Social commerce is a new trend in e-commerce that leverages individual relationships and affiliations to drive growth in online sales. The case compares two companies, Pinduoduo and Facebook/Instagram, and their different social commerce business models, notably social network based vs. social group based models. Social network platforms (like Facebook/Instagram in the US) generate supply-driven commerce ecosystems that leverage the social graph of individual relationships to drive sales through highly-connected influencers in an ad-based business model. Social group platforms (exemplified by Pinduoduo in China) generate a demand-driven commerce ecosystem based on rich, gamified interactions that don't depend on prior relationships in a direct sales business model. The case describes the recent evolution of social commerce such as the launch of Facebook Shops and Instagram Shops that resemble Pinduoduo's model.

Cloud computing, a concept unknown until relatively recently, has been adopted by organizations around the world, both large and small, as part of their computing strategy. Many companies have experienced the cost and flexibility advantages of cloud computing and are using various cloud computing models to solve their business problems. The case is focused on four key players and the strategies they have adopted in cloud computing: (1) Amazon AWS, (2) Microsoft Azure, (3) Google Cloud, and (4) Alibaba Cloud.

Circles.Life is the new telco challenger startup in Asia. Securing several rounds of funding from Sequoia Capital, Singapore's EDBI, Silicon Valley's Founders Fund, and Warburg Pincus for its fully-digital technology and business model innovation, it offers cloud-based telecommunications services around simplified data-focused plans, a simple onboarding process, and easy-to-use mobile app. The case explains how its 'fully digital' strategy improves upon established unit economics, enables rapid expansion beyond Asia, and diversification beyond voice and data offerings. Such innovations are often based on improvements in back-end infrastructure that differentiate the disruptor from competitors. In this case, Circles.Life develops a new technology stack with featuries in the e-commerce, network intelligence, and system operations layers that are substantial improvements over other MNVOs (mobile virtual network operators). These eliminate physical retail outlets, cut customer acquisition and service costs through automation, and allow the company to introduce non-telco services such as event ticketing, insurance, games and shops on the platform by early 2020. Meanwhile, 5G is promising to transform the telecom competitive landscape in Asia.

ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok, the viral short video app, made headline news when its valuation jumped to $75 billion, surpassing Uber ($72 billion) to become the world's most valuable start-up. ByteDance leveraged capabilities in consumer-focused artificial intelligence (AI) to become one of the first Chinese Big Tech digital platforms to succeed outside China, notably in the US and India. The case focuses on the strategic value of predictive AI on the supply and demand sides of digital content, illustrating how AI-based tools enable the production of viral content and customized delivery and consumption. It compares the Chinese and US approach to AI, drawing a distinction between their implementation and innovative capabilities. Other issues include the internationalization of digital platforms, notably the management of inappropriate and illegal content in the respective institutional settings, and China's unique approach to content filtering that combines AI with human censors. Competition with China's other Big Tech companies - Tencent and Baidu - is also discussed. The case can also be used as a general introduction to artificial intelligence, including a brief history of AI (Section 2), categorization of AI applications (Section 3), and a comparison of AI in China and the US (Section 4).

The case focuses on blockchain (and distributed ledger technology or DLT) - a 'hot' area of fintech - and on R3 as a fintech consortium that includes some of the world's largest banks, financial institutions and regulators. R3 started out as a family office in 2014 and evolved into a fintech company focused on the application of distributed ledger technology (DLT). Within three short years it had built a global consortium of 80 members from the financial services industry, including Barclays, J.P. Morgan, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and UBS. The consortium's efforts resulted in an open-source DLT called Corda, geared towards handling increasingly complex transactions and regulatory oversight. Although Corda was inspired by blockchain, R3 did not view it as a blockchain product. In May 2017, R3's Series A raised US$107 million in funding to continue the development and implementation of Corda and expand its Lab & Research Center. Barely a year later, speculation arose that R3 was exploring an IPO.

When Alibaba, China's leading digital platform and cloud-based services company, fails to acquire the US firm Moneygram, CEO Jack Ma decides to go it alone and develop a digital strategy using blockchain technology as the basis for a global remittance service, GCash, within its cloud services business. Alibaba's financial services affiliate Ant Financial, begins by targeting cross-border money transfers made by domestic workers in Hong Kong who routinely send money to their families in the Philippines. It subsequently forms a strategic alliance with Globe Telecom and Standard Chartered Bank which provide market access and financial intermediation. The case focuses on the value proposition of blockchain in cross-border financial services, particularly in Southeast Asia, and how it fits into Alibaba's "iron triangle" cloud services strategy in the region where there is fierce competition from Google and Digital Ocean. Blockchain technology is utilized to disintermediate the US-based SWIFT system and the dominant remittance service providers, Moneygram and Western Union, that charge high fees. As an illustration of how to launch proprietary cypto- and blockchain-based networks, the case explains how they differ from digital platforms, and how they are complementary, such as network effects and synergies with Alibaba's installed customer base.

This is not your typical family business case and that is what makes it such a rich teaching tool and learning experience. The Paul Newman story covers several family business topics and issues including Fair Process, philanthropy, social ventures, estate and succession planning, governance, next generation roles, entrepreneurship, family communication and relationships, and non-family executives. The sense of fairness is achieved with effective family communication and governance that builds trust to support long-term family commitment. The Newman case demonstrates the difficulty of making ownership, governance and leadership decisions that are effective and perceived as fair by the next generation.

The case focuses on the main issues faced by two US-listed Chinese companies - Orient Paper (NYSE MKT: ONP) and New Oriental Education and Technology Group (NYSE: EDU) - when they were attacked by Muddy Waters, LLC. Interestingly, the seemingly similar responses of the two "Orientals" resulted in widely disparate outcomes, offering lessons to emerging market firms eager to embrace the global capital markets. The case aims to help students understand the mechanism of short selling in the context of "bear" attacks, and expose the problems that attract short sellers' attention, as well as the actions companies can take to deal with them. It also explains the normative role that short selling plays in the market: to discipline corporate behaviour and improve market efficiency.

One of the biggest challenges for multinational corporations (MNCs) is to determine and consolidate their borders. In order to do so, MNCs increasingly strive to create value innovation, particularly within their internal capital market. Accordingly, their corporate treasury functions have witnessed three stages of major evolution in the 21st century.

China represents a significant share of global foreign direct investment but its currency comprises a mere 1.5% of all global foreign exchange transactions. This case describes the measures introduced by the Chinese government to promote the use of the renminbi (RMB) in cross-border trade, financing and other internationalization initiatives, as well as the associated challenges.

Until 2002, Roche's treasury activities were decentralized. Then a number of external factors resulted in the multinational company recording a loss of CHF5,192 million. Determined to build a more robust centralized treasury system, Roche conceptualized and implemented an in-house bank (IHB) coupled with cash pooling from its affiliates worldwide.

This case explains how Lenovo succeeded in achieving its goals of financial globalization. This was largely accomplished through the combination of its corporate treasury centre and a re-invoicing structure. Lenovo's experience would be of special interest to both emerging market companies pursuing globalization strategies and multinational corporations interested in developing market businesses.

In 2002, Tyco International experienced a corporate crisis which put the conglomerate in danger of bankruptcy. The case follows how the company succesfully tackled a short-term liquidity crisis as well as the steps taken to establish a global treasury management structure to position Tyco going forward.