The case captures the challenges Komatsu, the second largest manufacturer of the earth moving equipment faced during the past five decades as it sought to globalize its operations. By 2007, it had become the second largest manufacturer of the earth moving equipment with more than 80% of its sales coming from outside of Japan. It has built a network of plants, distributors and service centers around the world. Senior management is convinced that a major reason for its success is its culture, recently articulated as the Komatsu Way. The central issue in the case is how to transmit and embed it to its far flung operations throughout the world.
The company, once an outstanding Japan-based global leader in electronics and major appliances, suffered poor performance during the 1990s. Kunio Nakamura became CEO in 2001 and sought to transform the company in a fundamental way. Examines the company's history, distinct management system, and culture as well as the challenges facing Nakamura. Also examines his initial efforts.
A leading Japanese general trading company with an extensive global presence is in the process of transformation. For some time, in response to the rapidly changing business environment, the company has made serious efforts to transform itself from an organization specializing in trading to one with diverse activities, including trading. Examines the challenges facing the organization throughout that process. Includes color exhibits.
On Wednesday, May 29, 2002, the board of directors of Renault-Nissan BV (RNBV) met for the first time to discuss the state of the alliance between Renault SA and Nissan Motors-two of the world's largest automakers. RNBV was a 50/50 joint venture company established in March of that year to oversee the strategy of the alliance and all activities undertaken jointly by Renault and Nissan. The new company would "steer alliance strategy and supervise common activities on a global level, while respecting the identity and culture of each company and not interfering in operations." Executives at both companies believed much had been accomplished in the first three years of the alliance. Nissan, under Carlos Ghosn's leadership, had improved its finances dramatically and was rapidly reemerging as a major player in the global auto industry. Moreover, the alliance partners were in line with their initial forecast of $3.3 billion in cost savings and synergies promised by 2002, according to their internal reporting. As the board prepared to meet, Louis Schweitzer and Ghosn believed the alliance faced difficult challenges ahead. To what extent would the two companies be able to realize further savings and synergies, particularly in the areas of manufacturing and additional sales? How should the RNBV board address issues that had surfaced as employees of the two firms worked together across disparate corporate and national cultures, functions, and geographies? Ultimately, would the two firms be able to strike a balance between deepening their alliance while "respecting the identity and culture of each company and not interfering in operations?"
Carlos Ghosn, a former executive vice-president of Renault, became the COO of Nissan Motor Co., a troubled auto company in Japan when Renault bought 38% of the company in 1999. This case deals with how Ghosn turned the company around. Examines in considerable detail how he went about successfully energizing and mobilizing the demoralized employees after a decade of failed efforts. A rewritten version of an earlier case.
A young Italian MBA working for a Swiss multinational is sent to India to establish a subsidiary and implement the strategy he prepared at headquarters as a strategic planner. This case focuses on three core strategic decisions he must make as his plan is challenged by his local Indian management team and Schindler's European plants supplying him. A rewritten version of an earlier case.
Carlos Ghosn, a former executive vice president of Renault, became the COO of Nissan Motor Co., a troubled auto company in Japan when Renault bought 38% of the company in 1999. This case deals with how Ghosn turned the company around. Examines in considerable detail how he went about successfully energizing and mobilizing the demoralized employees after a decade of failed efforts. Having successfully transformed itself, the company faces a series of major challenges in the global marketplace.
One year later, Yashiro and his management team can be proud of the young bank's first-year results, but face a set of difficult implementation issues.
In a deal marking the first acquisition of a domestic Japanese financial institution by foreigners, a consortium of Western investors purchased the assets of the Long Term Credit Bank (LTCB) of Japan in March 2000. The new management renames the bank Shinsei Bank, meaning new birth, and sets about implementing a bold new strategy calling for a hybrid bank that includes commercial, retail, and investment banking activities, managed according to Western banking principles. This case reviews the events that led up to LTCBs failure, nationalization, and subsequent purchase. The job of making the hybrid bank work falls to Shinsei president and CEO Masamoto Yashiro. Yashiro wonders how he can manage this hybrid bank.
Brazil's media conglomerate Editora Abril S.A. is Latin America's largest publishing and printing company; it publishes books, and comic books, videos, maps, travel guides, music, and textbooks. It also owns Brazil's largest database marketing company, its second-largest pay television service, and its first broadband Internet access service; an interactive music Website; and stakes in the coutry's largest Internet access provider and its MTV license. Roberto Civita, Abril's 64-year-old chairman, CEO, and sole owner needs to decide how to grow the enterprise that his father founded. He and his two sons have several options: continue to grow their core magazine business in Brazil, expand regionally, invest in new venues such as broadcasting, take the company public, and/or manage the succession. This case describes Abril's development to date and the challenges it faces in 2000.
In June 1999, Spain's former state-owned oil giant Repsol, acquired 97% of YPF, despite opposition from YPF management. The case describes the status of the two companies at the time of the acquisition and highlights concerns expressed by industry analysts on the deal.