Case Study Sample Questions

Claire McCloud
Questions
(1) What issues should Claire be considering in her decision to accept or decline the
General Manager's position?
(2) What does Claire need to know about the technology
(3) What are the immediate short and long-term tasks that Claire will need to address?

Electronic Arts in 1995

Questions
(1) What has EA technology strategy been until 1995?
(2) How is EA's technology strategy linked to its business strategy?
(3) What are the advantages of developing hardware and software as opposed to
software only in the video gaming industry?
(4) Looking beyond 1995, how should EA evaluate the platform development
decisions the company faces.

Intel Corporation: The DRAM decision (pp. 339)

Questions
(1) What has Intel's strategy been with respect to DRAMs? How does this
compare to the strategies regarding other key technologies?
(2) Why did Intel lose its position in DRAMs? Could this have been
avoided?
(3) How has the organization reacted to the dramatic loss of market share
in DRAMs?
(4) What should Intel do regarding DRAMs in 1985? Evaluate the four
options laid out.
(5) How should Dr. Grove implement his decisions? What problems
should he anticipate?

Intel Corporation: Strategy for the 1990s

Questions
(1) What are the long term implications of Intel's exit from the DRAM
business? How did Grove handle the situation?
(2) What are the key differences between the DRAM and the EPROM
businesses? Should Intel exit the EPROM business now that it no longer produces DRAMs?
(3) Compare and contrast the arguments of Chou, parker and Barrett
regarding technogy drivers? Are these arguments mutually consistent? What are the
implications for Intel's technology strategy?
(4) Is Intel still a technology leader? How well do the three corporate
macro strategies outlined in the case serve to guide Intel through the 1990s?

Innovation at 3M corporation (A)

Questions
(1) How has 3M's innovation process evolved since the company was founded? Why was
3M known as the hothouse of innovation, need to regain its closeness to the customer?
(2) How does the Lead User research process differ from and complement other
traditional market research methods?
(3) What should the Medical- surgical Lead user team recommend to Dunlop? the three
 new product concepts or a new business strategy? What are the risks to the Medical surgical
business unit?

Charles Schwab Inc in 1999

Questions
(1) Up until the mid 1990s, how did Schwab position itself in the brokerage
industry? How did Schwab impact the industry?
(2) What were the key factors underlying Schwab's competitive advantage up
until the mid 1990s? How have these factors reinforced each other?
(3) How has the internet affected the brokerage industry?
(4) In 1999 what should Schwab do to protect and leverage its strategic position
in the brokerage industry? Please prepare an action plan

Apple Computer 1999

Questions
(1) Historically what were Apple's major competitive advantages?
(2) Analyze the structure of the personal computer industry over the last
10 years. How have the dynamics of the PC industry changed?
(3) Evaluate Apple's strategies since 1990.
(4) What should Steve Jobs do today?

3M Optical Systems: Managing corporate entrepreneurship

Questions
(1) As Andy Wong, how would you handle the authorization for
expenditure for the re-launch of the privacy screen?
(2) As Paul Guehler would you approve the AFE if Wong had set it up for
you?
(3) How effective has Wong been as a front line manager in the #m
context? How effective has Guehler been as a 3M division president?
(4) What is it about 3M that makes it perhaps the most consistently
entrepreneurial large company in the world?

Eli Lilly: The Evista Project pp. 789-804.

Questions
(1) What is a heavyweight project team and how does it differ from a traditional
approach used for organizing development projects at Eli Lilly?
(2) What is your assessment of the performance of the two heavyweight project teams
described in the case? What factors contributed most to these performance results? In the
Pharmaceutical context how far back in the development process should heavyweight teams be
deployed?
(3) Is the heavyweight project team an approach that you would recommend to Lilly for
purposes of commercializing the Evista project? What additional recommendations would you
make to Lilly management concerning the use of heavyweight teams going forward.

Note:
Turning in a case with “Question 1: blah blah blah…. Question 2: blah blah blah…”, etc. will not earn
a very good grade. These questions are typical of the types of questions you should be asking
yourself when you read any case, and your writeup may end up answering them, but should not be
organized around them.