When its main products, gasoline lead additives, were banned in most developed countries, a U.S. company introduced an environmentally friendly, octane-boosting gasoline additive, methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT). The product was approved for use in Canada, but not sanctioned for use in Europe or the United States, due to health concerns. In response to public concerns about environmental hazards, the Canadian government introduced .....more

The federal legislation process in Canada engages individuals and institutions both within and outside of government. This note describes the passage of Canadian federal legislation, from a bill's introduction to its enactment, with particular emphasis on the role of external interest groups. This note may be used in conjunction with the case "Ethyl Corporation of Virginia: The MMT Battle in Canada," product 9B02M048.

Teaching note for product 9B01M045.

The founder of a Canadian publishing company is nearing retirement. His mission has been to promote Canadian authors and he has actively pursued government assistance and policies to protect Canadian cultural industries. However, there are often policies against free trade of cultural products which has hurt exporting. Discussed is how firm value is affected by government policy and the trade-offs of cultural protectionism.

The rent-to-own industry is a four billion-dollar industry that rents appliances, furniture and electronic goods to customers. There is a potential threat to the rent-to-own industry as a result of an article in a national newspaper that accused the industry of taking advantage of poor consumers. Law makers and politicians were becoming active on the issue and the industry must formulate a response. Would the public really care enough about the rent-to-own .....more

A small, founder-centered business, increasingly facing competitive imitation of their core activities, is at a crossroads. Expansion opportunities for the winery include branching into retail, expanding its offerings of wines made to their specifications in Europe, and expanding their direct sales network of end customers to include non-Bonny Doon wines. In considering these options, the core competencies of Bonny Doon as well as the interests of .....more

Teaching note for product 9B00A018.