Elsa Blix, (fictitious), a political appointee in the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Sweden, tackles two undersecretary positions. In the first (Case A), she is ignored and has to carve out her own remit in order to make a legitimate contribution to Sweden's chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC). She chooses a subject well known to her and employs an egalitarian approach, taking on much of the work herself. In the second (Case B), she has a defined role, but repeatedly meets resistance from the permanent employees of the division. This time she has to find a way to bring them all on-side in order to deliver a massive amount of data within a tight deadline. The seccond case is set against the background of the Arctic Council which Sweden chaired from 2011 to 2013.
Elsa Blix, (fictitious), a political appointee in the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Sweden, tackles two undersecretary positions. In the first (Case A), she is ignored and has to carve out her own remit in order to make a legitimate contribution to Sweden's chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC). She chooses a subject well known to her and employs an egalitarian approach, taking on much of the work herself. In the second (Case B), she has a defined role, but repeatedly meets resistance from the permanent employees of the division. This time she has to find a way to bring them all on-side in order to deliver a massive amount of data within a tight deadline. The seccond case is set against the background of the Arctic Council which Sweden chaired from 2011 to 2013.
The brief case 'Donna Wilde and the Weathermen' sets the stage for a discussion of how to lead teams in an environment undergoing exponential change. The team has spent years working on a project about which they are passionate, but the CEO is skeptical and it gets put on ice. Wilde is left pondering if and how they can exert the leadership needed to bring the project back to life. The case is based on the experiences of a real team and company (whose identities are disguised).
The case describes the cross-cultural challenges experienced by a French market researcher engaged to do an investment country report in Mauritania. To gain the trust of the 'gatekeeper' of the information he needs, he has the opportunity to immerse himself in traditional culture by experiencing nomadic life in the desert. Pressured by headquarters, yet needing to be sensitive to local culture, he has to decide how far he is prepared to go to get the job done.
The case describes the cross-cultural challenges experienced by a French market researcher engaged to do an investment country report in Mauritania. To gain the trust of the 'gatekeeper' of the information he needs, he has the opportunity to immerse himself in traditional culture by experiencing nomadic life in the desert. Pressured by headquarters, yet needing to be sensitive to local culture, he has to decide how far he is prepared to go to get the job done.
The case describes the cross-cultural challenges experienced by a French market researcher engaged to do an investment country report in Mauritania. To gain the trust of the 'gatekeeper' of the information he needs, he has the opportunity to immerse himself in traditional culture by experiencing nomadic life in the desert. Pressured by headquarters, yet needing to be sensitive to local culture, he has to decide how far he is prepared to go to get the job done.