Assignments

The cases facilitate the discussion of marketing problems in real situations. You should read these cases carefully and come to class prepared to provide constructive input as the class works together to address the issues of the case. The situations in the case are complex. It is rare that the entire class will come to a consensus because the appropriate response often depends upon which assumptions are accepted. Real learning takes place when you see how others address a problem about which you have thought carefully. The better you are prepared, the more you learn.

The best way to prepare is to attempt to answer the discussion questions (posted on the website). These questions provide an outline of how we might proceed in class. If you can answer each question well, you will understand the basic issues of the case.

We strongly encourage you to discuss the case within your group. You will benefit from defending your ideas and you will learn by discussing other group members' approaches. For the cases which are not due as written cases you may discuss the general issues with other students at Sloan. However, you should not discuss these cases with any students who may have studied them in a prior year or in the fall. For the two written cases you should discuss the cases only within your group. All group members should contribute to the case write-up which is expected to be original material. Because a key benefit of case discussion is that you form your ideas and defend them to your peers, you are not to consult any files from previous years on the cases.

Early in the semester there may be some uncertainty as to what is expected in preparation for a 15.810 case. The TAs are here to help you. I have asked the TAs to meet with each group as you prepare for one of the early case discussions. The TAs will attempt to arrange a time and place that is mutually convenient.

Each group will be required to hand in two case write-ups. You may choose any TWO of the following FIVE cases:

• Barco
• American Airlines
• Vestron
• Boston Whaler
• Optical Distortion
  

The reports should consist of (at most) 3 pages and should address the questions that will be distributed. Your reports must be handed in at the start of the class in which the case will be discussed. These cases will be graded.

Use these questions to guide your reports (and to help prepare for our discussion of the other cases). Some additional recommendations:

1. Your write-ups should be in bullet point form.
2. Separately answer each question. Use headings to highlight which questions you are answering.
3. Start with the most obvious points and then work from there. Do not omit the obvious points.
4. I am more interested in the quality of your analysis than the accuracy of your conclusions. Make sure that you give both the pros and the cons of each alternative.
5. Read the previous week's lecture notes before writing your analysis.
6. Structure your answers using sub-headings if necessary to make it clear that you have used an analytical approach to reach you answers. The grader will be treating (apparently) random lists of issues with caution.

A common remark made by students after the case discussions is that their group talked about most of the important points but ran out of space in which to write them all down. This is symptomatic. The role of the course is to help you to identify which of the details hidden in the myriad of facts comprising each case are most relevant. The page constraint forces you to reveal to me what you think is relevant.

In addition to your two case write-ups, each person must hand in an individual report on each case (not including the two cases that comprise your group report). This report should be no more than one page in length and should briefly summarize the answer to each of the case questions.

You will receive credit simply for handing in each of these reports on time. These reports will not be individually graded or returned, however, they will be used to help determine final grades for students close to the letter cutoffs.

There is considerable evidence in the popular press and management literature that firms are careful to protect confidential information when interacting with upstream and downstream channel partners (distributors and suppliers). This includes information that the firm considers part of the firm's intellectual property and information that may affect the firm's negotiations with these channel partners.

The information that is protected is often also information that is necessary to coordinate with these channel partners in order to supply, manufacture and distribute products or services efficiently. As a result, protecting this information often hinders coordination with channel partners and may result in lower quality, higher costs and/or longer lead times.

This leads to an important advantage to using internal suppliers and distributors. Firms are generally much less concerned when sharing information internally.

This exercise requires that your group interview one or more managers at a manufacturing or service firm. You will probably find it helpful to interview one or more managers of the channel partners. Please do not choose Bose.

You must submit a four-page report that addresses the following questions:

1. Provide two examples of information that the firm tries to prevent sharing with its external channel partners.
2. Provide two examples of processes, rules or procedures that the firm uses to try to prevent the external channel partners from gaining access to information. This need not be the same information that you have identified in (1) above.
3. Do these restrictions on sharing information with external channel partners result in lower quality, higher costs, longer lead times or any other adverse outcomes? Provide examples.
4. Does the firm also try to prevent sharing the information identified in (1) with its internal channel partners?