Case studies

Teaching cases offers students the opportunity to explore real world challenges in the classroom environment, allowing them to test their assumptions and decision-making skills before taking their knowledge into the workplace.

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Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2010

Miriam F. Weismann

Small to medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, play a critical role in the global economy. They comprise 90% of the global firm population and employ more than 50% of the labor force in…

Abstract

Small to medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, play a critical role in the global economy. They comprise 90% of the global firm population and employ more than 50% of the labor force in the private sector. This case study examines issues related to sustainable supply chain management and social entrepreneurship in the SME context. Being small does matter and the efficiencies of small to medium-sized companies struggling for competitive advantage in the global marketplace warrants consideration. Philosopher's Wool Co., located in Inverhuron, Ontario, Canada, is a woolen producer and woolens product manufacturer that partners with other Ontario wool producers and American wool processors and distributors. Its sustainable vertical supply chain system increased local woolen farmers' revenues contrary to the “conventional” price wisdom in the Canadian woolen industry and turned by-product cost into profitable end use. It also effected social change in its local business community and in global customer relations through resource efficiency and socially responsible employee and consumer policies. However, the struggle to maintain a foreign distribution network and remain competitive and profitable was problematic. Students are challenged to solve the problems of an SME operating in a global economy.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2009

Charles M. Carson and Jennings B. Marshall

Dr. Lawrence Frazier was an emergency room physician who was an employee of Honore Staffing Services of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He worked at Methodist Health System hospital in…

Abstract

Dr. Lawrence Frazier was an emergency room physician who was an employee of Honore Staffing Services of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He worked at Methodist Health System hospital in Grant, Georgia. He had recently added the title of ER Medical Director and served as liaison between Honore staffing and the Methodist hospital. His additional duties included overseeing the other physicians which staff the emergency room. Methodist had a bonus system in place based on obtaining 31 patients’ satisfaction surveys each month. Dr. Frazier believed that the small sample lead to erroneous results and created problems for the physicians under his supervision. He wanted to change the data collection process (e.g. sample size collected, instrument), but encountered obstacles when he broached the subject with his hospital administrators.

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The CASE Journal, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2009

Kenton Swift and Mel McFetridge

The financial statements of public companies located in the United Arab Emirates provide excellent examples of the impact that reporting investments at fair value can have on net…

Abstract

The financial statements of public companies located in the United Arab Emirates provide excellent examples of the impact that reporting investments at fair value can have on net income. This is because of the wide fluctuations in securities prices and real estate prices in recent years. Using an actual company, National General Insurance, which is located in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, this case provides examples of the impact of fair value accounting for investments under International Financial Reporting standards (IFRS), for both securities and property investments. As US financial reporting moves towards harmonization with IFRS, it is critical to understand how reporting for investments under US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) compares with international reporting standards. Specific learning objectives include gaining an understanding of the reporting requirements for investments under IFRS, understanding the difference between reporting requirements for investments under US GAAP and IFRS, and understanding both the positive and negative impacts on reported net income from using fair values for reporting investments.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2009

Benjamin Ngugi, Glenn S Dardick and Gina Vega

In January, 2007, TJX reported that it had suffered from a computer intrusion. The company was sure neither of the identity of the perpetrators nor of how many customers were…

Abstract

In January, 2007, TJX reported that it had suffered from a computer intrusion. The company was sure neither of the identity of the perpetrators nor of how many customers were affected. A deeper analysis revealed that the intrusion had started earlier and affected more customers than previously thought. Ensuing investigation concluded that TJX was collecting unnecessary information, keeping it for too long and employing obsolete and insufficient safeguards. TJX denied any wrongdoing but implemented most of the recommended remedies to strengthen their security.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2008

Edward Demarais, Sandra Sheckman and Gina Vega

Doris, the Executive Director of the JCC, had a Board of Directors that lacked the requisite skills, perspective, behaviors, and willingness to change policies and practices in…

Abstract

Doris, the Executive Director of the JCC, had a Board of Directors that lacked the requisite skills, perspective, behaviors, and willingness to change policies and practices in order to meet external environmental opportunities and threats or to address internal competencies and competitive capabilities. Changes in the external environment were exacerbating the JCC's internal deficiencies. In addition, the Board created impediments to the professional staff's efforts to implement good managerial practices and policies. The current management team was acutely aware of the changes in the external environment, how these changes impacted the JCC's operations and what the JCC needed to do in order to meet these challenges. The management team was frustrated by a Board that did not provide leadership, fulfill their responsibilities, hold each other accountable and undermined management by intervening in day-to-day operations. The staff was passively hostile to the Board and to the management team. As consumers, the members' expectations were higher and more demanding. Doris and her management team had to resolve a myriad of strategic and operational issues that confronted the organization.

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The CASE Journal, vol. 4 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2008

Anton Massman, Elaine Davis and Janell M. Kurtz

Workforce diversity is a reality and offers many benefits to business. Nevertheless, managing diversity poses numerous challenges. This case involves religious diversity, focusing…

Abstract

Workforce diversity is a reality and offers many benefits to business. Nevertheless, managing diversity poses numerous challenges. This case involves religious diversity, focusing on employers' legal duty to accommodate religious practices. In the case, the assembly line at Electrolux's Frigidaire plant in St. Cloud, Minnesota hummed with activity when suddenly a group of Somali workers walked off the line. The Somali employees were new immigrants and introduced cultural and religious customs which were for the most part unfamiliar to management. The employees were Muslim and left the work stations to observe sunset prayers, one of the five daily prayers central to the Islamic faith. The management dilemma presented in the case is balancing the demands of assembly line production with the religious requirements of Muslim workers in a legal and effective manner. There is a substantial epilogue detailing Electrolux response to the situation which can be used as the basis for further class discussion. To help guide this dialogue, a “mini-instructors manual” follows the epilogue.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 4 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2007

Arthur Sharplin and John Seeger

Abstract

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The CASE Journal, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2007

Mikael Sondergaard and William Naumes

The ABB (A) case describes the situation leading up to a decision that has to be made concerning closing a manufacturing subsidiary of ABB and moving its operations to Thailand…

Abstract

The ABB (A) case describes the situation leading up to a decision that has to be made concerning closing a manufacturing subsidiary of ABB and moving its operations to Thailand. The Plant/subsidiary manager is placed in a conflict position regarding this decision due to the matrix form of management structure employed by the parent ABB. His direct line manager in charge of the global product line wants the move to take place. He has the support of his supervisor, who sits on the Executive Committee of the parent company. The ABB Country Manager for Denmark wants the plant to stay where it is. The subsidiary manager also reports to him, as part of the matrix structure. The subsidiary manager has recently been promoted to his new position, with the support of the Country Manager. The previous subsidiary manager had been promoted to head up a larger, Danish subsidiary of ABB. The previous year, the Country Manager and the previous subsidiary manager had managed to over rule the same request, in no small part, due to their connections within ABB as well as within Denmark. The new subsidiary manager needs to make a recommendation as to what should be done. The ABB Transformers (A) case can be used separately, or in conjunction with the (B) case.

The (B) case follows up on the (A) case. The decision was made to leave the plant in Denmark. It was revisited one year later, and the subsidiary manager is in even more of a quandary. The former Country Manager has been promoted to the Executive Committee of ABB. At a meeting of the new Country manager (not previously from within ABB), the Product Manager, his supervisor from the Executive Committee, the former Country Manager, and the subsidiary manager, the discussion is primarily between the new Country Manager and the Product Supervising Executive Committee Member, who has also been given added responsibility for all of Asia and the Pacific region. The former Country Manager, now responsible for European operations, remains quiet during the discussions. He later notes that this is a relatively small decision in the context of European operations. The subsidiary manager still needs to make a decision, but is now unsure of what has happened during the past year to allow this issue to be raised for the third time. The (B) case can be used to demonstrate how politics, promotions, and transfers can radically alter the environment within the context of a strategic decision. The focus is now on organization culture and power, and on the problems of operating within a matrix structure. The (B) case should be used in combination with the (A) case.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2007

Michael Tucker, Winston Tellis and Dina Franceschi

Fonkoze is the largest Microfinance Institution in Haiti whose clients are mostly poor women. The authors had access to documents and meetings of the organization for an extended…

Abstract

Fonkoze is the largest Microfinance Institution in Haiti whose clients are mostly poor women. The authors had access to documents and meetings of the organization for an extended period, and observed the growth of the organization from a single office to 21 branch offices. In so doing, their staff had to spend increasing time in fundraising so that they could make more loans to the existing and new customers. This case presents the decisions of the Board and the management to alleviate some of those problems. Against a backdrop of political and civil turmoil, the case could be instructive for students and instructors alike. The Board had to decide whether to apply for status as a regulated bank, or to transform into some other financial entity.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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Case study
Publication date: 1 December 2006

Karyl B. Leggio, Marilyn L. Taylor and Jana Utter

This case looks at the design and implementation of a risk management strategy. It reviews the early moves by Great Plains Energy (GPE) to establish a corporate-wide Enterprise…

Abstract

This case looks at the design and implementation of a risk management strategy. It reviews the early moves by Great Plains Energy (GPE) to establish a corporate-wide Enterprise Risk Management program. The corporate Chief Risk Officer is Andrea Bielsker. Andrea appointed Jana Utter to take charge of coordinating the design and implementation of the ERM program. Utter faces a number of challenges. She has had to first conceptualize the program given the charge by the Board of Directors, then design a process by which she identifies the risks that the corporation faces, assist in designing measures for the risks, and work with the various divisions and functional areas to put processes in place to mitigate the identified risks.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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