Darden University of Virginia (USA)
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Resolving Trade-Offs: From Simple Heuristics to Multicriteria Analysis
Baucells, ManelTechnical Note DARDEN-QA-0914-EDecision AnalysisThis note discusses a variety of methods to assist intuition in complex situations with multiple objectives and a potentially large set of alternatives. It begins with heuristic rules, which are relatively simple ways to sort out alternatives without thinking too much about trade-offs. After discussing the reliability of such rules, it moves to multicriteria analysis, which is a more rational method of balancing conflicting objectives.Starting at €8.20
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CSR Bonus at CapTech
Baucells, Manel; Ellis, ShawnCase DARDEN-QA-0918-EDecision AnalysisThis case follows Anisha Anderson, who has had three of her customer service representatives (CSRs) quit. Her job is to think about how she can adjust the CSR training and bonus program to promote retention in the department, which has been a cause of concern for a while.Starting at €8.20
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The Pelayo Family Plays Roulette: The Prequel
Pfeifer, Phillip E.; Bodily, Samuel E.; Baucells, ManelCase DARDEN-QA-0847-EDecision AnalysisThe case presents data from 70,340 spins of four roulette wheels: three of which are real ("imperfect") and one of which is simulated ("perfect"). The challenge posed is to identify which of the four is the simulated wheel. After weeks spent recording spin results at their local casino, the members of the Pelayo family think they have identified three imperfect wheels. Before they start betting, they want to be certain that the three wheels they ...Starting at €8.20
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A GLUM Primer: The Risk-Adjusted Expected Value
Pfeifer, Phillip E.; Bodily, Samuel E.; Baucells, ManelTechnical Note DARDEN-QA-0849-EDecision AnalysisThe purpose of this note is to improve on the expected value criterion by incorporating the willingness and capability to take risk of a rational decision maker. First, this note will review the concept of expected net present value (ENPV) and demonstrate its limitations. Next, we introduce the notion of play capital, or the most one is willing to put at risk in view of one’s life circumstances, goals, and resources. Then, we introduce the genera...Starting at €8.20
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Vitaliy’s Purchase Decision
Baucells, Manel; Dydyshka, VitaliyExercise DARDEN-QA-0861-EDecision AnalysisThis short case presents the trade-offs that Vitaliy faces before purchasing a car. The case contains a consequence table showing five different cars and how they fare on six attributes, including price, user ratings, torque, fuel consumption, and engine power. The case is ideal to introduce the multiattribute methodology.Starting at €8.20
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To LED or Not to LED?
Baucells, Manel; Yemen, GerryCase DARDEN-QA-0862-EDecision AnalysisA director of marketing at a major big-box retailer in the United States finds herself overhearing a customer and a lighting specialist discuss the replacement of incandescent and halogen lightbulbs with LEDs in his house. The case provides sufficient data to perform the economic analysis of which lightbulb is more cost effective in terms of net present value. The results are at odds with the student’s intuitions. This case uses a durable consume...Starting at €8.20
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The Elevator Saga
Baucells, Manel; Yemen, GerryCase DARDEN-QA-0866-EDecision AnalysisThis case describes a common situation in old buildings, namely the decision as to whether intall an elevator. In this armchair case, we have an apartment building in Budapest with 3 towers, each containing 24 homeowners, with a possible interest in adding an elevator to each tower of the walk-up building. The case begins by discussing serveral ways to fairly distribute the cost if the elevators are approved. One way is an equal split. The second...Starting at €8.20
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The Pelayo Family Plays Roulette - Teaching note
Bodily, Samuel E.; Pfeifer, Phillip E.; Baucells, ManelTeaching Note DARDEN-QA-0850TN-EDecision AnalysisTeaching note for product QA-0850Starting at €0.00
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Consumers' Mental Accounting
Baucells, ManelTechnical Note DARDEN-QA-0908Decision AnalysisWhen a consumer purchases an item, the presumption is that the benefit obtained from it exceeds the price paid—we can think of this difference as the consumer profit. How do consumers calculate this profit, especially when they do not immediately consume the purchased item? This technical note presents a model of mental accounting that gives insights into the process that consumers follow to calculate value. It compares rational logic, accounting...Starting at €8.20
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Caterpillar Inc. Taps the Chinese Bond Market
Lynch; Luann J.; Haskins; Mark E.Case DARDEN-C-2418-EAccounting and ControlAn MBA graduate prepares for a possible interview with Caterpillar Inc. by reading about the company’s longtime presence in China manufacturing heavy equipment and its continued optimism about the heavy equipment market in that country. He also learns that the company financed part of its operations and growth in China by issuing bonds in Hong Kong and wonders whether the company would return to that bond market in Hong Kong.Starting at €8.20