One observes that despite the continued application of superior personal strategies and leadership throughout Napoleon’s lifetime, success eluded him in the end. A pattern is observed of meteoritic rise in the early stages (victories in the battle of Lodi, Marengo, Austerlitz) and a downfall later (Russian invasion, Waterloo). What is behind this rise and fall?

The home video-game market in Japan was relatively small and the market in the US was on the verge of collapse. In Japan, Nintendo could expect stiff competition from a number of companies in, or actively considering an entry in this market. This did not look a good time for Nintendo to make an entry.

The case describes the turnaround of a moribund Scottish airport sold off by BAA, the leading airport operation in Britain. Although the air transportation industries are experiencing deregulation, which appears to favour rich incumbents, Prestwick Aviation Holdings Limited (PAH) manages to succeed where most observers predicted it to fail.