A further eight weeks have passed since the discussion concerning Wodd's creation of an accredited Forest Certification Service.
Wodd's Chairman has asked you to a meeting:
"I thought that we had a lucky escape over the Barry Crauder story from a recent news article, but the Government is considering modifying the tax arrangements associated with forestry. Professional forestry companies such as Wodd will continue to pay no tax on forestry profits, but private individuals such as Mr Crauder will be taxed on profits just as they would for any other business. The Government is taking this action because public opinion is against granting generous tax relief to wealthy individuals.
For the moment, this is all highly secret. The minister responsible for forestry has spoken to the chairmen of all of the major forestry companies on the basis that each gives a personal guarantee to respect the Government's confidence. The minister has done so because she is concerned that stock markets will panic when the news of the tax changes are announced next week. If the shareholders incorrectly believe that we will lose the tax shield on our profits then the share price will drop like a stone. We will be able to announce that we are aware of the changes and that we will not be taxed differently because of them.
I have spoken to the Board about this, making them promise not to repeat any of this information. We have called in and briefed the key analysts who advise the main institutional investors in Marland on the forestry industry.
As things stand, we can expect a lot of the wealthy individuals who own forests to divest themselves as soon as they discover that there are no more tax incentives. That will have significant implications for Wodd, both directly and indirectly.
The Board believes that the markets will overreact when the tax changes are first announced and that we will be unable to do much to manage that. One suggestion that has been put forward is that we should increase the dividend slightly as a signal that we are confident in the future strength of the industry. I suspect that the executive directors are just a little too concerned with the fact that they all have stock options that can only be exercised on a date that falls just after the government is due to announce its intentions on tax.
I need your thoughts in order to have an independent viewpoint from that voiced by the Board:
* What effect will the tax changes have on our business?
* Do you agree that briefing the analysts will mitigate the risk of our share price overreacting when the tax changes are announced?
* Will the additional dividend payment help to maintain the share price?
* Is granting executive stock options always a sound basis for aligning the interests of the executive directors and the shareholders?"

Reference Material:

Wodd's Chief Executive, Peter Sorchi has stopped you in the corridor:
"This weak USD is really causing us some serious problems. I think that it is only a matter of time before the stock market starts to get nervous and I am worried that our share price will fall in the near future. Thank goodness it does not appear to have fallen by much so far.
I would like to brief the Board on two main issues tomorrow. Firstly, what can we do as a Board in order to minimise the negative impact of the weak USD on our share price? Secondly, we know the identities of the key investment analysts who deal with our industry. Would it be a good idea for us to brief them? Please also consider the ethical issues arising from both of these topics as well as the more technical matters.
Please let me have a copy of your briefing notes in advance. I need to be able to sound convincing at the meeting. I'll also have my secretary refer you to a really helpful blog."

Six months have passed. Wodd has announced its intention to create a biomass power station in its North Forest, to be fuelled by trees from the North Forest itself and also waste biomass products from other timber land owned by Wodd in that area.
The news has received mixed reactions. Younger residents of the small towns close to North Forest were delighted because their local economy will be boosted. Older residents and those living further afield within the region complain that the power station will pollute the environment and the destruction of the North Forest will blight an area of outstanding beauty. A residents' group has been established online, with support from Marland's largest environmental lobbying group, to block the proposal.
You have received the following email from Marcus Svenson, Finance Director:
From: Marcus Svenson, Finance Director
To: Senior Finance Manager
Subject: Stakeholder issues
Hi,
I have sent you a link to the website created by the protestors against the biomass power station. This is causing serious problems because we still need to gain formal Government approval, although the Government supports biomass as an energy source as it is far cleaner and more sustainable than fossil fuel and far less controversial than nuclear. Needless to say, the press has picked up on this and is starting to run the story.
We had reached agreements in principle with Marland Bank for funding for this project and with a civil engineering contractor for the construction work, but both are now nervous about signing contracts because neither wishes to be associated with an environmental scandal.
I need two things from you.
Please draft the body of a press release that we can issue in response to the claims on the protestors' website. Add a few comments to explain what your arguments are trying to achieve (I don't want us simply to state that we disagree with the protestors, I want us to offer meaningful arguments in response). Just write your draft as part of your reply to this email and I will circulate it to the other Board members for approval before we submit it.
Please suggest some safeguards that we can put in place to enable us to retain the support of the bank and the civil engineer throughout this project.
Marcus

SIMULATION
A week later, Romuald Marek stops by your workspace and hands you a document.

The Board minute extract from Romuald can be viewed by clicking the Reference Material button above.
Reference Material
Board minutes extract: proposal to profit from ongoing strength of NS
Anna Obalowu Sole, Chief Operating Officer, reported that the strong NS was helping generate revenues from fuel sales. Discussion followed as to whether the strong N$ was likely to persist and whether a strong N$ benefits Arrfield overall.
Markus Jokel
a. Chief Executive Officer, stated that the Board should develop contingency plans that could be implemented if it seemed likely that the strong N$ would persist. In particular. Arrfield need not renew the contracts that permit aviation fuel suppliers to operate from its airports. Arrfield would then be free to create its own fuel sale business, buying fuel in bulk to replenish the storage tanks at each of its airports in Norland and then selling it directly to airlines He stated that this would almost certainly enhance Arrfield's share price Romuald Marek reminded the Board that four of Arrfield's six airports are located in Norland and that those airports charge for aeronautical and non-aeronautical services in N$.

The Director of Finance, William Seaton, has invited you into his office.
"This will come as a bit of a shock, but the Board has decided that it would be in our best interests to relocate our Head Office from Kayland to the Middle East. We have interests there, including a regional office, already. We know that the oil industry is welcome and there are several governments which are very open to such foreign direct investment from the West.
Nothing has been decided for certain, but there are compelling tax advantages to us relocating. We would also be subject to slightly less restrictive legal requirements. We can retain our listing on the Kayland stock exchange, albeit as a foreign company.
Things are very much under consideration at the moment, so please don't tell anybody about this conversation.
I want to check that I have thought of everything at the strategic level before we make an irreversible decision to move. I need you to write me a report on the following:
* What are the strategic implications of moving our Head Office from Europe to the Middle East?
* What are the strategic risks that might arise and how might we deal with them?
I need to have your thoughts soon because the Board is holding a special meeting this afternoon."