Old tires are cumbersome, environmentally unfriendly and materially complex. A cost-effective, sustainable technological solution for dealing with them could contribute significantly to the circular economy and generate major social and economic benefits. The Swiss-based company Tyre Recycling Solutions has developed a breakthrough technology with the potential to provide a solution. This case examines the pillars of the circular economy and the EU’s efforts to support it, presents the tire sector’s multifaceted ecosystem, leads the reader through the complex tire manufacturing process and the tire supply chain, and then discusses TRS’s proposed solution. Students will be asked to respond to the following question: How can TRS’s CEO make the company financially sustainable, so that it can make the tire industry sustainable?
Optimizing omnichannel assortments and inventory provisions under the multichannel attraction model
Summary
Assortment optimization presents a complex challenge for retailers, as it depends on numerous decision factors. Changes in assortment can result in demand redistribution with multi-layered consequences. This complexity is even more pronounced for ...
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Boundary conditions for organizations in the Anthropocene: A review of the planetary boundaries framework 10 years on
Summary
We systematically review business research concerning the planetary boundaries framework: A natural science framework that identifies nine Earth system boundaries that govern the safe operating space for humanity. Ten years after the introduction ...
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Algorithms and ecosystems: AI in biodiversity conservation
Summary
The rise of AI-assisted tools will make it easier for businesses to engage with the complexities of nature and its ecosystems and will open up new opportunities for nature-related businesses.
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Candles Killer: Lighting up the world at the bottom of the pyramid
Summary
Shenzhen Power-Solution (SPS), founded in 2009 in China as an entrepreneurial venture, disrupted traditional lighting markets in African villages with its flagship product, Candles Killer. This solar lamp, priced under $5, replaces hazardous kerosene lamps and has an optimized design (9 components, water-bottle stands). The candles killer solar lamp addresses the critical need for affordable, safe and sustainable lighting for people at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP), a huge market that multinationals struggle to reach. By achieving both low cost and differentiation, SPS created a blue ocean market. The company has made remarkable progress in its mission to provide solar lighting to underserved communities: by 2023, it illuminated over 55 million people across 7.8 million households in 66 countries. Beyond social impact, SPS achieved environmental sustainability at scale, reducing cumulative carbon emissions by 6.7 million tons, the equivalent of planting 368 million evergreen trees. Candles Killer's success led SPS to expand its product line into a solar home system for phone charging and multi-bulb lighting. SPS also introduced Solar Media, a platform with pre-loaded content (medical tips, farming methods, education) to share vital knowledge in remote regions.
Reference
IMD-2661
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Shenzhen Power-Solution
Industry
Energy;Utilities, Electricity Supply;Consumer Goods, Consumer Electronics
Available Languages
English
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Five Questions for Executives On Energy Transition
Summary
Should you lead or follow, move fast or slow, go it alone or seek partners? Here’s how to get the key decisions right when aiming for a sustainable transformation.
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How to get sustainable business transformation right
Summary
Sustainable corporate change is a challenging feat to pull off. Julia Binder examines the barriers and drivers of change to increase your chances of success.
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Essential interpersonal skills for effective leadership
Summary
This note provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and developing the core interpersonal processes essential for effective leadership. It identifies and explores seven key processes: Communication, Visioning, Alliance Building, Persuasion, Exercising Power, Negotiation and Conflict Management. Each process is examined in detail, along with its supporting skills and practical applications. The note emphasizes how these processes interconnect and build upon each other to create a robust leadership framework. Communication establishes a foundation of trust and clarity, which enables visioning to align teams toward common goals. Alliance building creates strategic partnerships that support the vision, while persuasion deepens these alliances. Power leverages these relationships to direct resources and maintain momentum, negotiation harmonizes diverse interests, and conflict management ensures disagreements don't disrupt progress. The note also identifies five core supporting capabilities that enable effective engagement in these processes: Mindful Presence, Emotional Intelligence, Communication Mastery, Strategic Thinking and Adaptability. These capabilities form a progressive framework that allows leaders to navigate complex situations, connect meaningfully with others and make informed strategic decisions. Comprehensive and practical, this note serves as both a theoretical framework and an actionable toolkit for leaders seeking to enhance their interpersonal effectiveness. It includes an extensive reading list organized by process, providing resources for deeper exploration of each area.
Reference
IMD-7-2641
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Available Languages
English
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Six strategies for making better decisions under pressure
Summary
This note presents a comprehensive framework for improving decision-making capabilities in high-pressure, high-stakes environments. It introduces six evidence-based strategies that help leaders maintain clarity, focus and effectiveness when facing complex decisions under stress. The note explores each strategy in detail: managing emotional responses, strengthening situational awareness, training for cognitive agility, using structured decision-making models, enhancing decision speed and practicing under pressure. For each strategy, it provides specific tools and practical applications, illustrated through the case study of AcuWave, a mid-sized consumer electronics firm navigating challenging product launch decisions. Key tools examined include emotional self-regulation techniques, the OODA loop for situational awareness, pre-mortem analysis for cognitive agility, weighted decision matrices for structured decision-making, the 40-70 rule for balancing speed and accuracy, and crisis simulations for practical application. The note emphasizes that effective decision making under pressure integrates emotional regulation, cognitive flexibility, and structured processes. This practical guide serves as a valuable resource for leaders seeking to develop more robust decision-making capabilities in fast-paced business environments. By implementing these strategies, leaders can improve their ability to assess high-stakes situations quickly, make sound judgments with confidence, and maintain team effectiveness even under volatile and uncertain conditions.
Reference
IMD-2676
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Available Languages
English
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The new protein buzz: Can Legendary Foods Africa feed the world with insects
Summary
The case describes Legendary Foods Africa, a food-tech company founded in 2020 in Ghana by Canadian entrepreneur Shobhita Soor. Legendary Foods Africa is focused on farming, processing and selling palm weevil larvae products for human consumption. Palm weevil larvae, a traditional local food, are rich in protein, healthy fats and essential nutrients. The company’s mission is to provide affordable, sustainable and nutritious protein to local populations of West and Central Africa. Legendary Foods Africa uses innovative vertical farming techniques to cultivate larvae year-round. This method avoids having to rely on deforestation; in this way it provides efficient production with a minimal environmental footprint. The larvae are sold fresh or frozen as a meat and fish substitute but are also processed into protein-rich products like chili sauce and cookies, offering shelf-stable options for a wider audience. Four years after launch, the company had grown into a 70-person operation and was about to become profitable. Soor was considering various expansion strategies that included growing into new African and Asian markets, broadening the product range and shifting toward a business-to-business sales model. The company would need additional capital to scale production for its expansion plans.
Reference
IMD-7-2632
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Legendary Foods Africa
Industry
Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage
Available Languages
English
Contact
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Environmental commitment: Do firms walk the talk? An exploratory study of Italian listed companies
Summary
This study investigates whether the recent surge in corporate disclosure of environmental commitment was followed by improvements in corporate environmental performance over time. Focusing on Italian listed companies in the period 2019–2022, the s...
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