Presentation Assignment Sheet for Proposal for a Solution
The purpose of this assignment is to give a 5 minute presentation about your final paper. Your goal is to persuade the audience, to present a clear and ethical argument and solution, to use evidence effectively, anticipate objections, present a counter-argument, and bring the presentation to a close by leaving a strong and lasting impression.
For the excluswe use of J. Yu, 2015.
maximum HARVARDIBUSINESSlSCHOOL
9-403-006
REV: OCTOBER 15, 2002
THOMAS J, DELONG
VINEETA VIIAYARAGHAVAN
Cquue du Solell
Murielle Cantin dragged her suitcases through the lobby of the hotel. It was one of the nicer hotels
in Rio, but she missed her own bed, her own home back in Montreal, Canada. As casting director for
Cirque du Soleil, Cantin was on the road for weeks, even months at a time, trying to find the best
talent from the far reaches of the globe. Some of her artistic advisors were urging her to add Peru to
this trip because they had scouted out some promising performers. Cantin considered whether she
should make a detour to Peru. Had she seen enough artists already? Even if there were good possi-
bilities in Peru, was she fresh anymore to evaluate them? Could she trust someone else to go and
evaluate them in her stead? Cirque used to need 50 new artists every two years. Now it needed 100
artists every year. How would it handle the growth and keep the shows and the staff fresh? How
would it keep the magic? Cantin wondered whether the touring performers felt as weary on the road
as she felt now.
History
Cirque du Soleil was formed in 1984 by a troupe of street performers known as “Le Club des
Talons Hauts” (The High-Heels Club), which had earlier founded the first street performers’ festival
in a small town outside Quebec City. Some members of the original group were still active at Cirque
du Soleil, including Guy Laliberté, then a musician and firebreather, now president and chief
executive officer. In 1984, 73 people worked for Cirque du Soleil. At the end of 2001, the organization
had over 2,100 employees worldwide, including over 500 artists. Initially, Cirque du Soleil toured
only one show at a time. From 1984 to 1989, Cirque played to an average of 270,000 people a year. In
2001, nearly 6 million people saw a Cirque du Soleil show. In 2002, there would be eight Cirque
productions running on four continents.
For most of Cirque’s existence, it was owned and managed equally by two men, Laliberté and
Daniel Gautier. Laliberté had responsibility for most of the creative production of the company, and
Gautier managed most of the business, especially external partnerships and financing. In 1998, when
Laliberté bought out Gautier’s half, Canadian Business Magazine valued the company at $800 million.
Managing a company full of creative people was not always smooth. In 1987 and in 1988, there
had been “artists’ rebellions” where many of the performers disputed whether management was
doing what was best for them and consistent with the original spirit of the group. In the mid-199os,
Cirque had tried decentralizing management into three regional divisions, one in North America, one
in Europe, and one in Asia, to better support its shows traveling around the world. But this model
Professor Thomas J. DeLong and Research Associate Vineeta Vijayaraghavan prepared this case. HBS cases are developed solely as the basis for
class discussion. Cases are not intended to serve as endorsements, sources of primary data, or illustrations of effective or ineffective
management.
Copyright © 2002 President and Fellows of Harvard College. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, call 1-800-545-7685,
write Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA 02163, or go to http:/ /www.hbsp.harvard.edu. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise-without the permission of Harvard Business School.
This document is authorized for use only by Jieyao Yu in Strategic Management-20158pring2ndHaIf taught by Rajan Kamath, University of Cincinnati from February 2015 to August 2015.
Grading Criteria
Introduction
Clearly presents the problem and gives it presence (0-5)
Explanation of issue and needed background (0-5)
Presentation of the Solution
Writer’s Thesis i.e. presents the solution (0-10)
Explains the specifics of the solution (0-10)
Justification
Persuades readers that the proposal should be implemented (0-10)
Effectively presents and develops reasons (0-10)
Reasons to support the proposed solution should be from principle, consequence,
or precendent (0-5)
Opposing Views
Mentions fair and accurate opposing views (0-10)
Refutes opposing view(s) (0-5
Conclusion
Requires the audience to take specific action (0-10)
Skills
Presentation does not go over or under time (0-5)
Presenter is prepared and knowledgable (0-5)
Presenter does not show signs of excessive nervousness
(for example: um, like, twitching, playing with clothes/hair) (0-5)
Presenter is clear and audible (0-5)