Re-branding the leper colony: Challenges of changing culture and managing difficult people: Working paper series--09-10

Anika, a new manager, is confronted by a dysfunctional organizational culture characterized by employee disrespect, insubordination, and low performance. Her charge is to "to turn the place around". The case takes place in a service organization, a testing range run by the US Department of Defense. The staff is a combination of federal and contract employees who test clients' high-tech systems in a sometimes dangerous, desert environment. In addition, there are three vignettes that give a portrait of dysfunctional individual behaviors. Frequently, the response students want to make is "I'd just fire the guy." Unfortunately, it is not so simple

TASER International, Inc. - Grappling with growth: Working paper series--05-01

TASER International, Inc. is one of the world's leading less-lethal weapons manufacturers and distributors. The case begins with a dramatic moment, as the brothers who run the company become aware of a highly critical article in Barron's which questions the legitimacy of their high stock price and casts doubt on their continued ability to grow. The case presents the company's counterarguments to the critical Barron's article. (Note that both the Barron's article in its entirety and the response document from the company's website are included with the case as appendices.) Students are shown TASER's powerful and effective marketing strategy to police and military, and then asked to consider whether and how to approach the potentially huge, lucrative consumer market. The case resulted from lengthy in-person, email, and phone interviews with TASER's President, Tom Smith. In addition, the company and its products have been well publicized in the national business press and in the local newspapers. Further, product details and other information on TASERs and other less-lethal weapons have been published in numerous police and military sources. Finally, TASER International's website has been a rich source of supplemental information to support the writing of the case