The case describes how a leading Chinese management software provider Yonyou (formerly known as "UFIDA") disrupted its value chain-based business model to transform itself into a platform provider. The case describes Yonyou's past success, the market forces and internal reasons for the change, and what Yonyou did internally to make the transformation happen. In (2013) when the new strategy was launched, Yonyou faced typical problems as it transformed into an Internet-based platform company. These included: Capitalizing on its past strengths to support the new models; simultaneously both changing its business model and stabilizing its business in a stressed industry; attracting and retaining new staff without incurring serious cultural dilution.

COFCO was China's sole legitimate window for agricultural foreign trade before 1987. The reform of China's foreign trade system beginning in 1987 cost COFCO its monopoly position. Subsequently, the SOE giant capitalized on its foreign trade expertise to strategically move upstream in the food industrial chain. Additionally, COFCO made investments in unrelated areas. These unrelated diversification activities were stopped by the new Chairman Ning Gaoning, appointed in 2004. He cared greatly about the innate logic for future mergers and acquisitions. The company, under his leadership, focused on its weaknesses and strengths, to identify a focused overall strategy. He brought the "whole industry chain" concept to COFCO with three clear goals in mind: 1) to shape "farmland to table" food processing to assure customers of safe, high-quality food, 2) to unite COFCO's segmented business units, and enable them to gain competitive edge over local companies 3) to increase the company's strength to compete with global food companies. The case depicts COFCO's historical transformations, identifies its mergers and acquisitions since 2005 and shows its financing history. Information is provided about several domestic and overseas competitors to illustrate COFCO's role in a larger China environment. It is not only a market player but also a main force in China's pillar industry and the only domestic food company that can rival global food companies in China's domestic market.

Since 2008, FOTILE has actively introduced philosophies of the traditional Chinese culture - such as benevolence, justice, courtesy, wisdom and faith - into its management, which it believes to compensate for deficiencies in western management concepts and creates a new Chinese enterprise management model. FOTILE's attempts are controversial and evoke intense discussions and reflections. The core question for class discussion is whether its philosophy is sustainable and applicable to modern enterprises generally in China? How can one integrate the western management philosophy with traditional Oriental culture? Is it really possible? This case can be used in MBA, EDP, EMBA Organizational Behavior and Corporate Culture courses. It supports a 60-90-minute class discussion. The case describes how FOTILE developed its Confucian culture-based management model in a world of market competition. It first introduces the company's background, including its startup and development processes. It next describes the transformation of FOTILE's management model from western philosophy to one based on traditional Oriental concepts. It then shows how Confucianism is applied in FOTILE's management. In particular, it describes the applications of Confucianism in FOTILE's HR management and performance evaluation.

Founded in 2004, TGOOD is now the largest specialized developer and producer of cubicle-type transformation and distribution equipment in China, with the main products of outdoor cubicle-type power equipment supplemented by indoor switchgear cabinets, offered mainly to the railways, coal-mining and power industries. In 2001, TGOOD president Yu Dexiang led a dozen of his young colleagues to resign from state-owned enterprises and dive into the market. By 2011, by riding on the huge wave of China's railway construction and struggling arduously, TGOOD has developed from an unknown business of 20 people and RMB 8 million assets into a growing enterprise with net assets of over RMB 1.1 billion, annual operating revenue of over RMB 600 million, and employment of around 1,000. In September 2009, TGOOD became the first company in China to trade on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange GEM. At the same time, Yu Dexiang has crafted in his special way a cohesive and complementary entrepreneurial team and core employee team. In 2011, due to the stepping-down of railway minister Liu Zhijun for corruption reasons and the severe HSR accident happened in June 2011, China slowed down its railway construction, causing a great setback to TGOOD's development. This case was written at a time that TGOOD was starting to readjust its industrial structure and Yu Dexiang was pondering about the strategic directions of the company's "second starting-up" and the new task of team building.

Haidilao Hot Pot brings customers delightful dining experience. Like most restaurants, its workforce is mostly composed of young employees born in underdeveloped suburban areas. Instilled with the founder's unique entrepreneurial values, they are enthused and motivated to deliver extraordinary service to customers creatively. This case depicts the founder's entrepreneurial experience, his values and reveals Haidilao's unique employee management style. The structural change initiated in 2010 and information on Haidilao's competitor--The Little Sheep Group is also introduced to provoke student discussion and comparison.