Jocelyn Hornblower, Mark Leslie, John Morgridge
2010
In Part A, Valley Systems, a computer hardware company which manufactures high performance internetworking systems, was six months post-IPO and struggling to make their quarterly earnings. Matt Tucker, the company’s CEO, was very concerned about the…
Mark Leslie, Robert Joss
2010
This case presents two vignettes from the perspective of Laura White, a newly-promoted manager of the Cook Islands operations for a large Australian bank. In Vignette A, White learns of the existence of an Offshore Banking Unit (OBU) – the source of…
H.I. Grousbeck, C.G. Prober, Alexander Tauber, Elizabeth A. Zambricki
2009
This case uses two vignettes to illustrate ethical questions that may occur at hospitals. In the first, 89-year old widow Theresa Addison is faced with the challenge of finding a facility that will care for her 47 year old son on a long term basis. Her…
H. I. Grousbeck, C. G. Prober, Alexander Tauber
2009
A Brief Note on Difficult Discussions Between Doctors and Patients provides students with a framework to help them think about how to have such discussions. The framework has three parts: 1. The contextual realities of a given case. Two categories of…
H. I. Grousbeck, C. G. Prober, Alexander Tauber
2009
This case is about the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s at a relatively young age, at a time when the patients are forced to juggle jobs, family, and dementia. The case is based on the article When Alzheimer’s Hits at 40 from the Wall Street Journal (November 14…
H. I. Grousbeck, C. G. Prober, Alexander Tauber, Elizabeth A. Zambricki, Julie Makinen
2009
This case is centered on Stanford University’s Palliative Care program and covers difficult conversations physicians must have with patients and their families. Situations include dealing with the angry family of a terminally ill patient, and how to…
Robert Chess, Sara Leslie
2009
Gilead Sciences launched Truvada, a combination pill incorporating Gilead’s individual antiviral drugs, Viread and Emtriva, in the U.S. in 2004. This involved gaining FDA approval, setting a national price, and negotiating reimbursement levels with…
Leslie Sara Gaviser, William Meehan III
2009
At the end of April, 2008, Louise Waters had been in her new role as CEO of Leadership Public Schools (LPS) for one month. Before presenting the FY 2009 budget to the board of directors in June, she wanted to complete a long-range sustainability analysis…
Jennifer Aaker, Victoria Chang
2009
In early 2007, Barack Obama was a little-known senator running for president against Democratic nominee and household name, Hilary Clinton. But on November 4, 2008, Obama made history as the first African American to win the election against Republican…
Hayagreeva Rao, Robert Sutton, Isaac Waisberg
2009
In 2007, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals’ manufacturing organization faced a number of challenges, requiring that it revolutionize the way its 17,000 people operated. The case describes alternative methods of systemic change considered by Wyeth, the approach they…
Lyn Denend, R. McKern
2009
In 2009, the Federative Republic of Brazil was the 5th largest country in the world in terms of its geographic area and population. At 3,290,000 square miles, its territory comprised nearly half of South America. It was also the most populous nation on…
David Hoyt, Hayagreeva Rao, Robert Sutton
2009
Mozilla launched its Firefox web browser in November 2004, when Microsoft’s Internet Explorer had a market share of over 90 percent, and was giving its browser away. Five years later, Firefox had a 25 percent share, and more than 300 million people were…
John Glynn Jr., Alex Tauber
2009
Napster: Opportunity Meets a Web of Egos” chronicles the rise and fall of Napster and, in particular, focuses on several vignettes between Shawn Fanning, Napster’s founder, and Ron Conway, an angel investor. The case starts with Napster’s humble…
H. Grousbeck, Claire Magat
2009
This case follows Peter Kingston, the CEO of Vector Healthcare, through the process of 1) forming a partnership, 2) launching a search fund, 3) acquiring a company in the health insurance space and 4) selling the company through an auction. It explores…
Dick Allen, Jocelyn Hornblower
2009
The case follows Laurie Thomas, a Silicon Valley software executive, as she transitions to a career in the restaurant industry as Executive Vice President of a small restaurant management company in San Francisco. Specifically, the case covers Thomas’s…
Charles Holloway, Jocelyn Hornblower
2009
The case follows Andrew Housser and Brad Stroh, two recent graduates from the Stanford GSB, as they search for a business opportunity and ultimately start a company in the consumer finance industry. It covers their inspiration for the business idea and…
H. Grousbeck, Jocelyn Hornblower
2009
The case follows Andy Laats, a recent graduate from the Stanford GSB, and his business partner Chad DiNenna as they launch and grow an action sports watch company, Nixon, Inc. It covers their inspiration for the business idea and the process they went…
Claire Magat, Garth Saloner
2009
Amanda West is a GSB graduate who has launched a healthy fast food restaurant out of business school. She developed the business plan with her S356 team and validated the idea throughout the course. After graduation she decided to launch the business on…
Claire Magat, Garth Saloner
2009
Amanda West is a GSB graduate who has launched a healthy fast food restaurant out of business school. She developed the business plan with her S356 team and validated the idea throughout the course. After graduation she decided to launch the business on…
Mark Leslie, Katherine Bose
2009
Phillip Leslie, Claire Magat
2009
Central Retail Corporation is a family owned retail conglomerate in Thailand that was founded in 1947. Since its first roadside store, it has expanded into specialty segments (bookstores, grocery, electronics, sports, etc) as well as real estate, hotels…
Jonathan Berk, Nate Blair
2009
As James A.C. Kennedy, CEO and president of T. Rowe Price Group, reviewed the 2008 annual letter to shareholders, he reflected on the state of the economy and his firm. 2008 had been a horrendous year for the financial markets and saw the demise or…
Garth Saloner, Jocelyn Hornblower
2009
This vignette tells the story of Jessica Herrin, founder of Stella & Dot, a direct sales jewelry company. It details Herrin’s desire to start and grow a company that would offer an employment solution for women (typically with children) without meaning a…
Condoleezza Rice, William Barnett, Cameron Bell
2009
Examining the relationship between the Russian oil and gas giant Gazprom and the countries of the European Union, this case explores the interaction between geopolitics and business.