SPM12
George Foster, David Hoyt
2004
Jeremy Bloom was a promising college football player, as well as one of the world’s top mogul skiers. After the 2002 Winter Olympics, he entered the University of Colorado and became a star on the school’s football team. In order to continue pursuing…
SPM7
George Foster, Alicia Seiger
2004
The case details the formation of the Colorado Crush, a new Arena Football League (AFL) team co-owned by John Elway, Pat Bowlen(owner of Denver Broncos) and Stan Kroenke (owner of Pepsi Center). The AFL has been in existence since 1987, but only…
SM129
Robert Burgelman, Jean-Bernard Rolland
2004
This case examines the strategic opportunities available to Samsung Electronics in 2004 and beyond as the company attempts to penetrate the digital home. Key issues include the role of horizontal industry models versus vertical industry models in…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
GS34
Lyn Denend, Hau Lee
2004
In January 2003, West Marine (the nation’s largest boating supply retailer) was on the verge of acquiring its biggest competitor — BoatUS. Several years earlier, the company had acquired E&B Marine, another boating supply company of a similar size…
HR25A
Charles Catalano, Charles O'Reilly III
2004
Following the do-com bubble burst in August 2001, Libby Sartain, new chief of people and SVP of human resources at Yahoo!, must determine the direction of human resources management at the traumatized media company. Suffering revenues, a collapsed stock…
HR22
Charles O'Reilly III, Irene Wang
2004
In 2003, Norman Walker, head of HR at Novartis, received approval from the Management Board to implement a global HRIS system. Although Walker had made substantial progress in transforming the HR function, much of their efforts remained transactional and…
IB34
R. McKern, Margot Sutherland
2004
In March 2002, Singapore Airlines (SIA), recognized internationally for quality, profitability and management, was faced with the most difficult operating conditions it had ever had to face. Dr. Cheong Choong Kong, deputy chairman and CEO, gazed out his…
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…
