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Latest Case Studies
Case Study
Navigating the negotiation staircase

This technical note introduces the Negotiation Staircase Framework, a comprehensive approach to understanding and managing complex negotiations. The framework presents six distinct levels of negotiation: Set-up, Process Definition, Guiding Principles, Shared Fact-bases, Deal Architecture and Detailed Bargaining. The note explains how skilled ne…

Negotiation Decision Making Stakeholder Management Value Creation
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2660, © 2025
Navigating the negotiation staircase
By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-2660 ©2025
Summary
This technical note introduces the Negotiation Staircase Framework, a comprehensive approach to understanding and managing complex negotiations. The framework presents six distinct levels of negotiation: Set-up, Process Definition, Guiding Principles, Shared Fact-bases, Deal Architecture and Detailed Bargaining. The note explains how skilled negotiators move both down and up the staircase as needed, addressing issues at the appropriate level to achieve optimal outcomes. Through a detailed case study of a technology partnership negotiation between TechNova and MediOptimize, the note demonstrates the practical application of the framework at each level. Special attention is given to implementation strategies, including recognizing and diagnosing negotiation challenges, explicit communication techniques and maintaining the relationship . The note provides guidance for managing transitions between levels and maintaining progress throughout complex negotiations.
Reference IMD-2660
Copyright ©2025
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Brookfield Asset Management Catalytic Transition Fund

Brookfield’s Catalytic Transition Fund is a case study in how the financial industry can spearhead sustainable development. Brookfield Asset Management announced an initial closing of $2.4 billion for the Catalytic Transition Fund, marking a significant milestone toward the target of raising up to $5 billion for deployment to clean energy and tr…

Finance Economics Sustainability
By Arturo Bris and Raphaël Jean Luigi Grieco
Case reference: IMD-2652, © 2024
Brookfield Asset Management Catalytic Transition Fund
By Arturo Bris and Raphaël Jean Luigi Grieco
Case reference: IMD-2652 ©2024
Summary
Brookfield’s Catalytic Transition Fund is a case study in how the financial industry can spearhead sustainable development. Brookfield Asset Management announced an initial closing of $2.4 billion for the Catalytic Transition Fund, marking a significant milestone toward the target of raising up to $5 billion for deployment to clean energy and transition assets in emerging markets. $1 billion of capital was provided by ALTÉRRA, the world’s largest private investment vehicle for climate finance based in the United Arab Emirates, with the purpose of mobilizing investment at scale to finance a new climate economy. The fund is focused on deploying capital into clean energy and transition assets in emerging markets in South and Central America, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. This strategic partnership will help drive clean energy investment into emerging markets, where investment needs to increase sixfold over current levels to reach the $1.6 trillion required annually by the early 2030s in line with global net zero targets.
Reference IMD-2652
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Brookfield Asset Management
Industry Finance and Insurance, Private Equity
Available Languages English
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Case Study
China Resources Beer: Becoming future ready

The China Resources Beer (CR Beer) case study is a compelling narrative of the world’s largest beer producer by volume under the leadership of CEO Hou Xiaohai. In 2016 CR Beer embarked on a pivotal transformation journey. This case study offers critical insights that particularly resonate with Chinese corporations navigating similar challenges i…

China Digital Human Resources Strategy Diversity and Equity and Inclusion
By Mark J. Greeven and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2538, © 2024
China Resources Beer: Becoming future ready
By Mark J. Greeven and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2538 ©2024
Summary
The China Resources Beer (CR Beer) case study is a compelling narrative of the world’s largest beer producer by volume under the leadership of CEO Hou Xiaohai. In 2016 CR Beer embarked on a pivotal transformation journey. This case study offers critical insights that particularly resonate with Chinese corporations navigating similar challenges in an era marking the end of China’s rapid economic growth. Faced with industry saturation, changing consumer behaviors, the rise of digital technology and the imperative shift from expansive to high-quality growth, CR Beer’s story mirrors the predicament in which many Chinese companies find themselves today. The case delves into CR Beer’s strategic overhaul, how it optimized its vast 60,000-employee structure, streamlined operations and embraced digital transformation to remain competitive. CR Beer’s transformation was characterized by tackling “three mountains” – operational inefficiency due to numerous small factories with high costs and low-capacity utilization, weak brand presence in the high-end beer market and an underutilized and mismatched workforce. The study also highlights the company’s innovative approach to rebranding for younger consumers, integrating consumer insights into product development and exploring new business models. It underscores the importance of internal cultural shifts to support these external changes and the role of leadership in guiding transformation. CR Beer’s journey from traditional efficiency to future-readiness offers valuable lessons in managing large-scale organizational change, strategic management and business innovation. It provides essential insights for understanding the complexities of transformation in a rapidly evolving industry, making it a crucial read for those interested in organizational change, particularly in the context of the Chinese market and its unique challenges and opportunities.
Reference IMD-7-2538
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization China Resources Beer
Industry Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Sea2see: Seastainable vision

BARCELONA, JANUARY 2023. What started in 2016 as a humble entrepreneurial attempt to contribute to a more sustainable future had turned into a solid eyewear brand present in major Western markets. François van den Abeele was even more excited by the rapid development of the Sea2see Foundation, which he set up in Ghana. But success brought its ow…

Entrepreneurship Family Business General Management Global Business Marketing Sustainability
By Benoit F. Leleux and Thomas Brochier
Case reference: IMD-7-2564, © 2024
Sea2see: Seastainable vision
By Benoit F. Leleux and Thomas Brochier
Case reference: IMD-7-2564 ©2024
Summary
BARCELONA, JANUARY 2023. What started in 2016 as a humble entrepreneurial attempt to contribute to a more sustainable future had turned into a solid eyewear brand present in major Western markets. François van den Abeele was even more excited by the rapid development of the Sea2see Foundation, which he set up in Ghana. But success brought its own new questions and issues. From the start, he had relied on the superb craftmanship and dedication of an Italian frame manufacturer. Over time that relationship had turned into a mutual dependency: He was now one of its major clients but, reciprocally, had developed a key supplier risk. What if something happened to that relationship? Should he develop a broader set of suppliers and, if so, how could that be done without antagonizing a great working relationship? Recycling very much set the stage for the brand’s sustainability claims, but it also took massive amounts of time to manage. As other companies started to develop their own fishing net recycling supply chains, did it still make sense to invest so much time in the upstream phase or should he pour his energy into his beloved brand? Finally, maybe it was also time to revisit the growth/profitability dilemma and open up the capital to increase the speed of growth, all for the benefit of the environment as impact fed on scale.
Reference IMD-7-2564
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Sea2see
Industry Consumer Goods, Optical Products
Available Languages English
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Case Study
DIDA: Becoming a world leader in IT infrastructure

Five friends created DIDA in 1983 and turned it into a global provider of IT infrastructure and services. Riding the wave of rapid growth of communication networks and increasingly global business relationships of corporations, DIDA established its brand through its strong alignment with dominant infrastructure companies such as Cisco and Micros…

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption
By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2547, © 2024
DIDA: Becoming a world leader in IT infrastructure
By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2547 ©2024
Summary
Five friends created DIDA in 1983 and turned it into a global provider of IT infrastructure and services. Riding the wave of rapid growth of communication networks and increasingly global business relationships of corporations, DIDA established its brand through its strong alignment with dominant infrastructure companies such as Cisco and Microsoft. Navigating the end of the internet bubble, DIDA served as a major reseller of these companies’ products, adding value with its integration services by increasing its clients’ efficiency and enabling collaboration within corporate networks. By 2005 DIDA had resumed rapid growth through partnerships, equity-based alliances and, most prominently, acquisitions, which led to a network of subsidiaries in more than 50 countries and six continents. By the end of 2009, DIDA had shown its critics that it could grow and integrate. However, its revenue was growing faster than its profits and it was not poised to help corporations move to the next generation of internet technology which would require new capabilities for installing and managing large data centers for computing as a service (CaaS) and cloud computing. The case ends with DIDA’s CEO reviewing the prospects of shrinking core markets and displacement by technological disruption. He acknowledges the need to make choices and get ahead of technological trends again in a changing IT infrastructure landscape. DIDA could seek to further grow its core business or internalize new capabilities to get ready for a CaaS future. Should DIDA seek more profitable growth organically or through acquisitions?
Reference IMD-7-2547
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization DIDA (Disguised)
Industry Services, Telecommunications
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Down under the data: LPX explores listed private equity

LPX AG, founded in 2004 by Michel Degosciu and Robin Jakob, is a leader in listed alternatives, focusing on listed private equity (LPE) and listed infrastructure. With its pioneering LPX Listed Private Equity Index series and NMX Infrastructure Index series, LPX provides essential benchmarks and innovative index-linked products used globally by …

Finance Data Analytics
By Arthur Enders, Karl Schmedders and Maximilian Ulrich Werner
Case reference: IMD-7-2583, © 2024
Down under the data: LPX explores listed private equity
By Arthur Enders Karl Schmedders and Maximilian Ulrich Werner
Case reference: IMD-7-2583 ©2024
Summary
LPX AG, founded in 2004 by Michel Degosciu and Robin Jakob, is a leader in listed alternatives, focusing on listed private equity (LPE) and listed infrastructure. With its pioneering LPX Listed Private Equity Index series and NMX Infrastructure Index series, LPX provides essential benchmarks and innovative index-linked products used globally by asset managers. In February 2024, Michel returns from a skiing holiday, ready for a pivotal business trip to Sydney. He will meet with an investment advisory firm interested in developing new financial products based on LPX’s flagship indices, LPX50 and LPXBO. This meeting is crucial for enhancing LPX’s global market presence. Michel anticipates rigorous scrutiny from the Sydney analysts on the risk metrics and performance of LPE stocks. He plans to present a detailed analysis, showing when LPE stocks excel and underperform, integrating comprehensive risk factors for a nuanced understanding. The LPX50 Index captures the performance of the 50 largest LPE companies worldwide, while the LPXBO Index focuses on buyout strategies. Both indices have demonstrated superior long-term performance compared to the MSCI World Index, though with higher volatility. Michel’s analysis reveals that LPX indices offer risk-adjusted returns comparable to the MSCI World Index. Employing the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and a six-factor model, Michel quantifies the indices’ market risks and performance drivers, showcasing LPX’s sophisticated analytical capabilities. His goal is to demonstrate LPX’s expertise and the compelling investment potential of LPE, aiming to attract global investors and solidify LPX’s reputation for future growth.
Reference IMD-7-2583
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization LPX Group
Industry Finance and Insurance, Financial Services
Available Languages English
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Case Study
AllSaints: Balancing the heart and head for sustainable results

While retail company AllSaints had delivered a great performance in 2022 – with revenues of £470 million – it faced multiple challenges. First, keeping stores open was a fundamental strategy for the company to connect to customers and deliver a better employer proposition, but foot traffic had not returned to pre-pandemic levels and stores were …

Leadership
By Susan Goldsworthy and Nancy Lane
Case reference: IMD-7-2463, © 2024
AllSaints: Balancing the heart and head for sustainable results
By Susan Goldsworthy and Nancy Lane
Case reference: IMD-7-2463 ©2024
Summary
While retail company AllSaints had delivered a great performance in 2022 – with revenues of £470 million – it faced multiple challenges. First, keeping stores open was a fundamental strategy for the company to connect to customers and deliver a better employer proposition, but foot traffic had not returned to pre-pandemic levels and stores were not profitable. Second, the customer service department had experienced increased calls due to the digital channel and had requested more staff. However, it experienced a high turnover. Finally, the management team had agreed in mid-2021 to transition the customer service role away from the central team and toward stores but nothing had happened yet, resulting in a heavy customer workload on Black Friday. The case explores how AllSaints CEO Pete Wood examined and worked to resolve these issues.
Reference IMD-7-2463
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization AllSaints
Industry Consumer Services, Retail
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Building high-performance teams: The fire of Notre Dame de Paris

On 15 April 2019, the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris faced a devastating fire. The Brigade des Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris (BSPP) mobilized quickly, showcasing strategies in team dynamics, crisis management and coordination under pressure. The case provides an in-depth look at the operational choices and structural framework that allowed BSPP to sa…

Crisis Management Decision Making Resilience
By Sameh Abadir and Marc Chauvet
Case reference: IMD-7-2638, © 2024
Building high-performance teams: The fire of Notre Dame de Paris
By Sameh Abadir and Marc Chauvet
Case reference: IMD-7-2638 ©2024
Summary
On 15 April 2019, the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris faced a devastating fire. The Brigade des Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris (BSPP) mobilized quickly, showcasing strategies in team dynamics, crisis management and coordination under pressure. The case provides an in-depth look at the operational choices and structural framework that allowed BSPP to save critical parts of the cathedral. Through the case, students will explore key aspects of resilience, rapid decision making and organizational behavior in high-stakes scenarios.
Reference IMD-7-2638
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Brigade des Sapeurs-Pompiers de Paris
Industry Services, Public Safety;Services, Public Services
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Cocoacrafters: AI in the supply chain

In June 2024, at the CocoaCrafters Operating Centre, Elena Fever faced a crucial meeting with the board of directors. The discussion surrounded how to integrate Generative AI (GenAI) into the company’s supply chain strategy to enhance forecasting and simulation while maintaining ethical standards. CocoaCrafters (CC), a global confectionery leade…

Digital Disruption Artificial Intelligence
By Carlos Cordon, Arsen Sargasyn, Roberta Duarte, Siqi Chen and Yuvraj Mohite
Case reference: IMD-7-2593, © 2024
Cocoacrafters: AI in the supply chain
By Carlos Cordon Arsen Sargasyn Roberta Duarte Siqi Chen and Yuvraj Mohite
Case reference: IMD-7-2593 ©2024
Summary
In June 2024, at the CocoaCrafters Operating Centre, Elena Fever faced a crucial meeting with the board of directors. The discussion surrounded how to integrate Generative AI (GenAI) into the company’s supply chain strategy to enhance forecasting and simulation while maintaining ethical standards. CocoaCrafters (CC), a global confectionery leader, was renowned for its commitment to sustainable cocoa sourcing. Despite the board’s strong business acumen, they lagged on the digital agenda and for them the only success criterion was a convincing ROI. Elena’s challenges were amplified by the unknowns surrounding GenAI. Since ChatGPT’s debut, she had been urging her team to identify use cases that aligned with CC’s strategic priorities and met its ethical commitments. CC’s digital transformation had begun in 2010 and was marked by phases of awareness, strategic adoption, advanced technology integration and a digital-first culture by 2020. CC’s unsuccessful blockchain project underscored the need for careful planning and ethical considerations in adopting new technologies. CC aimed to use GenAI to optimize its supply chain by forecasting cocoa yields, predicting market trends and simulating environmental impacts. However, ethical concerns about labor conditions and data manipulation persisted. Elena considered the HITL-HOTL-HOL framework for human involvement in AI decisions, reflecting on input from FMCG executives and consulting experts. Despite a lack of specific GenAI decision-making frameworks, traditional strategic basic frameworks were emphasized. Elena presented the board with strategic choices: waiting, focused phased use cases, full integration, or strategic partnerships.
Reference IMD-7-2593
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization CocoaCrafters (Fictionalized)
Industry Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage
Available Languages English
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