Case Name :      Ontario Science Centre: Agents of Change and Beyond

Authors :           Charlene Zietsma, Jordan Mitchell

Source :             Ivey Publishing

Case ID :            905M49

Discipline :        Strategy

Case Length :    24 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

In June 2005, the Ontario Science Centre (OSC) was in the midst of the Agents of Change renewal plan–a $45 million, five-year project aimed at refreshing a third of the center’s exhibit halls. With more than 600 exhibits in 11,000 square meters of exhibit space, the OSC has been communicating science and technological ideas in an interactive way since it opened in 1969. Throughout its history, the OSC has conceived, designed, and built its own exhibits. In the mid-1980s, this led to consulting, selling, and renting out its exhibit design and construction to other science centers around the world. Funded 50% by the Ontario government, the OSC faced the challenge of raising private funds and generating enough earned revenues to cover its operating expenses and continue innovating and renewing its facilities. To avoid getting stuck in the status quo once the Agents of Change renewal plan was complete, the OSC’s chief executive officer and her management team set high goals: to double the visitor count and generate $10 million in operating profit by 2010. The CEO must determine how to reach these goals while maintaining its primary mission.