This case depicts how institutional transitions in an emerging market shape the strategy and performance of a small business and its surrounding competitive dynamics. Elite Optical, a family-run business, was founded in Nanning, Guanxi Province, during China's economic reforms in the late 1980s. Its first eyeglass shop, opened in 1986, received immediate success when the only major competitor at the time was Heng De Li, a traditional state-owned enterprise (SOE). In 2013, the entrepreneurial family firm was celebrating its 28th anniversary, with 15 optical retail outlets in Nanning city. However, the competitive landscape in eyeglass industry has changed significantly and become more intense since the early 2000s when more domestic and international players entered the local eyewear market. Cheng Zhi, CEO and Chairman of Elite Optical, is contemplating how to respond to the competitive threats. At the same time, he also faces challenges on how to cope with the growth demand by transforming its family business into a professionally-managed firm in the near future.

A $2.4 billion bid made by a competing company presented the founder and chairman of China Huiyuan Juice Group Limited with a dilemma. He had successfully transformed his company from a small-scale canned-fruit manufacturer into the largest juice producer in China. Despite the strong need for external funds to achieve further growth, the company’s founder had always been prudent in introducing outside investments into the firm, carefully maintaining his control of the business. To him, Huiyuan Juice was almost like a child that he had nurtured, rather than a product to be sold. However, the company’s rapid expansion had placed its founder under increased pressure and he now had to decide whether or not he should sell.