Page 222 - The Case Lab Book

ORIGINS: The Trigger Idea

The company that Phissons is based on faced the dilemma as portrayed in
the armchair case study. Its chief executive’s solution to the problem on
whether to launch the product or not was to call an extraordinary general
meeting and invite the press. At this meeting, knowing that to withdraw the
product would destroy the share price he nevertheless stood up and stated
that he had a family himself and could not be responsible for the deaths of
children and had decided to withdraw the drug before its launch.

The next day the company’s share price rose dramatically instead of falling.
The press had reported the story in terms of the company being one of the
first ethical companies with the result that investors wanted to associate
with it through share purchase.

This was my starting point and to a great extent explains why and how I
developed the armchair case on Phissons. Everything else builds from this
knowledge.

Turings is an adjunct which fits the theory of ethics and finance and allows
a juxtaposition on a number levels as well as giving currency to the
lectures.

Phissons is a case designed for class discussion and debate rather than as
an assessment vehicle. It lends itself to the exploration of relationships in a
discursive setting where the lecturer influences the debate through
judicious interventions.

PHISSONS: RATIONALE

The Phissons case study is to all intents and purposes a simple case with
one primary issue – launch or withdraw the new drug. The consequences
of each action should be explored which will require an examination of the
ethics of the situation, the financial implications for the company, the
reaction of board members, the implications for shareholders and so on.

For use in the class I started with setting up groups to take a position and
defend it. These included groups of: