IMD business school for management and leadership courses

Coal plays a critical role as an energy pillar in many parts of the world. In three of the world’s most populous countries – China, India and Indonesia – coal supplies more than 60% of electricity needs. However, coal is also one of the most polluting and greenhouse gas emission-intensive substances, holding the dubious title of the single largest contributor to global warming. Mining is one of the industries under scrutiny for its role in the coal supply chain. Amid growing negative public sentiment and investor pressure, the mining majors are pursuing different strategies regarding coal. Rio Tinto completely exited in 2018. Anglo American spun out its coal assets into a separate company, effectively putting the decision in shareholders’ hands. Meanwhile, Glencore held on to coal, declaring “managed decline” the most responsible approach. The case’s dilemma – “who has it right” – offers fertile ground for debate. Participants should analyze the pros and cons of the company’s strategies from different angles and explore the repercussions on various stakeholders, on shareholders and on the environment. The potential learnings from this case and previews of the difficult trade-offs leaders face extend beyond mining to many industries in transition.

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.

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.

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..

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.

CCI was The Coca-Cola Company’s local partner operating in Turkey and Central Asia. By the mid-2000s, CCI had grown from a single-country bottler to a multinational enterprise. Burak Başarır, CEO since 2014, had been the main driver in the transformation. Early in 2020, Başarır had just completed a successful investor tour when governments worldwide began to announce Covid-related lockdowns. CCI’s investors wanted Başarır to continue delivering increased performance and the international growth strategy, while doing more for environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). Başarır wondered whether he should focus on keeping employees safe, ESG or delivering the company’s financial and strategic objectives. He opted to do all three and the case follows him on this journey. Because this is a multifaced case, it can be used to teach strategy, leadership, and/or ESG.