As the year comes to a close, here’s a look at our greatest hits of 2015. Have you downloaded our top cases and role plays yet?
Top New Cases of 2015:
A workshop-based case study about an experiment designed by Facebook which altered the Facebook News Feed to explore if emotions can spread through Facebook. This study met vocal opposition for manipulating the moods of Facebook users, and also because users neither volunteered nor opted in to such research and were not informed of their participation in the study. This case study explains the parameters of the experiment, the reaction in the media, and the legal issues raised when algorithms permeate society.
A two-part discussion-based case study about the complex legal problems faced by General Motors following revelations that GM had known about a safety defect in millions of cars that caused over a dozen deaths for at least ten years prior to recall.
A discussion-based case study that follows the adaptation of Lean Six Sigma–a concept of collaborative team effort borrowed from manufacturing–for a law firm environment and describes the challenges the firm encountered when introducing it to partners.
A workshop-based case study that provides an opportunity for students to examine the potential impacts of U.S. material-support-to-terrorism laws in the context of humanitarian crises, through the lens of the 2011 Somalia famine. Participants are primed to problem solve, navigate potentially competing domestic and international law and policy, and make ethical and legal decisions in a high-pressure, complex international crisis.
Ten Most Downloaded Cases of 2015:
1,. Harborco
A six-player, multi-issue scorable negotiation role play disputing the construction of a deep-water port. Harborco, the consortium interested in building the port, must promote buy-in and gain support from other stakeholders in order to obtain a necessary license. Participants learn more about coalition strategies and elementary utility analysis.
A negotiation role play in which a veteran soccer player tries to sign with a Brazilian football club experiencing a slump. In striking a deal, participants will practice probing for interests and creating value, in addition to learning about the zone of possible agreement and distributional strategy.
A case study that follows the career and life path of William Fox, a middle-aged, English partner at a law firm in London. This case allows participants to reflect on how to evaluate one’s career trajectory, the balance between commitments to work and personal life, and how the meaning of “success” might evolve over time.
A technical note that outlines a systematic approach to problem solving for lawyers and gives students a framework to solve client problems, including addressing legal and ethical issues.
A discussion-based case study concerning the importance of having a clear strategy in a professional service firm (PSF), the challenges related to implementing a strategy, and the considerations that lead to successful change management in a PSF.
A technical note that helps students to effectively read problem solving case studies and prepare for problem solving class discussions and exercises.
A workshop-based case study about an experiment designed by Facebook which altered the Facebook News Feed to explore if emotions can spread through Facebook. This study met vocal opposition not solely for manipulating the moods of Facebook users, but also because users neither volunteered nor opted in to such research, and were not informed of their participation in the study. This study is a motivating example of the moral, legal, and technical questions raised when algorithms permeate society.
A discussion-based case study about explorer Ernest Shackleton’s dramatic voyage to the Antarctic, and a great example of effective teamwork and leadership in crisis.
A discussion-based case study that helps students reflect on the benefits as well as challenges of having different types of clients; how to determine the appropriate mix of clients in a professional service firm; and the change management challenge of achieving the desired mix.
A role play case on negotiations that helps students understand the advantages and disadvantages of using email for negotiation; evaluate the challenges of setting up and conducting an auction; and identify the impact of process decisions on relationships.