In October 2012, Australian media giant Nine Entertainment Company (NEC) was in the midst of a major debt renegotiation that would determine whether the company received a renewed chance to survive and thrive or faced a long and potentially costly insolvency proceeding. Six years earlier, private equity firm CVC Partners (CVC) had taken a controlling position in NEC, culminating by 2008 in one of
The case is set in Asia. It focuses on the valuation of a company which builds, operates, and then transfers power plants. The valuation problem is to value the projects in place and the estimate how much of the current stock price reflects projects in place and how much is attributable to anticipated future growth. Ideally, the case can be used as a transition between valuation of free cash flow
As marketers love to teach students, differentiation must be the focal point of marketing strategy. But what happens when a firm's competitive set is shared by similar customers, perceived differentiation is weak among rivals, and loyalty is a thing of the past? This was the dilemma the French luxury jeweler Mauboussin faced: how to leverage its iconic brand to access new customers, domestically a
This case examines the 2018 decision by the Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE) to introduce a futures contract on a type of crude oil widely used in Asia, in the hope that it would not only facilitate price discovery but also become an Asian benchmark for crude oil prices and encourage the use of the renminbi or Chinese yuan in international commerce. Accordingly, the futures contract wa
Go (or Wei-ch'i, as it is known in China) is a centuries-old board game popular across Asia. Many have drawn parallels between military successes and the game's complex methods, in which a player encircles, isolates, and captures enemy pieces and geography, but Go also offers lessons for business.
This technical note offers a basic description of Go, followed by a collection of business-strategy
BHP Billiton Limited (BHP), the world's largest natural-resources company, launched a $130-per-share bid for Potash Corporation, Inc., (POT) of Saskatchewan, Canada, the world's largest integrated fertilizer and related industrial and feed products company and the largest producer of potash worldwide by capacity. The acquisition was aimed at meeting BHP's corporate strategy of becoming a leading g
Although more consumers are answering questions about where they purchased merchandise in the United States with "I got it at Wal-Mart," the retail behemoth has questions it needs answered about the current, international issues it faces. Where, when, and how can it use its capabilities in other countries? And how can capabilities and knowledge developed in one part of the globe be used in North A
A U.S. automotive supplier follows a major customer to Asia, and forms a joint venture with a Thai company to build and operate a new manufacturing plant. Key parts are also sourced from the Thai partner's existing plant. The Asian currency crisis causes devaluation of the Thai currency as well as problems for the joint venture, requiring the restructuring of the joint venture and the resourcing o
After the acquisition of the former GE/RCA consumer-electronics company, Thomson Consumer Electronics is dealing with issues about global-sourcing activities. At heart is the consolidation/centralization of purchasing/sourcing activities conducted by 10 separate organizational subunits in Europe, Asia, and North America. The case was developed for a second-year MBA course on operations strategy bu
Managers need financial forecasts for their rapidly growing company. Because the company sources most of its product parts from Asia, exchange-rate changes as well as changes in product/market conditions can affect the forecasted needs for capital, particularly working capital.
Immigration is a powerful force shaping a country’s population, and a nation’s immigration policy often reveals who is welcome and who is not. This case offers an overview of migration to the United States and focuses especially on two major laws that have defined US migration policy. First, the 1924 Johnson-Reed Act became law toward the end of the mass migration that began in the 19th century. I
Erick A. Brimen’s vision was on the verge of reality. As CEO of Próspera LLC, an economic development platform based in Washington, DC, he had devoted years to fostering efforts to bring economic development and stability to a small region in Honduras. He had worked with government officials, scholars of economics and law, and local residents to develop a zone for employment and economic developme