Darden University of Virginia (USA)
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Investure, LLC, and Smith College
Chaplinsky, Susan; Harris, Robert S.; Kelly, Dorothy C.Case DARDEN-F-1537-EFinanceAlice Handy, an investment professional with 30 years' experience as head of the University of Virginia Investment Management Company, has opened a new asset management firm targeted at midsize endowments and nonprofit institutions in January 2004. Her business, Investure, LLC, offered outsourced investment services to institutions with $150 million to $1 billion in assets and access to top-performing managers at lower cost than a fund of funds (...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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Mega Oil Corporation
Laseter, Timothy M.; Kelly, Dorothy C.Case DARDEN-OM-1169-EService and Operations ManagementScoping the situation at the Mega Oil Corporation, a major management-consulting firm, had been the easy part. The firm is seriously behind its best competitors and risks falling further behind unless changes are made to reorganize its worldwide staff functions. Now the more difficult task is identifying and prioritizing the actions to take.Starting at €8.20
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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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Próspera: Partnering for Economic Development in Honduras
Frank, Mary Margaret; Holtz, Paul; Kelly, Dorothy C.Case DARDEN-F-1980-EFinanceErick A. Brimen’s vision was on the verge of reality. As CEO of Próspera LLC, an economic development platform based in Washington, DC, he had devoted years to fostering efforts to bring economic development and stability to a small region in Honduras. He had worked with government officials, scholars of economics and law, and local residents to develop a zone for employment and economic development (in Spanish, zona de empleo y desarrollo económ...Starting at €8.20