That last email was garbled because my fingers slipped prematurely into "send".
 
Let me start again, because this I have found this a useful exercise.
 
On a take home exercise I ask the students to google "McDonald's Hot Coffee" and to read enough websites to get both sides of the story. Then I posit that McDonald's must have done something wrong or they would not have had such a strong judgment against them. And I ask that they identify what they think McDonald's did wrong and what, as managers, they might have done to produce a better outcome.
 
Sometimes students focus on the litigation strategy or on the "on the scene" treatment of the facts. And often as not they identify the decision to serve coffee that hot without warning customers.
 
It is hard to sustain the position that McDonald's could have done nothing different to produce a better outcome.
 
Finally, I ask them to assess the proposition that McDonald's PR people won what their lawyers lost. And some students see it that way and others do not.
 
It makes for very interesting analysis from a managerial point of view, which is, of course, the point.
 
Sorry for the false start. I am getting a new laptop. Waiting for new fingers.
 
Ginny

________________________________

From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk on behalf of Robert Thomas
Sent: Sun 9/5/2010 3:59 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: RE : Seeking info on "Hot Cof fee" documentary


Gerlinde,

Attached are some articles that I circulate when discussing the case.  I'm sure a google search will bring up more information.

Robert

On 9/5/10 3:48 PM, BERGER-WALLISER Gerlinde wrote: 

	Hi,
	I would like to use the case in my Comparative Law class. Where could I find material about the case, without having my students read the entire court decision?
	 
	Sincères salutations / Best regards / Mit freundlichen Grüssen
	 
	P Avant d'imprimer cet e-mail, pensez à l'environnement.
	 
	Gerlinde BERGER-WALLISER
	
	Professeur Associé / Associate Professor
	Département Environnement des Affaires / Department of Business Environment
	ICN Business School
	13 rue Michel Ney
	54000 Nancy
	France 
	Tel : +33 3 83 17 37 87
	Fax : +33 3 83 17 30 80
	 
	www.icn-groupe <http://www.icn-groupe/> . <http://www.icn-groupe./> <http://www.icn-groupe./>  fr <http://www.icn-groupe.fr/> <http://www.icn-groupe.fr/>   
	 
	 
	
	________________________________
	
	De: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk de la part de Robert Thomas
	Date: dim. 05/09/2010 19:21
	À: [log in to unmask]
	Objet : Re: Seeking info on "Hot Coffee" documentary
	
	
	I too am interested in the documentary.  I use the Stella Liebeck case in my legal environment class, so a documentary, if well done, would be a nice addition.
	
	Robert
	
	On 9/5/10 1:06 PM, Dan Levin wrote: 
	
		9.5.2010 
		
		ALSBers, 
		
		I hope you're all having a great weekend (and for those of you in America, a great Labor Day Holiday weekend).  (Please forgive me for not knowing whether countries other than the U.S. have a Labor Day holiday this weekend as well!) 
		
		Does anyone know the status of the "Hot Coffee" documentary, about the famous Stella Liebeck v McDonald's case in New Mexico some years back?  Are the filmmakers still in the production process?  I would like to see that when it is released, and possibly show part of it to my class.  The trailer looked interesting. 
		
		Thanks, 
		Dan Levin 
		
		Daniel Andrew Henschel Levin, JD, MBA 
		Associate Professor of Business Law 
		Minnesota State University, Mankato 
		College of Business 
		Mankato, MN 56001 
		507.389.1827 
		[log in to unmask] 
		SSRN Author Number 31379 
		
		
		
	
	
	
	  



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