Mariam Assi was the founder of Marazal—a small business dedicated to repurposing empty bottles, primarily empty liquor, wine, and beer bottles. In August 2023, Marazal’s Facebook account, the primary platform she used for marketing, sales, and engaging with her 2,500 followers, was blocked because it had been reported by the manufacturer of Belvedere Vodka. She was in a state of disbelief as she had never intended to misuse the brand; instead, she aimed to breathe new life into empty bottles to prevent them from reaching the Naameh landfill in South Lebanon. Unsettling questions lingered: Was what she was doing ethical or not? What if other manufacturers or brands followed suit, blocking the company’s Instagram account, and throwing Marazal’s business into jeopardy?
At the end of 2019, Walid Madi, managing director of Talabat, a leading delivery company in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, was assessing the company’s performance of its non-food vertical division, and in particular the grocery segment. He identified recurring customer complaints regarding grocery delivery times and product unavailability, which could impact the company’s successful food vertical. Madi decided to explore the feasibility of offering customers a 20-minute grocery delivery time while ensuring full product availability.
On a day in early June 2017, Fadi Kanaan, a member of the organizing committee of the Beirut International Model United Nations (BEYMUN) conference at the American University of Beirut (AUB), sat in front of college hall feeling very excited yet worried. He had just received an email informing him that he would be the secretary-general of the annual Model United Nations conference at AUB in the spring of 2018. BEYMUN invited students from universities worldwide who were interested in addressing global concerns and prevailing world topics in a real-life simulation of the United Nations committee sessions. This conference was the perfect opportunity for participants to tackle such topics as regional conflicts, women and children, human rights, peacemaking, disarmament, economic and social development, and the environment while working in committees for Disarmament and International Security, Economic and Financial, Social Humanitarian and Cultural, and Special Political and Decolonization. But Kanaan was worried how BEYMUN would manage the overwhelming application process. Previously, the BEYMUN team had experienced issues with organizing large events, and Kanaan realized the existing system that received applications was inadequate for processing the hundreds of applications he expected the conference to receive. He knew that within two weeks of announcing the conference dates, applications would start to pour in. Kanaan and the team had to respond to each application before a deadline. Now was the time for BEYMUN to develop a system that would efficiently manage and process the applications to help organize a successful conference.
In June 2023, the director of corporate communication and digital services for Khalil Fattal et Fils SAL (a subsidiary of Fattal Group) was tasked with presenting a strategy for the company’s online activities. The family business was a fourth-generation diversified distributor of a large variety of products and many other items by well-known brands headquartered near Beirut, Lebanon. The director had started to explore online sales platforms after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, which was soon followed by a major political and economic crisis in Lebanon. The director was wondering which of two potential strategies she should present to the board of directors. She could recommend a B2C strategy to strengthen the company’s retail business or a B2B strategy to avoid potential conflicts among the company’s various independent retailers. The director had to make a decision before the next board meeting.
Lebanon is a country with many contradictions; and yet, it has a special place in the heart of the many admirers. The famous Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran conveyed this contradiction in his poetic works. He unambiguously declared that the way you view Lebanon is a matter of perspective; you choose what to see. His words still hold true today, without a doubt. Lebanon is a country that has an exceptional beauty of nature and the unmatchable hospitality of its people. But this is just one side of the coin. The other side reveals a reality that has been haunting the country for the past 50 years, a reality that has been extremely difficult to escape, involving wars, crises, and instability.
As a Lebanese non-governmental organization, Arcenciel (AeC) had successfully created several sustainable development programs and projects that addressed the needs of marginalized populations in Lebanon’s society. At the same time, AeC based its activities on an economic strategy that guaranteed financial independence from donations and public funding. This social entrepreneur had been able to develop and adjust its strategy in a very challenging environment over the course of several decades, successfully bridging the gap between non-profit objectives and the necessity to be financially profitable. In December 2015, the organization was about to win a prestigious national peace award in recognition of its research and activities. Government institutions, municipalities, and individuals alike had recently sought AeC’s assistance in dealing with a waste-management crisis. Although this project represented a useful opportunity for AeC to communicate its vision, the co-founder wondered whether the organization was prepared to assume a larger role in Lebanon or, even further, to introduce its concept abroad. He needed to think carefully about AeC’s evolution as well as its past success factors and the possibilities for expansion.
Château Qanafar was a small Lebanese winery, operating as a family business since its inception in 2005. By 2015, Château Qanafar had managed to produce one of the best wines of the Middle East and obtain international acclaim. However, despite this success, the company’s founder understood that the general business environment in Lebanon was characterized by many uncertainties related to a weak institutional environment and high political and economic risk. Moreover, Lebanon represented a very small domestic market for wine producers. Château Qanafar’s capability to produce well-crafted boutique wine would not be enough to ensure its success in the market. Its founder was also looking to transfer leadership to the next generation of the family. How could the business sustain and grow its operations in the future?
<p style="color: rgb(197, 183, 131);"><strong> AWARD WINNER - MENA Business Cases category at the 2015 EFMD Case Writing Competition</strong></p><br>In September 2014, the chief executive officer of Michel Nassif et Fils, an importer and producer of food and printed goods headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, is trying to figure out what decisions he needs to take to ensure the development of the company that had been founded by his grandfather a century ago. At the age of 48, right after the birth of his first son, he realizes that he needs a plan to ensure a viable future for this family-owned company. He knows that succession planning will involve the entire management team, none of whom currently has a leadership position. As had his father and grandfather before him, he alone makes all decisions for the company. He is considering whether to pick a potential successor internally to be trained and prepared for senior management or to remain at the head of the company until his son is old enough to take over.
On January 31, 2014, the founder and chief executive officer of L’Atelier Art Lounge, an art workshop with branches in Bahrain and Lebanon, faces numerous challenges: not only whether to grow the business but how to achieve a reasonable work-life balance. Political instability associated with the Arab Spring led her to close one of her shops in Bahrain, but she went ahead with opening a second in Beirut where there are few leisure activities available for children; her offering of educational entertainment has been welcomed by parents, schools and adults looking to revive a hobby or improve their skills. However, as a result of violence spilling over from Syria, many tourists are avoiding Lebanon and her store locations have experienced a dramatic decrease in customers. Now she has one day to decide whether to renew the lease of one of her outlets. This deadline represents an opportunity to consider her options for the future: should she focus on marketing her concept to increase the number of customers and consequently her bottom line, thus improving her cash flow; look for potential investors or apply for a bank loan; or close her least profitable location?