Tongwei Co. Ltd., founded in 1995, initially focused on producing and selling aquaculture and livestock feed. In 2006, the company entered the photovoltaic (PV) new energy industry. Since then, it has consistently maintained leading production volumes in high-purity silicon and solar cell modules. Tongwei adopted a specialized, decentralized, and differentiated development model, concentrating on three key segments of the PV industry chain. In early 2023, facing increasing competition and a growing trend towards industry integration, Tongwei considered whether to fully integrate its industry chain, pursue partial integration, or continue with its specialization strategy.
Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco), the world’s second-largest retailer, officially entered the Chinese market in Shanghai in August 2019. The opening day was so jam-packed with customers that the massive influx forced the company to close early, after only five hours of operations. However, after only one week, customers were lining up outside the store, asking Costco for refunds for their membership cards. The warehouse’s traffic declined significantly as well. What caused this situation? Did Costco make the right decision to enter the Chinese market? Does Costco’s membership system fit the Chinese market? What kinds of challenges will Costco face in the future?
On March 7, 2012, one day before International Women’s Day, all female staff of Birkenshire Corporation, a British organization in China, received an email from the human resources department about a pink towel gift set being given to all female employees of the company in celebration of the day. This act sparked a lively discussion among the female staff about various gender issues and cultural customs such as society’s expectations for professional women and cultural connotations of colours. The decision faced by management was whether to respond to the issues raised in the staff email thread, and, if management responded, how and when the response should be delivered.