Chi-Square Contingency Table Analysis
QA-0694 | Published September 24, 2006 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note describes the chi-square statistic as applied to independence tests using contingency table data. The independence test checks to see if two (or more) categorical variables are ind... Read More
Performance Management Systems: How Companies are Rethinking People Development
OB-1219 | Published June 29, 2018 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Business has become increasingly globalized, interconnected, and disrupted by the unceasing progress of technology. As markets span ever-larger geographical areas, the war for talent among companies c... Read More
Clear, Complete, and Concise: Avoiding the Seven Deadly Sins of Analytic Writing
BC-0221 | Published April 24, 2009 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Effective, persuasive analytical writing is a critical management skill. This note trains students to write to the needs and expectations of their readers with objectivity and efficiency, whether they... Read More
Understanding Basic Financial Statements
C-2335 | Published October 02, 2012 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes balance sheets, income statements, and statements of owners' equity and serves as an introduction to basic financial statements.... Read More
A Note on Performance Measurement
C-2399 | Published December 08, 2017 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Performance measurement is at the heart of management. How a manager's performance is measured strongly influences that manager's decisions and how that manager spends his or her time. If you tell the... Read More
A Note on Moral Imagination
E-0114 | Published January 22, 1997 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Moral theories provide us with reasonable criteria for making moral judgments and evaluating decisions and actions. There is, however, one difficulty with approaching moral reasoning strictly from a "... Read More
Conflict Management in Teams
OB-1072 | Published March 04, 2015 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Successful teams have three things in common: (1) they meet their performance goals, (2) their members feel satisfied that they are learning/benefiting from being a part of the team, and (3) the proce... Read More
Moral Theory, Frameworks, and the Language of Ethics and Business
E-0405 | Published January 05, 2016 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Since ethics is an integral part of management, it is vital for managers to become comfortable with the language of ethics, and to understand how it is inextricable from the language of business. Stud... Read More
The Weighted-Average Cost of Capital
F-1185 | Published June 17, 1997 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides a conceptual introduction to the weighted-average cost of capital (WACC). It discusses and provides examples of calculating the WACC and its components. It is useful as a parallel r... Read More
Valuing the Early-Stage Company
F-1471 | Published June 08, 2005 | 15 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note covers several frequently used methods to value early-stage companies and discusses some of the issues and difficulties encountered more generally in valuing privately held assets. The basic... Read More
Early-Stage Term Sheets
F-1730 | Published May 08, 2015 | 13 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note was written as an updated version of "The Early-Stage Term Sheet" (UVA-F-1444) and may be used in its place. In seeking funding for an early-stage company, the entrepreneur and investor wil... Read More
A Primer on Risk-Free Bonds
F-1861 | Published February 01, 2019 | 14 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note explores the first principles of pricing financial contracts. Debt contracts go by many names, but the term bond is used in this note to denote any market-traded debt contract. The note is ... Read More
To Understand Consumer Behavior, Think Like a Marketplace Scientist
M-0950 | Published July 28, 2017 | 16 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note outlines the process of proper experimentation in the world of business. This reading begins by describing why organizational experimentation is important and then defines a true e... Read More
Giving Voice to Values Workshop: Introduction for Instructors
OB-1258 | Published August 15, 2012 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is part of the Giving Voice to Values (GVV) curriculum. To see other material in the GVV curriculum, please visit http://store.darden.virginia.edu/giving-voice-to-values. This no... Read More
The Cost of Capital: Principles and Practice
F-1710 | Published February 07, 2014 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides a student primer of firm cost of capital from a conceptual and application perspective. The note provides student intuition on the traditional theory of cost of debt, cost... Read More
Financial Analytics Toolkit: Financial Statement Forecasting
F-1928 | Published December 04, 2019 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Managers need to be comfortable with financial statement forecasting. Forecasts allow managers to plan properly by weighing consequences and preparing for outcomes. A less-recognized but equally impor... Read More
Equity Compensation and the US Tax Consequences
C-2385 | Published August 17, 2018 | 13 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note explores the many different forms of equity compensation. Equity compensation, defined as compensation that provides for the delivery of equity securities, aligns employees’ incent... Read More
Financial Analytics Toolkit: Weighted Average Cost of Capital
F-1850 | Published July 16, 2019 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Central to a firm’s long-term success, is allocating capital so that it generates economic value. The two most common decision rules based on economic value are to (i) accept proposals that have a pos... Read More
An Overview of Financial Statement Analysis: The Mechanics
C-2255 | Published August 23, 2007 | 26 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
On September 20, 2000, Jonathan Weill, a Wall Street Journal reporter in Dallas, Texas, published a piece questioning the profitability and accounting of Enron Corporation. He based his article on a s... Read More
Note to the Student: How to Study and Discuss Cases
G-0561 | Published June 21, 2001 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note, written for students, gives a first "how to do it" introduction to studying by the case method. The note argues that success follows from a combination of good attitude, good "inf... Read More
Financial Analytics Toolkit: Ratio Analysis
F-1897 | Published September 30, 2019 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes the most common financial ratios and how they provide insight into firm performance. The emphasis is on how ratios summarize operating behaviors and results in ways that facilitate... Read More
Management of Financial Policy Decisions: Capital Structure Policy
F-1743 | Published December 04, 2015 | 17 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides an overview of capital structure policy. Through a series of hypothetical situations and real-world examples, students will gain an understanding of the benefits and costs... Read More
An Introduction to Project Finance: The Partitioning of Cash Flow
F-2106 | Published May 27, 2025 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
A standard approach to business valuation is to value the total cash flows that the business is expected to provide to all investors, but when the implications of financing decisions take center stage... Read More
Financial Analytics Toolkit: Cash Flow Projections
F-1896 | Published September 24, 2019 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note reviews the basics of projecting cash flows for a typical operating decision. To find the economic consequences of any decision, one needs to project the cash flow effects of that decision a... Read More
The Genius Behind Netflix’s Ascension to the Top: Personalization-Driven Arbitrage
S-0456 | Published September 25, 2024 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note deconstructs the amazing decisions made by the streaming company Netflix that allowed it to become one of the only profitable streaming services in 2024. It has succeeded by acquir... Read More
Data Centers: History and Economics
OM-1791 | Published June 21, 2024 | 18 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Many executives are under pressure to develop successful data center strategies that work for their organization, according to industry-specific criteria. While data centers have been in use for decad... Read More
Fundamentals Of Capital Budgeting
F-0917 | Published March 29, 1989 | 27 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides an introduction to evaluation of corporate investment projects. Decision criteria such as net present value, internal rate of return, and paybacks are discussed. Specific examples a... Read More
Methods of Valuation for Mergers and Acquisitions
F-1274 | Published March 03, 2000 | 18 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note addresses the methods used to value companies in an M&A (mergers and acquisitions) setting. It provides a detailed description of the discounted-cash-flow (DCF) approach and reviews other me... Read More
Brand Positioning Statements
M-0827 | Published January 20, 2012 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The process of branding a product involves building awareness of and preference for the specific name of the product that is being branded. Central to the branding process is the brand positioning sta... Read More
A Glossary of Lean Terms
OM-1334 | Published February 11, 2007 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
"Lean" has been defined as the "relentless pursuit of the elimination of waste." This technical note provides a glossary of terms concerning Lean implementation, including muda, muri, nura, kanban, an... Read More
Using AI to Expand Your Leadership Communication Toolkit
BC-0315 | Published January 09, 2025 | 4 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is a simple guide for using generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI or AI) to enhance your leadership voice. The note introduces use of AI to improve communication skills, enabl... Read More
The Power of One
S-0204 | Published March 23, 2012 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Each of us possesses an inner force that enables us to be optimally effective in all aspects of life. The power of one is much more than an abstraction that animates our actions. It has practical appl... Read More
How to Better Frame Problems
G-0630 | Published July 13, 2012 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Before managers can solve problems or take advantage of opportunities that may arise in their businesses, they must frame those problems or opportunities. Typically, leaders identify and frame problem... Read More
The United States of America: An Annual Report Compilation, 2022
C-2461 | Published June 21, 2023 | 50 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides a compiled 2022 annual report for the United States of America, consolidated for the public and private sectors. It includes financial statements, accompanying notes, disc... Read More
The Profitability Index
F-1945 | Published March 26, 2020 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The well-known net present value (NPV) rule advocates accepting all investment projects that have a positive NPV. The NPV rule makes economic sense since positive-NPV projects are expected to create e... Read More
The Dime that Started a Movement: The History and Development of Credit Unions
ENT-0103 | Published December 11, 2008 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides students a rich background on the history, evolution, and current challenges in the credit union industry, with a particular focus on community-development credit unions. The case m... Read More
Understanding Organizational Culture: An Iceberg and a Toolkit
OB-1485 | Published March 12, 2025 | 12 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note explores the concept of culture within an organizational context—what it is, how it functions, how it shows up, how it differs, and more importantly, how one effectively influences... Read More
Decision Making for Couples
PACS-0099 | Published March 08, 2004 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Few of us make job selection decisions or career moves without considering and discussing issues with someone important in our lives. How do you and your partner make career decisions? Is it based on ... Read More
Buy Now, Pay Later: Disrupting Traditional Consumer Credit
F-2091 | Published September 25, 2024 | 17 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note discusses the history, competitors, risks and benefits, and economics of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)—a financial product that allows consumers to make purchases and defer payment ove... Read More
Coding for MBAs in the Age of AI
OM-1822 | Published November 19, 2024 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
In this note, students will learn how to think about the process of going from design to code like both a general manager and an engineer. Designed for use by students of business who are familiar wit... Read More
Giving and Receiving Feedback Evaluation
OB-0916 | Published November 15, 2007 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This chart can be used to help students reflect on and document their feedback conversations. In the course of giving or receiving feedback, we often become so embroiled in what we are saying or in wh... Read More
Digital Marketing Metrics: Measuring What Matters
M-1049 | Published September 10, 2024 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides an overview of common digital marketing metrics. It includes formulas for calculating the metrics and an explanation of what each metric represents. It also describes the ... Read More
The Psychology of Problem-Solving
OB-1442 | Published July 31, 2023 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note introduces the concept of applying subtractive thinking to problem-solving. The essential work of almost any employee in an organization is to solve problems and make something bet... Read More
What Is Strategic Management?
S-0166 | Published January 11, 2009 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
A brief introduction to the field of strategic management, including basic concepts and scope.... Read More
Developing a Strategy
S-0232 | Published November 06, 2013 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This document provides a step-by-step guide to the sequence of tasks involved in the strategy development process including the eight activities necessary for strategic planning.... Read More
Electronics Supply Chain Overview
OM-1716 | Published August 26, 2022 | 14 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Electronics are sophisticated products with an equally complicated supply chain. Within the consumer electronics industry, revenue is forecast at 1.82% annual growth, with user penetration climbing fr... Read More
Business Valuation in Mergers and Acquisitions
F-1699 | Published October 02, 2013 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note discusses valuation in the context of business mergers and acquisitions. It builds on standard methods of business valuation to consider the unique questions arising in a merger or acquisiti... Read More
Self-Focus versus Mission-Focus Mindset
OB-1449 | Published December 20, 2023 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note explores the "self-focus" and "mission-focus" mindsets based on two of the Arbinger Institute's books, The Outward Mindset and Leadership and Self-Deception. Future business leader... Read More
Business Valuation: Standard Approaches and Applications
F-1684 | Published January 22, 2013 | 14 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides an introduction to the standard approaches used to value businesses from the perspective of the investor (e.g., discounted cash flow, market multiples). Each approach is illustrated... Read More
Sales Force Management and Measurement
M-0721 | Published July 11, 2005 | 13 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes the metrics that are used to monitor sales-force efficiency and effectiveness. It addresses sales territories, sales potential, and territory changes, as well as forecasting and me... Read More
Active Listening
OB-0341 | Published April 03, 1986 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes reflective, or active, listening. A list of types of responses, from directive to nondirective, is given in an exhibit. The note itself summarizes major principles of reflective li... Read More
Venture Capital in Biotechnology
OM-1796 | Published December 05, 2023 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Pharmaceutical companies have historically relied on their ability to research, develop, manufacture, and sell drug products. Developing a successful drug is a complex and lengthy process, with no gua... Read More
Business Performance Evaluation: Approaches for Thoughtful Forecasting
F-1490 | Published December 08, 2005 | 17 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides an introduction to financial ratios and financial forecasting. It examines principles in the art and science of thoughtful financial forecasting. In particular, it reviews the impor... Read More
Harnessing Deliberate Creativity
M-1009 | Published August 02, 2021 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is designed to introduce students and practitioners to the body of work associated with creativity and its applications for professionals and the organizations they lead. Creativit... Read More
Introduction to Strategy
S-0183 | Published March 22, 2010 | 4 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Strategy is complex, requiring clarity about organizational objectives as well as the variety of external forces?competitive, economic, and technological?that come into play. Ultimately, strategy is a... Read More
Framing Your Business Issue for Others
OM-1413 | Published April 29, 2010 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Appropriate for individuals interested in framing a situation in order to facilitate conversations with colleagues and others not familiar with the situation. To engage others in these conversations, ... Read More
Note on Real Estate Leases and Leasing
G-0330 | Published April 01, 1988 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note explains various types of leases and common lease terminology.... Read More
Brand Purpose
M-1016 | Published August 20, 2021 | 14 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note will help provide insight on what a brand purpose is, why it matters, and how companies can vary in their design and application of brand purpose. Since the concept of brand purpos... Read More
Private Debt: An Introduction
F-2107 | Published May 27, 2025 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Since the global financial crisis (GFC), institutional investors have increasingly included private debt in their broader portfolios. Private debt refers to loans made to companies by nonbank lenders,... Read More
How Operations Impacts Financial Performance
OM-1779 | Published October 24, 2022 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note explains the building blocks of common financial performance metrics and show how operations affect those metrics. Return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) are two key measures of t... Read More
Discounted Cash Flow Analysis
F-1728 | Published January 16, 2015 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note outlines the principles and application of proper discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis in the context of evaluating business investment projects. The note provides several specific ... Read More
Moral Theory and Frameworks
E-0339 | Published January 12, 2003 | 13 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note outlines background theories of ethics that are relevant to managerial decision making and develops a framework that managers can use to enhance their ability to make good choices.... Read More
A Framework for Improving Organizational Interventions
G-0631 | Published July 20, 2012 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note analyzes and explores frameworks for improving interventions in organizations. Organizations are complex ecosystems of assumptions, artifacts, and interactions. By understanding ho... Read More
The United States of America: An Annual Report Compilation, 2023
C-2488 | Published August 02, 2024 | 50 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides a compiled 2023 annual report for the United States of America, consolidated for the public and private sectors. It includes financial statements, accompanying notes, disc... Read More
Ten Tools for Design Thinking
BP-0550 | Published December 17, 2010 | 27 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is part of a course module that focuses on teaching design-thinking skills and 10 tools to identify and implement innovation and growth opportunities. It can be taught to MBA, unde... Read More
Network Analysis: What Is It?
BC-0247 | Published January 22, 2013 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is used in Darden's first year "Business Communications" course. This technical note examines the organizational structure of the network and provides a brief introduction to netwo... Read More
Developing a Superior Brand Essence Statement
M-0892 | Published February 04, 2016 | 12 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Brands make promises to consumers, but where do these promises come from? How do brand teams decide what promise to make? This is where the brand essence statement (BES) comes in. It is a document, pi... Read More
Taxable Acquisitive Deal Structures for C Corporations
F-1875 | Published June 25, 2019 | 13 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note outlines the consequences to the acquirer, target, and the target’s shareholders from a basic taxable acquisition of C corporations. Specifically, asset acquisitions, stock acquisi... Read More
Basic Deal Structures
F-1862 | Published June 20, 2019 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical notes discusses three basic deal structures used to acquire another corporation. Asset acquisitions, stock acquisitions, and mergers under state law are the three common legal forms dis... Read More
Before the Hypothesis: Asking the Right Questions
S-0417 | Published November 02, 2023 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is designed to be used early in a graduate-level elective course on strategic analysis, though it can be used at multiple levels, including advanced undergraduate and Executive Edu... Read More
Advanced Tableau Tips and Tricks
QA-0972 | Published August 28, 2024 | 24 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note showcases some of the unique tips and tricks of the Tableau program that can help users further enhance the quality and impact of their presentations to target stakeholders. It ass... Read More
The Basics of Private Equity Funds
F-1731 | Published May 26, 2015 | 13 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Private equity (PE) refers to illiquid investments or securities that are not publicly traded on an exchange, such as venture capital, mezzanine or distressed debt, leveraged buyouts, timber, oil and ... Read More
Operations Management: An Introduction to Process Analysis
OM-1556 | Published August 31, 2016 | 18 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note introduces students to fundamental concepts in process analysis and is appropriate for both undergraduate and MBA students in an introductory operations management course. It can b... Read More
MBA Writing Diagnostic
BC-0216 | Published January 12, 2008 | 4 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note delineates proper writing mechanics (issues of style and organization) in a business-school context. Rather than touch up on the many forms of business writing, it focuses instead on how to ... Read More
A Brief Introduction to Managerial Accounting
C-2508 | Published March 20, 2025 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note process a brief overview of managerial accounting, placing it in the context of three sets of books: managerial books, financial books, and tax books. It includes these books’ different audi... Read More
A Note on Ethical Decision-Making
E-0242 | Published February 21, 2003 | 14 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides a framework for the discussion of ethical issues in business and defines some of the key vocabulary and theories used in defining ethical decisions and situations.... Read More
Developing a Superior Creative Brief
M-0891 | Published February 11, 2016 | 21 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is designed to introduce the Creative Brief, a document that plays a crucial role in the process of converting marketing strategy into implementation. Many creatives believe that b... Read More
Customer Experience Mapping
OM-1820 | Published October 10, 2024 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note is specifically focused on customer experience (CX) mapping for work in digital product management. In digital, there’s a major focus on the idea of "product-market fit" (p-m fit). The basic... Read More
Capital Structure And Firm Value
F-0942 | Published March 29, 1990 | 15 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note explores the interaction between the use of debt and firm value and provides a brief perspective on the use of debt. It also introduces the notions of financial and operating leverage. In ad... Read More
Conjoint Analysis
M-0686 | Published February 11, 2002 | 22 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note introduces students to the basic techniques of conjoint analysis.... Read More
The Locus of Control
OB-0786 | Published July 18, 2003 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Even though most of us fancy ourselves to be unique individuals, psychologists have spent years etching out patterns in our personality traits that suggest we share some very similar qualities?those w... Read More
Thinking Strategically About Communication
BC-0158 | Published October 23, 2001 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note offers a four-step framework for writing business letters, reports, and proposals. It advises the writer to consider purpose, audience, channel, and message structure when drafting manageria... Read More
Managing Inventories: The Newsvendor Model
OM-1456 | Published November 04, 2011 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note uses the traditional newsvendor model to present strategies for inventory management when demand is uncertain. Methods for determining the critical ratio of overage and underage costs and th... Read More
Breaking Down Barriers, Rebuilding Walls: The Role of Community Development Loan Funds
ENT-0108 | Published April 08, 2009 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Community Development Loan Funds (CDLFs) make up the largest sector of the community development finance industry, with more than 800 certified CDLFs. Ninety-eight percent of CDLFs are nonprofit, serv... Read More
Valuation of Late-Stage Companies and Buyouts
F-1639 | Published March 15, 2011 | 27 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note focuses on the valuation of late-stage companies with a particular emphasis on leveraged buyouts (LBOs). In addition to LBOs, late-stage investments can arise in situations involving growth ... Read More
The Canons of Rhetoric
BC-0264 | Published March 16, 2018 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is employed in MBA, executive education, and undergraduate courses that cover the art of persuasion. It is used in the core Management Communication course at Darden. Employing the... Read More
The Seven Questions of Marketing Strategy
M-0779 | Published July 08, 2009 | 4 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This simple model of marketing strategy can provide keys to creating a sustainable competitive advantage. Suitable for MBA and executive formats, this technical note demonstrates that individual marke... Read More
The High-Yield Debt Market
F-1702 | Published September 27, 2013 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
High-yield debt is an important provider of financing for a broad range of corporate purposes. This note discusses the basic features of high-yield debt, some of its advantages and disadvantages, and ... Read More
I Can, You Can, We All Can Kanban
OM-1257 | Published March 25, 2006 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This brief note describes the kanban system of inventory control. It discusses the rules for its use, techniques for calculating the number of cards, and the difference between push and pull systems.... Read More
Bank Capital Structure: A Primer
F-1555 | Published March 10, 2008 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note accompanies the case titled "SunTrust Acquisition of National Commerce" (UVA-F-1554) and describes the various capital ratios that are commonly used in the banking sector as well a... Read More
Writing to Reflect: Mindful Leadership in the Face of Change
BC-0217 | Published March 04, 2007 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
"Writing to Reflect" introduces the use of writing as an aid to creative and critical thinking in the context of leading change. The note explains how the process of reflective writing slows thinking... Read More
Design of Price and Advertising Elasticity Models
M-0805 | Published July 12, 2011 | 12 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The marketing mix that a manager may deploy can affect the sales of a product and can be categorized under the traditional four Ps of marketing (product, price, promotion, and placement). But the pere... Read More
Marketing Analytics Instructor Manual
M-1014 | Published | 173 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This instructor manual is designed for use with Marketing Analytics: Essential Tools for Data-Driven Decisions, by Rajkumar Venkatesan, Paul W. Farris, and Ronald T. Wilcox (2021), available at https:... Read More
Agile Development
OM-1711 | Published January 20, 2021 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is designed to introduce general management students to the body of work associated with agile and its current state of practice. While anchored in a simple 68-word manifesto, agil... Read More
Integrative Analysis of Competitive Dynamics and Multipoint Competition: The Case of "Cat Fight in the Pet Food Industry"
S-0337 | Published August 25, 2021 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note aims to guide discussion on three strategic moves that are designed for multipoint competition: thrust, feint, and gambit. It will examine how these moves might be applied for mult... Read More
Managing Inventories: The Periodic Review System
OM-0975 | Published March 20, 2001 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note addresses inventory planning and control activities using periodic review systems. The reorder point system is addressed in a separate technical note (UVA-OM-0936).... Read More
Internationalization Analysis
S-0398 | Published October 05, 2022 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
How do firms decide where to compete internationally? What challenges arise when competing across borders? What are different ways to enter a new foreign market? How should the firm compete in that ne... Read More
Looking for Muda
OM-1409 | Published March 03, 2010 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Using the terminology of Lean management practices, this note addresses muda, or waste, by defining its subtypes and providing a framework for their identification in production and service processes.... Read More
Brand Equity: An Overview
M-0879 | Published February 24, 2015 | 27 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note was written as an updated version of "Perspectives on Brand Equity" (UVA-M-0668), and may be used in its place. This note provides a resource to aid in understanding brand equity: its creat... Read More
Storytelling in Business
BC-0278 | Published May 20, 2021 | 4 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Storytelling is a crucial skill that leaders use in a variety of business situations. Accomplished leaders employ storytelling to improve interpersonal relationships, communicate strategy, and build c... Read More
The M&A "Pitch Book": Proposed Acquisition of Heller Financial by United Technologies Corporation
F-1338 | Published March 07, 2002 | 56 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note offers an example of a thoroughly complete "pitch book" for use as a basis of class discussion and learning. Actual pitch books are almost never made available for public use. This... Read More
Conceptual Models of How Advertising Works to Persuade Individuals
M-0681 | Published December 08, 2003 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides a brief overview of some important perspectives on how advertising messages persuade consumers. The note reviews the traditional hierarchy of effects, cognitive dissonance, lower in... Read More
Overview of Credit Ratings
F-1413 | Published August 04, 2004 | 12 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note is a brief summary of how credit-rating agencies do their job. It includes historical information on rates and capital spreads. The note serves as useful supplementary reading, for students ... Read More
Equity Considerations in Remote and Hybrid Work Environments
E-0498 | Published December 20, 2023 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, companies around the world built and refined models of working in both fully remote and hybrid environments. While many of these policies and pr... Read More
Business Process Mapping
OM-1423 | Published September 02, 2011 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Appropriate for courses in operations management and process improvement. This technical note explains how to utilize process maps as tools to show workflow steps, clarify process expectations and res... Read More
Digital Product Management with Hypothesis-Driven Development
OM-1740 | Published April 13, 2023 | 23 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note introduces readers to hypothesis-driven design (HDD) in digital product management. HDD operates from the foundation that ideas should be testable and teams should work to minimize... Read More
Digital Internal Communications: How Organizations Can Stay Connected Within
BC-0274 | Published November 03, 2020 | 14 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
External corporate communications and the rapidly changing ways in which companies engage with their customers received a lot of attention between 2010 and 2020. With social media, online chats, blogs... Read More
The Writing Process in Systems Thinking
OM-1106 | Published March 04, 2004 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides detailed guidance for analyzing a complex business problem using the systems thinking tools: reference behavior patterns, systems archetypes, causal-loop diagrams, and stock-flow ma... Read More
A (Very) Brief Note on Some Quality Tools
OM-1543 | Published January 06, 2016 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note offers a brief overview of two techniques used in continual improvement programs: fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams and Pareto charts.... Read More
Gender and Negotiation: Review of Research and Implications for Practitioners
BC-0289 | Published October 12, 2022 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note addresses when and how gender is relevant in a negotiation setting. It provides an up-to-date summary of existing research as well as advice for practitioners (particularly those i... Read More
Managing Inventories, Reorder Point Systems
OM-0936 | Published January 01, 2000 | 16 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note introduces students to the replenishment-inventory management framework, concepts, and tools.... Read More
A Technical Note on Generative Art
QA-0971 | Published March 19, 2024 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
In October 2018, Christie’s auction house sold an artwork called Portrait of Edmond Belamy produced by an artificial intelligence (AI) model built to generate new works after being trained on upward o... Read More
Demand Unconstraining Methods
QA-0934 | Published October 26, 2022 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note examines two common methods for estimating customer demand using historical data observations that are constrained by availability. First, this note explains how to leverage the av... Read More
Paid Search Advertising
M-0860 | Published November 25, 2013 | 12 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides a primer on paid search advertising, which is an important component of digital marketing. The mechanics of paid search is explained using the Google search engine platform. The not... Read More
Key Cost Management Principles Every Executive Must Know
C-2278 | Published January 28, 2008 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
In discussing the key cost management principles every executive must know, this technical note organizes the information under six principles. For example, the many meanings of the word "cost" are de... Read More
Three Empirical Methods for Calculating Customer Lifetime Value
M-1056 | Published August 01, 2024 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
A useful method in the marketer’s toolkit for determining the value of a representative customer from a certain segment is customer lifetime value (CLV). A CLV analysis essentially summarizes the prof... Read More
Working Capital: A Summary of Ratios by Industry, 2023
C-2471 | Published December 20, 2023 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note graphically presents various working capital ratios (days inventory outstanding, days sales outstanding, days payables outstanding, cash conversion cycle, and operating cycle) over... Read More
Leverage Ratios in Financial Analysis
C-2291 | Published December 01, 2014 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note introduces multiple concepts of leverage from an accounting context, specifically as they relate to balance sheets and income statements. Both operating- and financial-leverage ratios and th... Read More
What Kind of Business Case Studies Are We Writing?
PHA-0064 | Published April 13, 2012 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
What is the difference between a research paper and a business case study? Are all good business cases decision-focused? This note provides a brief description of field-based, research-based, and armc... Read More
The Constitutional Roots of Freedom of Speech
E-0460 | Published February 16, 2021 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note, written to accompany "The NBA, China, and Social Media: What Are the Rules of the Game?" (UVA-E-0459) but useful in tandem with other cases, charts the history of freedom of speech in the U... Read More
What Needs to Be True? A Simple Framework for Evaluation
S-0418 | Published December 19, 2023 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
For strategists, a good hypothesis is invaluable, both as a starting point and as a guide to help structure a good analysis. A hypothesis-driven approach is widely regarded as the gold standard in tac... Read More
Managing for Stakeholders and the Purpose of Business
E-0415 | Published September 13, 2017 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The benefits or harms achieved by a business is determined in part by the choices that business leaders make. One important driver of these choices is a leader’s view of the purpose of business. This ... Read More
What Is Operations Management?
OM-1586 | Published December 07, 2017 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note outlines some basic concepts in operations management. This includes defining exactly what operations management is all about, explaining the key components of operations managemen... Read More
Implementing Marketing Analytics
M-0869 | Published April 30, 2014 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note supports cases used in Darden's "Marketing Analytics" course elective. Marketing analytics powered by "big data" holds the promise to transform marketing strategy from a discipline based mos... Read More
Introduction to Corporate Governance
S-0356 | Published June 03, 2021 | 13 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides an introduction to corporate governance from a managerial perspective, covering key aspects of board responsibilities and board composition, the regulatory environment and legal dut... Read More
The Choice of Business Entity: Corporate, Pass-Through, and Disregarded Entities
C-2293 | Published September 16, 2010 | 30 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note focuses on common business entities: sole proprietorships, general partnerships (GPs), limited partnerships (LPs), limited liability partnerships (LLPs), limited liability companie... Read More
A Brief Note on the Theory of Constraints
OM-1105 | Published February 20, 2004 | 4 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This brief note offers an introduction to Eliyahu M. Goldratt's theory of constraints (TOC), and summarizes the principles outlined in a novel about manufacturing he wrote. TOC is applicable to manufa... Read More
Note on the Impact of Industry and Firm Factors on Firm Profitability: An Analysis of the Fortune 1000 from 1996-2004
S-0152 | Published November 25, 2008 | 17 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Building on previous research, this note examines the results of a study of firms on the Fortune 1000 list from 1996 to 2004. The note brings those studies up to date by introducing more recent indust... Read More
The Value of Net Operating Losses
C-2256 | Published August 29, 2007 | 13 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides an overview of the tax law governing the use of a target's net operating losses (NOLs) and other tax attributes by the acquirer. Every transaction requires the acquirer to... Read More
Robust Services: People or Processes?
OM-1607 | Published November 13, 2018 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Service systems are inherently subject to variability, whether through customers, service providers, suppliers, or unexpected events. Yet customers demand excellence and consistency regardless of this... Read More
The Customer-Focused Growth Project
M-0798 | Published January 20, 2012 | 19 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note guides students or Executive Education participants through an exercise to help identify growth opportunities for their business units. The Customer-Focused Growth Project consists of 10 ste... Read More
Tax-Deferred Acquisitive Reorganizations for C Corporations
F-1863 | Published June 20, 2019 | 15 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note outlines the general judicial requirements an acquisition must meet to qualify as a tax-deferred reorganization. The variation in the specific requirements that must be met to qual... Read More
Financial Forecasting
F-0899 | Published March 29, 1989 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note presents simple techniques for forecasting income statements and balance sheets. It focuses on a percentage-sale approach, but also introduces the use of financial ratios for the same purpos... Read More
Performance Measurement with Factor Models
F-1673 | Published August 14, 2012 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Identifying an appropriate benchmark is an essential step in assessing a manager's performance. In the prospectus or fund advertising materials, a benchmark for the fund is typically identified, and t... Read More
Social Media Marketing
M-0908 | Published August 01, 2016 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note describes the history and benefits of social media marketing and discusses the ways in which it differs from traditional marketing. Seven major social media platforms—Facebook, Ins... Read More
Managing Inventories: The Reorder Point System
OM-1394 | Published September 15, 2009 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Inventory replenishment concepts and tools are described.... Read More
Managing Inventories: Determining Order Quantity
OM-1395 | Published September 15, 2009 | 4 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Cycle-stock ordering decisions, including cost-element considerations, are examined. Students will see that as materials flow from suppliers through a firm's operations to customers, the cost-effectiv... Read More
Debt Financing, Firm Value, and the Cost of Capital
F-1166 | Published March 31, 1997 | 21 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note is suitable for an introductory MBA course in corporate finance. It explores how managers determine the proper amount of debt financing to use to fund a firm's operations. It examines the fu... Read More
Scenario Planning
BP-0501 | Published August 09, 2007 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note reviews the purposes, methods, and uses of scenario planning for strategic decision making under uncertainty.... Read More
Fundamentals of Discounted Cash Flow
F-0918 | Published March 29, 1990 | 41 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note introduces the time value of money and the general discounted-cash-flow approach to valuation. It covers present value, future value, and effective interest rates, and includes specific exam... Read More
Ownership, Control, and the Role of Equity in New Ventures
ENT-0226 | Published September 02, 2020 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note discusses how a high-potential start-up entrepreneur should use equity in building and growing a new venture. One of the most crucial things for entrepreneurs to understand is equi... Read More
The Art of the Effectual Ask
ENT-0225 | Published September 11, 2020 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Entrepreneurs strive to solve problems and create value through partnerships. Studying how they do that led to the hypothesis that "asking" played a critical role in the success of an entrepreneur. Th... Read More
Growth Is Much More Than Just A Strategy: It's A System
S-0197 | Published October 06, 2011 | 24 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note states that growth research demonstrates that growth is much more than a strategy and it happens when the right kind of leadership, internal environment and processes come together to create... Read More
Six Steps to Effective Leadership
OB-0617 | Published January 23, 1997 | 18 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note presents a six-step model of leadership effectiveness: (1) clarifying who you are (personal values and mission), (2) clarifying what you want (strategic vision), (3) clarifying what others c... Read More
Don't Be a Cat: Putting on Your Best Virtual Face
BC-0280 | Published June 21, 2022 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many people out of the office and into work-from-home setups. Use of video conferencing platforms, especially Zoom, skyrocketed during 2020 as meetings, presentations, and... Read More
Note on Acquiring a Specialty Retailer
G-0350 | Published March 08, 1989 | 25 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note is based on the experience and research of the author and traces these steps for an acquirer who wishes to buy and operate a specialty retailer chain with annual sales between $5 and $20 mil... Read More
Differences between Financial Accounting and Tax for Valuation in M&A
C-2421 | Published July 19, 2019 | 18 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note outlines the differences between financial accounting standards and tax law that affect the valuation of potential targets depending on the deal structure employed. Valuation mode... Read More
The Student in the Case Method Environment
G-0295 | Published April 01, 1987 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes some of the characteristics of the case method and what is expected of the student for a successful experience.... Read More
A Resource-Allocation Perspective for Marketing Analytics
M-0861 | Published January 21, 2014 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Managers must understand their marketing efforts as precisely as possible in order to determine how much to spend on each marketing channel. This technical note explores marketing analytics—the proces... Read More
Presenting in Teams
BC-0279 | Published May 25, 2021 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Most MBA internships conclude with a presentation where you detail the results of your major summer project. A lot is riding on your performance—namely, whether or not you receive a job offer. The suc... Read More
Instructional Note - Planning Labor Requirements In Service Operations
OM-0528 | Published April 10, 1984 | 40 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes the application of queuing theory to planning work-force requirements in service operations. A step-by-step method is outlined and applied to several examples using tables and char... Read More
Taxation in a Global Economy
C-2328 | Published April 11, 2011 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Students can examine how international taxation is a system of global tax rules that apply to transactions between two or more countries. They will see how, given differing tax consequences across cou... Read More
Facilitating Digital Development with Agile User Stories
OM-1739 | Published June 02, 2023 | 12 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Implicitly or explicitly, product-development teams in digital spaces will go through a process of gathering and employing data to help them create and iterate upon a user experience that invites high... Read More
How to Put More Strategy in Your "Taxes and Business Strategy" Course: A Case-Method Approach
C-2265 | Published August 02, 2007 | 32 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides the design for a case-method course called "Taxation and Management Decisions" taught in Darden's MBA program. The course is a general management course, and is designed s... Read More
Option Valuation and Dividend Payments
F-1523 | Published February 05, 2007 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note shows how dividend payments affect option values owing to the effects of dividend payments on share price and resulting investor behavior. In addition to discussing the underlying logic, the... Read More
Note on Waiting-Line Service Processes: Approximations, Calculations, and Analysis
OM-1063 | Published February 26, 2003 | 18 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Waiting lines, sometimes called queuing situations, are encountered widely in business operations. Improvements to the waiting-line process would result, in many cases, in better use of labor, equipme... Read More
Usability Testing for Data Visualizations
BC-0301 | Published February 07, 2024 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note explores the applications of usability testing to enhance the effectiveness of data visualizations in persuasive communication. It argues that beyond following best practices for v... Read More
A Conceptual Introduction to Customer Lifetime Value
M-1053 | Published July 24, 2024 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
An important metric that plays a pivotal role in marketing is customer lifetime value (CLV). Given the constraint of limited marketing budgets, a company can enhance the return on its marketing invest... Read More
Sustainable Competitive Advantage
M-1015 | Published January 12, 2022 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note discusses the sources of competitive advantage for firms, including scale economies, network economies, counter positioning, switching costs, branding, cornered resources, and process power.... Read More
An Introduction to Innovation in Consumer Packaged Goods
OM-1815 | Published September 24, 2024 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides an introductory overview of innovation processes in the consumer packaged goods industry. It explores organizational structures for innovation and details key tools and me... Read More
Hostile Takeovers: A Primer for the Decision Maker
F-1362 | Published January 31, 2001 | 18 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note introduces the student to the dynamics of the hostile takeover setting and characterizes the decision problem as a "game." In this context, it is necessary to understand other players and th... Read More
Managing Inventories: What is the Appropriate Order Quantity?
OM-1006 | Published December 13, 2001 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note examines a firm's decisions about its cycle of stock-ordering activities and the cost-element considerations behind those decisions. Students learn that, as materials flow from suppliers thr... Read More
The Power of One: The Strategy Diamond Framework
S-0237 | Published February 07, 2014 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The diamond framework can be used to develop strategies in multibusiness enterprises at all organizational levels and across markets or products. This note demonstrates how the framework yields insigh... Read More
Lean Methodology: Selecting and Executing a Personal 5S Application Project
OM-1374 | Published December 22, 2008 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note asks students to define and describe a practical application deploying the 5S process steps of Lean thinking methodology to help future business managers organize, create new habit... Read More
Coding User Interfaces with AI
OM-1823 | Published November 18, 2024 | 17 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
It’s a great time to be a creatively confident general manager, whether you're a product manager, a team lead, or in some similar role. AI has made it easier than ever to bring new ideas to life and r... Read More
Defining Leadership and Effectiveness
OB-1292 | Published June 13, 2019 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note helps explain what leadership really is, explores some of the factors that influence leader effectiveness, and introduces the basics of how people can begin to develop as leaders. ... Read More
Queueing Fundamentals
OM-1802 | Published February 19, 2024 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note examines queuing fundamentals and introduces a basic model, variability in systems (arrivals and service processes), and approaches to measure and reduce it. The material also includes pract... Read More
The TRAIL Model of Talent Management
OB-1451 | Published February 09, 2024 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
In the evolving landscape of human resources and organizational development, the TRAIL Talent Management Model emerges as a comprehensive framework aimed at maximizing employee engagement and retentio... Read More
Coding Data Models with AI
OM-1825 | Published December 04, 2024 | 46 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note focuses on building models that allow for the effective organization and retrieval of data. It discusses the major steps of designing, creating, and maintaining a model that optimizes user e... Read More
Coding Algorithms with AI
OM-1824 | Published November 20, 2024 | 15 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note focuses on creating controllers—algorithms, in coding speak. These essentially are the logic that tells the software what to do and how to respond to inputs from the user. This note assumes ... Read More
Doing Without the Middleman: A Primer on Funding for Entrepreneurs
ENT-0235 | Published January 07, 2025 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
It’s widely believed that entrepreneurs need formal funding to start a venture, but that’s not always the case. In fact, the majority of companies that go public don’t raise any venture capital at all... Read More
Fundamentals of Pricing
M-0566 | Published June 28, 2002 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note introduces students to the concepts of a pricing ceiling, a pricing floor, and suggests principles for narrowing the range of acceptable prices.... Read More
Organizational Structure
OB-0361 | Published April 03, 1988 | 19 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note introduces basic principles of organizational design and the advantages of several common organizational structures. The principles of design are fit, differentiation, integration, technolog... Read More
The Solution Shop and Storytelling Process
BC-0294 | Published December 21, 2022 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Who doesn’t feel some anxiety when faced with making a presentation to an audience of practitioners and executives? Presentations are often the most stressful part of a job in business or consulting. ... Read More
Business Process Mapping: The Darden School Mailroom
OM-1444 | Published July 12, 2011 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The Darden School mailroom and the activities of its manager are analyzed using process mapping and waste identification tools. The note illustrates how one can observe and analyze a process for which... Read More
Relevant Costs and Benefits in Decision-Making: An Introduction
C-2512 | Published April 08, 2025 | 4 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note presents an introduction to relevant costs and benefits—those costs and benefits that differ between two alternatives in decision-making. The note provides important terminology around this ... Read More
A Note on Process Analysis
OM-1096 | Published October 02, 2003 | 12 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides an introduction to process analysis, covering key concepts such as bottlenecks, capacity, capacity utilization, and throughput time. Concepts are illustrated in a context that is si... Read More
Terminal Values, Multiples, and Competitive Advantage
F-1202 | Published March 08, 1997 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides a pedagogical overview of management communication for MBA education.... Read More
The Black-Scholes Option-Pricing Model
F-1522 | Published February 05, 2007 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note discusses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and then applies the model to call options. The underlying logic of the model is emphasized and illustrated through the use of simple example... Read More
Automation of Marketing Models
M-0965 | Published November 06, 2018 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note gives students an overview of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in order to help them understand how these fields can contribute to the future of marketing. To... Read More
A Note on Market Definition, Segmentation, and Targeting: Three (of Four) Steps in Developing Marketing Strategy
M-0895 | Published January 14, 2016 | 13 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Marketing strategy, part of the marketing planning process, flows directly from a company's goals and helps define how the marketing organization will help the firm achieve its objectives. Marketing ... Read More
Introduction to Carbon Markets
F-2103 | Published March 03, 2025 | 14 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Carbon markets represent a vibrant development contributing to the economic transition necessary to achieve global climate goals. This technical note delves into the fundamentals of carbon markets, in... Read More
Accounting for Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold Expense
C-2474 | Published February 21, 2024 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides an overview of accounting for inventory and cost of goods sold expense. It discusses accounting for the purchase and sale of inventory, periodic and perpetual inventory sy... Read More
Diagnosing the Economics of Your Code
OM-1819 | Published October 17, 2024 | 18 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Managers regularly have to contribute to technical decisions where the specific subject matter is substantially beyond their understanding. This applies even to managers who have a technical backgroun... Read More
Assessing Private Equity Performance
F-1895 | Published July 30, 2019 | 18 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Assessing the performance of private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) investment vehicles is a challenging task. It starts with the fact that the assets are privately held and illiquid. By contras... Read More
A Note on Budgeting and Strategic Profitability Analysis
C-2405 | Published December 12, 2017 | 16 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
A budget is a tool that allows an organization to put its strategy into financial terms. It can be described as the financial plan for the organization. The organization as a whole will prepare a prof... Read More
Marketing Plan Development
M-0848 | Published August 11, 2013 | 21 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes in detail the components of a marketing plan and the process by which data are collected and the plan is developed. Its objective is to develop a sense of purpose and discipline in... Read More
Managing Inventories: Fundamentals
OM-1397 | Published September 15, 2009 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This overview of inventory management covers ways to categorize inventories and measure performance. The financial implications of inventory, inventory management systems, economic order quantities, a... Read More
Queue Management: Elimination, Expectation, and Enhancement
OM-1581 | Published September 26, 2017 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The mathematical relationships predicting average waiting time as a function of arrival patterns, service time distributions, number and types of servers, and various queue disciplines are well known.... Read More
One Model for Solving Problems
OB-0176 | Published April 03, 1982 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Problem solving is a key skill for independent contributors, managers, and leaders alike. Unfortunately, too many would-be problem solvers dive too quickly into solutions that miss the real problems a... Read More
Conflict Management in Teams: For Military and Government
OB-1208 | Published February 09, 2018 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Despite the hierarchical power structures in the military and government, as they reach more senior levels, leaders routinely operate in peer-to-peer teams. These environments require the ability to n... Read More
Note on Postmerger Integration
BP-0539 | Published February 19, 2009 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Approximately 65% to 85% of mergers fail. That's a startling statistic. While there are myriad reasons why mergers are not successful, in many cases the reason is simple: a failure to develop and exec... Read More
Valuing Late-Stage Companies and Leveraged Buyouts
F-1846 | Published August 23, 2018 | 17 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note replaces "Valuation of Late-Stage Companies and Buyouts" (UVA-F-1639). This note focuses on the valuation of late-stage companies with a particular emphasis on leveraged buyouts (LBOs). In ... Read More
A Practical Guide to Conjoint Analysis
M-0675 | Published August 26, 2003 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note provides an overview of conjoint analysis. It shows how to interpret standard conjoint analysis output and the uses of that output. It provides several examples of how output can b... Read More
A Brief Overview of Costs
C-2507 | Published March 20, 2025 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note highlights the importance of costs in management decision-making, focusing specifically on the notion that costs that should be considered when making decisions depends on the decision at ha... Read More
Note on Strategy Implementation Through Organization Design
BP-0287 | Published March 03, 1991 Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note is a brief description of various organizational-structure alternatives appropriate to different business strategies. It complements "Organization Structure" (OB-0361) in that it relates des... Read More
Leadership Theories
OB-0379 | Published April 03, 1989 | 24 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note summarizes several major theories of leadership. It is intended to provide a quick overview of the major concepts and points rather than an in-depth understanding of the theories. It include... Read More
The Jobs of Design
OM-1818 | Published October 08, 2024 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Generalists need to understand enough about the key disciplines in their companies to effectively engage with their collaborators. That doesn’t mean being an expert; it does, however, mean knowing eno... Read More
Designing Marketing Experiments
M-0839 | Published August 29, 2012 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is used in Darden's first-year core marketing course as well as in the marketing analytics elective. It could also be used effectively in modules covering the topics of market rese... Read More
Managing Inventories
OM-0623 | Published April 10, 1987 | 34 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note serves as an introduction to the topic of inventory management. It covers ways to categorize inventories in measuring inventory performance, the financial implications of inventory, inventor... Read More
Structuring Corporate Financial Policy: Diagnosis of Problems and Evaluation of Strategies
F-1054 | Published April 05, 1993 | 15 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note presents an overview of the process by which an analyst could proceed to assess the financial policy of a firm. The note defines several dimensions of financial policy, offers thre... Read More
Accounting for Marketable Securities
C-2280 | Published February 27, 2008 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides an overview of intercorporate investments, including passive investments (marketable securities), investments that result in significant influence, and investments that result in co... Read More
A Note on Obedience to Authority
E-0070 | Published April 30, 1990 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Two experiments are described and discussed in this note. In Milgram's Obedience experiment, subjects acted as "teachers" posing questions to "learners." Inaccurate answers resulted in an electric sh... Read More
Corporate Restructuring and the Master Limited Partnership
F-0723 | Published September 01, 1986 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note defines and discusses the concept of the Master Limited Partnership (MLP). Special attention is given to the economic analysis of MLPs: tax-related inducements, nontax benefits, attributes o... Read More
A Managerial Primer on the U.S. Bankruptcy Code
QA-0633 | Published September 09, 2004 | 6 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note offers an introduction to reorganization procedures within the U.S. bankruptcy law from a business perspective. It can be used to explore the strategic dimensions of bankruptcy procedures an... Read More
A Note on Managing Process Flows
OM-1194 | Published August 13, 2005 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note focuses on the fundamentals of managing process flows. A process viewpoint is useful when the goal is to manage operational metrics such as capacity, cost, inventory, or responsiveness. The ... Read More
Decentralized Finance
F-2081 | Published July 29, 2024 | 23 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note introduces students to decentralized finance (DeFi)—blockchain-based protocols that offer financial services without centralized intermediaries. Advocates herald DeFi as the future... Read More
The Effects Of Debt Equity Policy on Shareholder Return Requirements and Beta
F-1168 | Published April 01, 1997 | 16 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note outlines the link between shareholder-return requirements and a firm's use of debt. It explores the theoretical arguments concerning how the cost of equity changes with the use of debt and d... Read More
Leading Organizational Design
OB-0657 | Published May 27, 2001 | 19 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note presents an overview of some fundamental characteristics of organizational design, and builds on Peter Senge's notion that effective leaders must also be effective designers of organizations... Read More
Business Processes & Operations
OM-1013 | Published March 08, 2001 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note defines and provides example calculations for certain process analysis concepts?capacity, bottleneck, cycle time, throughput time, Little's Law?relating inventory, throughput time,... Read More
A User’s Guide to BPM6-Based BOP and IIP Accounts
GEM-0154 | Published February 19, 2018 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note presents a short description of BPM6-based balance of payments (BOP) and international investment position (IIP) data. It works through examples using data for the United States and Mexico w... Read More
Creating a Growth Portfolio
S-0199 | Published October 10, 2011 | 23 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is the fourth in a series focusing on business growth. It addresses how to create a diversified Growth Portfolio based on the Learning Launch experiments. The note covers how growt... Read More
Point of View Assignment
BC-0166 | Published December 12, 2001 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The Point of View Assignment asks students to develop a persuasion message on a current business and society issue. The assignment makes suggestions about developing a topic for an oral presentation a... Read More
How to Prototype a Prototype
OM-1837 | Published April 15, 2025 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The goal of prototyping is to iterate as much as possible through build-and-learn or problem-solution-experiment cycles. This brief note provides some definitions and a strategy to employ when working... Read More
Some Principles of Giving and Receiving Feedback
OB-0322 | Published April 03, 1986 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This brief summary of John Anderson's article "Giving and Receiving Feedback" is intended for those who wish to use the principles but do not want to wade through the entire text. The first page lists... Read More
The Corporation's Cost of Capital and the Weighted-Average Cost of Capital
F-0910 | Published March 29, 1990 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note is an introduction to the concept of cost of capital as an opportunity cost and how to compute weighted-average cost of capital for a corporation.... Read More
Capital Structure Theory: A Current Perspective
F-1165 | Published January 05, 1996 | 14 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Finance scholars' approach to capital-structure issues reflects a progression of thought over time. This note provides an overview of the current state of capital-structure theory. One perspective on... Read More
A Leader's Guide to Why People Behave the Way They Do
OB-0744 | Published August 17, 2001 | 26 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note outlines a simple but powerful model, in managerial language, for understanding why people behave the way they do. The model builds a set of relationships among perceptions, beliefs, conclus... Read More
Peer Feedback Assignment
BC-0164 | Published December 12, 2001 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The Peer Feedback Assignment is based on the fact that giving feedback is an essential managerial communication skill. The assignment suggests guidelines for matching feedback to its timing and commun... Read More
Growth Is the Dynamic Confluence of Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Values
S-0196 | Published September 16, 2011 | 21 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The author has examined common growth beliefs and the U.S. Growth Model and finds no support for them in any area of business research. He offers instead the Organic Growth Index, the result of ten ye... Read More
Six Sigma: A Basic Overview
OM-1339 | Published December 10, 2007 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
In the nearly 30 years since it was introduced, Six Sigma has evolved to mean different things in different circumstances and in different organizations, so that now it is difficult to identify a sing... Read More
Developing a Marketing Technology Blueprint
M-0906 | Published December 08, 2016 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note introduces the concept of a marketing technology blueprint (MarTech Blueprint), instructs students how to create one, and gives real-world examples of how a MarTech Blueprint might be used.... Read More
Narrative Presentation: Telling the Company Story
BC-0163 | Published December 12, 2001 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
The Narrative Presentation Assignment offers students an opportunity to gain firsthand experience with an essential managerial communication skill: storytelling. The assignment gives guidelines for de... Read More
An Introduction to Cost Behavior
C-2510 | Published April 14, 2025 | 11 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note provides an introduction to cost behavior, or how a cost changes in response to changes in activity. It covers variable costs, fixed costs, mixed costs, and step-fixed costs and discusses s... Read More
Note on Service Excellence
OM-0895 | Published March 08, 2001 | 3 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note illustrates and illuminates key concepts in service excellence. It summarizes and highlights key thinking and action in the service industry. It is designed to be used with "Manor" (UVA-OM-0... Read More
Binomial Option Pricing
F-0943 | Published March 29, 1990 | 12 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note is designed to introduce the binomial option-pricing model. It covers the basic concepts using a one-period model and then provides an example of a two-period model. The note focuses on a co... Read More
Behavioral Economics and the Service Organization
OM-1548 | Published December 20, 2017 | 7 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note summarizes some important learnings from the study of behavioral economics of which service organizations should be aware in order to enhance customers' emotional experiences and help direct... Read More
OEE: Overall Equipment Effectiveness
OM-0902 | Published October 18, 1999 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This brief note describes the calculation of overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), a key measure for implementation of total productive maintenance (TPM).... Read More
The 3P Model
GEM-0209 | Published February 29, 2024 | 12 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note presents an open-economy macroeconomic model with three panes: IS/LM, international capital flows, and the exchange rate and net exports. It also includes extensions: full employment and the... Read More
A Note on, and a Tale about, Flexible Budgeting
C-2156 | Published August 09, 2001 | 10 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note introduces students to the concept, use, and mechanics of flexible budgeting. It is best used at the beginning of a course module on budgeting or performance measurement/management... Read More
Leadership Voice and Style
BC-0265 | Published March 16, 2018 | 4 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This technical note is used in management communications or strategic communication courses in MBA or executive education programs where students are learning to develop their ability to persuade othe... Read More
Operations Business Math: Process Analysis Level One—Problems
OM-1059 | Published December 19, 2002 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This problem set focuses on process-analysis calculations, including throughput, capacity, cycle time, and utilization. See also UVA-OM-1060 and UVA-OM-1061.... Read More
Operations Business Math: Process Analysis Level Three—Problems
OM-1061 | Published December 19, 2002 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This problem set focuses on process-analysis calculations, including throughput, capacity, cycle time, and utilization. See also UVA-OM-1059 and UVA-OM-1060.... Read More
Leaders Who Make a Difference: Critical Skills for Leading a Diverse Workforce
OB-0676 | Published September 28, 1999 | 8 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note identifies a set of core competencies for managing a diverse workforce effectively. It can be used as a supplemental reading for any case discussion that explores ways managers handle divers... Read More
Methods of Intellectual Property Valuation
F-1401 | Published October 10, 2002 | 13 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note addresses the methods used in valuing intellectual property, with a particular focus on patents. The note defines intellectual property and explains its growing importance. It also describes... Read More
Risk Management
QA-0511 | Published February 10, 1997 | 9 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note describes how to move beyond the appraisal of risk toward improving the risk characteristics of alternatives that the world offers us. It considers ways to create value and reduce risk throu... Read More
A Note on Responsibility Centers
C-2400 | Published December 13, 2017 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
Organizational design is one of the basic building blocks of control, because it reflects the division of resources and the assignment of responsibility throughout the firm. In particular, each organi... Read More
Operations Business Math?Process Analysis Level Two?Problems
OM-1060 | Published December 19, 2002 | 2 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This problem set focuses on process-analysis calculations, including throughput, capacity, cycle time, and utilization. See also UVA-OM-1059 and UVA-OM-1061.... Read More
Process Performance Measures
OM-0833 | Published September 25, 1996 | 5 pages Technical Note
Collection: Darden School of Business
This note defines a variety of performance measures that are useful in process analysis. It explains the meaning and usefulness of these concepts through a list of definitions followed by examples. Th... Read More