Fleet Oil Company: An Exercise Case Solution And Analysis, HBR Case Study Solution & Analysis of Harvard Case Studies

Exercise that adapts well-known experiment experimental psychologist Thomas Gilovich, designed to show how the ubiquity of analogy or associative thinking in general and its potential dangers. Students will be presented a scenario in which the oil company decides which of the two investment options should be pursued. The first focuses on the place, which includes a technically complex and costly R & D and production (eg, Gulf of Mexico). In the second version, the costs are lower and yields higher, but the company has to deal with a potentially corrupt individuals (eg, Russia). Half the class is presented with a standard or "neutral" issues. The other half is presented with the problem of the standard is identical, except for a few differences that are not related to the structure of the problem. These differences relate to the superficially similar signals related to Enron. For example, a meeting in a neutral problem Atlanta, but Houston, where the headquarters of Enron, in the problem of Enron, the name of the oil company fleet in the neutral case, and Raptor (named after one of many Enron special purpose entities) in the case of Enron . Students who get the problem Enron often unconsciously associate the problem they face debacle Enron, which causes them to favor technically more complex version than the students that give a neutral issue. "Hide
by Giovanni Gavetti Source: Harvard Business School 4 pages. Publication Date: April 4, 2011. Prod. #: 711512-PDF-ENG