At the turn of the century, Umicore was a mining company far from being sustainable – a business of extracting finite resources from the ground combined with high CO2 intensity. Today, Umicore pivoted to take the wind from behind: it became a truly innovative technology firm operating at the frontier of metallurgy, chemistry and materials science, leader in clean mobility and recycling, which together represent more than 75% of its revenue. Umicore transitioned from being a sustainability laggard, exposed and with limited long-term growth prospects to a true sustainability champion, a front-runner in the mining and materials industry paving the way to reinvent the way we use finite resources.
DSM: Transforming to a sustainable business model
Summary
DSM was incorporated in the beginning of the 20th century as a mining company. With the depletion of Netherland’s coal resources, the company pivot...
Reference
IMD-7-2254
Copyright
©2022
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Dutch State Mines
Industry
Manufacturing, Chemicals;Materials, Metals and Mining
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Umicore: From laggard to sustainability champion
Summary
At the turn of the century, Umicore was a mining company far from being sustainable – a business of extracting finite resources from the ground com...
Reference
IMD-7-2255
Copyright
©2022
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Umicore
Industry
Materials, Metals and Mining
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Ørsted: On the path to net zero
Summary
Until 2009, the Danish oil and gas company Orsted was a worldwide leader in energy production from fossil fuels. Spurred by the 2009 Copenhagen cli...
Reference
IMD-7-2253
Copyright
©2022
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
Ørsted, Dong Energy, BP
Industry
Energy
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Business and Science - Partners for sustainability
Summary
Business sustainability can be promoted by reconciling corporate objectives with scientific insights.
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Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
SURFing the TSUNAMI: A framework for assessing and adapting in turbulent times
Summary
This technical note introduces two powerful frameworks for navigating complex, rapidly changing business environments: TSUNAMI and SURF. The TSUNAMI framework provides a comprehensive tool for assessing external challenges across seven dimensions: technological disruption, socio-economic shifts, upheaval potential, network vulnerability, accelerating climate impacts, market transformation, and impact intensity. The SURF framework complements this by focusing on developing adaptive organizational capabilities: strategic thinking, unified ecosystem leadership, resilient organization and flexible tenacity. The note offers detailed explanations of each framework, practical assessment tools and guidance on their application. It serves as a standalone resource for leaders and organizations seeking to enhance their ability to thrive in turbulent times. Additionally, it provides the theoretical foundation for the GreenGro case series (A) and (B) (IMD-7-2627 and IMD-7-2628), which illustrates the practical application of these frameworks in a real-world scenario. Whether used independently or in conjunction with the GreenGro cases, this technical note equips readers with valuable tools for systematic analysis of complex business environments and development of adaptive organizational capabilities. It is designed to be relevant across various industries and applicable to different levels of management education, from advanced undergraduates to executive education participants.
Reference
IMD-7-2629
Copyright
©2024
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Available Languages
English
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Lessons from a legacy: Keeping business and family in balance to create a multigenerational enterprise
Summary
Bruce Grossman shares his family’s journey from mining to building Arca Continental, Latin America's second-largest Coca-Cola bottler, and their commitment to legacy and impact.
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GreenGro (A): Cultivating a future
Summary
The GreenGro (A) case explores the challenges faced by GreenGro, a mid-sized agricultural technology company, as it navigates a rapidly changing industry landscape. CEO Sarah Chen and her leadership team are confronting issues ranging from technological disruption and shifting customer demographics to climate change impacts and supply chain vulnerabilities. The case provides a rich context for applying the TSUNAMI framework to diagnose multifaceted challenges and the SURF framework to develop critical organizational capabilities. These two frameworks are summarized in a technical note: “Surfing the TSUNAMI: A framework for assessing and adapting in turbulent times” (IMD-7-2629). The case presents students with the opportunity to analyze complex business situations, develop strategic responses and understand the interconnected nature of external challenges and internal adaptive capabilities. A follow-up case, “GreenGro (B): SURFing the TSUNAMI” (IMD-7-2628), is available to showcase how the company applied these frameworks to navigate its challenges. It provides students with insights into the practical application of the TSUNAMI and SURF frameworks in a real-world scenario.
Reference
IMD-7-2627
Copyright
©2024
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
GreenGro (Fictionalized)
Available Languages
English
Contact
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GreenGro (B): SURFing the TSUNAMI
Summary
The GreenGro (B) case study is a follow-up to GreenGro (A) and details how the company applied the TSUNAMI and SURF frameworks to address its complex challenges. The case illustrates the practical implementation of these frameworks, introduced in the technical note “Surfing the TSUNAMI: A framework for assessing and adapting in turbulent times” (IMD-7-2629). The case details how GreenGro's leadership team systematically analyzed their external environment using the TSUNAMI framework, identifying key challenges in areas such as technological disruption, socio-economic shifts and climate impacts. It then showcases how the company focused on developing its internal adaptive capabilities using the SURF framework, focusing on strategic thinking, unified ecosystem leadership, resilient organization and flexible tenacity. By presenting GreenGro’s strategic responses and the outcomes of its decisions, this case provides students with a real-world example of how organizations can navigate turbulent business environments. It offers insights into the process of translating framework-based analysis into actionable strategies and the challenges of implementing significant organizational changes.
Reference
IMD-7-2628
Copyright
©2024
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
GreenGro (Fictionalized)
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Lead the change: Pushing past roadblocks to drive sustainable business transformation in Europe
Summary
In today’s rapidly changing world, the urgency to maintain focus on sustainability has never been greater. While the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution demands immediate action, new challenges such as geopo...
Copyright
©2025
Copyright owner
Mixed Copyright
Available Languages
English
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Eliminating roadblocks to sustainable business transformation
Summary
Companies need clear guidance to achieve sustainable business transformation. A practical roadmap identifying drivers for effective change can make success more likely.
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The seven stages of culture transformation
Summary
This note presents an integrated model for organizational culture transformation, addressing common pitfalls and barriers to successful change. It outlines seven key elements: (1) defining the target culture, (2) clarifying leadership’s role, (3) driving change through team cascades, (4) building a culture coalition, (5) aligning HR systems, (6) fostering employee engagement, and (7) measuring progress and making adjustments. The approach combines top-down direction with bottom-up engagement and emphasizes the crucial role of middle management in facilitating change. It provides actionable strategies for each element, including how to assess current culture, develop culture commitments, empower teams, train culture champions, redesign HR practices, implement feedback mechanisms and establish metrics for measuring cultural change. It also incorporates established change management principles to address resistance and ensure sustainable transformation. By offering a comprehensive framework that balances structural and human elements of change, this note equips executives and HR leaders with the tools to navigate the complexities of cultural transformation.
Reference
IMD-7-2615
Copyright
©2024
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Available Languages
English
Contact
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Use head, heart, and hands to lead sustainable transformation
Summary
Effective leadership, a clear narrative, and a shared vision are vital ingredients for bringing lasting change.
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