bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Horse Vet, LLC: Transaction Analysis and Statement of Cash Flows Preparation (Option 1)
Authors: Haskins Mark E.
Published: March 2017

This case pertains to the foundational underpinnings of the accounting process and the statement of cash flows. In Part I, students are presented with 23 business events that they must evaluate for recording in the financial records. Part II requires students to prepare a 2012 statement of cash flows using the information presented in the company's 2011 and 2012 year-end balance sheets along with its 2012 income statement. In Part III, students must rely on a 2011 balance sheet and a 2011 statement of cash flows to work backward to derive the 2010 year-end balance sheet. There are two versions of this case: Option 1 and Option 2. The Option 2 case is a bit more challenging than the Option 1 case. Instructors should use Option 2 if they feel students are well grounded in their understanding of financial statement relationships and the customary financial reporting of a typical set of business events. Both cases reinforce students' learning related to the accounting process and the connectivity between the financial statements. Please note that only one version of the case should be used due to the existence of some overlap between the two.
Intuit: QuickBooks Upgrade
Authors: Pfeifer Phillip E.
Published: March 2017

This case describes an innovative response-modeling project at INTUIT. The case can help students understand the basics of (and the issues surrounding) response modeling, an important tactic in data-base marketing.
ITT Defense: Electro Optical Products Division
Authors: Weiss Elliott N. , Dameron Tayloe M.
Published: March 2017

This case describes an award-winning quality-management program. The dilemma facing Marshall Bowden, manager of Operations, concerns the selection of a process for the manufacture of night-vision goggles. One choice would require planned rework, which would cost less than the choice requiring the least rework or the most costly option. The low-cost option runs exactly counter to the philosophy that won the division its achievement awards. Videotape #8223, “Tim Reid,” is designed for use with this case.
J&L Railroad: The Board Meeting
Authors: Green Rick
Published: March 2017

This short case could be handed out at the end of class discussion on “J&L Railroad” [UVA-F-1053] in preparation for the following class, or if students are more experienced with hedging and option pricing, the instructor may choose to cover both cases in a single class period. It is the companion case to “J&L Railroad” [UVA-F-1053], and presents more technical issues regarding the hedging problem by requiring students to understand option-pricing principles. The board likes the CFO's hedging recommendations, but it wants a more careful analysis of the bank's prices for its risk-management products: the caps and floors. Besides demanding an understanding of option pricing, this case puts particular emphasis on the calculation and use of implied volatility.
Liquidity, Mutual Fund Flows, and Reflow Management, LLC
Authors: Evans Richard B. , Mills Michael
Published: March 2017

This case examines the importance of liquidity to financial markets, using the dramatic volatility of mutual fund flows in 2008 as an example. While the case is targeted to MBA students in an investments or portfolio management course, it is also appropriate for an advanced undergraduate course. It is written from the perspective of a fund manager who has experienced significant redemptions in 2008 and is considering whether or not to use ReFlow Management LLC's “liquidity provision” service. The case requires students to examine the nature and magnitude of mutual fund trading costs; how fund flows may induce additional trading, and how ReFlow's innovative service attempts to resolve these issues. Through this analysis, students will better understand what is meant by the term “liquidity” and how liquidity, or a lack thereof, can negatively impact portfolio performance.
Managing Energy: A Team in Crisis
Authors: Goldberg Rebecca , James Erika Hayes
Published: March 2017

Volatility can emerge in any working group, particularly in a flat hierarchy with no established leader; add diversity and exhaustion to the mix, and a group is vulnerable to buckling under the pressure of its own goals. This fictional account of a contentious learning team at a business school dramatizes both the words and thoughts of the participants as frictions lead them to consider disbanding. It provides a means of discussing the nature of leadership among peers and in particular the critical but easily overlooked role of personal energy management––mental, physical, and emotional; even when the strengths of diversity are leveraged proactively, interpersonal interaction still requires a significant reservoir of positive energy, whereas its depletion can sabotage even the best of intentions.
Marissa Mayer at Google
Authors: Thomas-Hunt Melissa , Gethin-Jones Meredith , Fleming Susan
Published: March 2017

Marissa Mayer has been asked to think about factors that were impacting Google's ability to innovate and adjust its strategy so that the organization could remain one of the world's foremost leaders in technology. In an industry (and at a company) that was changing and growing exponentially, it would be difficult to pinpoint specific variables and trends. But Mayer knew that one element crucial to Google's ongoing success would be its ability to recruit the best talent available and foster an environment that would encourage that talent to generate the best ideas. As Mayer contemplated how to ensure this, she considered that women currently represented only a small fraction of Google's engineers, suggesting a missed opportunity.
Marriott Corporation
Authors: Harrington Diana
Published: March 2017

This case describes management's sequential reevaluation of Marriott's debt capacity and the decision about how to invest this unused debt. Videotape #5556, “Strategic Leadership,” is designed for use with this case (see Videotape Bibliography).
Megacard Corporation
Authors: Davis Edward W. , Colley John L.
Published: March 2017

This case requires a decision on the possible consolidation of three Midwest business-travel centers. Significant cost savings in service representatives can be achieved by combining the front-end (booking) operations. The sensitivity of cost to service-productivity levels and customer waiting time is also explored. This case and related materials can be used as part of the Workforce Planning Module.
Method: Sustainable Design for the Home as Corporate Strategy
Authors: Larson Andrea , York Jeff
Published: March 2017

This minicase is one of 10 in a series written to illustrate the business benefits companies realize through adopting sustainable business strategies. Method is a successful startup firm in San Francisco that has made sustainable design principles a guiding force its strategy. Unlike other firms, however, Method sells its products on performance, price, and aesthetics; health and environment are simply built into the design from the outset. Backed by venture capital and successful selling through Target nationwide, Method offers a model of what may ultimately become standard practice and strategy.
Nashua Photo
Authors: Pfeifer Phillip E.
Published: March 2017

This case concerns the promotional activities of Nashua Photo, the nation's largest mail-order photofinishing firm. Discount-price mailers (inserted in local newspapers, for example) were used to generate new customers, but also allowed existing customers to pay a lower price. Students must evaluate not only the results of last quarter's 125 separate promotions in light of this “leakage,” but also the appropriateness of discount-price mailers within Nashua's marketing mix.
Nike: Moving Down the Sustainability Track Through Chemical Substitution and Waste Reduction
Authors: Larson Andrea , York Jeff
Published: March 2017

This is a minicase, one of 10 in a set of short cases written to illustrate the business benefits companies realize through adopting sustainable business strategies. This minicase discusses the formation and implementation of Nike's sustainability strategy in the 1990s through 2006 including changes to product designs and supply chain policies.
PepsiCo, Inc.: Cost Of Capital
Authors: Eades Kenneth M. , Thornhill David
Published: March 2017

A Wall Street Journal article states, “At PepsiCo, Inc., cola was king, but it is quietly being dethroned.” PepsiCo is composed of three lines of business: soft drinks, restaurants, and snack foods. Using data from comparable pure-play companies, the student is asked to compute divisional costs of capital and see if they can be reconciled with the company's reported cost of capital, 11%.
PepsiCo: The Challenge of Growth Through Innovation
Authors: Venkataraman S. , Summers Mary
Published: March 2017

This corporate strategy case shows how PepsiCo stopped worrying about competing with Coca-Cola, figured out what its real business was, and decided how to build its future. Redefining itself as a beverage and snack business, PepsiCo sheds its restaurant business and acquires Quaker and Tropicana. By rethinking the synergistic relationship between the complementary, combined strengths of the merged companies, it strategizes to develop innovative products that will compete in a changing demographic, cultural, and geographical world. Will this strategy work in an increasingly competitive environment?
Personal Charters
Authors: Clawson James G.
Published: March 2017

It is very difficult to be an effective leader if you don't know who you are and what you want. People in leadership positions are expected to clarify things for others––purpose, vision, values, strategy, and goals. This technical note describes several fundamentals of an effective organizational and work group charter including the important elements of a personal charter. Once leaders have a clear vision for themselves, they are prepared to make better career, lifestyle, and professional decisions.
Post-Merger Integration at Northrop Grumman Information Technology
Authors: Bourgeois L. J. , Freccia David , Williams Leslie
Published: March 2017

This case presents the “best practices” of a highly successful post-merger integrator that grew from $400 million in 1997, to $1.5 billion in 2000, to $4 billion in 2002. The case focus is on the $4.0 billion IT sector of Northrop Grumman, a company confronting immense change in the rapidly consolidating defense business. This integration is unique in that the product is a complete melding of various companies, systems, leaderships, and cultures of 11 legacy organizations. Not only is the result an organization with a new identity, but also one with new strategic capabilities unavailable to any of the stand-alone legacy companies. A teaching note is available to registered faculty, along with video clips that include footage of weapons systems (e.g., B-2 bomber) and information about the company's PMI process.
RadNet, Inc.: Financing an Acquisition
Authors: Chaplinsky Susan , Droznik Alex
Published: March 2017

This case examines issues surrounding the choice of financing arrangements for the acquisition of Radiologix in July 2006. The case follows Mark Stolper, the CFO of RadNet, as he considers how to raise the $363 million in funds necessary to finance the acquisition. When completed, the combined firms will be the largest private diagnostic-imaging provider in the United States. When Stolper joined RadNet in 2003, he confronted a company with “too much debt, and the wrong kind of debt.” His goal is to finance the acquisition in a way that further enhances the financial strength and operating flexibility of the company. Given the large size of funding required, the firm is unlikely to be able to fund the entire transaction with first-lien or bank debt. His financial advisors differ in their recommendations for how to raise the remaining funds—one suggests using second-lien debt, and the other, high-yield debt.

The purpose of the case is to familiarize students with frequently encountered types of debt financing that are used to finance mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions. The case provides information on the distinctions among first-lien, second-lien, and high-yield debt in relation to their price, availability, flexibility of covenants, repayment ease, and composition of likely investors. The case is designed for use in courses that cover corporate financing, M&As, and debt financing.
Ratios Tell A Story—2003
Authors: Haskins Mark E.
Published: March 2017

This case provides financial ratios and common-size balance sheets for 13 “mystery” companies. Students are asked to match each mystery company's data to one of the 13 industries provided.
Ratios Tell a Story—2005
Authors: Haskins Mark E.
Published: March 2017

This case provides financial ratios and common-size balance sheets for 13 “mystery” companies. Students are asked to match each mystery company's data to one of the 13 industries provided.
Ratios Tell a Story—2011
Authors: Haskins Mark E.
Published: March 2017

Financial results and conditions vary among companies for a number of reasons. The differences in industry characteristics, company policies, management performance, and responsiveness to the macroeconomic environment are reflected in the financial statements published by publicly held companies and can be highlighted through the use of financial ratios.
Ratios Tell a Story—2013
Authors: Haskins Mark E.
Published: March 2017

This case challenges students to review a series of corporate financial metrics and to match them to one of the 13 labeled and listed industries. It is suitable for MBA and undergraduate students ready to expand their basic understanding of financial metrics.
Red Bull (Abridged)
Authors: Johnson Richard R. , Mitchell Jordan , Farris Paul W. , Shames Ervin
Published: March 2017

This case (an abridged version of UVA-M-0663) describes the history of the Red Bull brand and how the company stimulated and harnessed word of mouth to build a new product category (functional energy drinks) and brand franchise. The case concludes by asking the reader to consider where Red Bull will take its brand, product line, and marketing next, in light of many competitive challenges in the United States. The case was written to foster discussion of nontraditional brand-building strategies and the growing globalization of brands and products targeted toward younger consumers.
Red Bull and Energy Drinks 2010
Authors: Farris Paul W.
Published: March 2017

Red Bull spends an estimated 40% of sales on marketing, largely on sponsored events related to extreme sports. This brief case serves to frame an evaluation of Red Bull's marketing strategy in the increasingly populated energy drink market.
REI: Sustainability Strategy and Innovation in the Outdoor Gear and Apparel Industry
Authors: Larson Andrea , Meier Mark
Published: March 2017

Many companies view financial variables independently from ecological and social variables. Is it possible to hold one's organization equally accountable for financial performance and social responsibility? This field-based case is suitable for MBA and undergraduate courses or modules in sustainability and innovation, ethics, and corporate social responsibility. For REI, an outdoor gear and apparel manufacturer, the challenge lies in how to expand sustainability awareness through consensus building across the organization and with outside collaborators. As it designs a new strategic framework for the operations footprint, the company seeks to adopt a corporate strategy on product stewardship and adapt its philanthropy strategy around sustainability objectives.
Research Affiliates
Authors: Evans Richard B. , Green Rick
Published: March 2017

Towers Watson (TW) has always conducted its own research into alternative approaches to market cap investing. A senior investment consultant with TW, impressed by a recent presentation by the CIO of Research Affiliates (RA) about an innovative investing concept called the “Fundamental Index methodology,” thinks it might be an important innovation in applying nonmarket cap approaches. But he has some concerns about the approach and whether or not it would be appropriate for TW's clients who depend on the firm to keep them on the cutting edge of institutional investing.
Risk Exposure and Hedging
Authors: Bodily Samuel , Fiedler Lee
Published: March 2017

The concept of exposure, or uncertainty that matters, is developed as the target of hedging. Then, how to hedge that exposure–in particular, how to use regression analysis to obtain a hedging ratio–is described. The note concludes with a discussion of hedging multiple uncertainties and how to use correlations in developing a hedging strategy.
Roche Holding AG: Funding the Genentech Acquisition
Authors: Schill Michael J. , Durick Brett , Chambers Drew
Published: March 2017

This case examines the decision by the Swiss pharmaceutical Roche Holding AG (Roche) to offer a record $42 billion bond in February 2009. In light of a pending acquisition of U.S. biotechnology leader, Genentech, Roche management planned to sell $32 billion in bonds at various maturities from 1 year to 30 years and in three different currencies (U.S. dollar, euro, and British pound). In a context of substantial uncertainty in both world financial markets and the value of the Genentech deal, students are introduced to the pricing of corporate bonds by being invited to price Roche's bold global offering.
Rocky Mountain Advanced Genome, Inc.
Authors: Bruner Robert F.
Published: March 2017

In January 1996, an investment manager of a hedge fund is considering purchasing an equity interest in a start-up biotechnology firm, Rocky Mountain Advanced Genome (RMAG). The asking price is $46 million for a 90% equity interest. Although managers of the firm are optimistic about its future performance, the investment manager is more conservative in her expectations. She asks an analyst to fashion a counterproposal for RMAG's management. The tasks for the student are to apply the concept of terminal value, interpret completed analyses and data, and derive implications of different terminal value assumptions in an effort to recommend a counterproposal. Little computation is required of the student. The main objective of the case is to survey many conceptual and practical challenges associated with estimating a firm's terminal value. Issues addressed include the concept of terminal value; the materiality of the terminal-value assumption; the varieties of terminal-value estimators and their strengths and weaknesses; taxation of terminal values; when to assume liquidation versus going-concern terminal values; choosing a forecast horizon at which to estimate a terminal value; the constant growth valuation model, its derivation, limiting assumptions of constant growth to infinity, and WACC > g; use of the Fisher Formula as a foundation for estimating growth rate to infinity; and using a variety of estimates to “triangulate” in on a terminal value.
Sack It & Pack It, Inc.: 12 Combinations of GAAP and How They Differ
Authors: Haskins Mark E.
Published: March 2017

This short but provocative case is a useful vehicle for differentiating the financial statement effects of just a few of the accounting method choices available under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Designed for MBA students, the case presumes a basic understanding of the inventory cost flow methods of LIFO, FIFO, weighted average, and specific identification. Similarly, students must also have a working knowledge of the basic depreciation calculations for straight line, double-declining balance, and units-of-production. A young entrepreneur undertakes a simple modeling task to explore the differential effects of four different inventory methods in combination with three different depreciation methods. Will there be much difference across the options? He is intrigued by the fact that he has some choices of accounting methods available to him as he gets ready to prepare a set of financial statements for his first year of operation.
Shenzhen Filtroil: Finding Balance
Authors: Isabella Lynn A. , Yemen Gerry
Published: March 2017

Filtroil had opened a new factory that was a merger between Shenzhen Filtroil and its supplier, Liu Li—whose own factory was on the verge of bankruptcy. But the supplier had begun making excessive demands and threatening to delay product shipment to the United States if his conditions were left unmet. The case reveals the options that could be taken to manage the situation. The case is suitable for use in organizational behavior, human resource management, and strategy classes at the MBA and executive education levels.
Shun Electronics Company
Authors: Haskins Mark E. , Rotch William
Published: March 2017

The Shun Electronics KL Radio division wants to expand its three departmental cost centers to eight, each with its own overhead cost allocation rate. As a result, it appears that the total costs for four of its six radios will increase, while two will decrease. The case puts students in the role of having to (a) understand why such a result would occur; (b) explain the specific changes made in the cost allocation system; and (c) evaluate whether the changes are an improvement.
Southwest Airlines: Singin’ the (Jet)Blues
Authors: Weiss Elliott N. , Friesen Marlene
Published: March 2017

This case details the history of Southwest Airlines from its inception in 1971 until 2004. The case provides details of Southwest's business model and reasons for its success. It ends with a description of the company's competitive pressures in 2004. The case can be used for a course in service operations or strategy.
Starbucks: Schultz Back in the Brew
Authors: Snell Scott A. , Lemley Amy
Published: March 2017

Can the return of its founding CEO turn a lagging Starbucks around? Howard Shultz must map a strategy that addresses the company's decreasing sales and perhaps too rapid growth. Had the previous CEO's efforts to streamline operations compromised the Starbucks experience or was a changing economy to blame? Schultz considers whether to close existing stores, slow U.S. growth while expanding overseas, and improve the customer experience, which he believed had eroded the company's value proposition.
The Financial Crisis of 2007–2009: The Road to Systemic Risk
Authors: Allayannis George (Yiorgos)
Published: March 2017

This case invites students to evaluate, based on given materials, the causes, consequences, and potential resolutions of the financial crisis of 2007–2009. The premise of a business professor preparing a slide presentation dramatizes an analysis of the financial crisis. Reviewing his data, much of it in graph form, the professor ponders the central role of banks and the impact of risk management, leverage, and incentives. His main thesis is that the fundamental issue surrounding this crisis was the misjudgment of the risks taken, with the result that risk management failed to do its job of curtailing and managing risk as expected.
The Garden Place
Authors: Brownlee E. Richard , Smith C. Ray , Lynch Luann J.
Published: March 2017

Revised version of UVA-C-0736 This case uses projected transactions for the first day and first year of a start-up business as a basis for preparing journal entries, T-accounts, and projected financial statements. There is sufficient information included to calculate a sales breakdown point. This is a start-up business, so no opportunity is provided to ask what additional information is needed to prepare more realistic statements.
The Garden Place—One Year Later
Authors: Brownlee E. Richard , Haskins Mark E. , Smith C. Ray , Lynch Luann J.
Published: March 2017

This case presents a series of financial events for students to record and to use in preparing financial statements.
The Hilton-ITT Wars
Authors: Bruner Robert F. , Vakharia Sanjay
Published: March 2017

This case provides a vehicle for discussing analytical approaches to understanding bidding strategies in a hostile tender offer setting. In 1997, Hilton Hotels Corporation offered to acquire ITT Corporation in an unsolicited tender offer. ITT resisted in several ways. At the date of the case (July 17, 1997), ITT announces a restructuring of the firm aimed at delivering about $70 a share to its shareholders. The task for the student is to understand why Hilton's takeover attempt has failed thus far, and what the possible responses might be at this stage. The case contains a completed valuation analysis of ITT (prepared by the casewriter), which suggests that ITT is worth, at most, $89 a share to Hilton. In preparing a possibly higher bid for the firm, the student must weigh the probability of another bidder's entering the fray and that competitor's bid price. The instructor can use this setting to compare the target shareholders' outlook with the classic “prisoner's dilemma” and to discuss the expected value of not tendering—both concepts are important in devising a bidding response.
The Procter & Gamble Company: Investmentin Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal
Authors: Schill Michael J. , Lentz Daniel
Published: March 2017

A financial analyst for Procter & Gamble must report on the prospects and implications of a new teeth-whitening product. Beyond a realistic profit-and-loss forecast and baseline net present value, he must determine which pricing and marketing strategy is most likely to maximize value for shareholders.
The Waldorf Property
Authors: Frey Sherwood C. , Scorgie Stephen R.
Published: March 2017

The Waldorf property is a tract of land whose development value is uncertain. One acre must be preserved as wetlands: The seller claims that it is too small an amount, and the Corps of Engineers indicates that it could be large enough. The case offers students the opportunity to apply the tools of pro forma cash-flow forecasting, electronic-spreadsheet modeling, decision analysis, and discounted cash flow and to wrestle with risk aversion and develop creative alternatives for reducing the uncertainty.
The Wonderful World of Human Resources at Disney
Authors: Isabella Lynn A. , Yemen Gerry
Published: March 2017

“What kind of culture does Walt Disney Company (WDC) want to create? This case uses the experiences of a young visitor to one of WDC's resort hotels to set the stage for an analysis of selecting, hiring, training, and retaining and how those practices are governed by the culture of a large American company. The situation provides an opportunity to explore human resource policies, organizational design as well as how all those elements reinforce the culture.

The case opens with an interaction between a young Animal Kingdom Lodge guest and an employee (or cast member as the company refers to employees). There were many different ways the exchange could have unfolded yet the experience was magical for the youngster. What made this exchange a memorable experience for this young guest? Would Walt Disney have been surprised?”
Threshold Sports, LLC
Authors: Bruner Robert F. , Eades Kenneth M. , Kelly Dorothy C.
Published: March 2017

In June 2001, the owners of this small rapidly growing sports promotion firm are assessing the financing implications of their growth plans. Threshold Sports organizes professional cycling races, and holds major race franchises for several large U.S. cities. It seeks to expand quickly the number of events that it manages, eventually to build professional cycling in the United States to a level consistent with Europe. The growth outlook creates a financing need of $500,000. The case presents three financing alternatives: debt, common equity, and convertible preferred stock. The task for the student is to assess the alternatives and make a recommendation. The choice hinges importantly on the estimated value of the firm.
Tork Corporation: Competitive Cost Analysis
Authors: Laseter Timothy M. , Hammer James
Published: March 2017

This disguised case examines the issue of outsourcing to a low-cost country based on a thorough analysis of competitive cost drivers. The case demonstrates that labor cost is only one potential advantage and that transportation cost and other factors could more than offset labor savings in some product lines.
TourAmerica
Authors: Clyman Dana R. , Frey Sherwood C.
Published: March 2017

TourAmerica is negotiating a master contract with Voyager Inn International (Bethesda) for hotel rooms during the 1995 tourist season. Issues under consideration include number of rooms during peak, mid-, and off-periods, room rates, breakfast prices, and the cost of ancillary services. While the hotel manager is evaluated on the basis of several criteria, including adjusted daily rates, occupancy rates, and food and beverage profitability, and is also provided with a utility scheme to facilitate trade-offs among the criteria, TourAmerica uses an effective cost per registrant (adjusted for intangibles). These two approaches provide an opportunity to contrast measurement schemes and to justify the use of utility functions. This case is a role-play exercise and must be used in conjunction with “Voyager Inn International” (UVA-QA-0463).
TSE International Corporation
Authors: Bruner Robert F.
Published: March 2017

Set in May 2000, these cases reflect the separate perspectives of the CEOs as they approach the negotiations of TSE International to acquire Yeats Valves. The task for the student is to complete a valuation analysis of the target and buyer, and to negotiate a price and exchange ratio with the counterparty. Each case contains a financial forecast only for that side; therefore an important element in the negotiation is to obtain the private information of the other side, analyze it, and successfully negotiate terms of acquisition. The cases are relatively simple, and are offered as a first exercise in the valuation of the firm and negotiation of an acquisition. The case may be used to pursue some or all of the following teaching objectives: 1) Exercise valuation skills. 2) Exercise bargaining skills. 3) Illustrate practical concerns about mergers and acquisitions.
United Beverages: Product Development Genius or One-Hit-Wonder?
Authors: Chao Raul O. , Kavadias Stylianos (Stelios)
Published: March 2017

United Beverages' first product, GangBusters Interactive Beverages, has reached the stage of wide brand recognition. However, over the past 12 months, growth has stalled and the product development team at United Beverages is considering several ideas for future growth. The team must consider market and technical uncertainty as well as resource allocation issues as they define the new product-development strategy for United Beverages.
Valmont Industries, Inc.
Authors: Eades Kenneth M. , Caver Jay , Hill Jennifer
Published: March 2017

This case serves as an introduction to the concept of economic value added (EVA). The student is placed in the position of Valmont's CFO to decide whether EVA can live up to its promise to motivate managers to act like shareholders and ultimately lead them to make value-enhancing decisions that can reverse Valmont's weak earnings and lackluster stock-price performance. The case works best if students are acquainted with the concepts of cost of capital and net present value. The teaching note that is available for registered faculty explains how to incorporate the accompanying six-minute video supplement.
Western Asset Arbitrage
Authors: Loutskina Elena , Prabhu Rahul
Published: March 2017

The case introduces students to the nature of collateralized debt obligations (CDO) and the CDO origination process, with emphasis on the corporate structure of the special purpose vehicles, cash flows to various CDO tranches, and motivation behind CDO origination. Students will learn to quantitatively evaluate the risk-return profile of CDO tranches with emphasis on the equity tranche (also known as “toxic waste”). This is ideal for MBA and advanced undergraduate level courses on financial markets, financial institutions, and investments. In the case, an associate at the Debt Capital Markets desk of Lehman Brothers prepares a CDO issuance for Western Asset. Western Asset had been contacted by a group of commercial banks eager to sell senior secured bank loans and high-yield corporate bonds to lower their capital requirements and free up capital for additional lending.
Whirlpool Corporation Global Procurement
Authors: Laseter Timothy M.
Published: March 2017

This case introduces a framework for cost modeling. Two data sets (one for injection-molded plastic parts and another for compressors) allow students to apply the cost-driver framework in conjunction with basic spreadsheet and regression analyses. Although obviously applicable in a course on supply chain management, the case can also be used to teach competitive cost analysis for strategic decision making.
Working Capital: A Summary of Ratios by Industry
Authors: Lynch Luann J. , Gillam Graham , Forman Jennifer
Published: March 2017

The case graphically presents various working capital ratios (days inventory outstanding, days sales outstanding, days payables outstanding, cash conversion cycle, and operating cycle) over the 2009-through-2012 period by industry and for specific well-known companies. Students are given the opportunity to craft an intuitive story around the ratios they are given in the case. The case works well as a supplement for classes on working capital management. It is designed to help students relate the often difficult-to-grasp concepts around working capital and working capital ratios to industries and companies that they are familiar with, using companies whose business models and business practices are particularly good illustrations of the relevant concepts.
A New Mission Statement for the MBC Corporation
Authors: Feddersen Timothy J. , Edwards Susan
Published: March 2017

Dave Williams has taken over as CEO for MBC Corporation and wants to change the mission statement of the company. However, he needs to get approval from four shareholders: a former board chairman, his father and current board chairman, and two members of his own executive team. Williams must navigate the varying dynamics and opinions of the shareholders to gain their buy-in and create a new mission statement that will take MBC on a new path for the future.

The concept this case addresses is that of the mission statement and how it is used to align an organization and its stakeholders. After students have analyzed this case, they will be able to:

Communicate the importance of a mission statement

Engage stakeholders in the creation of a mission statement

Implement a new mission and culture at an organization
Analyzing Low Patient Satisfaction at Herzog Memorial Hospital
Authors: Boepple Jack
Published: March 2017

In late 2012 Adeline Herzog Memorial Hospital in Castle Rock, Colorado, was facing a problem with patient satisfaction. The Press-Ganey scores for the third-floor nursing unit–the primary destination (70 percent) for patients admitted through the emergency department–were at the 15th percentile, and the key HCAHPS score for inpatients was well below the Colorado average. Over the past six months Jeri Tinsley, director of medical, surgical, and intensive care services, had made various changes to try to improve the patient satisfaction scores for her 32-bed unit, but the scores seemed stuck at an unacceptably low level.

Tinsley worried that if improvements were not made soon, patients would start “voting with their feet” and take their business to competing hospitals. As a registered nurse, Tinsley's expertise was helping people heal; it was not analyzing data. In particular, she was overwhelmed by the patient comments included in the surveys; she had no idea how to analyze them and could not decide which issues to address first.

After analyzing the case, students should be able to:

Organize and analyze qualitative data using affinity diagrams

Identify priorities using Pareto diagrams

Identify which aspects of a problem are (1) within their control to solve, (2) within their influence to solve, or (3) outside their control to solve
Arbor City Community Foundation: Executive Education Version
Authors: Schmedders Karl , Walker Russell , Stritch Michael
Published: March 2017

The Arbor City Community Foundation (ACCF) was a medium-sized endowment established in Illinois in the late 1970s through the hard work of several local families. The vision of the ACCF was to be a comprehensive center for philanthropy in the greater Arbor City region. ACCF had a fund balance (known collectively as “the fund”) of just under $240 million. The ACCF board of trustees had appointed a committee to oversee investment decisions relating to the foundation assets. The investment committee, under the guidance of the board, pursued an active risk-management policy for the fund. The committee members were primarily concerned with the volatility and distribution of portfolio returns. They relied on the value-at-risk (VaR) methodology as a measurement of the risk of both short- and mid-term investment losses. In its report for the investment committee, the ACCF risk analytics team recommended the daily VaR at 95% confidence as a measure for short-term risk and reported the corresponding numbers. It is now the task of the investment committee to interpret these figures. The case questions guide the executive students to a critical evaluation of both the reported VaR figures as well as of the VaR methodology.

Understanding the concept of value at risk (VaR); Interpreting the results of VaR calculations; Evaluating the appropriateness of VaR calculations; Critical discussion of the VaR methodology.
Balancing Access with Accuracy for Infant HIV Diagnostics in Tanzania (B)
Authors: Palamountain Kara , Waikar Sachin , Hanson Andrea , Nelson Katherine
Published: March 2017

The Global Health Initiative (GHI) is a tripartite collaboration among Northwestern University, non-profit donors, and commercial diagnostics companies. GHI attempts to bridge the gap between the market for sophisticated medical diagnostics equipment in wealthy nations and the need for point-of-care diagnostics in resource limited settings. In 2006 GHI narrowed its focus to HIV diagnostics for underserved nations. The case examines the accuracy-access tradeoff related to the roll-out of infant HIV diagnostics in Tanzania. Tanzania has a prevalent HIV/AIDS problem, particularly in children. As of 2007, Tanzania had an estimated 140,000 children infected with HIV. Existing lab-based diagnostic equipment was either inaccurate for use in infants or required highly skilled health workers. Tanzania's limited infrastructure also forced healthcare providers to choose between providing advanced care to a minority of the population and offering minimal care to the majority with poor access. A Kellogg MBA student research team performed more than thirty in-country interviews to collect data on stakeholder perceptions of three infant test concepts: the strip test, the squeeze test, and the filter paper test. Across the three tests, access decreased as accuracy increased---rural labs could not find or afford health workers skilled enough to conduct the test. In general, interviewees closely affiliated with the government preferred accuracy over access. In contrast, private health facilities had to follow fewer regulations and preferred access over accuracy. The case focuses on the decisions facing Kara Palamountain, the executive director of GHI, in her roll-out recommendations for infant HIV tests in Tanzania. It examines key factors of working in a developing country, including the need to operate in the absence of sufficient market research, balance the competing agendas of different stakeholders, and mitigate external risks such as major international funding dry

This case was written to be used as a teaching case for students unfamiliar with how to approach and analyze a typical business school case. Unlike many cases used in specific classroom settings, this case is intended to be broad enough that any single student will not have a significant advantage because of his or her background. Moreover, the case is designed to guide students' thinking in a certain direction, using open-ended and more focused discussion questions provided at the case's end.
BAT Case: Putting Tech Support on the Fast Track
Authors: Lariviere Martin A.
Published: March 2017

Bruce-Alfred Technologies (BAT) has built a successful business selling packaged software. Its marketing has long promised free technical support to all customers, a key point of differentiation from BAT's competitors. However, the call center providing tech support is now in crisis. Wait times for callers are unacceptably high, leading to low customer satisfaction and negative press. BAT managers are evaluating the Fast Track Proposal, which would create two classes of calls. Fast Track calls would be promised a one-minute wait but pay for service. Standard calls would still be free but be given lower priority and have no wait time guarantee. Considers both the operational impact of this change and the strategic considerations of backing away from free tech support.

To emphasize the impact of priorities and alternative ways of managing capacity, discuss different ways of pricing services--i.e., pay-per-transaction vs. subscription, and demonstrate the basics of the relation between utilization and delay.
BP's Office of the Chief Technology Officer (B): Driving Open Innovation through an Advocate Team
Authors: Wolcott Robert C. , Lippitz Michael J.
Published: March 2017

The (A) case describes the evolution between 1999 and 2005 of an unusual innovation team within the office of the chief information officer at oil and gas giant BP. This team helped business units conceive, develop, and implement novel, value-added applications for emerging information technologies. The team leader, vice president and chief technology officer Phiroz Darukhanavala (“Daru”), eschewed a large group and venture budget in favor of a small, lean team intimately engaged with BP's business units. The case describes several mechanisms created by the CTO office during its early evolution: “Blue Chalk” events that expanded executives' appreciation of emerging technology capabilities, a network of relationships through which emerging technologies were scouted and vetted, a structured technology transfer process, and annual “game-changer” projects.

The (B) case describes how the CTO office team members in 2011 again solicited advice from their ecosystem of thought leaders and held workshops to significantly enhance their impact. As a result, they began developing solutions for broader, more fundamental business problems that came to be known as Grand Challenges: extremely difficult business problems whose solutions could potentially create hundreds of millions—or billions—of dollars in business value.

After reading and analyzing the case, students will be able to:

Understand the management challenges associated with realizing the business value of new technologies

Explore how innovation management evolves as an innovation team learns from its successes and failures and, more importantly, builds a reputation within and outside the company

Examine a prototypical “advocate” model of corporate entrepreneurial practice

Explore a leading example of a successful internal innovation program
Business as Unusual: Managing Commercial Property in Distress
Authors: Furfine Craig
Published: March 2017

In January 2010, Benedict Clarke, general partner of a small real estate private equity venture, faced difficulty with one of his properties. When purchased in early 2007, Tulaberry Plaza was a thriving retail shopping center outside Orlando, Florida. The financial crisis and severe economic downturn forced Tulaberry's anchor tenant into bankruptcy and weakened the other tenants in the plaza. Clarke now faces pressures placed on him by his limited partners, who were shown rosy projections of the returns they would receive, and by his lender, who is presently taking most of the property's cash flow to satisfy required debt service. Clarke must devise a plan that presents the most logical and profitable way forward, while also justifying his actions to elicit the necessary support from the others involved in the transaction. The case asks students to make decisions from the perspective of Clarke, giving them an appreciation not only of the details of strategic decision-making in real estate leasing, but also of the interplay between lenders and equity partners when managing a commercial property in distress.

After reading and analyzing the case, students will be able to:

Choose the right tenant for a retail establishment, with an understanding that it may not be the one that promises to pay the most rent

Identify the connections among commercial property performance, mortgage loan covenants, and partnership agreements, all of which can influence optimal decision-making
Carolina Lunker Sauce
Authors: Calkins Timothy , Cobb Matt
Published: March 2017

Carolina Lunker Sauce is a new product attempting to break into the fishing attractants category. The company founders are evaluating cutting the retail price of the product in order to secure distribution. Analyzing this decision forces the leaders of this struggling company to evaluate their overall new product strategy and the product’s positioning in the market.

To focus on new product strategy, positioning, and pricing.
CDW Corp. 2002
Authors: Jacobs Donald P. , Gray J. Douglas , Tran Canh
Published: March 2017

Through hard work, energy, and leadership, charismatic CDW founder Michael Krasny built a phenomenally successful sales-driven company in the early 1980s. By 1994, when CDW went public, it had grown at a compounded rate of 39%, increased annual profit at a 46% clip, and had seen its shares appreciate by 4,000%. Krasny stepped down in 2000 with UAL's John Edwardson succeeding him. Involves the future of this flourishing concern. Can Edwardson continue to grow the company while maintaining its can-do culture and holding off increasingly tough competition? What does the global economy mean to CDW? What is Edwardson's ambitious plan, and can it succeed in doubling revenues to $8 billion in four years?
Change Without Compromise (A): The Decline and Turnaround of Temple Baptist Church
Authors: White William , Recktenwald Christopher
Published: March 2017

Brad Powell, the newly hired senior leader of a Christian church, must lead the organization to reverse a three-decade decline and return to fulfilling its mission. Brad spent the first six months assessing the situation, building relationships, and reiterating the longstanding mission of the organization. Now, with an understanding of its history, an intimate knowledge of the immediate challenges, and a clear vision of what the organization should become, Brad is considering his strategy and next steps. As the leader of a nonprofit organization resourced by members and volunteers, Brad must lead change that produces results without compromising the mission. The B case summarizes Brad's actions and the results.

To allow students to evaluate Brad's situation and advise him on the best plan for leading change at Temple Baptist Church. To demonstrate the impact of a leader on an organization's culture, and the fit between an organization's style and its mission. To allow discussion of the paradoxes a leader must manage in changing a culture, measuring financial versus nonprofit results, leading volunteers versus paid staff, upholding mission versus tradition, and leading change with limited resources.