Mini Case 1:

Awang's DilemmaAwang was a real craftsman when it came to being a machinist. Awang
had learned almost allthat he knew from Daud, his first and only employer. Awang was
married and had three youngchildren. He was 33 years old and had worked for Daud ever
since he finished his tour in theArmy. In 12 years, Awang had polished his skills under the
watchful and critical eye of Daud.Daud was quick to recognize Awang's talent for the trade.
Awang had a positive attitude aboutlearning and displayed a drive for perfection that Daud
admired.

Daud's Machine Shop was a successful small business. Its success was based mostly on the
reputation for quality that had been established over its 42 years in operation. Daud had come
to this country with his new wife, Salmah, when he was in his late twenties. Now the business
was a success, but Daud remembered the early years when he and Salmah had to struggle.
Daud wanted the business to continue to produce the highest quality craftsman products
possible. On a Friday evening, he called Awang into his office at closing time, poured him a
cup of half-day-old coffee, and began to talk with him about the future.

"Awang, Salmah and I are getting old and I want to retire. It has been 42 years of fun but
these old hands need a rest. In short, Salmah and I would like you to buy the business. We
both feel that your heart is in this craft and that you would always retain the quality that we
have stood for." Awang was taken back by the offer. He, of course, knew Daud was getting
older, but had no idea Daud would retire. Awang and his wife, Timah, had only RM4,200 in
the bank. Most of Awang's salary went for the normal costs of rearing three children. Daud
knew Awang did not have the money to buy the business in cash, but he was willing to take a
portion of the profits for the next 15 years and a modest initial investment from Awang.

Awang had, for the past four years, made most of the technical decisions in the shop. Awang
knew the customers and was well respected by the employees. He had never been involved in
the business side of the operation. He was a high school graduate but had never taken
business courses. Awang was told by Daud that even after deducting the percentage of the
profits he would owe under the sales agreement, he would be able to almost double his
annual earnings. Awang would have to take on all the business functions himself because
Timah had no business training either.

Questions:

A. Which entrepreneurial characteristics does Awang have that may be important to his
success?

B. Which characteristics could lead to Awang’s failure?

C. What steps should Bill take to avoid the pitfalls common to a small business?
Mini-Case 2: Doing "good" but not doing the "right" thing

Ali and Nor are spouses and partners in a business called "Segalanya Bendera." They made
and sold a variety of national flags in various shapes. About 40 percent of their total revenues
came from a single wholesale retailer, GM Kuala Lumpur, the largest wholesale plaza in
Malaysia. When Ali and Nor started their company, their son's classmate's father was a senior
buyer at GM. The buyer, Yusuf, encouraged Ali and Nor to submit a bid to GM and he
helped the couple establish the relationship that led to subsequent recurring sales at the
retailer. Yusuf's wife, Sarah was the head of the school's PIBG and in charge for fund raising.
Without Yusuf's asking, Ali and Nor started contributing significant sums of money to the
PIBG. Yusuf never discouraged them from contributing. In a cost cutting move, Yusuf was
laid off from GM and in his place, Bakar became the buyer who interacted with Ali and Nor.
Bakar hinted to them that there were other vendors willing to supply flags at a lower price but
that if they would contribute to the rebuilding of his (Bakar) community's softball park, they
would continue to sell their product at GM.

Questions:

A. Did Ali and Nor act ethically in contributing to the school's PIBG?

B. If they agree to pay for the community park in exchange for business from Bakar, would
Ali and Nor have acted ethically?

C. Contributing to a PIBG and donating to build a community park are civic actions. Could
Ali and Nor NOT be considered good actions because they indicate social responsibility?
Mini Case 3: Protecting Your Intellectual Property

Ahmad, Hassan, and Rahmat were childhood friends who had always talked about starting a
business together after college graduation. Ahmad had the financial background and start-up
capital to contribute and Hassan and Rahmat had the technical knowledge they believed
would give them the competitive advantage needed to become an industry leader.

During their early college years, Hassan and Rahmat developed a new and innovative way to
manufacture computer components. When they shared their idea with Ahmad, he was able to
draw up a detailed business plan to present to potential investors when the three were ready to
launch their venture. They had been very careful not to disclose anything about their
innovative idea to other colleagues or any of their friends and were anxious to get started.

After selecting the company name "Millennium Computers" the three friends come to you for
advice on intellectual property rights.

Questions:

A. To protect their innovative process for manufacturing computer components from

unauthorized use, which type of intellectual property should the threesome apply for?
Identify the office to which they should apply and outline the steps involved in the process.

B. Should they consider protecting or registering their company name? Which intellectual
property would cover this concern? Could they use the name without registering it?

C. Since the primary weapon to protect intellectual property is the legal system, what would
you advise the friends if they have to protect intellectual property sometime in the future by
threatening a lawsuit?
Mini-Case 9-1: Marketing a Non-profit - Virtual Opportunity

Kelab Pemuda Ihsan is a local youth organization supported solely by the donations of
individuals and the local church community. Its co-founders, Hamid and Nasrul, are
considering launching a Web site to promote upcoming events and raise money for a new
gym. Their good friend Omar has volunteered to develop a Web site, which they feel will
help promote their efforts.

Questions:

A. How might a Web site benefit the youth club? Discuss with examples.

B. Which other type of activities should New Wave Chance implement to support the success
of the new Web site?

C. The building fund manager, Mr. Grover, has been overwhelmed by the generosity of the
community and numerous requests to donate supplies. Describe how the Web site may be
able to help him organize the donation requests and determine the type and quality of the
building supplies needed?