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Latest Case Studies
Case Study
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics

This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through mu…

Strategy Organizational Learning Decision Making Leadership
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743, © 2026
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743 ©2026
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference IMD-2743
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics

This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through mu…

Strategy Organizational Learning Decision Making Leadership
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743, © 2026
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743 ©2026
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference IMD-2743
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics

This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through mu…

Strategy Organizational Learning Decision Making Leadership
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743, © 2026
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743 ©2026
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference IMD-2743
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics

This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through mu…

Strategy Organizational Learning Decision Making Leadership
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743, © 2026
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743 ©2026
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference IMD-2743
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics

This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through mu…

Strategy Organizational Learning Decision Making Leadership
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743, © 2026
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743 ©2026
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference IMD-2743
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics

This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through mu…

Strategy Organizational Learning Decision Making Leadership
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743, © 2026
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743 ©2026
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference IMD-2743
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics

This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through mu…

Strategy Organizational Learning Decision Making Leadership
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743, © 2026
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743 ©2026
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference IMD-2743
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics

This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through mu…

Strategy Organizational Learning Decision Making Leadership
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743, © 2026
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743 ©2026
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference IMD-2743
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics

This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through mu…

Strategy Organizational Learning Decision Making Leadership
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743, © 2026
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743 ©2026
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference IMD-2743
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics

This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through mu…

Strategy Organizational Learning Decision Making Leadership
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743, © 2026
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2743 ©2026
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins’s flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference IMD-2743
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study
LanzaTech: Scaling carbon to value

The case places students in the role of LanzaTech’s founder, Dr Sean Simpson, in April 2012. The company was built on the radical idea of using proprietary microbes to capture and convert carbon-rich waste gases from heavy industry (like steel mills) into fuel-grade ethanol. LanzaTech has just achieved a massive technological breakthrough: provi…

Entrepreneurship Sustainability Innovation
By Anieke Wierenga, Christine Ruf and Murat Tarakci
Case reference: IMD-2741, © 2026
LanzaTech: Scaling carbon to value
By Anieke Wierenga Christine Ruf and Murat Tarakci
Case reference: IMD-2741 ©2026
Summary
The case places students in the role of LanzaTech’s founder, Dr Sean Simpson, in April 2012. The company was built on the radical idea of using proprietary microbes to capture and convert carbon-rich waste gases from heavy industry (like steel mills) into fuel-grade ethanol. LanzaTech has just achieved a massive technological breakthrough: proving its proprietary gas-to-ethanol fermentation process works at an industrial demonstration scale with a major Chinese steel mill. Despite this scientific success, the company is struggling to generate revenues. From its earliest days, investors had put the company onto a path that emphasized technology development and securing a portfolio of patents. Dr Simpson’s dilemma is not about whether the technology works, but rather how to build a profitable business model around it. Simpson must re-evaluate the company’s entire commercialization strategy.
Reference IMD-2741
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization LanzaTech
Industry Energy, Biofuels;Services, Environmental Services
Available Languages English
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Case Study
The Advanced Academic Leadership Framework

The Advanced Academic Leadership Framework provides a comprehensive competency model designed specifically for senior academic leaders operating at institutional levels, including deans, provosts, institute directors and university presidents. Recognizing that academic leadership operates within unique constraints –shared governance, faculty aut…

Leadership Human Resources Strategy Decision Making
By Albrecht Enders and Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2734, © 2026
The Advanced Academic Leadership Framework
By Albrecht Enders and Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2734 ©2026
Summary
The Advanced Academic Leadership Framework provides a comprehensive competency model designed specifically for senior academic leaders operating at institutional levels, including deans, provosts, institute directors and university presidents. Recognizing that academic leadership operates within unique constraints –shared governance, faculty autonomy, distributed expertise, and the dual mission of advancing knowledge while educating future generations – this framework addresses the distinct blend of skills required beyond traditional business executive development. The framework comprises seven interconnected competency areas organized around internal and external leadership dimensions. Its foundation centers on ‘Develop Your Inner Leader,’ emphasizing self-awareness, emotional intelligence, energy management, and the navigation of tensions between scholarly identity and administrative responsibilities. Six external-facing domains surround this core: developing and implementing strategy within collaborative governance structures; designing effective organizations that balance centralization with academic autonomy; framing and solving complex problems unique to academic contexts; building high-performing teams while managing peer-to-supervisor transitions; influencing within institutions through relationship-building and negotiation; and engaging external stakeholders with cultural intelligence across global contexts. The note addresses the contemporary challenges of higher education, including digital transformation, AI integration, funding constraints and evolving accountability demands. Each competency area provides practical guidance on navigating tensions inherent to academia, such as balancing research excellence with teaching quality, managing long time horizons while remaining adaptable, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across disciplinary silos. A companion self-assessment tool enables leaders to evaluate current capabilities and prioritize development areas. This framework serves academic leaders seeking to drive institutional impact while preserving scholarly values and collaborative culture essential to academic excellence.
Reference IMD-2734
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
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Case Study
On Running: Greenwash alert

ZURICH (SWITZERLAND), 14 JUNE 2024. The sustainability team at On had been on high alert as TV journalists were once again investigating some of its sustainability claims. Founded in 2010 by former Swiss Ironman champion Olivier Bernhard, the company rapidly gained a reputation among professional athletes, in particular triathletes, for its prop…

Sustainability Crisis Management Entrepreneurship
By Benoit F. Leleux and Dina Zubkova
Case reference: IMD-7-2604, © 2026
On Running: Greenwash alert
By Benoit F. Leleux and Dina Zubkova
Case reference: IMD-7-2604 ©2026
Summary
ZURICH (SWITZERLAND), 14 JUNE 2024. The sustainability team at On had been on high alert as TV journalists were once again investigating some of its sustainability claims. Founded in 2010 by former Swiss Ironman champion Olivier Bernhard, the company rapidly gained a reputation among professional athletes, in particular triathletes, for its proprietary cushioning technology. On’s sales grew exponentially, as did its reputation, particularly when Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer became a significant shareholder and company advocate in 2019. Listed on the NYSE, the company reported CHF 1.79 billion in revenues in 2023. Its impact reports vaunted its ambition to “be the thought and action leader on sustainability in the sportswear industry.” The TV program tore apart the sustainability claims of the Cloudneo Cyclon, On’s first running shoe with a circular claim and 100% recyclability. Having investigated the firm’s supply chain, the journalists identified high risk manufacturing practices in the heart of Marseille (France), underpaid Vietnamese workers and recyclability that was still a distant dream. The sustainability team now has to enter crisis management mode and craft a proper response to journalists’ serious allegations.
Reference IMD-7-2604
Copyright ©2026
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization On
Industry Consumer Goods, Sports Footwear
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Hilti Fleet Management: Driving a global transformation

The case describes Hilti’s transformation from a premium tool maker to a solution provider in commercial construction, while keeping its innovation leadership. Confronting industry pain points such as lost tools, downtime, safety risks and thin margins, Hilti created Fleet Management FM. This subscription bundles NURON tools, repairs, loaners, t…

Strategy Marketing Business Transformation Leadership
By Stefan Michel
Case reference: IMD-2697, © 2025
Hilti Fleet Management: Driving a global transformation
By Stefan Michel
Case reference: IMD-2697 ©2025
Summary
The case describes Hilti’s transformation from a premium tool maker to a solution provider in commercial construction, while keeping its innovation leadership. Confronting industry pain points such as lost tools, downtime, safety risks and thin margins, Hilti created Fleet Management FM. This subscription bundles NURON tools, repairs, loaners, theft coverage, and Hilti’s ON!Track asset management system into predictable monthly payments. IoT connectivity delivers real-time insights on utilization, battery health and maintenance. Moving towards end-to-end optimization E2E, FM digitally connects warehouses, vans and administrative processes, unlocking measurable productivity and margin improvement. FM also operationalizes circularity: productivity analyses right-size tool parks often by 2030 fewer assets, tools are refurbished or donated for a second life, and non-usable materials are recycled via a global network of local partners. The case illustrates how business model innovations with global coverage necessitate fundamental organizational transformations that can take many years. It allows students to develop concise, concrete and convincing value propositions in a B2B market environment. It also facilitates a discussion on solution readiness offering, supplier, contract, and customer and the identification of a sustainable competitive advantage based on the VRIO framework.
Reference IMD-2697
Copyright ©2025
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Hilti
Industry Manufacturing, Machinery
Available Languages English
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Case Study
FIBA eSports: The value capture challenge

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) had long recognized that the game of basketball was evolving beyond physical participation. That shift became impossible to ignore in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down live events and left fans stuck at home. With no traditional products to deliver, FIBA saw esports as a timely strategic ex…

Value Creation Digital Strategy
1st place in the 2026 John Molson MBA Case Writing Competition
By Amit M. Joshi, Ivy Buche and Aundria Elahe Mirabrishami
Case reference: IMD-2705, © 2025
FIBA eSports: The value capture challenge
By Amit M. Joshi Ivy Buche and Aundria Elahe Mirabrishami
Case reference: IMD-2705 ©2025
Summary
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) had long recognized that the game of basketball was evolving beyond physical participation. That shift became impossible to ignore in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down live events and left fans stuck at home. With no traditional products to deliver, FIBA saw esports as a timely strategic extension to complement traditional basketball with a digital-first discipline that could engage younger audiences. Governed under FIBA’s statutes and structured as a national team competition, eFIBA was created to establish a new basketball discipline – enhancing the sport and advancing FIBA’s vision to unite the global basketball community. Between mid-2020 and the end of 2021, the eFIBA team launched three fully virtual tournaments – FIBA Esports Open I, II and III – with the objective to “learn by doing.” This set the foundation to deliver more ambitious eFIBA Seasons 1, 2 and 3. A key evolution in the tournament format from Season 2 onwards was that the World Finals were held in person in a host country. This created an X factor for the tournament. Each successive season witnessed increasing engagement from National Federations, dedicated eBasketball players, enthusiastic fans, sponsors, content creators and influencers. However, a key partner pulled out after Season 2 in early 2024 and eFIBA had to deliver Season 3 and future seasons with diminished resources. This marked a turning point for eFIBA. In 2025, as the eFIBA team set out to develop a five-year strategy to 2029, several questions came to the fore: What value had eFIBA created for different stakeholders to allow it to stand on its own as a brand? What different B2B and/or B2C business models could eFIBA explore to capture higher value? How should eFIBA go about developing a three-year roadmap to enhance value creation for different stakeholders and sustain value capture going forward?
1st place in the 2026 John Molson MBA Case Writing Competition
Reference IMD-2705
Copyright ©2025
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization International Basketball Federation
Industry Travel and Leisure, Sports
Available Languages English
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