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As we wrap up this course, we
want to take a look back over the cases we’ve studied. Each case has an
interesting set of takeaways that, combined, can give insight into how the
case method is used at top business schools. Let’s review these cases one
by one:
Erik Peterson:
The main takeaway of this case is
that a leader does not wait to bring up difficult topics and hope they go
away. Rather, a leader faces difficult managerial and interpersonal issues
head-on.
If Peterson had asked for greater
support or clarity early on, he could have avoided the embarrassing end to
his career at Biometra.
Southwest
Airlines:
Southwest was a disruptive
startup that had grown into the most profitable airline on earth. As
disruptors grow, they must manage a tradeoff between sticking to a
successful lean business model and adjusting the model to take advantage of
new opportunities. Every successful startup will eventually face this
decision.
Butler Lumber:
The Butler case highlights the
key distinction between accounting and finance—accounting is about
recording and interpreting the past, whereas finance is about planning for
the future. Butler was a successful and growing company on paper, but it
was in danger of going bankrupt because of financial mismanagement. Because
of the lumber industry’s low margins and extended payment timelines, the
company actually needed to slow its growth in order not to run out of
money.
Disney/Pixar:
Disney’s acquisition of Pixar has
turned out to be incredibly successful, but at the time of the original
case, that success was far from certain. The Disney/Pixar case highlights
the important role that company culture can plan in a firm’s success and
explores how mergers can (but don’t necessarily have to) change or even
destroy that culture.
Intel Inside:
Intel Inside was one of the most
successful marketing campaigns of the 20th century, but it has failed to
make the jump to mobile in the new millennium. This case explored the
decision of whether or not to expand Intel Inside to the mobile space and
weighed the pros and cons of betting big on an already decade-old campaign.
In hindsight, we can see that Intel’s reluctance to pursue this option may
have cost them big in the mobile processor arena.
Heidi Roizen:
The case itself is chock-full of
takeaways about how to grow and maintain a strong professional network. But
the studies done after the case may be even more interesting—the
Heidi/Howard Roizen study shows that students consistently show a bias
against the female “Heidi” compared to her male counterpart “Howard.”
Interestingly, the problem isn’t that Heidi is viewed as less capable than
Howard, but rather that she is simply less “likeable.”
Optical
Distortion:
The Chicken Contact Lens case is
a great story of taking a business from zero to 100. There are two big
takeaways from this case. First, big profits don’t always come from the
most attractive industries; chicken farms can be innovated too. Second, all
the parts of a business—from R&D and manufacturing to sales, pricing,
and distribution—have to come together to build a successful company.
Carrefour SA:
The biggest takeaway from the
Carrefour case is that MBAs need to be adept at breaking complex problems
into analyzable pieces. Carrefour is an exercise in stating and testing
assumptions, calculating risk, and using math to make decisions. While it
is unlikely that anyone will be in an exact situation like Carrefour’s
again, the numbers-based analytical approach is a hallmark of MBA
education.
Ryanair:
Ryanair serves as a lesson in the
strategy of disruption. Ryanair was able to enter a market and offer a much
lower-quality product and much much lower price point, and as a result,
stole significant market share from the incumbent players.
A takeaway for any business
entering a crowded market is that it is usually unwise to start price wars,
especially if you don’t have the capital resources to outlast your
competitors. New entrants must find a way to differentiate their offering
and compete on service or product.
This list represents just a fraction
of the types of materials you might come across in business school, but it
hopefully gives you a taste of what the typical MBA student learns.
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