GEB 1011 Duke University Economics Case Study
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Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer Is under Pressure to Make Big
Changes
Marissa Mayer, former Vice President of Google Product Search, left the company in 2012 to
become the CEO of Yahoo! At that time, the stock sold for $15.74. It sold for $29.77 in January
2016, reaching a high of $52.28 in 2014. Interestingly, investors are not happy with this rate of
growth. Some feel that the companys strategies are lacking and that new leadership is needed.
Hedge fund investor Starboard Value LP demanded that the board fire Mayer.
Mayer was hired to help turnaround the companys floundering business model. She
immediately put in place strategies to grow via acquisitions. For example, Yahoo! paid $1.1
billion for Tumblr, a micro blogging platform and social networking website. This acquisition
did not produce the expected growth in revenue. A letter from Canyon Capital Advisors to
Yahoo!s board of directors stated that Yahoo! has spent more than $3 billion on acquisitions,
which, based on the companys stock price, have been getting absolutely no (or negative) value
from Wall Street.
One of the poor decisions that has plagued Yahoo!s financial performance was its reluctance to
transition its offerings to mobile devices. Another involved the companys investment in
Livetext. This app allows users to chat with friends by sharing video and text, but no sound. One
writer described it this way: You could awkwardly watch, but not talk, as you texted your loved
ones and friends.
Several Yahoo! investors are calling for big changes because Yahoo!s 15 percent stake in
Chinese Web giant Alibaba, valued at $25.7 billion
, plus its $8 billion stake in Yahoo! Japan
and $5.9 billion in cash, well exceeds Yahoo!s market cap of $27.5 billion. That implies a
negative value for Yahoo!s core Internet businesses. This has led Canyon Capital to
recommend that Yahoo! prioritize a sale of its core business, a portion of its assets, or the entire
company.Yahoo!s leadership team is against these suggestions.
Yahoo!s problems have led to layoffs and employee dissatisfaction and turnover. The company
has responded by providing a broad set of perks, including iPhones, parties, and free lunches.
The firm has a budget of $108,000,000 a year for free food.
Employees faith in Ms. Mayer began crumbling in earnest in August 2014, when Yahoo!
embarked on a series of stealth layoffs, current and former insiders said. For months, managers
called in a handful of employees each week and fired them. No one knew who would be next,
and the constant fear paralyzed the company, according to people who watched the process.
It is estimated that 33 percent of the work force left the company in 2015. Worried about the
brain drain, Ms. Mayer has been approving hefty retention packagesin some cases, millions of
dollarsto persuade people to reject job offers from other companies. But those bonuses have
1
had the side effects of creating resentment among other Yahoo! employees who have stayed
loyal and not sought jobs elsewhere.
Sadly, employee morale does not appear to be improving. Surveys conducted by Glassdoor
revealed that only 34 percent of Yahoo!s current employees foresee the companys fortunes
improving. That compares to 61 percent at tanking, scandal-struck Twitter and 77 percent at
Google.
According to one business writer, Mayers protracted deliberations over a corporate
reorganization last year [2015] that led to the departure of several key lieutenants and broke up
the much-ballyhooed mobile team, prompting many mobile engineers to seek other jobs also
contributed to employees dissatisfaction.
Another potential problem involves Mayers compensation package. Executive pay at Yahoo! is
essentially based on Alibabas stock price, which is outside of her control. Of Mayers $365
million pay over five years, only 3.3 percent will actually be affected by her performances. This
practice is against the common managerial practice of paying people for their performance.
So where does this leave Mayer and Yahoo! as a whole? Some employees, like Jeff Bonforte,
Yahoo!s senior vice president for communications products, love Mayer and the company.
Mayer is the best boss he ever had, according to Bonforte. Broadly speaking, however, there are
continued threats of more layoffs and calls to sell off parts of the company.
Yahoo! announced in February 2016 that it would lay off about 15% of its workforce. The Wall
Street Journal further reported that Yahoos next step may be to initiate a formal sale process,
which entails setting up a virtual data room detailing the companys business metrics, and
proactively reaching out to the most likely potential buyers. Or the board could choose to wait
until a suitor approaches them with an offer, at which point it would weight that against any
counteroffers.
A sale process would also likely mark the end of Chief Executive Marissa
Mayers attempt to turn around Yahoo.
To make matters worse, investor SpringOwl Asset Management called for firing as many as
9,000 of Yahoo!s workers, who numbered 11,000 in June 2015.
Although key investors are waiting to hear the details of Mayers turnaround plan, some are very
unhappy with the companys strategic direction. They are demanding changes. Jeffrey Smith
from Starboard Value L/P, for example, concluded that dramatically different thinking is
required, and that changes are needed across all aspects of the business starting at the board
level, and including executive leadership.
Questions to answer and include in your case analysis
1. What are the key problems facing Yahoo!?
2. Which of the four principal management functions seem to be causing the problems faced
by Yahoo!? Explain your rationale.
2
3. Which of the seven managerial challenges discussed in this chapter is Yahoo! facing?
How is the company handling these challenges?
4. What is your evaluation of Mayers ability to effectively execute the three key
managerial rolesinterpersonal, informational, and decisional? Explain.
5. If you were a consultant to Yahoo!, what advice would you give to senior management
about handling the crisis being faced by the company? Discuss.
3
GEB 1011
Case Study Requirements
Each case is worth 5% of course grade.
The following are the minimum case study requirements:
Each case study MUST consist of at least four pages (no more than five).
Cover page (one page) – A 10 point penalty will be deducted from the case study grade if any of the
following information is not included:
Your name (Please dont make me guess your identity)
Date
Name of course
The case study name
For your case study paper, include the following components in your finalized submittal in the
following order and use them as Section Headings (USING BOLD TYPE) for formatting your
submittal. (Use the italicized terms below as your section headings). Then write your paper in complete
sentences in third person voice using a narrative writing style.
NOTE: This is a written business case study. Therefore, proper spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, etc. are REQUIRED. This is not a series of text or Twitter messages!
Content Pages (2-3 pages: a minimum of 750 words but no more than 1000 words of
content).
1. Provide an Executive Summary of the case by summarizing your report- not the case itself. Must be
clear and concise and be at least one paragraph. NOTE: This will be the last section written when
preparing your case study. (11 points)
2. Identify the Statement of Immediate (obvious) Problem (s) (your companys issues) including the root
cause of the immediate problem, and the secondary problem(s) that may not be solved when immediate
problem is solved. (11 points)
3. Describe your companys Situation (SWOT) Analysis by explaining at least three items for each
element (23 points)
a) Strengths
b) Weaknesses
c) Opportunities
d) Threats
4. Described how two Macro factors (i.e. GDP, employment) & two Micro factors
(I.e. supply/demand, production capability affect this case. (22 points)
1
5. Provide an Action Plan for this case including how to prevent a future similar occurrence. Must include
what should be done by whom, why it should be done and how it should be done. Should include a
contingency plan should problems arise. (23 points)
Endnotes (one separate page): Minimum of three (3= grade of C) but no more than 5 quality endnotes. (5
points as part of the Grammar grade) Note: This is your original analysis and solution. Therefore, a
maximum of 20% of your case study submittal can be direct quotes or paraphrasing anothers work. A one
point penalty for each percentage point above the 20% maximum will be assessed.
In the Content Section, place an Arabic numeral by the information to be cited. Repeat the number on the Endnotes
Page. Identify from which entry in your bibliography you obtained the data. Include the page number(s) of the
reference.
What to endnote: Information not commonly known such as facts, dates, quotes etc.
Please use only Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) One point penalty per entry for using Roman numerals.
Internet: Supply URL address including all appropriate extensions.
When in doubtEND NOTE! Place end notes on a separate page.
Do not insert endnotes in the body of your content. Only the endnote number.
For end notes examples, please see the A graded papers attached in Blackboard.
Five point penalty if correct endnotes format is not followed.
Five point penalty will be assessed for Endnotes page not submitted on a separate page.
GRAMMAR REQUIREMENTS (10 points) (One (1) point penalty for each
violation of these basic directions.)
Document MUST be left justified in a portrait format.
Black (no other color!) 12 point Times New Roman or Arial typeface only. (Five (5) point penalty for
each page submitted with any color other than black).
No background color on any page is acceptable. A five (5) point penalty will assessed for each page that
contains a background color.
Write in third person voice (he, she, it, the company, etc.) only. Do not use first person (I, we,
and us) or second person (you, them) voice.
Your content MUST be broken into paragraphs. The first line of all paragraphs should be indented.
Whole blocks of type are not acceptable. A 5 point penalty per page submitted with no paragraphs.
Numbers 10 or larger, type the number. Less than 10, type the word (one, two, etc.)
Financial figures are to be written as $50 (not fifty dollars); $1,500 (not one thousand, five hundred dollars);
$1M (not one million dollars); $3.2B (not three billion, two hundred million dollars).
Never end your sentence with a preposition like to, from, by, with, between, before, after or during. (E.g.
The company could not have anticipated where the threat came from.)
Always use italics for the name of a source (magazine, book or newspaper title) e.g. Wall St. Journal.
2
NEVER use the words sticking (instead use placing or inserting the product into the market);
everyone (no product appeals to/or is used by everyone-ever!), stocks (it is stock) or came up with
(use developed).
Always capitalize the first letter of proper names.
When you attach your project to the online drop box, use SINGLE MS Word file or PDF attachment IN
THE ORDER YOU WANT IT PRINTED AND READ. No multiple MS Word or PDF file attachments
will be accepted. (10 point penalty per attachment for multiple documents submission).
Always include page numbers on the bottom right corner of each page.
Text MUST be double spaced. A 5 point penalty per page not double spaced.
It is REQUIRED that you follow the style provided in the following wiki:
http://valenciacommunicationscenter.wikispaces.com/
Business Student Writers Manual is available upon request.
HOW YOUR PAPER WILL BE GRADED:
It is YOUR responsibility to follow ALL the Case Study Requirements. If you choose not
to follow the specific requirements and choose to write about another assignment, you
have failed this case study.
All Case Studies MUST be submitted in the designated course Blackboard Dropbox.
It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that your document is MS Word compatible or PDF.
RTF and WP files are NOT compatible.
If I cannot open your attached file, your document is late.
Any paper submitted after the deadline will be penalized one full grade (15 points) per day submitted
past the published deadline clearly stated in the course syllabus.
No case study will be accepted five days or more past the published deadline. Case studies
submitted past this point earn a 0 for that case study grade.
See page 4 (below) for specific details
3
Criteria
1. Described your
companys issues and
problems to be solved.
Did Not Meet
Requirements
Partially Met
Requirements
Meets Minimum
Requirements
69% and below
70-79% C
80-89% B
Proficient
90-100% A
Did not submit or
minimally described
your companys issues
and problems to be
solved.
Partially described
your companys
issues and problems
to be solved.
Briefly described
your companys
issues and problems
to be solved.
Satisfactorily
1. 2. Described your
companys Situation
(SWOT) Analysis by
explaining at least three
items for each element.
23 points
Did not submit or
minimally described
your companys
Situation (SWOT)
Analysis by explaining
at least three items for
each element.
Partially described
your companys
Situation (SWOT)
Analysis by
explaining at least
three items for each
element.
Briefly described
your companys
Situation (SWOT)
Analysis by
explaining at least
three items for each
element.
Satisfactorily
described your
companys Situation
(SWOT) Analysis
by explaining at
least three items for
each element.
2. 3. Described how two
macro factors (i.e. GDP,
employment) & two
Micro factors (i.e.
supply/demand,
production capability)
3. affect this case.
22 points
Did not submit or
minimally described
how two macro factors
(i.e. GDP,
employment) & two
Micro factors (i.e.
supply/demand,
production capability)
Partially described
how two macro
factors (i.e. GDP,
employment) & two
Micro factors (i.e.
supply/demand,
production
capability)
Briefly described
how two macro
factors (i.e. GDP,
employment) & two
Micro factors (i.e.
supply/demand,
production
capability)
Satisfactorily
described how two
macro factors (i.e.
GDP, employment)
& two Micro factors
(i.e. supply/demand,
production
capability)
affect this case.
affect this case.
affect this case.
affect this case.
Did not submit or
minimally provided an
action plan for this
case including how to
prevent a future
similar occurrence.
Partially provided an
action plan for this
case including how to
prevent a future
similar occurrence.
Briefly provided an
action plan for this
case including how to
prevent a future
similar occurrence.
Satisfactorily
provided an action
plan for this case
including how to
prevent a future
similar occurrence.
22 points
4. Provided an action
plan for this case
including how to prevent
a future similar
occurrence.
described your
companys issues
and problems to be
solved.
23 points
4
5. Clarity, writing (third
person voice), mechanics,
and formatting
requirements.
More than 10 errors
present = 0 points!!
8-9 errors
4-7 errors
0-3 errors
10 points
5
GEB 1011
Case Study Requirements
Each case is worth 5% of course grade.
The following are the minimum case study requirements:
Each case study MUST consist of at least four pages (no more than five).
Cover page (one page) – A 10 point penalty will be deducted from the case study grade if any of the
following information is not included:
Your name (Please dont make me guess your identity)
Date
Name of course
The case study name
For your case study paper, include the following components in your finalized submittal in the
following order and use them as Section Headings (USING BOLD TYPE) for formatting your
submittal. (Use the italicized terms below as your section headings). Then write your paper in complete
sentences in third person voice using a narrative writing style.
NOTE: This is a written business case study. Therefore, proper spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, etc. are REQUIRED. This is not a series of text or Twitter messages!
Content Pages (2-3 pages: a minimum of 750 words but no more than 1000 words of
content).
1. Provide an Executive Summary of the case by summarizing your report- not the case itself. Must be
clear and concise and be at least one paragraph. NOTE: This will be the last section written when
preparing your case study. (11 points)
2. Identify the Statement of Immediate (obvious) Problem (s) (your companys issues) including the root
cause of the immediate problem, and the secondary problem(s) that may not be solved when immediate
problem is solved. (11 points)
3. Describe your companys Situation (SWOT) Analysis by explaining at least three items for each
element (23 points)
a) Strengths
b) Weaknesses
c) Opportunities
d) Threats
4. Described how two Macro factors (i.e. GDP, employment) & two Micro factors
(I.e. supply/demand, production capability affect this case. (22 points)
1
5. Provide an Action Plan for this case including how to prevent a future similar occurrence. Must include
what should be done by whom, why it should be done and how it should be done. Should include a
contingency plan should problems arise. (23 points)
Endnotes (one separate page): Minimum of three (3= grade of C) but no more than 5 quality endnotes. (5
points as part of the Grammar grade) Note: This is your original analysis and solution. Therefore, a
maximum of 20% of your case study submittal can be direct quotes or paraphrasing anothers work. A one
point penalty for each percentage point above the 20% maximum will be assessed.
In the Content Section, place an Arabic numeral by the information to be cited. Repeat the number on the Endnotes
Page. Identify from which entry in your bibliography you obtained the data. Include the page number(s) of the
reference.
What to endnote: Information not commonly known such as facts, dates, quotes etc.
Please use only Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) One point penalty per entry for using Roman numerals.
Internet: Supply URL address including all appropriate extensions.
When in doubtEND NOTE! Place end notes on a separate page.
Do not insert endnotes in the body of your content. Only the endnote number.
For end notes examples, please see the A graded papers attached in Blackboard.
Five point penalty if correct endnotes format is not followed.
Five point penalty will be assessed for Endnotes page not submitted on a separate page.
GRAMMAR REQUIREMENTS (10 points) (One (1) point penalty for each
violation of these basic directions.)
Document MUST be left justified in a portrait format.
Black (no other color!) 12 point Times New Roman or Arial typeface only. (Five (5) point penalty for
each page submitted with any color other than black).
No background color on any page is acceptable. A five (5) point penalty will assessed for each page that
contains a background color.
Write in third person voice (he, she, it, the company, etc.) only. Do not use first person (I, we,
and us) or second person (you, them) voice.
Your content MUST be broken into paragraphs. The first line of all paragraphs should be indented.
Whole blocks of type are not acceptable. A 5 point penalty per page submitted with no paragraphs.
Numbers 10 or larger, type the number. Less than 10, type the word (one, two, etc.)
Financial figures are to be written as $50 (not fifty dollars); $1,500 (not one thousand, five hundred dollars);
$1M (not one million dollars); $3.2B (not three billion, two hundred million dollars).
Never end your sentence with a preposition like to, from, by, with, between, before, after or during. (E.g.
The company could not have anticipated where the threat came from.)
Always use italics for the name of a source (magazine, book or newspaper title) e.g. Wall St. Journal.
2
NEVER use the words sticking (instead use placing or inserting the product into the market);
everyone (no product appeals to/or is used by everyone-ever!), stocks (it is stock) or came up with
(use developed).
Always capitalize the first letter of proper names.
When you attach your project to the online drop box, use SINGLE MS Word file or PDF attachment IN
THE ORDER YOU WANT IT PRINTED AND READ. No multiple MS Word or PDF file attachments
will be accepted. (10 point penalty per attachment for multiple documents submission).
Always include page numbers on the bottom right corner of each page.
Text MUST be double spaced. A 5 point penalty per page not double spaced.
It is REQUIRED that you follow the style provided in the following wiki:
http://valenciacommunicationscenter.wikispaces.com/
Business Student Writers Manual is available upon request.
HOW YOUR PAPER WILL BE GRADED:
It is YOUR responsibility to follow ALL the Case Study Requirements. If you choose not
to follow the specific requirements and choose to write about another assignment, you
have failed this case study.
All Case Studies MUST be submitted in the designated course Blackboard Dropbox.
It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that your document is MS Word compatible or PDF.
RTF and WP files are NOT compatible.
If I cannot open your attached file, your document is late.
Any paper submitted after the deadline will be penalized one full grade (15 points) per day submitted
past the published deadline clearly stated in the course syllabus.
No case study will be accepted five days or more past the published deadline. Case studies
submitted past this point earn a 0 for that case study grade.
See page 4 (below) for specific details
3
Criteria
1. Described your
companys issues and
problems to be solved.
Did Not Meet
Requirements
Partially Met
Requirements
Meets Minimum
Requirements
69% and below
70-79% C
80-89% B
Proficient
90-100% A
Did not submit or
minimally described
your companys issues
and problems to be
solved.
Partially described
your companys
issues and problems
to be solved.
Briefly described
your companys
issues and problems
to be solved.
Satisfactorily
1. 2. Described your
companys Situation
(SWOT) Analysis by
explaining at least three
items for each element.
23 points
Did not submit or
minimally described
your companys
Situation (SWOT)
Analysis by explaining
at least three items for
each element.
Partially described
your companys
Situation (SWOT)
Analysis by
explaining at least
three items for each
element.
Briefly described
your companys
Situation (SWOT)
Analysis by
explaining at least
three items for each
element.
Satisfactorily
described your
companys Situation
(SWOT) Analysis
by explaining at
least three items for
each element.
2. 3. Described how two
macro factors (i.e. GDP,
employment) & two
Micro factors (i.e.
supply/demand,
production capability)
3. affect this case.
22 points
Did not submit or
minimally described
how two macro factors
(i.e. GDP,
employment) & two
Micro factors (i.e.
supply/demand,
production capability)
Partially described
how two macro
factors (i.e. GDP,
employment) & two
Micro factors (i.e.
supply/demand,
production
capability)
Briefly described
how two macro
factors (i.e. GDP,
employment) & two
Micro factors (i.e.
supply/demand,
production
capability)
Satisfactorily
described how two
macro factors (i.e.
GDP, employment)
& two Micro factors
(i.e. supply/demand,
production
capability)
affect this case.
affect this case.
affect this case.
affect this case.
Did not submit or
minimally provided an
action plan for this
case including how to
prevent a future
similar occurrence.
Partially provided an
action plan for this
case including how to
prevent a future
similar occurrence.
Briefly provided an
action plan for this
case including how to
prevent a future
similar occurrence.
Satisfactorily
provided an action
plan for this case
including how to
prevent a future
similar occurrence.
22 points
4. Provided an action
plan for this case
including how to prevent
a future similar
occurrence.
described your
companys issues
and problems to be
solved.
23 points
4
5. Clarity, writing (third
person voice), mechanics,
and formatting
requirements.
More than 10 errors
present = 0 points!!
8-9 errors
4-7 errors
0-3 errors
10 points
5
3 Credit Experience Journal Template
Student Name:
Student IRN:
Instructions:
Please select a Journal topic from the website to which you have relevant knowledge and experience gained to
sufficiently respond to each component of Kolb’s model for each subtopic.
1.
2.
3.
Each section of Kolb’s model should be a minimum of 150 words.
Students are required to include a biography of at least 500 words describing themselves and their personal
and professional experience.
Once the Journal and biography is completed please log into your student website and submit your Journal to
PLA
Autobiography (500 words minimum) Type in field below
2020| PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
When completing your Life Experience Journal in the sections below, use the following descriptions of each of the four
elements of Kolbs model as a guide for what should be included in your responses. These should be written in the first
person, so these elements will translate the learning youve gained from your experiences into knowledge.
Kolb’s Model
The University uses Kolb’s model to from experiences into knowledge. Below is a brief description of each of the four
elements of Kolb’s Model. Please make sure you respond to each section for each of the subtopics:
Description of Concrete Experience: Concrete experience represents your personal participation with the people,
places, activities, and events of an experience. You should describe your involvement relative to the experience,
demonstrating the opportunity for learning.
Reflections: Reflections represent a student’s thinking and processing relative to the experience
Generalizations, Principles and Theories: Generalizations, Principles, and Theories are constructs that organize and
guide academic learning. A typical college course is built around several such generalizations, principles, and/or
theories
Testing and Application: Testing and Application represent situations in which the new learning can be used.
2020| PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
EXPERIENCE JOURNAL TOPIC: (Indicate Journal Topic Here)
SUBTOPIC 1:
Description of Concrete Experience (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Reflections (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Generalizations, Principles and Theories (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Testing and Application (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
2020| PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
SUBTOPIC 2:
Description of Concrete Experience (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Reflections (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Generalizations, Principles and Theories (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Testing and Application (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
2020| PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
SUBTOPIC 3:
Description of Concrete Experience (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Reflections (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Generalizations, Principles and Theories (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Testing and Application (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
2020| PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
SUBTOPIC 4:
Description of Concrete Experience (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Reflections (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Generalizations, Principles and Theories (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Testing and Application (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
2020| PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
SUBTOPIC 5:
Description of Concrete Experience (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Reflections (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Generalizations, Principles and Theories (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Testing and Application (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
2020| PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
SUBTOPIC 6:
Description of Concrete Experience (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Reflections (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Generalizations, Principles and Theories (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
Testing and Application (approx. 150 words): Type in field below
2020| PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
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