SM135
Victoria Chang, Garth Saloner
2004
Capital One CEO and founder, Rich Fairbank had much to be proud of both in terms of his and co-founder, Nigel Morris’ accomplishments, and the accomplishments of Capital One. However, he and Morris didn’t want to rest on their laurels. In 2000, they had…
P48
David Baron
2004
In the summer of 2002, Brad and Brent Handler established Exclusive Resorts, a luxury vacation residence venture, to meet the demand for luxury vacation residences that avoided the hassles of owning a second home and being tied to a single location. The…
SM128
William Barnett, Ilya Levtov
2004
The case examines the challenges faced by the CEO of NASDAQ-listed software company Roxio, following its acquisition and relaunch of the controversial Napster brand, for distribution of digital music. The company faces stiff competition, primarily from…
P46
David Baron
2004
McDonald’s is the world’s largest restaurant chain, with over 30,000 locations. This case describes several non-market issues that could significantly impact the McDonald’s business. Issues covered include the increase in U.S. obesity rates…
P42B
David Baron, Erin Yurday
2004
The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) launched its campaign against Citigroup in April 2000 with the objective of forcing Citigroup to recognize and take responsibility for its role in rainforest destruction through its financing. After two challenging…
SM119A
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2004
In mid-2000, 34 year-old Keith Yamashita, founder and principal of Stone Yamashita Partners (SYP), a nine-year-old strategy, branding, design, and culture change consultancy, sat in a conference room in SYP’s loft office space in San Francisco. As he…
SPM5
Victoria Chang, George Foster
2004
Visa was the world’s leading payment brand and its vision was to be “The World’s Best Way to Pay.” Visa attributed an important part of its success to high profile sponsorships such as its Olympic Games sponsorship. Visa also sponsored numerous events…
SM119C
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2004
In mid-2000, 34 year-old Keith Yamashita, founder and principal of Stone Yamashita Partners (SYP), a nine-year-old strategy, branding, design, and culture change consultancy, sat in a conference room in SYP’s loft office space in San Francisco. As he…
P44
David Baron, Erin Yurday
2004
The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) worked “to protect the Earth’s rainforests and support the rights of their inhabitants through education, grassroots organizing, and nonviolent direct action.” RAN accomplished its mission by organizing campaigns to…
P42C
David Baron, Erin Yurday
2004
Ilyse Hogue, campaign manager for the Global Finance Campaign, said that RAN started gaining traction with Citigroup when the stars aligned in the summer of 2002—Citibank was vulnerable from the criticism resulting from the Enron and Grubman scandals, and…
P42A
David Baron, Erin Yurday
2004
Citigroup, the world’s largest project finance bank, provided financing for extractive projects such as mining, logging, and oil exploration. Some of these projects took place in developing countries and in rainforests and other endangered ecosystems….
SI53
Linda Darling-Hammond, Michael Milliken, James Phills
2004
Alan Bersin was hired as the superintendent of San Diego City Schools (SDCS) in 1998. Over the course of four years, he and his Chancellor of Instruction, Anthony Alvarado, led an aggressive reform effort in SDCS: reorganizing the central office…
SM119B
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2004
In mid-2000, 34 year-old Keith Yamashita, founder and principal of Stone Yamashita Partners (SYP), a nine-year-old strategy, branding, design, and culture change consultancy, sat in a conference room in SYP’s loft office space in San Francisco. As he…
OIT43
Stefanos Zenios, Zoe Cohen
2004
This note provides an overview of the role of employers, carriers, and consumers in the private health insurance market in the U.S. The first three sections provide an overview of the history of employer-based health insurance, cost trends, and types of…
SI39
Rick Aubry, Greg Powell
2004
TransFair USA, the U.S. fair trade labeling arm of the Fair Trade Labeling Organization (FLO), faced strategic challenges in 2003. The Fair Trade label denoted coffee (and other products) sold at a price high enough to allow small certified farmers to…
IB60
Charles Catalano, John Roberts
2004
In December 2003, Paolo Rocca, Chairman and CEO of Tenaris S.A., could look back on a momentous first year for the company. Much had been accomplished since Tenaris, a leading global supplier of seamless steel pipe and related services, had been formed…
IB95
Lyn Denend, R. McKern
2004
This note provides an overview of China’s IT industry, using Michael’s Porter’s “Diamond of National Advantage” framework. Specifically, it assesses how China uses its factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries, and the…
E175
H. Grousbeck, Alex Tauber
2004
The note focuses on creating and explaining a framework for how an effective and value-added Board of Directors should operate in an entrepreneurial venture. The note describes the legal and professional responsibilities of directors and also identifies…
E187
Glenn Carroll, Greg Powell
2004
On Labor Day, 2002, Cocoa Pete’s Chocolate Adventures launched their small selection of gourmet chocolates at high-end supermarkets in the San Francisco Bay Area. The company’s founder, Pete Slosberg, had carved a niche out of the stagnant chocolate…
E168
R. Ellis, Alicia Seiger
2004
Sarah Harris, a young, recent MBA student, sets out to raise a search fund and acquire a company in the hospitality business. The case sets up a backdrop for students to role play various selling situations for a would-be entrepreneur. There are a…
IB56
John McMillan
2004
Reggae music has swept the world. From its origins in Jamaica, it can now be heard in clubs and bars from Senegal to Samoa. It has also influenced music from other countries, such as American rap. In the late 1990s, annual sales of reggae recordings…
F270
J. Duffie, Erin Yurday
2004
Freddie Mac, a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) chartered by Congress in 1970, was one of the U.S. housing market’s largest supporters. At year-end 2003, Freddie Mac’s total mortgage portfolio reached a total principal of $1.4 trillion. The U.S…
E183
Mark Leslie, Alicia Seiger
2004
The case begins by setting forth Philip Reade’s well-researched business case for starting a shrimp farming company in the northeast of Brazil. Philip, a Brazilian native and Stanford Business School graduate, makes preliminary attempts at raising money…
GS38
Peter Koudal, Hau Lee, Barchi Peleg, Paresh Rajwat, Seungjin Whang
2004
OnStar, a provider of in-vehicle safety, security, and information services called “telematics,” was founded in 1995 as a collaborative venture among General Motors (GM), EDS, and Hughes Electronics Corp. Safety and security services, including roadside…
