International Business BestSeller Cases

International Business Bestseller Cases

Eli Lilly in India: Rethinking the Joint Venture Strategy
Charles Dhanaraj, Paul W. Beamish, Nikhil Celly
Product Number: 9B04M016
Publication Date: 05/14/2004
Revised Date: 09/10/2009
Length: 20 pages

BestSeller: 2016; 2015; 2014; 2013; 2012; 2011; 2010; 2009; 2008; 2007; 2006 

Eli Lilly and Company is a leading U.S. pharmaceutical company. The new president of intercontinental operations is re-evaluating all of the company's divisions, including the joint venture with Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, one of India's largest pharmaceutical companies. This joint venture has run smoothly for a number of years despite their differences in focus, but recently Ranbaxy was experiencing cash flow difficulties due to its network of international sales. In addition, the Indian government was changing regulations for businesses in India, and joining the World Trade Organization would have an effect on India's chemical and drug regulations. The president must determine if this international joint venture still fits Eli Lilly's strategic objectives.

Nora-Sakari: A Proposed JV in Malaysia (Revised)
Paul W. Beamish, R. Azimah Ainuddin
Product Number: 9B15M085
Publication Date: 09/09/2015
Revised Date: 09/09/2015
Length: 13 pages

BestSeller: 2016; 2015; 2013; 2011; 2010; 2009; 2002; 2001; 1999 

This case presents the perspective of a Malaysian company, Nora Bhd, which was in the process of trying to establish a telecommunications joint venture with a Finnish firm, Sakari Oy. Negotiations have broken down between the firms, and students are asked to try to restructure a win-win deal. The case examines some of the most common issues involved in partner selection and design in international joint ventures.

ECCO A/S - Global Value Chain Management
Bo Bernhard Nielsen, Torben Pedersen, Jacob Pyndt
Product Number: 9B08M014
Publication Date: 05/29/2008
Length: 21 pages

BestSeller: 2016; 2015; 2014; 2013; 2012; 2011; 2010 

ECCO A/S (ECCO) had been very successful in the footwear industry by focusing on production technology and assuring quality by maintaining full control of the entire value chain from cow to shoe. As ECCO grew and faced increased international competition, various value chain activities, primarily production and tanning, were offshored to low-cost countries. The fully integrated value chain tied up significant capital and management attention in tanneries and production facilities, which could have been used to strengthen the branding and marketing of ECCO's shoes. Moreover, an increasingly complex and dispersed global value chain configuration posed organizational and managerial challenges regarding coordination, communication and logistics. This case examines the financial, organizational and managerial challenges of maintaining a highly integrated global value chain and asks students to determine the appropriateness of this set-up in the context of an increasingly market-oriented industry. It is suitable for use in both undergraduate and graduate courses in international corporate strategy, international management, international marketing, supply-chain management, cross-border strategic management and international business studies in general.

FIJI Water and Corporate Social Responsibility - Green Makeover or "Greenwashing"?
James McMaster, Jan Nowak
Product Number: 9B09A008
Publication Date: 05/13/2009
Revised Date: 11/19/2014
Length: 21 pages

BestSeller: 2016; 2015; 2014; 2013; 2012; 2011

This case analysis traces the establishment and subsequent operation of FIJI Water LLC and its bottling subsidiary, Natural Waters of Viti Limited, the first company in Fiji extracting, bottling and marketing, both domestically and internationally, artesian water coming from a virgin ecosystem found on Fiji's main island of Viti Levu. The case reviews the growth and market expansion of this highly successful company with the brand name FIJI Natural Artesian Water (FIJI Water). The company has grown rapidly over the past decade and a half, and now exports bottled water into many countries in the world from its production plant located in the Fiji Islands. In 2008, FIJI Water was the leading imported bottled water brand in the United States. In the context of great marketing success of the FIJI brand, particularly in the U.S. market, the case focuses on how the company has responded to a number of corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues, including measuring and reducing its carbon footprint, responsibilities to key stakeholders, and concerns of the Fiji government with regard to taxation and transfer pricing issues. The case provides a compelling illustration of how CSR challenges may jeopardize the sustainability of a clever marketing strategy.

Lego Group: An Outsourcing Journey
Marcus Moller Larsen, Torben Pedersen, Dmitrij Slepniov
Product Number: 9B10M094
Publication Date: 12/01/2010
Length: 16 pages

BestSeller: 2016; 2015; 2014; 2013; 2012 

The last year's rather adventurous journey from 2004 to 2009 had taught the fifth-largest toy-maker in the world - the LEGO Group - the importance of managing the global supply chain effectively. In order to survive the largest internal financial crisis in its roughly 70 years of existence, the management had, among many initiatives, decided to offshore and outsource a major chunk of its production to Flextronics. In this pursuit of rapid cost-cutting sourcing advantages, the LEGO Group planned to license out as much as 80 per cent of its production besides closing down major parts of the production in high cost countries. Confident with the prospects of the new partnership, the company signed a long-term contract with Flextronics. This decision eventually proved itself to have been too hasty, however. Merely three years after the contracts were signed, LEGO management announced that it would phase out the entire sourcing collaboration with Flextronics. This sudden change in its sourcing strategy posed LEGO management with a number of caveats. Despite the bright forecasts, the collaboration did not fulfill the initial expectations, and the company needed to understand why this had happened. Secondly, what could LEGO management have done differently?

The Espresso Lane to Global Markets
Ilan Alon, Meredith Lohwasser
Product Number: 9B12M058
Publication Date: 05/23/2012
Revised Date: 05/22/2012
Length: 16 pages

BestSeller: 2016; 2015; 2014; 2013

Founded in Trieste, Italy, Illy marketed a unique blend of coffee drinks in over 140 countries and in more than 50,000 of the world’s best restaurants and coffeehouses. The company wanted to expand the reach of its own franchised coffee bar, Espressamente, through international expansion. Potential markets included Brazil, China, Germany, Japan, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The managing director of Espressamente knew that global expansion meant prioritizing markets, but where did the greatest potential lie? In addition to market selection, mode of entry was vital and included options such as exporting, franchising, and joint ventures. This case provides a practical example of the challenges faced in international business.



Cameron Auto Parts: Early Internationalization
Paul W. Beamish, Harold Crookell
Product Number:9B16M043
Publication Date:03/24/2016
Revised Date:01/05/2017
Length: 9 pages

BestSeller: 2016

BestSeller: 2016

AWARD WINNING CASE - PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT CATEGORY - THE CASE CENTRE AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS 2016. An analyst for a money management firm is studying Apple Inc. as one of the firm’s key investments. In 2013, Apple had a market capitalization of nearly US$500 billion and sales of US$171 billion. According to the research firm, Gartner Group, it had the world’s best supply chain, ranking ahead of companies such as Walmart, Amazon and Inditex (Zara). As part of the analysis, a full review of Apple’s supply chain is required to look for insight into the future performance of the company in order to decide whether or not the analyst’s firm should continue to hold Apple shares.



GENICON: A Surgical Strike into Emerging Markets
Allen H. Kupetz, Adam P. Tindall, Gary Haberland
Product Number: 9B10M041
Publication Date: 05/05/2010
Revised Date: 08/01/2012
Length: 13 pages

BestSeller: 2015; 2014; 2013; 2012

A critical question facing a company's ability to grow its business internationally is where it should go next. One company facing that decision was GENICON, a U.S.-based firm that manufactured and distributed medical instruments for laparoscopic surgeries. Although the minimally invasive surgical market in the United States had long been the largest in the world, international markets were anticipated to grow at a much faster rate than the U.S. market for the foreseeable future. GENICON was already in over 40 international markets and was looking in particular at the rapidly emerging markets - Brazil, Russia, India and China - as potential new opportunities for growth. This case is appropriate for use in an international business course to introduce market selection strategy. It can also be used in sessions on international marketing, entrepreneurship and business strategy.

Operations Strategy at Galanz
Stephen (Chi Hung) Ng, Barbara Li, Xiande Zhao, Xuejun Xu, Yang Lei
Product Number: 9B10D005
Publication Date: 08/20/2010
Length: 17 pages

BestSeller: 2015; 2014

Starting from a humble beginning of being a manufacturer of down feather products owned by Shunde Township, Galanz Enterprises Group Co. Ltd. (Galanz) had transformed itself into a world class manufacturer of microwave ovens producing about 50 per cent of the global output in 2003. This case describes the competitive and operational strategies that Galanz used to achieve such a meteoric growth. The company started out with a clear competitive strategy based on cost leadership. It designed and implemented operations system to help achieve lower cost through economy of scale, the transfer of production capacity from developed countries and full utilization of the available production capacity.

Louis Vuitton
Mary M. Crossan, Manu Mahbubani
Product Number: 9B13M022
Publication Date: 02/04/2013
Revised Date: 04/04/2013
Length: 19 pages

BestSeller: 2015

Louis Vuitton, the flagship group within Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), had contributed to the stellar growth of the group in 2010 and 2011. But, there were clouds on the horizon. Was the recent growth sustainable? What steps should Louis Vuitton take to address upcoming challenges? This case takes the student through the challenges a global company faces as it tries to grow a business that is based on one of the most valued high-end brands in the world. The case reveals the fundamental strategic tension between what a firm needs to do, given the competitive environment, what it can do, given its resources and organization, and what leaders want to do, given their fundamental motivations and beliefs, which shape the way they see the issues.

Mattel and the Toy Recalls (A)
Hari Bapuji, Paul W. Beamish
Product Number: 9B08M010
Publication Date: 02/21/2008
Revised Date: 09/15/2014
Length: 14 pages

BestSeller: 2013; 2012; 2011; 2010; 2009

On July 30, 2007 the senior executive team of Mattel under the leadership of Bob Eckert, chief executive officer, received reports that the surface paint on the Sarge Cars, made in China, contained lead in excess of U.S. federal regulations. It was certainly not good news for Mattel, which was about to recall 967,000 other Chinese-made children's character toys because of excess lead in the paint. Not surprisingly, the decision ahead was not only about whether to recall the Sarge Cars and other toys that might be unsafe, but also how to deal with the recall situation. The (A) case details the events leading up to the recall and highlights the difficulties a multinational enterprise faces in managing global operations. Use with Ivey case 9B08M011, Mattel and the Toy Recalls (B).

Scotts Miracle-Gro: The Spreader Sourcing Decision
John Gray, Michael Leiblein, Shyam Karunakaran
Product Number: 9B08M078
Publication Date: 11/14/2008
Revised Date: 06/22/2009
Length: 11 pages

BestSeller: 2013; 2012; 2011; 2010

The Scotts Miracle-Gro company is the world's largest marketer of branded consumer lawn and garden products, with a full range of products for professional horticulture as well. Headquartered in Marysville, Ohio, the company is a market leader in a number of consumer lawn and garden and professional horticultural products. The case describes a series of decisions regarding the ownership and organization of the assets used to manufacture fertilizer spreaders. This case is intended to illustrate the application of and tradeoffs between financial, strategic and operations perspectives in a relatively straightforward manufacturing make-buy decision. The case involves a well-known, easily-described product that most students would assume is made overseas. Sufficient information is provided to roughly estimate the direct financial cost associated with internal (domestic) production, offshore (non-domestic) production and outsourced production. In addition, information is included that may be used to estimate potential transaction costs as well as costs associated with foreign exchange risk.

Ruth's Chris: The High Stakes of International Expansion
Ilan Alon, Allen H. Kupetz
Product Number: 9B06A034
Publication Date: 01/09/2007
Length: 8 pages

BestSeller: 2013; 2012; 2011; 2008

In 2006, Ruth's Chris Steak House was fresh off of a sizzling initial public offering and was now interested in growing their business internationally. With restaurants in just four countries outside the United States, a model to identify and rank new international markets was needed. This case provides a practical example for students to take quantitative and non-quantitative variables to create a short list of potential new markets.

Tata Motors' Acquisition of Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company
Meera Harish, Sanjay Singh, Kulwant Singh
Product Number: 9B08M094
Publication Date: 02/02/2009
Length: 15 pages

BestSeller: 2013 

In January 2004, the chairman of the India-based Tata Group, announced that the Tata Group would focus its efforts on international expansion to become globally competitive. This largely domestic vehicle manufacturing firm subsequently acquired a leading established South Korean firm, Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company (DCVC). This case focuses on the background of the firms and the acquisition, and the bidding and acquisition process. It provides information on the interests of the acquirer and target, and how both came to see the value in the acquisition. The Tata Group acquisition presents an uncommon situation of how an Indian firm acquired a firm in South Korea while overcoming a series of cultural and other barriers. An analysis of this case provides the basis for determining what criteria should be considered to guide a successful acquisition. A companion case is also available, Tata Motors' Integration of Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company.

Research in Motion: Managing Explosive Growth
Rod E. White, Paul W. Beamish, Daina Mazutis
Product Number: 9B08M046
Publication Date: 5/15/2008
Length: 21 pages

BestSeller: 2012; 2011; 2010; 2009

Research in Motion (RIM) is a high technology firm that is experiencing explosive sales growth. David Yach, chief technology officer for software at RIM, has received notice of an impending meeting with the co-chief executive officer regarding his research and development (R&D) expenditures. Although RIM, makers of the very popular BlackBerry, spent almost $360 million in R&D in 2007, this number was low compared to its largest competitors, both in absolute numbers and as a percentage of sales (e.g. Nokia spent $8.2 billion on R&D). This is problematic as it foreshadows the question of whether or not RIM is well positioned to continue to meet expectations, deliver award-winning products and services and maintain its lead in the smartphone market. Furthermore, in the very dynamic mobile telecommunications industry, investment analysts often look to a firm's commitment to R&D as a signal that product sales growth will be sustainable. Just to maintain the status quo, Yach will have to hire 1,400 software engineers in 2008 and is considering a number of alternative paths to managing the expansion. The options include: (1) doing what they are doing now, only more of it, (2) building on their existing and satellite R&D locations, (3) growing through acquisition or (4) going global.



Hong Kong Disneyland
Michael N. Young, Dong Liu
Product Number: 9B07M013
Publication Date: 10/04/2007
Revised Date: 02/04/2014 (Format Change)
Length: 16 pages

BestSeller: 2012

Disney began internationalizing its theme park operations with the opening of Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, which is regarded as one of the most successful amusement parks in the world. Disney attempted to replicate this success in France, which is the largest consumer of Disney products outside of the United States. In 1992, they opened Disneyland Resort Paris, which is largely regarded to be much less successful than the park in Japan. This case explores Disney's efforts to open its third park outside the United States; Hong Kong Disneyland. It begins by discussing the experience of Tokyo and Paris Disneylands, and then discusses the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, including the structure of the deal, and how the operations, human resources management and marketing were tailored to fit the Chinese cultural environment. The case also discusses the tourism industry in Hong Kong and the particular problems that were encountered during the first year of operations. The stage is set for students to discuss whether Disney's strategic assets have a good semantic fit with Chinese culture.

Global Branding of Stella Artois
Paul W. Beamish, Anthony Goerzen
Product Number: 9B00A019
Publication Date: 10/19/2000
Revised Date: 10/17/2012 (Format Change)
Length: 19 pages

BestSeller: 2011; 2006; 2005; 2004; 2003; 2002

Interbrew had developed into the world's fourth largest brewer by acquiring and managing a large portfolio of national and regional beer brands in markets around the world. Recently, senior management had decided to develop one of their premium beers, Stella Artois, as a global brand. The early stages of Interbrew's global branding strategy and tactics are examined, enabling students to consider these concepts in the context of a fragmented but consolidating industry. It is suitable for use in courses in consumer marketing, international marketing and international business.

Ethics of Offshoring: Novo Nordisk and Clinical Trials in Emerging Economies
Klaus Meyer
Product Number: 9B09M001
Publication Date: 01/09/2009
Revised Date: 01/09/2009
Length: 13 pages

BestSeller: 2011 

The case outlines the conflicting ethical demands on a Danish pharmaceuticals company, Novo Nordisk, that is operating globally and is aspiring to high standards of corporate social responsibility. A recent report alleges that multinational pharmaceutical companies routinely conduct trials in developing countries under alleged unethical conditions. The company's director reflects on how to respond to a request from a journalist for an interview. This triggers a discussion on the appropriate ethical principles and how to communicate them. As a company emphasizing corporate responsibility, the interaction with the media presents both opportunities and risks to Novo Nordisk. The case focuses on clinical trials that are required to attain regulatory approval in, for example, Europe and North America, and that are conducted at multiple sites around the world, including many emerging economies. Novo Nordisk has implemented numerous procedures to protect its various stakeholders, yet will this satisfy journalists and non-governmental organizations, and how should the company communicate with these stakeholders?

Google in China
Deborah Compeau, Prahar Shah
Product Number: 9B06E019
Publication Date: 05/01/2007
Revised Date: 09/17/2009
Length: 9 pages

BestSeller: 2011 

The case describes the circumstances surrounding the introduction of www.google.cn. In order to comply with Chinese government requirements, google.cn censors web results. This appears to contradict Google’s stated philosophy and its mission to organize and make accessible the world’s information. A public outcry ensues and Google is forced to defend its controversial decision. The case presents both sides of the debate and asks students to consider what they feel is right.

Swatch and the Global Watch Industry
Allen Morrison, Cyril Bouquet
Product Number: 9A99M023
Publication Date: 05/09/2000
Revised Date: 09/10/2009
Length: 22 pages

BestSeller: 2010; 2009; 2008; 2007; 2006; 05; 04; 03; 02 

The efforts of Swatch to reposition itself in the increasingly competitive global watch industry are reviewed in this case. Extensive information on the history and structure of the global watch industry is provided and the shrinking time horizons decision makers face in formulating strategy and in responding to changes in the industry are highlighted. In particular, the case discusses how technology and globalization have changed industry dynamics and have caused companies to reassess their sources of competitive advantage. Like other companies, Swatch faces the difficult task of deciding whether to emphasize product breadth, or focus on a few key global brands. It also must decide whether to shift manufacturing away from Switzerland to lower cost countries like India.

Carrefour China, Building a Greener Store
Andreas Schotter, Paul W. Beamish, Robert Klassen
Product Number: 9B08M048
Publication Date: 05/09/2008
Revised Date: 08/26/2008
Length: 19 pages

BestSeller: 2010 

Carrefour, the second largest retailer in the world, had just announced that it would open its first Green Store in Beijing before the 2008 Olympic Games. David Monaco, asset and construction director of Carrefour China, had little experience with green building, and was struggling with how to translate that announcement into specifications for store design and operations. Monaco has to evaluate the situation carefully both from ecological and economic perspectives. In addition, he must take the regulatory and infrastructure situation in China into account, where no official green building standard exists and only few suppliers of energy saving equipment operate. He had already collected energy and cost data from several suppliers, and wondered how this could be used to decide among environmental technology options. Given that at least 150 additional company stores were scheduled for opening or renovation during the next three years in China, the project would have long term implications for Carrefour.

Cola Wars in China: The Future is Here
Niraj Dawar, Nancy Dai
Product Number: 9B03A006
Publication Date: 08/06/2003
Revised Date: 09/10/2009
Length: 18 pages

BestSeller: 2008

The Wahaha Hangzhou Group Co. Ltd. is one of China's largest soft-drink producers. One of the company's products, Future Cola, was launched a few years ago to compete with Coca Cola and PepsiCo and has made significant progress in the soft-drink markets that were developed by these cola giants. The issue now is to maintain the momentum of growth in the face of major competition from the giant multinationals, and to achieve its goal of dominant market share.

Caribbean Internet Café
Murray J. Bryant, Michelle Theobalds
Product Number: 9A98B002
Publication Date: 03/19/1998
Revised Date: 09/09/2009
Length: 5 pages

BestSeller: 2007; 2006; 2005; 2004; 2003; 2001

An entrepreneur is hoping to open Caribbean Internet Cafe in Kingston, Jamaica. He has gathered data on all the relevant costs: equipment, rent, labor, etc. He has also found a partner in the local telephone company, Jamaica Telecommunications Limited (JTL). JTL has provided equity and a long-term loan at favourable interest rates. He is now faced with the task of analyzing fixed, variable and start-up costs, contribution margin, and the concept of break-even to guide his decision.

Intel in China
Kathleen E. Slaughter, Donna Everatt, Xiaojun Qian
Product Number: 9A99C007
Publication Date: 06/23/1999
Revised Date: 09/10/2009
Length: 8 pages

BestSeller: 2007; 2005; 2003 

The newly appointed division head must examine organizational or communication problems within a division of a billion dollar semiconductor manufacturer. The manager made a decision, which an employee emotionally responded to, creating the potential for conflict within the department. Cross-cultural issues come into play given that the manager, although originally from China, was educated and gathered extensive experience in the West and was thus considered an expatriate by his employees. The manager must also examine the effect of organizational culture on an employee's behavior.

Samsung China: The Introduction of Color TV
Paul W. Beamish, David J. Sharp, Chang-Bum Choi
Product Number: 9A98G003
Publication Date: 03/02/1998
Version Date: 09/09/2009
Length: 16 pages

BestSeller: 2007; 2001 

Mr. Chung Yong, president of Samsung China Headquarters was considering a recent meeting with the marketing director who was responsible for developing a marketing strategy for the entire China market. The topic at the meeting was the marketing strategy for color TVs, which had been chosen as the flagship product for the China market. Samsung had to decide whether it should focus on the low or high-end market segment (or both), and whether to import or produce locally.

Ben & Jerry's - Japan
James M. Hagen
Product Number: 9A99A037
Publication Date: 04/13/2000
Revised Date: 08/10/2010
Length: 18 pages

BestSeller: 2006; 2005; 2004; 2003 

The CEO of Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. needed to give sales and profits a serious boost; despite the company's excellent brand equity, it was losing market share and struggling to make a profit. The company's product was on store shelves in all U.S. states, but efforts to enter foreign markets had only been haphazard with non-U.S. sales accounting for just three per cent of total sales. The CEO needed to focus serious attention on entering the world's second largest ice cream market, Japan. An objective of Ben & Jerry's was to use the excess manufacturing capacity it had in the U.S., and it found that exporting ice cream from Vermont to Japan was feasible from a logistics and cost perspective. The company identified two leading partnering options. One was to give a Japanese convenience store chain exclusive rights to the product for a limited time. The other was to give long-term rights for all sales of the product in Japan to a Japanese-American who would build the brand. For the company to enter Japan in time for the upcoming summer season, it would have to be through one of these two partnering arrangements.

Acer Group's R&D Strategy - The China Decision
Terence Tsai, Borshiuan Cheng, Donna Everatt
Product Number: 9A99M007
Publication Date: 04/01/1999
Revised Date: 01/15/2010
Length: 11 pages

BestSeller: 2005

The Acer Group was one of the world's largest PC and computer component manufacturers. Members of Acer's R&D management team were considering the location of a new R&D lab with a view to maximizing the effectiveness of their global R&D strategy. They must examine the strategic role the lab should take, based on country strengths in China, as well as how logistical, communication, and cross-cultural issues should be managed, taking into account the social, political and economic environment in China. The case also looks at how critical an effective intellectual property protection strategy is in the globalization of R&D strategy.

Selkirk Group in Asia
Paul W. Beamish, Lambros Karavis
Product Number: 9A99M003
Publication Date: 02/20/1999
Revised Date: 01/15/2010
Length: 16 pages

BestSeller: 2004; 2003 

A family-owned brick manufacturer has built an export business to Japan and other Asian markets from zero to 10 per cent of its volume in seven years. The case examines the company's export strategy and organization in light of the recent Asian economic crisis and the reasons for their competitive success both in Australia and Asia. The managing director is raising the question of whether it is time to change their regional export strategy and organizational structure.

Chinese Fireworks Industry
Paul W. Beamish
Product Number: 9B11M006
Publication Date: 01/11/2011
Revised Date: 11/17/2014
Length: 13 pages

BestSeller: 2003

The Chinese fireworks industry thrived after China adopted the open-door policy in the late 1970s, and grew to make up 90 per cent of the world’s fireworks export sales. However, starting in the mid-1990s, safety concerns led governments both in China and abroad to set up stricter regulations. At the same time, there was rapid growth in the number of small family-run fireworks workshops, whose relentless price-cutting drove down profit margins. Students are asked to undertake an industry analysis, estimate the industry attractiveness, and propose possible ways to improve the industry attractiveness from an individual investor’s point of view. Jerry Yu is an American-born Chinese in New York who has been invited to buy a fireworks factory in Liuyang, Hunan.

Carvel Ice Cream - Developing the Beijing Market
Mark B. Vandenbosch, Tom Gleave
Product Number: 9A99A017
Publication Date: 08/05/1999
Revised Date: 01/12/2010
Length: 12 pages

BestSeller: 2002 

The manager of business development for Carvel Asia Limited is trying to determine how best to increase ice cream cake sales in Beijing. In doing so, he needs to develop a complete marketing program which includes decisions about product offerings, pricing, placement (distribution) and promotion - the 4 Ps. Carvel Asia was a 50-50 joint venture between Carvel (USA) and China's Ministry of Agriculture.

Acer Group's China Manufacturing Decision
Terence Tsai, Borshiuan Cheng, Donna Everatt
Product Number: 9A99M009
Publication Date: 04/06/1999
Revised Date: 01/15/2010
Length: 15 pages

BestSeller: 2002

The Acer Group is one of the world's largest PC and computer component manufacturers. The vice-president of Global Operations is pondering whether the timing and environment is conducive for Acer, based in Taiwan, to commence full-scale manufacturing operations in the Chinese mainland. Students are asked to examine the criteria on which Acer should base their decision to manufacture overseas, and in so doing, create the framework for a corporation's global manufacturing strategy. The teaching objectives also include having students consider the political, economic and social environments of a global manufacturing strategy. A related case entitled Acer Group's R & D Strategy - The China Decision (9A99M007) is also available.

Kentucky Fried Chicken in China (A)
Allen Morrison, Paul W. Beamish
Product Number: 9A90G001
Publication Date: 01/01/1990
Revised Date: 05/29/2003
Length: 14 pages

BestSeller: 2000; 1999; 1998; 1996

The new vice-president for Kentucky Fried Chicken in southeast Asia, must weigh the growth benefits of investing in China with alternative opportunities in the region. He is at the exploratory stage of market research and is focusing his attention on four possible locations in China. He must also balance his own personal ambitions with the possibilities for failure, not only in China, but the rest of southeast Asia. (A 31-minute video is available with this case, Kentucky Fried Chicken in China - Video.) A follow-up case Kentucky Fried Chicken in China (B) is also available.

Procter & Gamble in Eastern Europe (A)
Jeffrey Gandz, David W. Conklin, Maurice Smith, Asad Wali
Product Number: 9A97H001
Publication Date: 03/20/1997
Revised Date: 02/04/2010
Length: 32 pages

BestSeller: 2000

Procter & Gamble must determine an entry strategy for Eastern Europe. The case examines the former Soviet Bloc countries, the opportunity they provide for a business endeavor like Procter & Gamble, and the product choices Procter & Gamble has available to them. Students must examine the political, economic, societal, and technological (PEST) environment and determine if the newly liberalized economies of Eastern Europe provide appropriate investment opportunities for Procter & Gamble. Students must also determine the scope of the necessary investment, the time profile and the difficulties it may face. A follow-up case (9A97H002) is available.

Russki Adventures
Paul W. Beamish, Ian Sullivan
Product Number: 9A92G002
Publication Date: 07/09/1992
Revised Date: 03/22/2010
Length: 18 pages

BestSeller: 1998; 1997

The two major partners in Russki Adventures contemplated their next move. They had spent the last year and a half exploring the possibility of starting a helicopter skiing operation in Russia. Their plan was to bring clients from Europe, North America and Japan to the Caucasus Mountains to ski the vast areas of secluded mountain terrain made accessible by the use of helicopter and the recent business opportunities offered by 'glasnost'. Three options for proceeding were being considered. The first was to proceed with the venture on their own, in the Caucasus Mountains area that had been made available to them by a Soviet government agency. The second was to accept the offer of partnership with Extreme Dreams, a French tour operator that had recently begun operations in the Caucasus region. The final option was to wait, save their money and not proceed with the venture at this time. This is a good case to emphasize small-scale international ventures and the complexities of operating in a rapidly changing and politically unstable environment.