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As a pioneer and leading competitor among China's online travel-service providers, Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (Ctrip) had successfully integrated technology into China's rapidly growing travel industry by 2017. The company's platform provided a comprehensive set of travel services including hotel reservations, flight and train ticketing, vacation packages, business-travel management, and dining reservations. Praised in the industry as the exemplary combination of traditional tourism and e-commerce, Ctrip had experienced significant success. However, the company still had to adapt to an ever-changing and increasingly complex internal and external business environment. How would the company evolve its business model to sustainably compete in the global online travel market?

In August 2016, China’s home-grown ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing Technology Co., Ltd. (Didi) acquired the Chinese assets of Uber Technologies Inc. (Uber), including Uber China’s brand, business, and data. Didi had previously ventured into Uber’s territory by investing and collaborating with Lyft Inc., Uber’s main competitor in the United States. Didi’s transformation from its beginning as a humble mobile application into a technology giant that was re-shaping transportation both within and beyond China was related to significant transformations in its social and business context. These transformations included the rapid growth of China’s cities and China’s status as one of the first countries to formally recognize the legality of Internet-based private car services. Looking to the future, Didi faced questions about its development in a rapidly changing global digital economy: How could it expand its products and services to the international market? Could Didi achieve the same impressive market record abroad? How could Didi continue to innovate? What was a truly sustainable business model for an online ride-hailing firm? How could it maintain its current leading position in the market?

In August 2016, China's home-grown ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing Technology Co., Ltd. (Didi) acquired the Chinese assets of Uber Technologies Inc. (Uber), including Uber China's brand, business, and data. Didi had previously ventured into Uber's territory by investing and collaborating with Lyft Inc., Uber's main competitor in the United States. Didi's transformation from its beginning as a humble mobile application into a technology giant that was re-shaping transportation both within and beyond China was related to significant transformations in its social and business context. These transformations included the rapid growth of China's cities and China's status as one of the first countries to formally recognize the legality of Internet-based private car services. Looking to the future, Didi faced questions about its development in a rapidly changing global digital economy: How could it expand its products and services to the international market? Could Didi achieve the same impressive market record abroad? How could Didi continue to innovate? What was a truly sustainable business model for an online ride-hailing firm? How could it maintain its current leading position in the market?

Xbed Technology Group (Xbed), a start-up that branded itself as an online hotel platform, was founded in 2015 with the aim of addressing the changing landscape of China's hospitality industry while coping with issues related to a customer-to-customer sharing economy model. By employing a dual-sharing model and utilizing state-of-the-art digital technologies, the company emerged as a disruptor in the market and expanded to 44 cities in China in just two years of development. As Xbed grew, it faced many challenges, including intense competition from both sharing economy players and traditional hotels. In 2017, as the company looked toward the future, its founder wondered about the future of hospitality services in China and what the company's strategic focus should be as it pursued its next phase of growth.

By 2015, China had one of the world's largest and most complex healthcare industries. This industry had been undergoing unprecedented change in diverse areas, from policies to technologies. Shanghai Pharmaceuticals, China's second-largest pharmaceutical company, spanned the entire pharmaceutical value chain, from product research and development to sales. The company's core competency was in drug distribution, which generated 70 per cent of the firm's revenue. The company's leadership in distribution was enabled by its information technology infrastructure and data. However, with the Internet and digital technologies becoming key drivers of China's healthcare sector, the company needed to rethink its business and develop a future strategy to sustain its success in the age of digital disruption.

Xbed Technology Group (Xbed), a start-up that branded itself as an online hotel platform, was founded in 2015 with the aim of addressing the changing landscape of China’s hospitality industry while coping with issues related to a customer-to-customer sharing economy model. By employing a dual-sharing model and utilizing state-of-the-art digital technologies, the company emerged as a disruptor in the market and expanded to 44 cities in China in just two years of development. As Xbed grew, it faced many challenges, including intense competition from both sharing economy players and traditional hotels. In 2017, as the company looked toward the future, its founder wondered about the future of hospitality services in China and what the company’s strategic focus should be as it pursued its next phase of growth.

Alibaba Group (Alibaba) had grown from its founding in 1999, in an effort to help Chinese manufacturers and exporters reach global markets, to become a global leader in e-commerce, big data, and cloud technology. The company's 2014 initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange had been the largest to date. The company's founder and chairman, Jack Ma, had used the funds to globally expand Alibaba's operations and its hold on diverse markets. Ma's aim was to have Alibaba exist in three centuries and to not only generate profits but also improve lives and societies in China and beyond. How could Ma ensure long-term success for shareholders and prosperity for China and the world?

Alibaba Group (Alibaba) had grown from its founding in 1999, in an effort to help Chinese manufacturers and exporters reach global markets, to become a global leader in e-commerce, big data, and cloud technology. The company’s 2014 initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange had been the largest to date. The company’s founder and chairman, Jack Ma, had used the funds to globally expand Alibaba’s operations and its hold on diverse markets. Ma’s aim was to have Alibaba exist in three centuries and to not only generate profits but also improve lives and societies in China and beyond. How could Ma ensure long-term success for shareholders and prosperity for China and the world?

In 2014, China's leading domestic Internet-based ride-hailing company, Didi, claimed more than 50 per cent of the Chinese ride-hailing market, followed closely by a major local competitor, Kuaidi. As Didi and Kuaidi actively competed against each other, U.S.-based Uber entered the battle with a different strategy. In the face of the increasingly complex and constantly changing landscape of China's ride-hailing market, Didi's founders wondered what their next steps should be. What should the company do to sustain and strengthen its leadership in the nascent ride-hailing market?

In 2015, Didi and Kuaidi, the two leading players in China's Internet-based ride-hailing industry, merged to form Didi Kuaidi. The combined firm represented one of the world's largest Internet- and smartphone-based transport service companies, valued at about $6 billion. In its home market of China, Didi Kuaidi left its biggest competitor, Uber, a distant second. Meanwhile, Didi Kuaidi actively pursued global growth. For example, it invested in and partnered with Lyft, Uber's major competitor in the United States. However, the business and policy environment of the Internet transport service market was constantly evolving. The merged Didi Kuaidi needed to carefully create a portfolio of strategies to sustainably compete in both local and global markets.

As one of the world’s largest OEM suppliers of electric massaging equipment, China’s Easepal has faced increasing challenges in its traditional OEM business over the course of two decades. Since the company’s inception in the 1990s, its founder has always had the ambitious goal of becoming more than just a supplier in the global electric massager market. Easepal’s mature research and development and manufacturing capabilities have the potential to deliver some valuable opportunities in both the Chinese and international markets. With the goal in mind of becoming the international market leader, how can Easepal systematically transform itself from an OEM supplier into a global brand?

As one of the world's largest OEM suppliers of electric massaging equipment, China's Easepal has faced increasing challenges in its traditional OEM business over the course of two decades. Since the company's inception in the 1990s, its founder has always had the ambitious goal of becoming more than just a supplier in the global electric massager market. Easepal's mature research and development and manufacturing capabilities have the potential to deliver some valuable opportunities in both the Chinese and international markets. With the goal in mind of becoming the international market leader, how can Easepal systematically transform itself from an OEM supplier into a global brand?

Today's rapid technological changes have transformed the role of global IT outsourcing in companies'strategies. Traditionally viewed as a cost-saving measure, IT outsourcing is also increasingly being leveraged as a strategic tool for acquiring cutting-edge innovation. This pursuit of emerging technologies and capabilities, however, has elevated the complexity of managing supplier portfolios. In this article, the authors introduce the "long-tail"strategy, an innovative IT outsourcing model that combines a few key partnerships with a dynamically changing number of smaller contracts with other suppliers that can deliver specific value propositions beyond the capabilities of the key partners. Representing a dynamic, diversified, yet disciplined approach toward outsourcing, the long-tail strategy embraces and even fosters a flow of new suppliers, so companies are continually acquiring new capabilities that enable them to prosper in turbulent business environments. The authors'extensive in-depth interviews with major companies in financial services, business services, technology, manufacturing, and energy suggest that the long-tail strategy can help diverse organizations achieve their business goals. For example, the long-tail strategy helped a major global bank establish and maintain technological leadership in the financial-services industry, and allowed Toyota Motor North America to realize rapid innovation. In order to implement the long-tail strategy successfully, companies should institute five key practices: (1) distributing responsibility within the company for scanning for new technologies; (2) nurturing relationships with new "long-tail"suppliers; (3) encouraging sales pitches from suppliers; (4) governing the entire outsourcing portfolio; and (5) designing for integration. When implementing these practices, organizations should seek to create a more proactive, entrepreneurial, and dynamic culture in IT outsourcing.

A nascent women’s apparel online store on Tmall, China's largest business-to-consumer retail platform operated by Alibaba Group, was just beginning to establish itself on the online market utilizing the tools and services provided by Tmall to develop and operate its business. Within four months after the business was launched, Tmall unexpectedly released a new policy which significantly increased the annual service fee and cash deposit for individual stores. This new policy, which was to come into effect in less than three months following the announcement, could render the business of small- and medium-sized e-commerce stores, such as the new women’s apparel start-up, on Tmall unprofitable. The management team of the fledgling clothing business had to reconsider whether to renew their contract with Tmall or transfer their store to one of the alternative online platforms, such as Alibaba Group's Taobao Marketplace, Tencent Group’s Shop.QQ or Amazon.com’s Amazon.cn.

A nascent women's apparel online store on Tmall, China's largest business-to-consumer retail platform operated by Alibaba Group, was just beginning to establish itself on the online market utilizing the tools and services provided by Tmall to develop and operate its business. Within four months after the business was launched, Tmall unexpectedly released a new policy which significantly increased the annual service fee and cash deposit for individual stores. This new policy, which was to come into effect in less than three months following the announcement, could render the business of small- and medium-sized e-commerce stores, such as the new women's apparel start-up, on Tmall unprofitable. The management team of the fledgling clothing business had to reconsider whether to renew their contract with Tmall or transfer their store to one of the alternative online platforms, such as Alibaba Group's Taobao Marketplace, Tencent Group's Shop.QQ or Amazon.com's Amazon.cn.

Just before the celebration of the 2014 Chinese Lunar New Year, Tencent, the world's fourth largest Internet company, launched a mobile application for its popular WeChat platform: the Red Envelope. By clicking on a virtual red envelope icon, gifts of money could be sent to or received from friends and family to celebrate this special occasion. Combining a Chinese cultural tradition with modern social networks, this simple initiative soon became a major milestone in China's mobile market. It brought more than eight million users to Tencent's WeChat Payment platform in the first eight days after the New Year, helping the company break the barrier of mobile payment adoption among its vast user base and giving it a significant advantage in the country's competitive mobile payment market. This somewhat unexpected, record-making success, also made many companies rethink how to survive and thrive in China's rapidly growing technology sector.

Just before the celebration of the 2014 Chinese Lunar New Year, Tencent, the world's fourth largest Internet company, launched a mobile application for its popular WeChat platform: the Red Envelope. By clicking on a virtual red envelope icon, gifts of money could be sent to or received from friends and family to celebrate this special occasion. Combining a Chinese cultural tradition with modern social networks, this simple initiative soon became a major milestone in China's mobile market. It brought more than eight million users to Tencent's WeChat Payment platform in the first eight days after the New Year, helping the company break the barrier of mobile payment adoption among its vast user base and giving it a significant advantage in the country’s competitive mobile payment market. This somewhat unexpected, record-making success, also made many companies rethink how to survive and thrive in China's rapidly growing technology sector.

By 2014, Tencent Holdings Limited, headquartered in Shenzhen, China, had become one of the most innovative companies in Asia. It had created several leading Internet platforms to form China's largest Internet community. WeChat (or Weixin, as known to Chinese users) was one of the company's most popular mobile platforms, having grown to 200 million active users in the first two years after its launch in 2013. Shortly thereafter, WeChat rolled out a payment platform that sought to capitalize on its customer base across China. However, its president was concerned about how to expand WeChat Payment in the country's emerging mobile payment industry. Where was the next major opportunity? Tencent had to be highly creative in navigating the world's largest economy.

By 2014, Tencent Holdings Limited, headquartered in Shenzhen, China, had become one of the most innovative companies in Asia. It had created several leading Internet platforms to form China’s largest Internet community. WeChat (or Weixin, as known to Chinese users) was one of the company’s most popular mobile platforms, having grown to 200 million active users in the first two years after its launch in 2013. Shortly thereafter, WeChat rolled out a payment platform that sought to capitalize on its customer base across China. However, its president was concerned about how to expand WeChat Payment in the country’s emerging mobile payment industry. Where was the next major opportunity? Tencent had to be highly creative in navigating the world’s largest economy.

In October 2013, the Health and Human Services Secretary of the United States is tasked with making decisions about a website project, Healthcare.gov, that is a critical component in delivering the Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” to the American people. The act is a cornerstone but controversial policy of the Obama administration aimed at increasing access to health care services by providing health insurance to uninsured Americans. Unfortunately, the project is over budget and late. Forced to roll out before it is ready because of political considerations, the website crashes, causing anger and frustration for users unable to sign on or get information about the program. Because the act never really had the support of Republican Party representatives, the failure of the website stokes a political storm that appears to have more to do with reopening a debate in the media about Obamacare than it does with the website launch issues. Also in the spotlight is CGI, a technology company headquartered in Canada that is responsible for the overall design, development and execution of the project.