled the housing boom, the growth of securitization, structured products, and credit default swaps, and the maturity mismatch of financial institutions' funding strategies. The case provides a rich setting for students to understand the increasingly interrelated nature of banking activities, which poses large systemic risk to the financial sector. Two key questions are posed: “What factors were responsible for the collapse of Bear's hedge funds?” and ‘’Was the response by Bear's management adequate in light of the collapse and the credit problems that ensued?'' John Corso is a hedge fund manager with large cash balances in a prime brokerage account at Bear. In January 2008, he receives a call from a senior Bear executive reassuring him that the firm is in good hands following a shakeup of top management. The previous summer, two Bear hedge funds collapsed as a result of their investments in collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) that were backed by subprime mortgages. As a longtime client of Bear, Corso must evaluate whether the steps taken by management have been sufficient to resolve its credit problems or whether now is the time to remove his funds from the firm.
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| Beau Ties Ltd. Of Vermont
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| 11 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Shepherd, Stephen; Weiss, Elliott N.
Darden ID: UVA-OM-0836
Published: 12/4/1996
Revised: 10/29/2004
Copyright Year: 1996
Subject Area: Operations Management
Keywords: capacity planning, entrepreneurship, make, buy, or lease, queuing, small business, waiting-line analysis, agency management, diverse protagonist
Teaching Note: UVA-OM-0836TN
Abstract: Bill Kenerson, the owner-operator of a retail bow-tie business faces two decisions. The first is whether to bring production of bow ties in-house. The second concerns his telephone-order- entry system. The case invites students to calculate the capacity of the production facility and determine the appropriate staffing plan for telephone operators.
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| BEAUFORT’S DROP AND SWAP
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| 12 pp.
| Case A
Author(s): Mueller, Laurence G.
Darden ID: UVA-G-0542
Published: 9/30/1998
Copyright Year: 1998
Subject Area: General
Keywords: communication strategy, education, higher, ethical issues, faculty and students, group behavior, group dynamics, organizational culture, participative management, recruiting
Teaching Note: UVA-G-0542TN
Abstract: The A case (see also the B [UVA-G-0543] and C [UVA-G-0544] cases) provides the background and culture of the Beaufort Business School and then brings to light the ethical challenges facing graduate students in securing on-campus job interviews. It also highlights the student-run honor system and issues concerning faculty involvement in handling potential honor violations. The A case challenges students to ascertain the facts, decide whether there is either an honor or ethics violation, and determine if faculty or administrative intercession is necessary.
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| 4 pp.
| Case B
Author(s): Mueller, Laurence G.
Darden ID: UVA-G-0543
Published: 9/30/1998
Copyright Year: 1998
Subject Area: General
Keywords: communication strategy, education, higher, ethical issues, faculty and students, group behavior, group dynamics, organizational culture, participative management, recruiting
Teaching Note: UVA-G-0542TN
Abstract: The B case (see also the A [UVA-G-0542] and C [UVA-G-0544] cases) provides extensive evidence of the questionable recruiting behavior. The administration makes sweeping decisions concerning the handling of the ethical issues it has surfaced. The B case leaves open the question of how the director of Career Planning and Placement will relay the administration’s decisions to the students.
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| 5 pp.
| Case C
Author(s): Mueller, Laurence G.
Darden ID: UVA-G-0544
Published: 9/30/1998
Copyright Year: 1998
Subject Area: General
Keywords: communication strategy, education, higher, ethical issues, faculty and students, group behavior, group dynamics, organizational culture, participative management, recruiting
Teaching Note: UVA-G-0542TN
Abstract: The C case (see also the A [UVA-G-0542] and B [UVA-G-0543] cases) finds Beaufort students unreceptive to the administration’s explanations concerning its handling of the unethical practices surrounding on-campus job interviews. The students take matters into their own hands by threatening to invoke the honor system and using the school‘s newspaper as a public forum.
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| Ben & Jerry’s Homemade
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| 16 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Schill, Michael J.
Darden ID: UVA-F-1364
Published: 9/13/2002
Revised: 10/6/2003
Copyright Year: 2001
Subject Area: Finance
Keywords: milgram; takeovers; corporate objectives; asset control; corporate valuation; multiples
Teaching Note: UVA-F-1364TN
Abstract: This case examines issues of asset control for Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., in light of the outstanding takeover offers by Chartwell Investments, Dreyer‘s Grand, Unilever, and Meadowbrook Lane Capital in January 2000. The case provides a unique opportunity to discuss fundamental firm objectives and the implications of a nontraditional corporate orientation; it reviews the development of Ben & Jerry's strong social consciousness and the takeover-defense mechanisms that maintain management's control on company assets. Students, in the role of outside board members, are invited to review management's performance, estimate the economic cost of its social agenda, and evaluate the implications of takeover defense strategies. Ultimately, they must take a position on whether Ben & Jerry's should continue to independently pursue its social agenda or accept one of the attractive takeover offers and accept a shift toward greater profit orientation. The case requires relatively little prior finance knowledge, and is designed largely to provide a stimulating introduction to the principles of a traditional corporate finance curriculum.
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| Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. (A): Acquisition Suitors at the Door
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| 21 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Mead, Jenny; Sack, Robert J.; Werhane, Patricia H.
Darden ID: UVA-E-0225
Published: 3/13/2002
Revised: 8/28/2008
Copyright Year: 2001
Subject Area: Ethics
Keywords: acquisitions; Community relations; Competitive bidding; Corporate social responsibility; Employee stock ownership; Goodwill; Growth strategy; Stakeholder management
Abstract: Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were best friends and socially conscious entrepreneurs when they founded Ben & Jerry’s Homemade in the 1970s in Burlington, Vermont. The company was well-known for being offbeat, quirky, and committed to socially responsible ventures and using organic ingredients in its products. When the company went public in 1984, most people bought the stock because they believed in the company‘s values and mission. In late 1999, the financial and economic world was quite different, and two suitors — Unilever and Dreyer's Ice Cream — appeared, both very interested in acquiring Ben & Jerry's. This case describes not only the background and history of Ben & Jerry's, but the factors involved in the founders' having to decide what course of action to take.
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| Ben And Jerry’s And Unilever: The Bohemian And The Behemoth
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| 11 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Bourgeois, L. J. III; Mariani, Elio; Yu, Vivian Jen
Darden ID: UVA-BP-0471
Published: 1/30/2004
Copyright Year: 2004
Subject Area: Operations Management
Keywords: mergers and acquisitions, corporate strategy, ethics, strategic change, post merger integration
Teaching Note: UVA-BP-0471TN
Abstract: Ben & Jerry/Unilever raises the issues of (1) how to bring a nonbusiness culture (B&J) into a corporate culture (Unilever) while preserving the value acquired; (2) how to manage a recently acquired subsidiary whose parent company is an ocean away; (3) how, as a corporate-appointed general manager, the French general manger can gain the trust of the acquired firm; and (4) how (or even whether) to preserve the Social Responsibility (SR) aspects of the target. An additional focus might be how (or whether) to export a socially-responsible firm’s values to overseas locations.
The case can be positioned near the end of a PMI course, where the students can apply PMI skills in a unique ethical and cultural situation. Alternatively, it can be used in an Ethics course to highlight the challenges of maintaining an SR mission when a public global corporation acquires a local (Vermont) SR organization
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| Ben S. Bernanke in 2005
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| 14 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Li, Wei
Darden ID: UVA-F-1510
Published: 10/19/2007
Copyright Year: 2006
Subject Area: Accounting and Control
Keywords: Monetary policy, central banking, oil price, housing market, interest rates, macroeconomics, macroecnomic management
Student Spreadsheet: UVA-S-F-1510
Abstract: The case has been used in a first-year required course called Global Economies and Markets in a module on monetary policy.
On October 24, 2005, President Bush nominated Ben S. Bernanke to be chairman of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System for a term of four years along with a 14-year term on the board of governors. With the U.S. Senate confirmation widely anticipated, Bernanke was expected to take over stewardship of the U.S. monetary policy from Chairman Alan Greenspan when he retired in January 2006. While the U.S. economy was in good shape at the end of 2005, Bernanke had to prepare to deal with two challenges when charting a course for managing U.S. monetary policy. First, the sharp rise in energy prices that began in 2002 had the potential to bring back the specter of inflation and dampen desired consumer and business spending. Second, the housing boom could turn into a housing bust, throwing the mortgage industry into turmoil and weakening consumer business confidence. There was also the possibility that the housing bust could affect broader financial markets. Bernanke had to consider his options for dealing with contingencies in the not-so-distant future.
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| Bertelsmann (A)
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| 23 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Liedtka, Jeanne M.; Gibbons, Emily Jean
Darden ID: UVA-BP-0418
Published: 10/10/2000
Copyright Year: 2001
Subject Area: Business Policy
Keywords: Industry analysis; Strategy formulation
Teaching Note: UVA-BP-0418TN
Abstract: Bertelsmann, a global media company, whose holdings include television, books, music, and printing, is considering the purchase of the publisher Random House. The backdrop for the purchase, laid out in the A case, is a publishing industry showing decreasing profitability, with the rise of celebrity-author advances and powerful retailers like Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Further complicating the decision is Bertelsmann’s recent emphasis on multimedia operations, the development of which may threaten Bertelsmann‘s traditional print operations. The B case (UVA-BP-0419) describes Bertelsmann's purchase of Random House, and begins to make explicit the CEO's strategy for the purchase. As Bertelsmann makes a series of deals to become stronger in content delivery, difficulties with implementing new strategies under the current corporate structure are revealed. The B case leaves the reader considering where Bertelsmann should focus further investments and what structure will support a cultural shift. The C case (UVA-BP-0420) reveals Bertelsmann's decision to reorganize all e-commerce operations into one division.
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| Bertelsmann (B)
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| 7 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Liedtka, Jeanne M.; Gibbons, Emily Jean
Darden ID: UVA-BP-0419
Published: 10/10/2000
Copyright Year: 2001
Subject Area: Business Policy
Keywords: Industry analysis; Strategy formulation
Teaching Note: UVA-BP-0418TN
Abstract: Bertelsmann, a global media company, whose holdings include television, books, music, and printing, is considering the purchase of the publisher Random House. The backdrop for the purchase, laid out in the A case (UVA-BP-0418), is a publishing industry showing decreasing profitability, with the rise of celebrity-author advances and powerful retailers like Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Further complicating the decision is Bertelsmann’s recent emphasis on multimedia operations, the development of which may threaten Bertelsmann‘s traditional print operations. The B case describes Bertelsmann's purchase of Random House, and begins to make explicit the CEO's strategy for the purchase. As Bertelsmann makes a series of deals to become stronger in content delivery, difficulties with implementing new strategies under the current corporate structure are revealed. The B case leaves the reader considering where Bertelsmann should focus further investments and what structure will support a cultural shift. The C case (UVA-BP-0420) reveals Bertelsmann's decision to reorganize all e-commerce operations into one division.
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| BERTELSMANN (C)
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| 2 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Liedtka, Jeanne M.; Gibbons, Emily Jean
Darden ID: UVA-BP-0420
Published: 10/10/2000
Copyright Year: 2001
Subject Area: Business Policy
Keywords: Industry analysis; Strategy formulation
Teaching Note: UVA-BP-0418TN
Abstract: Bertelsmann, a global media company, whose holdings include television, books, music, and printing, is considering the purchase of the publisher Random House. The backdrop for the purchase, laid out in the A case (UVA-BP-0418), is a publishing industry showing decreasing profitability, with the rise of celebrity-author advances and powerful retailers like Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Further complicating the decision is Bertelsmann’s recent emphasis on multimedia operations, the development of which may threaten Bertelsmann‘s traditional print operations. The B case (UVA-BP-0419) describes Bertelsmann's purchase of Random House, and begins to make explicit the CEO's strategy for the purchase. As Bertelsmann makes a series of deals to become stronger in content delivery, difficulties with implementing new strategies under the current corporate structure are revealed. The B case leaves the reader considering where Bertelsmann should focus further investments and what structure will support a cultural shift. The C case reveals Bertelsmann's decision to reorganize all e-commerce operations into one division.
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| Best Buy Co., Inc.
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| 14 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Hess, Edward D.
Darden ID: UVA-S-0142
Published: 9/18/2007
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Strategy
Keywords: organic growth, business model, operations strategy
Teaching Note: UVA-S-0142TN
Abstract: In 2007, Best Buy was the leading electronics retailer in the United States with more than 941 stores, revenue totaling $31 billion, and a market cap of $21 billion. In 2005, Best Buy had adopted a new business model, culture, and customer-segmentation template called Customer Centricity. This move created volatility in the price of Best Buy stock because of the higher-than-expected employee costs that went with this new way of doing business and the difficulty of executing the old and the new business models simultaneously while the new model was rolled out. Best Buy responded to Wall Street’s short-term focus in a myriad of ways. It first asked for investor patience, and stressed the strong operating results achieved in Best Buy stores operating under the new model. But in June 2007, after the stock dropped again, the CEO knew he had to decide whether to open more Best Buy stores, increase the company‘s dividend, or increase the stock-repurchase program.
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| BHP Billiton and Mozal (A)
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| 2 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Mead, Jenny; Hartman, Laura P.
Darden ID: UVA-E-0316
Published: 3/24/2008
Copyright Year: 2008
Subject Area: Ethics
Keywords: business ethics, stakeholder management, environmental, corporate social responsibility, diversity, Africa, best practices, foreign, global investment, community development
Abstract: BHP Billiton, the world’s largest diversified resource company at the start of the 21st century, began a feasibility study in 1995 for building an aluminum smelter project in the Maputo province in southern Mozambique — one of the world‘s poorest countries that was hampered by fragile legal, financial, and health, safety, environmental, and community institutional structures and capacity. BHP Billiton was committed to sustainable development and believed that social and environmental performance were critical factors in business success. BHP Billiton believed firmly that sustainable development involved engaging and partnering with its community stakeholders to address the challenges associated with establishing resource projects and to share the benefits of success. Was this possible in Mozambique, given the nation's social and political challenges, the prevalence of malaria and HIV, and the weak infrastructure? Acknowledging that stakeholders had a role to play in achieving a successful and sustainable project, BHP Billiton adopted this slogan for the project: “Together we make a difference.” The company called the project “Mozal.” But would or could they be successful? And at what cost?
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| BHP Billiton and Mozal (B)
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| 10 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Mead, Jenny; Hartman, Laura P.
Darden ID: UVA-E-0317
Published: 3/24/2008
Copyright Year: 2008
Subject Area: Ethics
Keywords: business ethics, stakeholder management, environmental, corporate social responsibility, diversity, Africa, best practices, foreign investment, global, community development
Abstract: BHP Billiton began construction of Phase 1 of the Mozal aluminum smelter in 1998. Because of the challenges that the community presented, BHP Billiton and its partners created the Mozal Community Development Trust (MCDT), which worked to improve the infrastructure, social services, and health care of the community. During the two construction phases, the project contributed more than USD160 million to the local economy, principally through the employment of Mozambican laborers and the use of local contractors and suppliers. The MCDT implemented malaria prevention and HIV/AIDS prevention program, made improvements to the health clinics and schools, instituted work force training and development, and supported small and medium enterprises. In addition, it initiated projects aimed at raising the level of education of the country’s engineers and technologists to international standards. In 2002, when both phases of the Mozal smelter were complete, the World Bank‘s International Finance Committee (IFC) stated that Mozal had set a precedent for future projects in Mozambique. Mozal, said the IFC, “illustrates the clear advantages of incorporating environmental and social issues early in a project, and reflects the approach and procedures IFC has been refining and putting in place to deal with environmental and social issues.” For BHP Billiton, the Mozal experience demonstrated that, when establishing a major resource project, it made good business sense to invest not only in the venture but also in the host community.
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| Bid Week Shirts: Alpha Sigma Eta
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| 7 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Hastings, Allison S.; Bass, Lucien; Frey, Sherwood C. Jr.
Darden ID: UVA-QA-0699
Published: 5/14/2007
Copyright Year: 2007
Subject Area: Quantitative Analysis
Keywords: Negotiation
Abstract: Darcy Elliot has been asked by the rush chair of her sorority to secure T-shirts with a very limited budget. In an effort to control cost, Elliot designed an alternative. Prior to contacting the usual supplier (Tees R Us), which was located out of town, and in an effort to avoid any issues about expediting, Elliot approached a local vender. The local vender offered a quote that was over-budget but guaranteed meeting the deadline. With this information, Elliot contacted Tees R Us and communicated the specifications. The vender’s sales rep, Taylor Taggart, promised to call back shortly with a price.
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| Bidding For Hertz: Leveraged Buyout
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| 21 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Chaplinsky, Susan; Marston, Felicia;
Darden ID: UVA-F-1560
Published: 2/17/2009
Copyright Year: 2008
Subject Area: Finance
Keywords: buyouts; LBO; Private equity; Valuation
Teaching Note: UVA-F-1560TN
Student Spreadsheet: UVA-S-F-1560
Abstract: In August 2005, The Carlyle Group and its partners (Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity) must finalize the terms of a bid to purchase the Hertz Corporation. The Ford Motor Company had put Hertz, a wholly owned subsidiary, up for sale in April 2005, and in June 2005, entered a dual-track process, which would result in its sale or an initial public offering (IPO). The case provides detailed pro forma projections for the transaction that allow students to examine the synergies of the deal and estimate a value and bid for Hertz. Students must consider whether their bid provides an adequate return to the sponsors, can produce in a higher value for Hertz than an IPO, and can best that of a rival bidding group. The case is appropriate for use in courses on corporate finance, private equity, or deal valuation. Because of the rich range of issues that can be considered, the case also works well as a capstone case or in a case competition. For instructors wishing to provide students an overview of the role and practices of private equity, we recommend combining the Hertz LBO case with its companion case, “Investing in Sponsor-Backed IPOs: The Case of Hertz” (UVA-F-1561). The Hertz IPO was announced in July 2006 just seven months after the LBO was completed. The two cases cover a wide range of issues that arise over the course of entry and exit of private equity investments.
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| Bill Miller and Value Trust
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| 17 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Bruner, Robert F.; Carr, Sean
Darden ID: UVA-F-1481
Published: 11/14/2005
Copyright Year: 2005
Subject Area: Finance
Keywords: investing, efficient markets hypothesis, capital markets, investment performance, mutual funds
Teaching Note: UVA-F-1481TN
Abstract: Set in the autumn of 2005, this case recounts the remarkable performance record of Value Trust, a mutual fund managed by William H. “Bill” Miller III at Legg Mason, Inc. The case describes the investment style of Miller, whose record with Value Trust has beaten the S&P 500 14 years in a row. The tasks for the student are to assess the performance of the fund, consider the sources of its success, and decide on the sustainability of Miller’s performance. Consistent with the introductory nature of the case, the analysis requires no numerical calculations. The instructor should not be deceived, however: the absorption of capital-market background and the implications of financial concepts in the case will fully occupy the novice. This case updates and replaces “Peter Lynch and the Fidelity Magellan Fund” (UVA-F-0777) and “The Fidelity Magellan Fund, 1995” (UVA-F-1126). The case is intended for use in the opening stages of a finance course. It provides a nontechnical introduction to the U.S. equity markets and lays the foundation for some basic concepts in finance.
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