North American Case Research Association
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 “High Ability” or “Overqualified”? Robert Jordan v. The City of New London
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| 6 pp.
| Case
Thomas R. Miller
Robert Jordan was a 46-year-old Caucasian who applied for a position as a police officer in New London, Connecticut. As part of the application process, Jordan completed a battery of tests that included the Wonderlic Personnel Test, a test of general cognitive ability. When Jordan later inquired about the status of his application, he was told that he had been eliminated from the applicant pool because of his score on the intelligence test-he had scored too high and was judged to be unacceptable for a job as a police patrol officer. Jordan filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming that its employment decision violated his constitutional right to equal protection under the law. City officials were then faced with preparing a defense to attempt to justify their hiring practice.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 4
Subjects: Human Resource Management, Employee Selection, Discrimination, Selection Criteria, Test Validity
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| 3DV-LS: Assessing Market Opportunity in the Computer Visualization Market
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| 12 pp.
| Case
Robin Habeger; Kay M. Palan
3DV Litigation Services (3DV-LS), a business unit of 3DV, specializes in developing animation and 3-D models for attorneys to use as displays or demonstrative evidence in litigation cases. Using a method of computer visualization that is very fast and that can be customized, 3DV-LS enjoys a market leadership position in the litigation industry. However, over the last four quarters, 3DV-LS has been steadily losing sales to competitors who create computer visualizations with technology inferior to that used by 3DV-LS. If sales continue to decline, the unit will be at risk for corporate downsizing. As 3DV-LS’s director is struggling to address the problem, a project manager suggests that 3DV-LS consider entering a new market where its method of creating computer visualizations may be a competitive advantage. The director evaluates whether or not this opportunity is attractive enough to merit market entry, or whether it is better to focus on current marketing efforts.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1
Subjects: Strategic Marketing Management; Market Opportunity Analysis; Market Attractiveness
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| A Key Decision
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| 7 pp.
| Case
Steven M. Meltzer; John Melnyk
This case describes an ethical dilemma I experienced as president of my fraternity. Ted, a close friend and fraternity brother, suffered from bipolar disorder. He required medication to avoid alternating periods of extreme hyperactivity and severe depression. Shortly after I was elected president of our fraternity, his parents asked me to meet with them. They told me that Ted had stopped taking his medication, that his doctor felt that renewed treatment would only be effective if Ted sought it voluntarily, and that he might have to hit “rock bottom” in order to realize he needed help. His mother asked me to take away Ted’s fraternity house key so that he could not use the fraternity as an escape, thus potentially delaying his eventual recovery. I left the meeting agreeing to do what I had been asked, but upon reflection I was unsure of what I could or should do.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2
Subjects: Ethics; Stakeholders; Conflicting Responsibilities; Fraternities
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| A Reorganization Examined
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| 5 pp.
| Case A
Shirley C. Payne, Timothy R. Hinkin In the early 1990s, demand was increasing for computer services from the three divisions of the University’s Computer Application Group (CAG). This demand, accompanied by operating inefficiencies, changing technology, and deep cuts in state funding, led CAG Director Margaret Dawson to consider a major reorganization. She understood the difficulty of implementing change, but felt it was necessary to attain CAG‘s goals.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Summer/Fall 1995, Vol. 15, Issues 3 & 4, Copyright 1995.
Courses: Accounting Information Systems; Organizational Behavior
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| Advanced Elastomer Systems: Market Strategy for a new, Technical Product
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| 27 pp.
| Case
Jon M. Hawes; Deborah L. Owens
Advanced Elastomer Systems has developed a new technical product, a nylon-bondable Santoprene rubber. The marketing manager outlined several potential strategies for distributing and marketing this product to industrial customers. The advantages and disadvantages of each strategy must be analyzed, a strategy must be selected, and support for the chosen alternative must be provided. The appropriate marketing tactics to support the strategy must also be selected, described, and justified. This task was complicated by the changing external environment within the plastics industry as well as by the firm’s increased internal focus on finding and developing new markets. Further pressure was placed on the situation by leading competitors who were in the process of developing similar products.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 1
Subjects: Marketing Strategy, Business-to-Business Marketing, New Product Introduction, Marketing Communications
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| AIDSCAP Nepal: A Case Study
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| 19 pp.
| Case
Ven Sriram; Franklyn Manu
Ravin Lama’s advertising agency was responsible for developing a two phased multimedia campaign for the AIDS Control and Prevention Project (AIDSCAP) in Nepal. Phase I, which was ongoing, attempted to increase AIDS awareness and condom use. Phase II would focus on addressing the fears of the general public regarding people living with AIDS. He had before him the results of some preliminary market research conducted to assess the effectiveness of the Phase I campaign. Prior to using this data, he had to determine whether it was adequate. If he decided that this research was inadequate, he then had to design a more detailed study that would allow him to conduct a more thorough evaluation of Phase I. On the other hand, if he considered this data sufficient, he could proceed with developing of the Phase II campaign, including determination of the campaign‘s objectives, target audience, and budget, as well as its media and creative strategies.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 3
Subjects: Global Marketing/South Asia, Social Issues Marketing, Marketing Research, Health Care Marketing, AIDS Prevention Campaigns, Advertising/Promotion
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| Air Services, Inc.
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| 18 pp.
| Case
Michael Fields Three years after shifting his heating and cooling business focus to the high-margin service segment, Al Spencer finds that Air Services, Inc., is still losing money and switching to the weather dependent service sector has not solved his problems. Spencer has many options among possible product, market, and promotion decisions. Which combination would lead to profitable results?
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Winter 1995, Vol. 15, Issue 1. Copyright 1995.
Courses: Advertising; Marketing; Operations Management
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| Alcohol and Horseplay: Prank or Problem?
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| 15 pp.
| Case
Diana Stork; John R. Ogilvie
The president of a small, high-tech chemistry company discovered yellow pwder on the floor and in the offices and laboratories as he entered work. He soon learned that the powder (fire extinguisher residue) had been dispersed when several employees were fooling around after a company-sponsored farewell party held at a nearby restaurant. The departing VP of Chemistry, two senior scientists, and a technician had entered the building after leaving the restaurant, and some horseplay ensued. A couple of them were drunk. The incident had an impact on everyone in this small firm. The president faced difficult decisions about the incident and the people involved. In reaching his conclusions, he considered issues of fairness, company policy, culpability, and the kind of company he wanted for the future.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 3
Subjects: Business Ethics, Human Resources Management, Discipline, High Technology, Organizational Behavior
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| Alcoholes de Centroamerica, S.A. de C.V.
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| 21 pp.
| Case
Richard L. Priem; K. Matthew Gilley
Alcoholes de Centroamerica (ALDECA) is a family-owned firm operated by Sr. Emin Barjum and his son Tony in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. In August 1995, ALDECA held nearly 50 percent of the Honduran market for aguardiente, a clear, very strong liquor favored by workingmen, but the Barjums faced several important decisions. First, a Guatemalan conglomerate had recently begun test marketing several aguardiente brands in preparation for an aggressive entry into the Honduran market. How should ALDECA respond to this new competition from outside the country? Second, eighteen months earlier another Honduran distillery, owned by a Nicaraguan conglomerate, had approached ALDECA seeking a merger, and they wanted an answer. The merged company would offer ALDECA more capacity and possibly lower production costs, but would give Sr. Barjum less control over strategic direction. Further, Honduran preferences were shifting, albeit slowly, from hard liquors like aguardiente to softer wines and beers.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1
Subjects: Strategic Management, Environmental Analysis, Merger Analysis, Sales Promotion
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| An Allegation of Sexual Harassment (A)
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| 6 pp.
| Case
Roland B. Cousins; Linda E. Benitz
Professor Stinson, a professor of managemnet at a small, Christian college, was surprised when one of his students, Denise, spoke out in class, accusing the college swim coach of sexually harassing her. Professor Stinson did not know if he should report the allegation because it later became apparent that Denise was unwilling to do so. Subsequent events made Stinson question Denise’s character and honesty; he was still wrestling with the decision of whether to report her allegation at the conclusion of the case.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 4
Subjects: Ethics, Sexual Harassment, Organizational Behavior
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| Anglo-American College in Prague (A): The Challenge to Lead in Post-Communist Cz
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| 10 pp.
| Case
Joan Winn; Mark Andersen
The Anglo-American College in Prague (AAC) was started in 1991, shortly after the Velvet Revolution ushered in the Czech Republic’s new era of independence and market-driven competitiveness. AAC had no trouble attracting students and faculty, but sparse funding kept its administrative staff lean and facilities and student support services poor. By 1993, poor management and conflicts threatened the college‘s existence. Jansen Raichl, AAC's founder and visionary, had kept AAC afloat with a combination of personal control, financial support, and hard work. Despite his efforts, student and faculty discontent reached crisis proportions during the spring semester of 1994. Most of the founding board had left to found a new, competing college. There is growing faculty unrest and the threat of financial insolvency. The case ends with Raichl at a decision point: Should he retain control of AAC or allow a new management team to take over? Could AAC turn itself around with a new leader? Raichl does not understand what is needed to turn things around or what role he should play.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 1
Subjects: Conflict Management, Management Style, Leadership and Transition, Organizational Structure
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| Anglo-American College in Prague (B): Conflict and Turnaround in a Nonprofit
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| 23 pp.
| Case
Mark Andersen; Joan Winn
The Anglo-American College in Prague (AAC) was started in 1991, shortly after the Velvet Revolution ushered in the Czech Republic’s new era of independence and market-driven competitiveness. By 1993, poor management and conflicts threatened the college‘s existence. This case chronicles AAC's turnaround from 1994 through 1996 and highlights the pulling together of the administration, faculty, and students to save the college. The hiring of a new administrative director and the acquisition of a permanent building brought renewed enthusiasm and cohesiveness among the faculty and students. Aggressive fund-raising efforts enabled AAC to reopen its doors with better equipment, a library, and computers. The deft negotiations skills of AAC's new administrative director are contrasted with his secretive and controlling management style. As further management difficulties prompt another round of faculty and student unrest, the executive committee is called upon to decide how to handle the conflicts between the faculty and the director who had been so pivotal in AAC's turnaround just 2 years earlier.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1
Subjects: Organizational Behavior; Conflict Management; Organizational Change; International Management; Nonprofit Management
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| Argentina Suites: A Case Study
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| 13 pp.
| Case
Timothy R. Hinkin
In the late 1980s, and Argentine physician purchased an uncompleted apartment building in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He converted the property into a 160-room hotel, employed his children as managers, and various family members as department heads. The owner oversaw the hotel from his San Francisco, California home and visited the property approximately every two months. For several years the owner’s 75 year old brother-in-law acted as general manager and the other family members fought for influence and control. The hotel prospered during this period primarily because of a shortage of hotel rooms in the city. The owner‘s son Max returned to the United States to attend graduate school and recently graduated with a Master's degree in Hotel Administration. He returned to the property as general manager and had to decide what the best course of action was for both himself and the company, and how best to achieve his goals as well as his father's objectives.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 2
Subjects: Strategic Management, Organizational Change, Family Business, Hotel Operations, International Management
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| Astro Tech Fuel Systems
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| 17 pp.
| Case
H. Richard Eisenbeis; Sue Hanks; Phil Sheehan
The case centers around the differences in time/goal perspectives between AstroTech’s Marketing and Production Departments (line) and its Engineering and Quality Department (staff), headed by a manager who emphasized product quality over quantity and new product design. The engineering manager‘s number one priority was to put processes in place that would ensure that the division passed an upcoming FAA audit; the goal of the Marketing and Production Departments was to bring a continuous stream of new, innovative products to market in a timely manner. Both the general manger and plant manager emphasized quantity over quality. The Engineering Department manager saw two long-term goals: (1) to bring forth product designs that meet or exceed quality standards, and (2) to bring existing product lines up to these same quality standards. The general manager and plant manager were convinced that the division's failure to show a profit was due to engineering's insistence on meeting and exceeding quality standards for all products.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 4
Subjects: Individual Attitude and Differences, Leadership, Power, and Politics, Conflict Management, Group Dynamics
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| AT&T Resource Link (A)
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| 22 pp.
| Case
Joel Harmon; John Seeger
Jim Meadows, having created a new venture within AT&T, finds himself with a problem. His “Resource Link” organization-an internal, on-pay-roll temporary employment agency that uses ‘’at-risk’‘ AT&T managers and professionals as contingent workers-has grown dramatically and boasts highly satisfied staff and customers. It is successful in many dimensions, but a crtitical measure demanded by AT&T is far from satisfied. RL is committed to break-even operations, and it is still losing millions according to AT&T accounting. Meadows has two more years to stop the loses. ``Ma Bell'' does not tolerate insolvent operations. In the follow-up case, Meadows gets RL in the black, negotiates it through AT&T's ``trivestiture,'' and turns the reigns over to Ellen Jackson. Having become a major player in AT&T's workforce planning, RL must now spearhead radical changes to the culture of the company and the composition of its workforce, envisioned to include as many as 40 thousand contingent employees.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 18, Issue 3-4
Subjects: Strategic Human Resources Management, Strategy Implementation, Entrepreneurship, Organization Design, Corporate Culture
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| Aung Sein: An Entrepreneur in Myanmar
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| 7 pp.
| Case
Robert W. Hornaday
Aung Sein built a machine that produced inexpensive disposable gloves, an item in short supply in Myanmar. Medical and laboratory workers needed large quantities of disposable gloves, but the government would not buy Aung Sein’s gloves. In 1995, these gloves were imported from industrialized nations or smuggled across the border with China. In Myanmar, only the government could buy large quantities of disposable gloves. The overall standard of living was very low, and government employees were underpaid. Most government employees expected gifts or kickbacks from vendors. The official exchange rate for Myanmar‘s currency was six kyat to the dollar, but the black market or parallel market rate was 110 kyat to the dollar. To take advantage of this difference, government purchasing officers often preferred to purchase goods from foreign sources so that they have access to foreign exchange. The glove business was not Aung Sein's only enterprise. He had to decide whether it was worthwhile to put more time and money into trying to sell gloves or whether he should pursue his other interests.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 3
Subjects: International Small Business, International Business Ethics, Currency Exchange Rates, Developing Countries
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| Beauty Classics, Inc.
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| 13 pp.
| Case
Peggy C. Smith, Kathy Kargel, Lester A. Neidell Sabrina Hill, a Caucasian student, prepares to report on her unsuccessful internship at the largest African-American owned company in the city. She wonders about the events that led to termination of the internship — especially the issues of racism and sexism. Sabrina attributes the failure to the irrational behavior of the company principles, rather than her own beliefs, attitudes, and behavior.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 14, Issue 1, Copyright 1994.
Courses: Business Ethics; Human Resources; Management; Organizational Behavior
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| Bernard’s New York Deli
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| 5 pp.
| Case
Steven M. Dawson
Bernard Horowitz, owner and operator of Bernard’s New York Deli, had recently moved to a new, larger location. Business during the first three months had been good. To take full advantage of the new location, Bernard wanted to expand seating by 50 customers and buy new equipment. This would cost $30,000, but his bank would not lend him additional funds. Recalling the gift certificates he had used eleven years earlier, he decided to use discount certificates called deli-bucks. Customers could buy them for $8 each and after 90 days redeem them for $10 worth of food. If it all worked as planned, Bernard would have the $30,000, the expansion would take place, he‘d have repeat customers coming in, and maybe even favorable word-of-mouth publicity. Before he proceeds, however, there's some important analysis for Bernard to do.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1
Subjects: Strategic Management, Cash Budgeting, Financing Alternatives, Small Business Management
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| Bicycles for India
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| 15 pp.
| Case
Vijaya Narapareddy; Nancy Sampson
Paul Polak, president of International Development Enterprises (IDE), and other team members of the bicycle project faced numerous delays in the development of an appropriate plastics compound utilizing recycled plastics and organic fibers that were required for making hassle-free plastic wheels. Lack of funding further impeded the progress of the low-cost bicycle IDE sought to develop for poverty-stricken rural farmers in India. The bicycle, in turn, would foster economic development through local production and marketing. The challenge was compounded when market surveys indicated poor consumer acceptance of the bike. The case ends with the decision of whether Paul Polak should continue or scrap the bicycle project.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 4
Subjects: International Management, Not-for-Profit Strategy, Risk Assessment, Economic Development
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| Birra Moretti
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| 22 pp.
| Case
Arthur Sharplin Brewer Birra Moretti has grown by since its acquisition by Canada’s John Labatt Limited. Still, Moretti remains unprofitable and needs an infusion to continue taking market share from the leading brands. Without this additional investment by its now-strained Canadian parent, the Italian firm must cut marketing or capital expenditures, or perhaps even merge with a competitor. Moretti management is proud of it‘s past success. Its future, however, depends entirely on Labatt's decisions. 1995
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Summer/Fall 1995, Vol. 15, Issues 3 & 4, Copyright 1995.
Courses: Diversity; Finance; International Management; Marketing Management
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| Bloomington Hospital’s Open-Heart Unit (A)
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| 12 pp.
| Case
Brian K. Burtton; W. Harvey Hegarty
The Bloomington Hospital board of directors faced several choices in its move to begin an open-heart surgery program. The medium-sized not-for-profit hospital wanted to expand its services to become more of a regional health-care provider. However, its efforts faced opposition from two key groups-area employers, including the two largest employers in the region, and area physicians upset over several issues relating to hospital administration. The physicians demanded the ouster of hospital administrators. The board had to decide what to do about both the open-heart unit and the physician’s demands, all the while keeping in mind the demands and needs of other stakeholders as well as the changing health-care environment.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 4
Subjects: Strategic Management, Not-for-Profit Organization, Stakeholder Management, Health Administration
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| Botton Village
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| 17 pp.
| Case
Adrian Sargeant
Botton Village, located in the North York moors, is part of a unique network of communities administered by the Camphill Village Trust, an organization that exists to provide a stimulating and supporting environment for the needs of mentally handicapped adults from all over Britain. When Botton was forced to fund-raise for the first time, its approach was unique and based on a genuine desire to establish a two-way communication with donors. Today, Botton has become one of the United Kingdom’s top-performing charities, achieving returns on its fund-raising expenditure far superior to most other organizations. However, the organization has been so successful that it now has to decide where to go next. Should it scale down fund-raising, or terminate it altogether? Should it look to support other “sister” organizations, or should it simply find ways to expand and develop its provision?
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 1
Subjects: Fund-Raising, Nonprofit Marketing, Communications, Lifetime Value
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| Brewing Change at Breckenridge Brewery
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| 18 pp.
| Case
John W. Mullins; Sarah Sittig; Gregory D. Leidich
Richard Squire had started Breckenridge Brewery in 1989. Now, in 1997, despite its modern and efficient brewery and its eight brewpubs in Colorado and elsewhere, his company found itself growing fast, but losing money. Richard and his partner, Ed Cerkovnik, both felt the company still enjoyed extraordinary potential, but they had begun to doubt that they possessed the right mix of managerial skills to ensure that its potential would be realized. The question was what they should do about this problem. Did the company need new leadership? If so, what sort of person should be added to the team, and in what role? Were these even the right questions to be focused on at all?
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 1
Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Stages of Growth, Managing Change
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| Bright Oil Company
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| 16 pp.
| Case
Jack D. Ferner, Douglas Townsend Bright Oil Company, an oil jobber, has income from operations, from a large cache of excess cash, and from rentals of nonoperating properties, but none of the income is distributed to the minority holders. Don Williams has to determine for his parents what their stock in this one-time family firm might be worth.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Vol. 15, Issue 2, Spring 1995. Copyright 1995.
Courses: Accounting; Finance
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| Business Creation in the Developing World: A Haitian Bakery
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| 9 pp.
| Case
Winston Tellis
Initially drawn by a desire to provide assistance to the people of Haiti, a Jesuit university in the United States sent a fact-finding team to the country in 1997. A relationship developed between the university and the people of Fondwa, a village several hours from Port-au-Prince with a progressive peasant organization-Assosasyon Paysan Fondwa (APF). The leader of APF asked two professors from the university to help them start a bakery in the remote village (Fondwa). The idea evolved into a business plan written by students in an MBA course. In its largest single venture, Fonkoze, a microfinance institution in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, bought a building near Fondwa and loaned $68,000H to APF to construct the oven and fund start-up capital for the bakery. The bakery now bakes thousands of loaves per month and is well on its way to paying off the loan.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 22, Issue 3
Subjects:
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| Cabriole
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| 11 pp.
| Case
Raymond M. Kinnunen and James F. Molloy Jr. Susan White’s fitness wear firm, Cabriole, has lost $800,000 in the past 5 years. Although customers have recognized the superior quality of Susan‘s designs and fabrics, the body wear industry has become a pricing jungle and retailers have sharply cut their buying from suppliers. Susan has discovered a major embezzlement and fired the two employees involved, but cannot tell how much of her loss was due to fraud. Tired after 13 years of effort, she wants to close Cabriole—but how? 1994
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Summer 1994, Volume 14, Issue 3.
Courses: Business Ethics; Marketing Management
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| Calvin Klien Inc. and the “Kiddie Porn” Ads (A)
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| 6 pp.
| Case
Margaret J. Naumes; William Naumes
Calvin Klein Inc. is a company with a history of controversial advertising, going back to 1980’s ads with then 15-year-old actress Brooke Shields saying, “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins.” In 1995, the company began a new series of ads for Calvin Klein jeanswear, featuring young models in suggestive poses. The (A) case describes the company and the controversy generated by the new ad campaign. The ads began in early July and ran in several magazines, including one read by girls as young as 12. Other publishers felt that the ads approached pornography. Dayton Hudson department stores refused to lift their stores in the ads. The American Family Association, a conservative Christian Group, threatened boycotts of retailers who carried the jeans. News programs identified one of the models as 15 years old. By late August, the company faced growing pressure to do something about its ads-but what? In the (B) case the controversy escalated, as the FBI announced an investigation into whether the ads were child pornography, and others became concerned about possible censorship.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 3
Subjects: Stakeholders, Business Ethics, Environmental Analysis, Publicity/Effective Advertising
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| Canada Packers Inc. (B)
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| 24 pp.
| Case
George Athanassakos; Kenneth Harling
In early 1990, top management of Hillsdown Holdings, PLC (HH) of London, England, was considering merging its wholly-owned subsidiary Maple Leaf Mills Limited (MLM) of Toronto, Ontario, with Canada Packers Inc. (CP), also of Toronto. MLM had sales of over $700 million in the year ended December 1989, and CP had sales of just under $3 billion in the year ended March 1990. This meant that the merger would make HH major player in the North American food industry. HH’s top management had asked the senior executives from HH and MLM, as well as HH‘s legal advisors, to consider and evaluate the merger. It had also retained the services of an investment banker, RBC Dominion Securities Inc., to offer valuation services and a fairness opinion in connection with the merger. The team's mandate was to determine how much HH should pay for CP and formulate a takeover plan that would produce a successful merger on the most favorable terms for HH's shareholders.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 3
Subjects: Cost of Capital, Free Cash Flow Determination and Projections, Synergies, Valuation, Mergers and Acquisitions
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| Chateau des Charmes Wines Ltd.
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| 17 pp.
| Case
Ruth Cruikshank; Kenneth F. Harling
This case deals withs a significant, integrated decision about expansion and growth. Paul Bosc, Sr., is the founder and principle owner of Chateau des Charmes, a boutique winery in southern Ontario, Canada. He has proposed that the winery double its production by replacing the current building with a new chateau “in the french style.” Bosc Sr. has dreamed of such a chateau since he immigrated from France in 1965. The previous year, 1991, the winery sold $2 million of wine. He has asked his son to assess whether the new winery should be built now. In order to make a recommendation, Bosc Jr. has to consider the management, marketing, production, and finance implications of such a decision.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 17, Issue 1-2
Subjects: Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship, Resource Analysis, Environmental Analysis, International Wine Industry
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| Church’s Chicken in Navajoland
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| 17 pp.
| Case
Jon Ozmun; Casey Donoho; Mason Gerety
Michael Nelson, a Navajo Indian, was a successful businessman with retail operations in several communities located on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona. Nelson was considering a new business venture: opening a Church’s Chicken Restaurant (CCR) in Tuba City, Arizona. Nelson had the exclusive rights to Church‘s Chicken Restaurant located on the Navajo Indian Reservation. In 1991, he opened his initial CCR in Window Rock, Arizona. The success of this venture had prompted Nelson to look for other profitable markets for the restaurant franchise. In order to open a new restaurant in Tuba City, Nelson must borrow $650,000. This requires that he submit a loan proposal to the commercial loan department of his bank, Norwest Bank,Inc. Having successfully borrowed to initiate the CCR in Window Rock and to open Tru-Value Hardware stores in three different locations on the reservation, Nelson has previously been through this process with Norwest Bank. Nelson's immediate task is to complete the financial information required for the loan proposal. In particular he must develop sales forecasts, pro forma income statements, and cash flow statements for five years into the future. Based on an analysis of these sales and financial forecasts, Nelson will decide on the feasibility of starting the new restaurant.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 17, Issue 3
Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, Small Business Management, Sales Forecasting
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| Circle Electronics Corporation
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| 9 pp.
| Case
Raymond M. Kinnunen, James F. Molloy, Jr. Jennifer Fairbanks, CEO of Circle Electronics, faces an opportunity to become controlling owner of the firm. Bob Murray, her cofounder, financier, and mentor, seeks to convert his holdings to cash. In the low-margin electronics sub-contract manufacturing business, however, Circle’s operating results give little reason to hope for debt financing to replace Murray‘s equity.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Spring 1993, Volume 13, Issue 2. Copyright 1993.
Courses: Finance
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| Cironi’s Sewing Center Receives an Offer from Oreck
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| 10 pp.
| Case
J.B. Wilkinson; Gary B. Frank
Tony Cironi faces a licensing opportunity for Cironi’s Sewing Center, a store-based retailer of sewing machines and sewing-related merchandise located in Akron, Ohio. Specifically, Oreck, a manufacturer of household appliances, has offered Cironi‘s Sewing Center an exculsive license to represent Oreck products in the Akron PMSA. Tony Cironi, owner and manager of Cironi's Sewing Center, must evaluate the nature of this business opportunity and estimate its profit potential. Important considerations in financial analysis involve assessment of risk and estimation of start-up costs, operating costs, and sales revenue needed to breakeven. Nonfinancial consideration also are important in the decision situation. These include market attractiveness, strategy implications for Cironi's sewing machine business, Oreck's strategic direction, and personal preferences.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 2
Subjects: Small Business, Entrepreneurship, Retailing, Business Policy
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| Colonial Traditions, Inc.
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| 6 pp.
| Case
Thomas R. Miller; Irvin L. Tankersley
Alice Borden, sales manager for Colonial Traditions, Inc., must take a recommendation to her new boss and general manager, Phil Rigby, about how to handle the complaint of disgruntled customer Fred Townsend. Townsend has alleged that four of the six pairs of custom window shutters for which he waited six weeks are the “wrong size”. However Rigby maintained that Townsend signed a sales contract that authorized the manufacture of the exact shutters he received, and the contract clearly specified that custom-made goods are not returnable for credit. Yet upon her investigation, Borden learned that a company employee apparently erred in preparing the sales order signed by the customer.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 18, Issue 1-2
Subjects: Sales Contracts, Sales Management, Business and Society, Business Ethics, Customer Service, Total Quality
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| Columbia/HCA and the Medicare Fraud Scandal
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| 17 pp.
| Case
Anne T. Lawrence
The board of directors and top management of Columbia/HCA Corporation faced tough decisions following initiation of a massive antifraud investigation by the federal government in July 1997. At the time, Columbia/HCA was the largest health care company in the United States, with 340 hospitals under ownership. The government probe focused on allegations that Columbia/HCA had systematically and criminally defrauded Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled. How did this happen, and what should the company do?
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 1
Subjects: Business and Society, Business Ethics, Government Regulation, Health Care
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| Community AIDS Network, Inc. (CAN)
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| 15 pp.
| Case
Jan Zahrly
Laura Smith was a member of the board of directors and past officer of the Community AIDS Network, Inc. (CAN). She was considering leaving the board after one three-year term because the executive director was mismanaging and no other board member was confronting the issue. Laura was concerned about mismangement of funds and human resources. There were many allegations of wrongdoing but Laura did not have proof of wrongdoing. Laura was concerned about her reputation as well as the future of the agency. Laura took her concerns to several officers; no one wanted to deal with the mismanagement. The case gives information about Lauara’s three years on the board; the case stops at the point where Laura is thinking about leaving the board. Students can determine what Laura should do as well as what they would do in a similar situation.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 18, Issue 3-4
Subjects: Ethics, Nonprofit Organizations, Governance, Organizational Behavior, Organization Culture, Human Resource Management, Power
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| Community Memorial Hospital: Management of Conflicting Interests
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| 16 pp.
| Case
"Earl Simendinger; Daniel LeClair; Debbie Thorne LeClair, Michael Jasperson"
Ralph Soto, chief executive officer of Community Memorial Hospital (CMH), was grasping for strategies to stem the progressive decline in the hospital’s financial situation and occupancy rate. An exclusive provider contract with a rapidly growing health maintenance organization called Quick Care would have an immediate and significant positive effect on the hospital‘s financial condition. Ralph accepted the contract based on the hospital's chief financial officer and financial staff reports, without consulting the board of directors or members of the hospital medical staff. Two senior and highly respected hospital physicians learn of a contractual arrangement between Quick Care and The Hill Medical Group, a young multi-practice physician group affiliated with the hospital. Although recognizing the benefits for the hospital, a portion of the physician stakeholders viewed it as a direct threat to their practices. Pressure from the hospital's board of directors and senior physicians meant that Ralph must also consider a long-term proposal for resolving stakeholder conflict and the hospital's financial position.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 1
Subjects: Strategic Management, Health Care, Stakeholder Analysis, CEO/Board Relationships
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| Compensation at Carrington: The New Pay Plan
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| 8 pp.
| Case
Thomas R. Miller
The Carrington Pest Control Company, a medium-sized pest control business in a large southeastern city, was faced with a continuing and costly turnover problem with its pest control technicians who run routes throughout the city. After a study of industry compensation programs, Carrington revised its old base pay plus commission plan to promote growth of the business, enhance technicians’ earning potential, and increase service efficiency. However, 2 months after the new incentive system was introduced, some technicians were very disgruntled with it, claiming that they had to work harder but made less money. Fearing that some of his technicians would soon quit and he would face the problems of replacing them and training new workers, branch manager Fred Keller is under pressure to find a way to further modify the pay plan to meet its intended objectives.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 4
Subjects: Human Resource Management, Compensation, Incentive Plans, Employee Motivation
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| CompuSound Inc.
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| 19 pp.
| Case
James L. Bowey; Kimberly I. McKell
CompuSound Inc. focuses on a PC sound board company based in Kanata, Ontario, that was founded in May 1992 by Bob Norman. By February 1995, CompuSound was facing several strategic decisions that were critical to its future, including international sales expansions. Projected sales were far below expectations, even though Bob Norman was convinced that his premier product, the “CompuSound Pro” sound board, was state of the art. The company had exhausted its original capital and required additional funding to meet growth expectations. CompuSound’s board of director‘s hired a vice president of marketing, and Bob Norman was currently reviewing his various options in order to provide some strategic direction for CompuSound.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1
Subjects: Strategic Management, Distinctive Competence, Entrepreneurial Control, Small Business Management
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| Conoco’s Decision: The First Annual President’s Award for Business Ethics
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| 17 pp.
| Case
J. Brooke Hamilton III; Mark Smith; Steve L. Scheck
Conoco was a large, vertically integrated, global energy company commited to using its ethical culture as a strategic asset. To emphasize this commitment to business ethics as a core value, Conoco’s president, Archie Dunham, established the Annual President‘s Award for Business Ethics. After reviewing the award criteria and process, the reader is invited to join the award team's discussion of five individuals and groups nominated for the first award. These employees faced a variety of ethical challenges in different company divisions- domestic, foreign, and joint venture, exploration, production, refining, and retail. The reader can consider the purpose and effectiveness of the award, question how extraordinary behavior should be defined, discuss organizational structures that block ethical actions, evaluate the corporation's emphasis on ethics as a competitive advantage, and compare recommendations with the team on who should receive the award.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 22, Issue 3
Subjects: Business Ethics; Business Policy; Human Resources; Organizational Behavior
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| Cowgirl Chocolates
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| 15 pp.
| Case
John J. Lawrence; Linda J. Morris; Joe J. Geiger
Marilyn Lysohir, an internationally celebrated artist, started Cowgirl Chocolates in 1997 and had just purchased the company’s first advertisement- a $3,000 full-page ad in the spring 2001 issue of Chile Pepper magazine. The company‘s hot and spicy truffles, which were made by adding cayenne and other spices to fine European chocolate, had won numerous awards in fiery food competitions. The small business's 2000 revenues, however, were only $30,000-insufficient to cover the business's expenses, let alone provide any income to its owner. Marilyn had drained much of her personal savings to keep Cowgirl Chocolates in business, and she contemplated what to do next to move her small company to profitability. The tasks Marilyn faced included evaluating her current pricing strategy, identifying and gaining access to effective distribution channels for her products, deciding how to promote her products in the most cost-effective manner, and determining how best to use her business's Web site.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 22, Issue 1
Subjects: Marketing Management; Entrepreneurship; Small/Family Business; Strategic Management
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| Critter Campus
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| 27 pp.
| Case
Robin Habeger, Kay M. Palan
Toni and Jill, two sisters in their late 20s, want to have their own business and are considering the feasibility of starting a new pet boarding and service facility. Although neither Toni nor Jill had direct experience in the boarding kennel industry, both sisters had been involved in caring for a wide variety of animals, training and showing horses and dogs, and actively participating in search and rescue canine teams. In addition, Toni had an MBA and Jill had retail experience. But they both know that just wanting to have a boarding kennel is not enough. They have to evaluate the boarding kennel industry and business, the local market and competition, and the financial costs of starting a new business. Toni and Jill are faced with not only determining the feasibility of starting what they have begun to call ?Critter Campus,? but also whether or not they can finance their dream.
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| Cuchara Campgrounds, L.L.C.
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| 15 pp.
| Case
Gary L. Bridges; Mark G. Bridges
Mark Bridges pondered his position as manager of his family’s business in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. His duties included calming a family of campers whose campsite had just been ransacked by a mischievous black bear, warning another camper about the extreme wild fire danger, collecting camping fees from a recalcitrant hunter, and filling out the required daily campsite reports for the U.S. Forest Service. All of that paled in comparison to the upcoming career decision he faced. As he neared graduation from college he had to decide whether to continue and possibly expand the business in partnership with the Forest Service. He would become the sole owner and manager of a potentially $100,00 per-season enterprise and have his winters free to pursue his real passion-skiing. Did he really want to take on the responsibilities of being an employer? Especially given the growing complexities of being in business with a government agency that was on the public firing line?
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 2
Subjects: Small Business, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality/Tourism, Public Policy
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| Cullman Electric Cooperative
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| 8 pp.
| Case
Jeffrey S. Harper; R. Bryan Kennedy
On Thursday night, February 1, 1996, the worst ice storm ever to hit north-central Alabama moved into the Cullman Electric Cooperative’s service area. Cooperative manager Steve Foshee soon relaized that his worst nightmare was coming true. In a matter of just a few hours, almost all of the 35,500 cooperative customers were off-line. Realizing his 92-employee organization would not be able to restore power to its customers without additional help, Foshee requested crews and management personnel from other cooperatives throughout the South. Soon, the number of people under Foshee‘s supervision had swollen from 92 to 527. The highly technical nature of electricity delivery caused operating and safety concerns even during the most routine procedures. Facing a crisis situation, Foshee had to make several decisions concerning how best to coordinate and utilize the resources sent to aid his organization.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 3
Subjects: Management of Technology, Organizational Structure, Crisis Management, Centralized versus Decentralized Decision Making
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| Custom Blending, Incorporated
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| 26 pp.
| Case
John P. Leschke; Andrew C. Ruppel
Nelson Halsey, President and principle shareholder of Custom Blending, is facing the possibility of his firm losing money for the first time in its history. To make matters worse, one long-time customer had just cancelled all future contracts due to poor quality. This case describes the business and marketing strategies, the current operating policies and conditions, the exisiting production technologies, and the management team at Custom Blending. All of these factors contributed to the current “crisis” and all of these factors must be taken into consideration in determining the short-term action plan to get out of this situation.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 18, Issue 3-4
Subjects: Strategic Management, Productions/Operations Management, Marketing/Manufacturing Interface
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| Dakota Growers Pasta
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| 22 pp.
| Case
Michael A. Boland
The General Manager of Dakota Growers Pasta, an integrated durum wheat milling and dry pasta company headquartered in Carrington, North Dakota, was considering acquiring additional pasta capacity. The Board of Directors planned to discuss the acquisition in light of changes in the pasta industry that included entry of several new firms and exit of older firms, large changes in capacity, depressed farm economy, disease problems that reduced the supply of high quality durum wheat, and a decrease in consumption. Due to its cooperative organizational structure, equity would come from the company’s owners who were producers of durum wheat. He is faced with the challenge of determining the acquisition‘s impact on future profitability, the net effect on branded and private label pasta market share in the retail, ingredient, and food service market segments, and financing the acquisition.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 2
Subjects: Strategic Management, Acquisitions, Vertical Integration
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| DeCopier Technologies, Inc.
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| 11 pp.
| Case
John H. Friar; Raymond M. Kinnunen; Vishal Aggarwal
DeCopier Technologies, Inc., was founded by Sushil Bhatia. He is developing a machine that can remove 40 different types of toners, at high speeds, from photocopied or printed paper; wipe the paper clean; and bind it into reams. In 1999, the prototype for the product is almost complete, but the product has not yet been brought to the market. Citing industry trends and projections, the owner of the company sees great potential for this product. After proving a radical new technology works in the lab and almost completing a working prototype, the founder believes he will have a multimillion-dollar company in 2 years. The reality of the various steps and important decisions the company needs to take to create that multimillion-dollar company, however, begins to intrude. After the initial enthusiasm of the management team for the new technology and the tremendous potential demand, the owner is faced with the strategic, marketing, finance, and operations decisions necessary to make the company a success.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3
Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Innovation Management, Marketing in High-Tech Industries, New Product Development
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| Della Steam Plant: Should the Turbine Be Shut Off?
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| 17 pp.
| Case
P.K. Raju; Chetan Sankar
Sam Towers, the plant manager of a power plant, was in a dilemma: his engineer and the manufacturer’s engineer had disagreed on a major maintenance problem at the power plant. Taking into account financial, technical, safety, and credibility issues, he had to decide whether to restart the turbine-generator unit or shut it down.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 18, Issue 1-2
Subjects: Production Management, Industrial Engineering, Safety Management, Technology Management
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| Digital Equipment Corporation: Self-Managed Teams in Accounting
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| 24 pp.
| Cases A and B
Charles S. Osborn, Barbara Cofsky Barbara Cofsky, the manager of DEC’s Eastern Massachusetts Financial Management Center, has worked to develop self-managed teams among her direct reports. Now, because of a sweeping reorganization, the Eastern Mass Center will be closed. Cofsky wants to encourage Digital‘s management to use teams more widely, so she reassesses her organization. Do self-managed teams improve upon hierarchies? Should she fight to help team concepts survive the reorganization? What are her options?
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Summer/Fall 1995, Vol. 15, Issues 3 & 4, Copyright 1995.
Courses: Accounting Information Systems; Organizational Behavior; Quality Management
Topics:
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| DSPD: Boarding the Zaharia Express
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| 25 pp.
| Case
Steven J. Maranville
The Utah State Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD) is experiencing a shift in strategic philosophy, evoking radical changes in the role of the Division’s case managers. To support the new philosophy, the Division‘s executive director has revised the policy manual, allowing for better access to the actual policies by eliminating descriptions of step-by-step procedures. Case managers are, however, growing frusturated with the ambiguity caused by a lack of specified procedures. Exacerbating the anxieties, the Division has initiated a Quality Enhancement Unit that is evaluating the performance of case managers according to client outcomes rather than the conduct of case management duties. Tensions resulting from the Division's philosophy change surface during a retreat scheduled to address the case management training curriculum. The executive director is faced with the challenge of operationalizing and institutionalizing the strategic philosophy, while bringing the case management system into strategic alignment.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 18, Issue 3-4
Subjects: Strategy Implementation, Organizational Change, Training and Development, Public Administration
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| EMR Innovations
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| 12 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Kay M. Palan
Publication Date: 2007
Subjects: Marketing Strategy; Market Segmentation; Positioning Strategy; Pricing; Distribution Channels
Description: Eric and Mary Reynolds operated an RV repair shop and were avid RVers. In his spare time, Eric conceived product ideas to address Design flaws on existing RVs. One of these ideas, the Lock-Awn Anti-Billowing Device, seemed so promising to the Reynolds that they invested $10,000 of their own money to develop a prototype. They wanted to market this product through a new company, EMR Innovations. Eric and Mary were confident they had a sure winner in the Lock-Awn, but they had no market or financial analyses to verify their belief. To address this need, the Reynolds have to make key decisions related to selecting target markets, positioning strategy, pricing, and distribution channels, and they have to analyze the financial implications of these decisions. The end result, they hope, will be a marketing strategy that will effectively launch the Lock-Awn and EMR Innovations.
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| Endius Inc.: Targeting Product Cost for Steerable Surgical Instruments
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| 13 pp.
| Case
Julie H. Hertenstein; Marjorie B. Platt
Endius Inc., a start-up company, had developed a prototype of a new and promising surgical instrument, a steerable surgical forceps, by the spring of 1996. Tom Davison, the company’s new president and CEO, recognized that, although the prototype had served its basic purposes-proving the concept was technically viable and that surgeons were eager to use such an instrument for minimally invasive surgery-the prototype design was too costly for a commercially successful product in an era of managed care and other initiatives aimed at controlling health care costs. Because of limited cash and external resources and the need to enter the market as soon as possible with a viable product, Endius outsourced product development to Product Genesis, a product design consultancy. Now, Davison has to establish a target cost to ensure that the final product will achieve the market acceptance necessary to not only provide needed cash flow but also to build Endius‘s reputation and customer base for follow-on products.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 4
Subjects: Target Costing, New Product Development, New Product Financial Analysis, Outsourcing Product Design, Entrepreneurship
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| Environmental Management in the Rockies: Entrepreneurship Versus Sustainability
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| 14 pp.
| Case
Simon Hudson
The case begins with the problems of the owner of the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, Charlie Locke. Locke wants to invest in and upgrade facilities in order to remain competitive. However, environmentalists have succeeded in putting a stop to any expansion plans he has for his ski resorts in Banff National Park. Locke is pursuing legal action against Parks Canada and the heritage minister, Sheila Copps, over a new policy that would cut back ski area operations, cap daily skier capacity, and restrict future expansions in Banff and Jasper National Parks. The case study begins by tracking the origins of the dispute, over 30 years ago, right up to the impending court case between the parties. The key stakeholder in the conflict are the ski operators (and Charlie Locke, in particular), environmentalists, employees and residents, government and regulatory agencies, and skiers. The motivations and aspirations of each of these groups are discussed in turn, supported by quotations from key players in the dispute. The final part of the case returns to Locke and the decisions he has to make.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2
Subjects: Environmental Management; Tourism Management; Stakeholder Theory; Conflict Management; Sustainability
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| Frigidaire Company: Launching the Front-Loading Washing Machine
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| 14 pp.
| Case
Kay M. Palan; Timothy T. Dannels
In late 1996, Frigidaire introduced a new, horizontal-axis, front-loading washing machine in the United States. Figidaire intended to use this new product to position itself as the industry leader in energy-saving, environmentally sound laundry products. However, initial sales were sluggish, running 30 to 40 percent below projected levels, triggering concerns. Pushing Frigidaire’s concern was the fact that major competitors would soon be introducing front-loading washing machines, jeopardizing Frigidaire‘s first-mover advantage. The problem revolved around creating and growing a market for new technology to a consuming public with a significant preference for an alternative and inferior product. Could Frigidaire meet its objective with the current marketing strategy? Consumer, competitor, and market analysis information upon which strategic marketing management decisions were based, including pricing, distributions, and marketing communications, are provided for students to use in their analyses of Frigidaire's marketing strategy.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1
Subjects: Market Creation, New Product Market Strategy, Pricing, Product Adoption
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| Fuddruckers and the Crystal Coast Music Festival
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| 6 pp.
| Case
Scott M. Shafer; Shaunta McCracken
CRC Management Company, a franchisee of Fuddruckers, has been selected to be the sole food vendor for the Crystal Coast Music Festival. Over the next couple of days, decisions regarding the menu items, oder quantities, and prices need to be made final. Complicating these decisions are a number of uncertainties, including the weather, attendance, and the amount of food each attendee will consume.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 22, Issue 2
Subjects: Computer Simulation; Risk Analysis; Inventory Planning; Optimization
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| Gardner Distributing Company
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| 24 pp.
| Case
Tom Hinthorne
Gardner Distributing Company purchases, sells, and distributes Iams premium pet food products (68 percent of sales), pet supplies (14 percent of sales), and lawn and garden supplies (18 percent of sales). The case sketches the background and management style of the owner, Butch Tonigan; the start-up and development of the business from 1980-1999; the transition to a professioanl management team; the financial restructuring of the business; and the development of a marketing strategy. The management team has developed a purpose, mission, and objectives; but the strategies of the firm are not clear. A change in Iam’s strategy and hiring of a key account manager seem to be creating new opportuinities for the firm in 1999. The challenge is to define the firm‘s strategies. This will require an understanding of the business and the two industries in which the firm operates. It will also require a synthesis of the manager's dialogue on the strategic options of the business. A surprising epilogue extends the analytical possibilities.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 2
Subjects: Strategic Management, Small Business/Entrepreneurship, Financial Management
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| Geddes Dental Group
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| 35 pp.
| Case
Delwyn N. Clark
Geddes Dental Group (GDG) was an entrepreneurial, multibranch dental company offering a portfolio of public and private dental services. In August 1999, the managing director, Keith Pine, was reviewing the future direction of his business. With high-technology equipment and support systems in place, a well-known brand and reputation for innovation, the company was well positioned for further growth. However, the next stage of new business development required additional funding. As an entrepreneur, Pine had stretched all of his personal resurces to grow the business. Now, he was eager to keep moving GDG ahead, but how could he fund future projects? Was it time to find a partner? Who would invest in his business? Should he share his leadership power and responsibilities? These were really diificult questions for Pine that would impact the future portfolio, leadership, and performance of his business, and also his own position and lifestyle.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 4
Subjects: Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship, Strategic Alliance, Services Management
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| Ghana: The Soul of West Africa
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| 14 pp.
| Case
Franklyn A. Manu; Ven Sriram
The Republic of Ghana’s Director of Tourism was faced with the task of developing a plan of action to increase the country‘s tourist traffic. The country had many tourist attractions including beaches, former slave castles, wildlife preserves, cultural festivals, and tropical rainforests. However, these are not unique to Ghana, and intensive competition from other countries exists. The director needed to identify what was unique about Ghana and position the country appropriately to a variety of target markets. His task was complicated by inadequate information on competitors.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1
Subjects: International Business, Global Marketing, Tourism, Ghana/West Africa
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| Greg Cooke
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| 14 pp.
| Case
John W. Mullins
Greg Cooke was faced with a difficult decision as to whether to leave his job as vice president of community relations at Central Bank of Colorado to explore an idea he had to start a micro-lending organization. Greg was torn between his desire to make a difference by starting his own organization, on one hand, and loyalty to his family and preserving the stability of their future, on the other. Although Greg knew he had to consider the potential of his idea in making his decision, he knew he also must address the personal and family dimensions of his question of whether or not, and under what conditions, he should leave his job to explore his business concept.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 1
Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Personal Traits of Entrepreneurs, Micro-lending
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| Griffin and Tory
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| 25 pp.
| Case
Roy Suddaby; Royston Greenwood
Dan Roberts, managing partner of the law firm of Griffin and Tory, is about to chair an important and potentially divisive meeting of the partners. The meeting revolves around the firm’s chief executive officer, Jim Hall, a non-lawyer who was hired to introduce more efficient business practices into the firm. Hall instituted a series of changes designed to move the firm from a tradidtional partnership to a more efficient commercial organization. The changes introduced highlight the differences and tensions between the corporate and partnership models of organization and serve to illustrate the challenges inherent in managing a knowledge-intensive, professional workforce. Although the changes introduced by Hall may have helped the bottom line, they also threaten the culture, identify and potential viability of the firm.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 1
Subjects: Management of Professionals, Knowledge-Intensive Firms, Change, Organizational Culture
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| H.D. Chasen Company, Inc.
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| 9 pp.
| Case
"Raymond M. Kinnunen; James F. Molloy, Jr.; Roger M. Atherton"
This case focuses on the issues facing a small, family-owned hardware store and industrial equipment supplier. The case contains information on the industry and provides information on three generations of the Chasen family. Students are challenged to evaluate the isuues facing a company, owned by two and operated by three generations simultaneously. Identifying and evaluating short- and long-term strategies provides a paltform for discussion of marketing- and policy-related issues, as well as discussions of problems unique to small business.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 17, Issue 3
Subjects: Small Business Management, Family Business, Succession Planning, Strategic Management
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| Hershey Foods Company: Board of Directors and Stakeholders Conflict over Sale
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| 16 pp.
| Case
Author(s): Cynthia Clark Williams
Publication Date: 2007
Subjects: Corporate Governance; Stakeholder Theory; Strategic Management
Description: This case primarily explores governance issues from the perspective of the company’s largest shareholder, the Hershey Trust Company (HTC). The backdrop of the case is the tension between managers who run the company and the principal shareholders. Approximately 64 percent of companies worldwide have controlling shareholders. Therefore, the goal of the case is to identify the pressures facing both the company and its largest shareholder, following a significant change in strategic focus at Hershey Foods Company, and to generate an informed discussion about effectively managing such pressures. Specifically, the case revolves around the decisions facing the CEO of the HTC, as he and his board are under pressure from various stakeholder groups who strongly oppose the plan to sell the Trust‘s 77 percent stake in Hershey Foods. The case opens as the CEO is about to meet with his board to determine whether to sell the HTC's entire stake in Hershey Foods, the mere mention of which has created a maelstrom of protest from community members, activist groups, local politicians, the attorney general's office, local and national media and employee unions.
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| Hewlett-Packard Company in Vietnam
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| 24 pp.
| Case
Geok Theng Lau
In late 1995, John Peter, a marketing manager of Hewlett-Packard Asia Pacific Limited, was evaluating its strategic options for doing business in Vietnam. The United States had lifted its embargo on the country in February 1994, and the country had normalized relationships with many other countries, including China. The current economic development in Vietnam is rather slow and limited, and the infrastructures and the political-legal systems appear to be underdeveloped. However, the long-term prospects appear very bright. Hewlett-Packard’s current operation in Vietnam is limited to the distribution of a small range of its products through local intermediaries. John needed to recommend whether HPAP should enter the Vietnam market in a more strategic fashion. If so, what form of market entry should be adopted, and what detailed implementation plans should be developed?
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 2
Subjects: Marketing Management, International Marketing, Strategic Marketing, Foreign Market Entry
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| Hoechst-Roussel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.: RU 486
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| 18 pp.
| Case
Jan Willem Bol, David W. Rosenthal Hoechst-Roussel Management must decide whether to introduce RU 486 to the U.S. Market. The drug, a contraceptive/abortifacient, offers a significant business opportunity, but it goes against the company’s stated policy of not marketing such drugs. RU 486 has been widely tested in Europe, but political and social issues present a hostile environment in the U.S.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Winter 1993, Vol. 13, Issue 1. Copyright 1993.
Courses: Business Ethics; Business Policy/Strategy; Marketing Management; Public Policy
Topics:
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| Humuss Agendas
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| 16 pp.
| Case
John J. Lawrence
Brothers Alejandro and Domingo Martinez jointly own Humuss, a company that produces agendas, and Tecnographics, a small printing company. Since its founding in 1999, Humuss has grown rapidly to represent more than 25% of Tecnographics sales. Humuss has just met all of its delivery commitments for 2002, but because of the highly seasonal demand for agendas, this was only accomplished through extensive use of overtime, subcontracting and temporary labor. Further, Tecnographics experienced significant difficulty meeting the needs of its other customers during the final quarter of 2002 as a result of the printing work it did for Humuss. Domingo, Humuss?s managing director, wants to see Humuss grow, but is concerned about its ability to satisfy demand in the future. He must decide what changes are necessary in order for the company to continue to grow and be successful. In particular, Domingo is considering what the relationship should be between the management of Humuss and Tecnographics and at what point Humuss should expand internationally.
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| IBCA, Ltd.
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| 28 pp.
| Case
Gaik Eng Lim
IBCA, Ltd. Was the third largest international rating agency in the world after Standard & Poors and Moody’s. In line with the globalization of capital markets, IBCA broadened its worldwide coverage by opening wholly-owned offices and establishing affiliates with rating agencies in Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries. In the long run, these emerging markets of Latin America and Asia would be increasingly important to IBCA‘s growth. The Managing Director of IBCA had to decide which region would provide better returns, given the firm's resources. The Managing Director also had to formulate a business strategy for meeting increasing competition from Standard & Poors and Moody's, as well as chart the future direction of IBCA.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 2
Subjects: Strategic Management, Globalization, Competitive Strategy, Corporate Strategy
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| Indian Health Service: Creating a Climate for Change
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| 26 pp.
| Case
"Robert J. Tosatto; Terrie C. Reeves; W. Jack Duncan, Peter M. Ginter"
Providing comprehensive health care for more than 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, the Indian Health Service’s 15,000 plus employees were responsible for the operation of more than 500 facilities with a budget greater than $2 billion. Dr. Michael Trujillo, the Indian Health Servce‘s director, knew that to accomplish the agency's mission the Indian Health Services had to honor numerous past treaties made between the Indian tribes and the United States. Respect for the beliefs and spiritual convictions of the various tribes was formally recognized in the Indian self-determination process, but despite this, the Indian Health Service was considered a discretionary agency in the congressional budget process. It had no adequate third-party payer billing system; it faced difficulty recruiting professional staff; and it served a population whose health indicators lagged behind the rest of the United States. Dr. Trujillo had to decide how to lead the Indian Health Service through troubled times while raising the Indian Health Service population's health status, even with little likelihood of increased funding.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 19, Issue 4
Subjects: Strategic Management, Organizational Structure, Organizational Change, Public Policy
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| IntelliTech International, Inc.
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| 20 pp.
| Case
John H. Friar; Raymond M. Kinnunen
Joe Tamker was able to purchase the assets from NEC’s thermal printer business at a deep discount, which created an advantageous cost position and “bootstrapped” the growth of his new company. Tamker was facing several problems, however. Because of design and cost changes, the product did not fit in the bar code market for which it was originally intended. Second, Tamker was facing channel resistance because his company no longer was big like NEC. Tanker, however, noticed there was a demand in Europe for the printer in a different application. In 1997, armed with limited information and a restricted amount of time, Tamker had to make a decision as to what markets and channels he should target. In addition, Tamker had to deal with the poor quality of the product. To free himself from a Japanese supplier, Tamker would have to redesign the product and bring manufacturing to the United States. He also had to decide whether to redesign the product to fit into other product segments. Finally, he was making these decisions in the context of attempting to bootstrap the company rather than raising additional outside money.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 3
Subjects: Small Business/Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Marketing, Channels Management, Corporate Spin-offs
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| Iroquois Container Corporation: Flagstone Operations
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| 24 pp.
| Case
H. Richard Eisenbeis; Bettye Sue Hanks; Steve Clark
female employees in a subsidiary of a large, diversified, male-dominated organiation had been subjected to a sexually hostile work environment. In spite of a sexual harassment lawsuit against the company which resulted in a $500,000 settlement being awarded to one of the female employees, management had made only superficial efforts to resolve the problem; and sexual harassment continued. Sherry Thompson, a technician in the Technical Services Department, has indicated to her supervisor, Paul Barker, that she would be off work for an unspecified time for “stress-related illness due to a sexually hostile work environment.” Barker believes this to be a first step toward another round of ‘’disparate treatment and sexual harassment’‘ litigation for the company. He is faced with the problem of how to prevent history from repeating itself.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 18, Issue 1-2
Subjects: Sexual Harassment, Professional Ethics, Hostile Environment, Organizational Behavior
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| J.R. Pierce, Inc.
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| 15 pp.
| Case
Robert P. Crowner
J.R. Pierce, Inc. (JRP) was a small manufacturer of pastry forming equipment located in Marion, Ohio. JRP was funded by John Pierce, who has now “retired” although having turned over management of the company to his two sons, Bill and Mark, he continues to work part-time without a salary. The company’s dated product line consists of three machines geared toward smaller volume pie crust manufacturers. JRP, a subchapter S corporation, was very profitable at 33.4 percent before taxes after recovering in 1995 from two years of declining sales. Minimal promotion was done. Management succession was an important issue in the case: John owned two-thirds of the stock with the rest evenly split between his sons. They were frusturated with his continuing interference in the business which prevented them from taking some modernization steps. Too, they were being paid such low salaries that they could not accumulate sufficient funds to buy John out.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 18, Issue 3-4
Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Family Business, Succession, Buyout, Marketing Strategy, Smal Business Management, Business Strategy
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| Jan and Dave Bailey’s Decision
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| 30 pp.
| Case
Sean M. Hennessey; Roberta M. MacDonald
Jan and Dave Bailey are at a critical stage in the process of deciding whether to establish an aquaculture operation, a mussel farm, in Newfoundland, Canada. Jan and Dave left the province many years earlier but recently returned and are investigating business opportunities. Mussel farming has a long history in the region, and aquaculture seems to be the way of the future- a renewable resource grown in pristine surroundings with little effect on the environment. Is mussel farming a viable business opportunity, or does the nature of the business and the disorgainzed state of the industry in Newfoundland make the venture too risky? The case presents Jan and Dave at the point of a major decision. Dave seems to be captivated by the idea; Jan sees the potential but also the evry real risks. They must develop a business plan for a mussel farming operation to determine whether they should invest their savings in the venture. It is late January 1996. To be in operation for the 1996 season, their big decision must be made by mid-March.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 20, Issue 4
Subjects: New Venture Analysis, Comprehensive Business Planning, Finance/Marketing/Operations Management, Integrated Functional Management, Aquaculture Industry
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| Jonathan Langston (A): A Hotel Manager’s Career Dilemma
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| 8 pp.
| Case
Udo Schlentrich, Margaret J. Naumes
Jonathan Langston, manager of a New York City luxury hotel, was approached by Mr. Al Sayed, a Middle Eastern businessman who had recently purchased the Dorset Hotel, a luxury hotel in London. Mr. Al Sayed was unhappy with the way the present management team was running the Dorset, and offered Jonathan a position to head up its redevelopment and management. Jonathan declined Mr. Al Sayed?s offer but agreed to give Mr. Al Sayed his advice. Jonathan made two trips, to evaluate the hotel?s situation and meet with the architects and interior designer. A few weeks later, Mr. Al Sayed again asked Jonathan to take over the London hotel. The case ends with the issues of what would be needed, both personally and professionally, for Jonathan to be willing to take on and turn around this troubled hotel, an assignment not without risk.
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| Karen Conners: Sexual Harrassment or Cultural Differences? (A)
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| 13 pp.
| Case
Karen Conners, age 35, a bright MBA student, is subjected to what she perceives to be harsh treatment by Ali Zahedi, a tenured associate professor and director of the MBA program. Zahedi threatens to make it impossible for Karen, who is also his graduate assistant, to complete her MBA degree or to be accepted into a PH.D. program unless she continues to meet demands made by him that she believes to be unreasonable. The stress that Karen has been under for the past year has affected her mental and physical health to the extent that she solicited the advice of other faculty to assist her in her time of crisis.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 17, Issue 3
Subjects: Professional Ethics, Sexual Harassment, Ethinicity and Culture, Management of Diversity
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| Kate Cooper
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| 4 pp.
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William E. Stratton, David Efraty, Kim Jardine Kate Cooper accepts a managerial position in a newly constructed community psychiatric hospital. Her perception of conflicting demands, changes in her duties, broken promises, interference from peers, and lack of management support leads to confusion and frustration, and Kate quits her job 3 months after the hospital opens.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Spring 1993, Vol. 13, Issue 2, Copyright 1992.
Courses: Business Communication; Healthcare
Topics:
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| Kenhar Products, Inc.
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| 21 pp.
| Case
Kenneth F. Harling, Alan DeRoo Kenhar Products, Inc., a Canadian company selling most of its output in the United States, is a world leader in the manufacture of steel fork arms. Kenhar’s major U.S. competitor, Dyson and Sons, has asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to impose a temporary tariff of 35 percent on imported forks. Bill Harrison, Kenhar president, must decide how to respond.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Winter 1993, Volume 13, Issue 1. Copyright 1993.
Courses: Business and Society; Business Policy/Strategy; International Business; Operations Management
Topics:
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| Kikkoman Corporation in the Mid-1990s: Market Maturity, Diversification, and Gl
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| 25 pp.
| Case
Marilyn Taylor; Joyce Claterbos
Slow sales growth and underperforming stock price present new Kikkoman president Yuzaburo Mogi challenges as Kikkoman faces the end of the 1990s and the twenty-first century. The company, headed by 17 generations of the Mogi family, faces a mature market and slipping market share in Japan for its soy sauce, as well as challenges for its diversified product line in the 94 other countries in which the company distributes. How the company addresses the U.S. market, where Kikkoman was a pioneer Japanese manufacturer after World War II, will be particularly critical.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3
Subjects: International Business, Diversification, Globalization
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| Kitchen Made Pies (Revised)
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| 28 pp.
| Case
James J. Chrisman, Fred L. Fry, Charles W. Hofer Paul Dubicki operates a full-line dessert bakery serving the Middle West from Peoria, Illinois. Unusual quality, stemming from use of the finest fresh ingredients, marks KMP’s competitive edge. However, several years‘ unfavorable operating results have led to the bank's reluctance to renew Dubicki's loan without his pledging his home as collateral.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Summer 1993, Vol. 13, Issue 3. Copyright 1993.
Courses: Business Policy/Strategy; Marketing Management; Operations Management
Topics:
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| Lady Foot Locker: The Lobo Launch
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| 19 pp.
| Case
Andrew J. Rohm; David W. Rosenthal; Thomas C. Boyd
Bill Wyatt, general merchandise manager at Lady Foot Locker, a national chain of athletic footwear and apparel stores, is faced with the complex decision of whether to partner with Reebok International and launch the Lobo I, a women’s-specific basketball shoe endorsed by Rebecca Lobo. Lobo had played at the University of Connecticut and on the 1996 U.S. Women‘s Olympic Basketball team and is now sponsored by Reebok as a member of the WNBA's New York Liberty. Recent introductions of similar women's-specific basketball shoes by well-known brands such as Nike had not been successful. Within the context of a dynamic industry characterized by declining basketball shoe sales, increasing sales of substitute footwear such as casual and hiking shoes, and an ever-fickle teen market, Wyatt and his management team must now weigh the factors for launching the Lobo I against numerous reasons why such a launch should not be pursued. (WRC). Student activists and several labor unions had founded the WRC to ensure that shoes and apparel manufactured overseas were not produced under sweatshop conditions. Knight was upset because Nike had helped found and was an active supporter of a rival organization, the Fair Labor Association (FLA). The FLA took a different approach to establishing fair wages and working conditions in the overseas shoe and apparel industry. What were the key issue in this dispute? Which organization, the WRC or the FLA, offered a more effective way to set and enforce labor standards for multinational corporations like Nike?
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 21, Issue 3
Subjects: Retail Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Sports Marketing, Celebrity/Product Endorsement
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| Le Parisien
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| 12 pp.
| Case
"Janelle Heineke; Alexandra Baptista; Yann Morvan, Ana Rodriguez Linde"
Hassan Hodroj has opened the business of his dreams: an upscale French bakery in a carefully chosen exclusive location in an exclusive shopping area in Boston. Le Parisien was authentic to every detail, from the expensive renovation that met the strict codes for bakeries in Paris to the French Chef who used only the finest imported ingredients in his pastries. Unfortunately for Hassan, his dream was turning into a nightmare. He was paying premium prices for authenticity, but his revenues were lower than projected and his creditors were at the door. Hassan would have to make some important choices soon about customers, products, and processes if he wanted to stay in business.
Source: North American Case Research Association, Case Research Journal, Volume 17, Issue 1-2
Subjects: Operations Management, Service Operations, Quality Management, New Ventures
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