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Latest Case Studies
Case Study Business to Business Entrepreneurship Finance Strategy Supply Chain
Nine Realms: Independent vs. corporate venture capital
This case is designed to discuss the tradeoffs between independent venture capital (IVC) and corporate venture capital (CVC). Students also have the opportunity to analyze two startup investment opportunities based on Nine Realms’ criteria. The case concludes with a discussion about a strategic choice faced by Nine Realms: should it continue as …
By Salvatore Cantale Janet Shaner Matthew Simmons and Sune Stilling
Case reference: IMD-7-2407 ©2023
Nine Realms: Independent vs. corporate venture capital
By Salvatore Cantale Janet Shaner Matthew Simmons and Sune Stilling
Case reference: IMD-7-2407 ©2023
Summary
This case is designed to discuss the tradeoffs between independent venture capital (IVC) and corporate venture capital (CVC). Students also have the opportunity to analyze two startup investment opportunities based on Nine Realms’ criteria. The case concludes with a discussion about a strategic choice faced by Nine Realms: should it continue as an IVC, list on the stock market or shift to a CVC? This allows students to debate the tradeoffs between the two approaches for the individuals involved.
Reference IMD-7-2407
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Nine Realms
Industry Finance and Insurance, Venture Capital;Logistics and Supply Chain
Language English
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Case Study Sustainability Strategy
Tackling scope 3 emissions through partnerships
Companies are now aiming to decarbonize their supply chains by tackling scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions along the value chain). Scope 3 emissions are difficult for companies to manage because they reside outside the companies’ direct control, and for this reason, they always require partnerships. However, partnerships are not easy, and it …
By Amanda Williams and Knut Bjarne Haanaes
Case reference: IMD-7-2422 ©2023
Tackling scope 3 emissions through partnerships
By Amanda Williams and Knut Bjarne Haanaes
Case reference: IMD-7-2422 ©2023
Summary
Companies are now aiming to decarbonize their supply chains by tackling scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions along the value chain). Scope 3 emissions are difficult for companies to manage because they reside outside the companies’ direct control, and for this reason, they always require partnerships. However, partnerships are not easy, and it is difficult to determine exactly which partnership will best achieve the desired sustainability objectives. This case study focuses on the sustainability partnership portfolio of ZUCCA, a fictitious company in the food and agriculture sector that is looking to dramatically reduce its scope 3 emissions. ZUCCA’s new chief sustainability officer (CSO) is considering the future of the company’s sustainability partnerships portfolio and evaluating which partnership will best help the company dramatically reduce scope 3 emissions. The CSO considers partnering with three different NGOs: the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF); and the World Economic Forum (WEF).
Reference IMD-7-2422
Copyright ©2023
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Industry Philanthropy, Non-profit Organizations Management
Language English
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Case Study General Management Human Resources Leadership Marketing Operations
Pioneering customer experience transformation in Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development
The Human Resources and Social Development Ministry (HRSD) was one of the largest and most important ministries in Saudi Arabia, with 22,000 employees serving more than 30 million customers and beneficiaries. The ministry consisted of four sectors – labor which served and regulated the private and non-profit sectors; civil service which served g…
By Goutam Challagalla Mahwesh Khan and Pallivathukkal Cherian Abraham
Case reference: IMD-7-2403 ©2023
Case Study Strategy
Netflix (D): Streaming wars (Cartoon case)
This case is part of a series on Netflix. Case (A) discusses the company’s growth until July 2011. Case (B) tells the story of Netflix’s sharp share price decline after it announced it was splitting the business in two and increasing prices. Case (C) covers the years 2012/13, when Netflix found its way back to success. Seeing that the industry b…
By Stefan Michel and Sarah Von Blumenthal
Case reference: IMD-7-2155 ©2023
Case Study Sustainability Diversity and Equity and Inclusion
J.M. Huber Corporation: Testing the limits of resilience capabilities
As circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to shift and evolve, J.M. Huber Corporation (Huber) remained focused on protecting its employees, maintaining business continuity, and on advancing its multi-year sustainability strategy. The efforts of Mike Marberry, the President & CEO, the Huber Management Council (HMC), the family sharehold…
By Sameh Abadir and Marta Widz
Case reference: IMD-7-2412 ©2023
Case Study Entrepreneurship Family Business Leadership Sustainability
Maria Ahlström-Bondestam: Together everyone achieves more (Video case)
This case presents the unique approach to philanthropy of the Ahlström family. A group of 25 fifth-generation female Ahlström family members founded the Eva Ahlström foundation in 2010, in the name of the family matriarch Eva Ahlström (1848–1920), who was a big contributor to society in her time. This led to the establishment of the Ahlström Co…
By Peter Vogel and Malgorzata Smulowitz
Case reference: IMD-7-2414 ©2022
Case Study General Management Global Business Strategy Digital
Novartis: The right prescription for a pharma company?
In June 2022, pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG announced it was cutting 8,000 jobs, i.e., 7% of its global workforce, as part of a restructuring plan that involved integrating its pharmaceuticals and oncology units into an Innovative Medicines business. By reorganizing as separate US and international commercial setups, making operational improv…
By Amit M. Joshi and Ivy Buche
Case reference: IMD-7-2404 ©2022
Novartis: The right prescription for a pharma company?
By Amit M. Joshi and Ivy Buche
Case reference: IMD-7-2404 ©2022
Summary
In June 2022, pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG announced it was cutting 8,000 jobs, i.e., 7% of its global workforce, as part of a restructuring plan that involved integrating its pharmaceuticals and oncology units into an Innovative Medicines business. By reorganizing as separate US and international commercial setups, making operational improvements and reducing duplications in the business, the company’s goal was to increase focus, strengthen competitiveness and drive synergies. According to market analysts, Novartis stock was undervalued. CEO Vasant Narasimhan was driving a strategy for Novartis to become a 100% medicines company powered by advanced therapy platforms and data science. He carried out bolt-on acquisitions, investing approximately $30 billion since 2018 in more than 10 deals. However, the company faced several challenges: integrating the acquired companies, stiff competition from peers, a looming patent cliff, setbacks in clinical trials of innovative drugs, scandals around kickbacks, data falsification and price collusion, and a recent overhaul of the top management team following the restructuring moves. While the makeover of Novartis was underway, the CEO had to chart the strategic roadmap to power the next phase of innovation, growth, productivity and value creation. What would the roadmap look like? What should the company prioritize for the short term and initiate for long-term success?
Reference IMD-7-2404
Copyright ©2022
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Novartis
Industry Health Care, Pharmaceuticals
Language English
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Case Study Business to Business China Digital Disruption General Management Strategy
Midea: The digital transformation of a home appliances giant
Over the past decade, Asian companies have been launching accelerated and wide-ranging digital transformation initiatives. This has enabled some of them to become leading national and even international players, as well as digital pioneers in their respective industries. This case examines the successful digital transformation undertaken by the…
By Mark J. Greeven Yunfei Feng and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2425 ©2022
Midea: The digital transformation of a home appliances giant
By Mark J. Greeven Yunfei Feng and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2425 ©2022
Summary
Over the past decade, Asian companies have been launching accelerated and wide-ranging digital transformation initiatives. This has enabled some of them to become leading national and even international players, as well as digital pioneers in their respective industries. This case examines the successful digital transformation undertaken by the Chinese company Midea, one of the world’s leading home appliance manufacturers. By digitally transforming the company, Midea improved its financial performance and reshaped its business on a wider scale. While many cases that address digital transformation focus on the early phases of the process, Midea’s case illustrates a successfully completed digital business transformation. This allows participants to have an overview of the entire digital transformation journey and see what the potential outcomes might be.
Reference IMD-7-2425
Copyright ©2022
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Midea
Industry Consumer Goods, Home Appliances
Language English
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Case Study Strategy Disruption General Management Leadership
Outpacing strategy and business trajectory management
Outpacing strategy, first described by IMD professors Xavier Gilbert and Paul Strebel, is based on the ability to shift strategic innovation between perceived product value (the quality of the value proposition) and delivered cost (the efficiency of the value delivery system). First movers with an outpacing strategy gain a competitive advantage …
By Paul Strebel
Case reference: IMD-7-2435 ©2022
Case Study Disruption Strategy General Management
Industry breakpoints and business model evolution
Industry breakpoints were identified by IMD Professor Paul Strebel before the disruptive technology innovations described by Clayton Christensen. Breakpoints are characterized by “A new offering to the market that is so much superior that it changes the rules of the competitive game, accompanied by a sharp shift in the industry’s growth rate and…
By Paul Strebel
Case reference: IMD-7-2434 ©2022
Case Study Disruption Entrepreneurship General Management Global Business Operations Strategy
Cross-cultural virtual collaboration (C): Italian rotogravure team
The case series is an experiential exercise in virtual collaboration based on the commercial printing industry. Teams are located in Switzerland, Germany and Italy. One team is mandated to oversee the production of two prototype printers, while the other two teams are responsible for producing the new flexographic and rotogravure protypes. The t…
By Sameh Abadir and Nancy Lane
Case reference: IMD-7-2231 ©2022
Cross-cultural virtual collaboration (C): Italian rotogravure team
By Sameh Abadir and Nancy Lane
Case reference: IMD-7-2231 ©2022
Summary
The case series is an experiential exercise in virtual collaboration based on the commercial printing industry. Teams are located in Switzerland, Germany and Italy. One team is mandated to oversee the production of two prototype printers, while the other two teams are responsible for producing the new flexographic and rotogravure protypes. The teams are given strict deadlines, budgets and operating constraints. The C case assigns the Italian team responsibility for manufacturing the rotogravure prototype.
Reference IMD-7-2231
Copyright ©2022
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Industry Media, Printing and Publishing;Manufacturing, Packaging and Containers
Language English
Contact

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Case Study Disruption Entrepreneurship General Management Global Business Operations Strategy
Cross-cultural virtual collaboration (B): German flexographic team
The case series is an experiential exercise in virtual collaboration based on the commercial printing industry. Teams are located in Switzerland, Germany and Italy. One team is mandated to oversee the production of two prototype printers, while the other two teams are responsible for producing the new flexographic and rotogravure protypes. The t…
By Sameh Abadir and Nancy Lane
Case reference: IMD-7-2230 ©2022
Cross-cultural virtual collaboration (B): German flexographic team
By Sameh Abadir and Nancy Lane
Case reference: IMD-7-2230 ©2022
Summary
The case series is an experiential exercise in virtual collaboration based on the commercial printing industry. Teams are located in Switzerland, Germany and Italy. One team is mandated to oversee the production of two prototype printers, while the other two teams are responsible for producing the new flexographic and rotogravure protypes. The teams are given strict deadlines, budgets and operating constraints. The B case assigns the German team responsibility for manufacturing the flexographic prototype..
Reference IMD-7-2230
Copyright ©2022
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Industry Media, Printing and Publishing;Manufacturing, Packaging and Containers
Language English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study Disruption Entrepreneurship General Management Global Business Operations Strategy
Cross-cultural virtual collaboration (A): Swiss project management team
The case series is an experiential exercise in virtual collaboration based on the commercial printing industry. Teams are located in Switzerland, Germany and Italy. One team is mandated to oversee the production of two prototype printers, while the other two teams are responsible for producing the new flexographic and rotogravure protypes. The t…
By Sameh Abadir and Nancy Lane
Case reference: IMD-7-2229 ©2022
Cross-cultural virtual collaboration (A): Swiss project management team
By Sameh Abadir and Nancy Lane
Case reference: IMD-7-2229 ©2022
Summary
The case series is an experiential exercise in virtual collaboration based on the commercial printing industry. Teams are located in Switzerland, Germany and Italy. One team is mandated to oversee the production of two prototype printers, while the other two teams are responsible for producing the new flexographic and rotogravure protypes. The teams are given strict deadlines, budgets and operating constraints. The A case mandates the Swiss team with overall responsibility for managing the production of the two prototypes.
Reference IMD-7-2229
Copyright ©2022
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Industry Media, Printing and Publishing;Manufacturing, Packaging and Containers
Language English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Case Study Digital Disruption Sustainability Global Business Leadership Strategy
Future-proofing HEINEKEN: The EverGreen strategy
Dolf van den Brink, CEO of HEINEKEN, left the company’s global headquarters in Amsterdam for a company retreat. Over the next three days, the entire executive team would gather to discuss the company’s future. The preliminary results for 2022, presented during the recent two-day Capital Markets Event, were positive, and the company’s progress on…
By Niccolò Pisani and Inès Augier
Case reference: IMD-7-2423 ©2023
Case Study Disruption General Management Global Business Strategy
Swarovski: How to shine through stormy weather?
It was on Monday. 4 July 2022, when Swarovski’s newly appointed, first-ever external CEO, Alexis Nasard, began his challenging journey of guiding the company back to a profitable growth trajectory. In past years, Swarovski experienced strong market growth and share gains from its well-established position in the costume jewelry segment. However,…
By Niccolò Pisani and Stéphane J. G. Girod
Case reference: IMD-7-2430 ©2023