To get this point across, instructo

To get this point across, instructors first must stress that the top management at Encyclopaedia Britannica was forward-looking in many respects, i.e., not myopic. This point can spark a lively discussion because popular wisdom tends to see Britannica’s management as broadly myopic. This is due, in part, to the well-known story—which is recounted in the case—that Microsoft approached Encyclopaedia Britannica for a licensing deal in 1985. Upon hearing this story, students have a tendency to let 20/20 hindsight get the best of them and say, “They should have known better.” However, the case includes the reasons offered by a manager at Encyclopaedia Britannica for turning down Microsoft, and once students review these reasons, they realize that it is hard to find fault with them.