Zhongzhi, a virtual reality (VR) company founded in late 2016 and based in Nanchang, China, used its VR films to lay the groundwork for its entry into the metaverse as a business. Since 2021, the first year of the metaverse, Zhongzhi has focused on developing the JiuTian Intelligent Space Platform, which integrates all kinds of digital technologies—such as VR, blockchain, and digital twin—to embed diverse case contents. Zhongzhi’s operations have encompassed three key areas: vocational education, a science and technology centre, and rural revitalization. However, establishing a sustainable metaverse business remains a significant concern. The company was confronted with a strategic dilemma: whether to focus all efforts on a core business area or diversify into new ventures that offer long-term sustainability.
In 2017, Yosha Gupta established MeMeraki Retail and Tech Private Limited (MeMeraki) with the ambitious goal of digitizing the 3,000-plus art forms produced in India. She intended to create online and off-line experiences and products for consumers and create sustainable livelihoods for traditional artisans using technology as a differentiator. However, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the business presented Gupta with pressing dilemmas. One such challenge was how to articulate the ethical and fair pricing of art products to customers, particularly when similar art forms were available to customers on other websites at a variety of price ranges. Another critical concern was dissuading artists from disintermediating MeMeraki by bypassing the company and selling directly to the customers they had become acquainted with through the company. The challenge also extended to how to communicate the Indian ethos and culture to a global audience.
Founded in 2012, Quadria Capital Investment Management Private Limited (Quadria Capital) was committed to its mission of using its expertise to do well by doing good through bringing affordable quality health care to Asia. In July 2013, it found such an investment opportunity in the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG) Hospital in India. AIG was one of the largest gastric sciences hospitals in India that specialized in gastroenterology. It performed more endoscopic procedures per day than any other hospital in the world. It had earned a global reputation for clinical excellence, being among only twenty centres globally to be conferred World Organization of Digestive Endoscopy (recognition. This clinical excellence in the gastric science specialty and reputation put AIG in a strong leadership position and drove demand for its services. It was also renowned for its research and education in gastric sciences. As exciting as the opportunity was, the two founders of Quadria Capital knew this investment would use up a sizable portion of their funds, and they had to carefully consider the risks and what needed to be done to decide whether AIG was the right investment opportunity for Quadria Capital.
Rhonda Klosler, chief operating officer at RSM Canada (RSM) is chairing a meeting to discuss post-COVID-19 pandemic work design. RSM has recognized that remote work offers employees greater flexibility and work satisfaction, while giving RSM the opportunity to recruit from remote locations. RSM would like to continue remote work. Focusing specifically on Generation Z, Klosler is seeking recommendations on the ideal work design. Specifically, how should remote and in-person work be balanced? How can RSM continue to build and maintain its company culture with employees who work remotely? What will a new approach to work mean for the other employee generational cohorts?
Bosch Automotive Product (Changsha) Ltd Co, is a leading automotive parts manufacturer, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bosch, a multinational engineering and technology company headquartered in Gerlingen, Germany. Since 2020, Bosch Changsha had accelerated its digital transformation through building an organizational culture that embraces digital innovation. By designing and implementing a portfolio of digital initiatives and programs, Bosch Changsha managed to establish a culture that embraces digital transformation and inspires employees to contribute to organizational change. Meanwhile, despite the significant success, the company also faced the question of how to continue leveraging culture to drive future digital transformation.
BYD Auto Co. Ltd. (BYD Auto) became the world’s biggest electric-vehicle (EV) maker in 2023. Before its inception in 2003, BYD Auto’s parent firm, BYD Co. Ltd. (BYD), was a Shenzhen, China–based battery manufacturer. Under the visionary leadership of the company’s chair and president, a trained chemist with an eye toward sustainable transportation, BYD diversified into the automotive industry and transformed into an EV leader. Based on site visits and interviews, this case examined the design and branding aspect of the transformation. Combining technology with deep-seated local culture, BYD Auto strategically designed a series of models that incrementally established its leadership domestically. What should be the company chair’s strategic move in 2024 to innovate on BYD Auto’s EVs?
In June 2023, Zerodha, a leading player in India’s discount brokerage industry, was at a crossroads. Founded in 2010 by Nikhil and Nithin Kamath, who were avid stock traders from a young age, the company had grown significantly by putting customers first. The pandemic and low-interest environment had provided a strong tailwind to the sector as well as the company, especially in terms of the number of customers and revenues. However, the competition was nipping at Zerodha’s heels. Many start-ups offered similar technology interfaces, and some were funded by venture capital. A few were spending aggressively to court customers as well as tech employees. With a debt-free balance sheet built through several years of profitable operations, Zerodha could pursue strategies that required large spending, but the key question was: should Zerodha deviate from its time-tested strategy of being a cost leader and not following the herd in the new post-pandemic environment?
Motorcycle Offsetters, an aspiring startup, provided motorcycle enthusiasts with a platform to offset carbon emissions from their touring activities, contributing to the fight against climate change. Despite rapid growth, the venture faced financial instability. The founder, Andreas Gneist, aimed to devise a marketing and communication strategy to engage decision-makers in organizations offering offsetting services to a substantial motorcycle enthusiast base. Overcoming skepticism among environmental activists and countering the stigma associated with climate change efforts among deniers were pivotal challenges. Addressing these hurdles was crucial for the venture's success and financial sustainability.
Hefu Catering Management Co. Ltd. (Hefu) was founded in 2012 as a high-end Chinese noodle chain brand. Its mission was to promote Chinese culture through Chinese fast food on a global scale. In 2018, Hefu experienced significant demand growth. To ensure a steady supply of safe, fresh, and organic foods, Hefu established a centralized kitchen in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, serving 300 restaurants in nearby cities. As Hefu expanded into North and Central China, it faced challenges in delivering fresh food from the centralized kitchen to meet the demands of all its restaurants.
As she prepared for the Hershey Company Investor Day, CEO Michele Buck knew the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI); the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices; and that EDI within corporate social responsibility (CSR) was key to Hershey’s valuable brand image, engaged employees, and effective business relationships. “Children’s wellbeing is at the heart of who we are as a company. This goes back to our founder, Milton S. Hershey, who cared deeply about children.” However, the company depended on cocoa beans from West Africa and had not yet honoured a 2001 industry-wide pledge to uproot child labour in global supply chains. Hershey was committed to improved practices but had not yet reached its goals. What if Hershey’s largest customer in its largest market decided to drop Hershey products? What if socially conscious institutional investors decided to sell their shares? How could the CEO avoid these disastrous scenarios and reassure both customers and investors?
Tata Motors Limited (TM), a subsidiary of Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd., was the market leader in the passenger electric vehicle (EV) segment in India. Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chair of Tata Sons, was pleased with the work of Shailesh Chandra who, as managing director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), had been instrumental in TM’s successful turnaround. Chandrasekaran wanted Chandra and his team to capitalize on the robust demand for passenger EVs in India to reach 25 per cent of TM’s total sales by 2029, up from 8 per cent in December 2022. However, attaining it was not easy because he would face an onslaught from multiple competitors that would threaten TM’s existing market share. To enable TM to maintain its leadership position in this segment in India and to grow over time, Chandra and his team had to ensure they correctly assessed the passenger EV industry’s competitive forces. From this analysis, Chandra would then have to evaluate his competitors’ strategies and formulate TM’s defence and growth plans.
The case outlines the key strategic challenges that the protagonist, the founder of a high-potential fintech start-up, is grappling with in his push for growth, which has started to plateau. It considers this strategic challenge in light of the tumultuous entrepreneurial journey and the various uncertainties entrepreneurs often have to navigate to ensure business continuity and the growth of the companies they launch.
Management of the project included determining capacity requirements, construction management, and records management. During its planning and construction, the nature of the Gautrain Project generated significant stakeholder interest from both supporters and those in opposition. For this reason, a holistic approach towards communication and stakeholder management was established. Given the ever-changing environment in which Gautrain operates, the purpose of Gautrain’s integrated communication strategies was always to be proactive in managing and engaging its multiple—and highly complex—stakeholder groups.
Environmental impact assessment is a legal requirement for all large infrastructure projects. The environmental impact assessment process for the Gautrain Project was governed by the 1997 EIA regulations based on the Environment Conservation Act 73 of 1989. Developing environmental impact assessment is a complex process that covers a wide variety of impact assessments, requiring skills from various experts and input from interested and affected parties, including large-scale public participation and adherence to a prescribed administrative regime. As such, environmental impact assessment poses a management challenge.
The Gautrain Rapid Rail Link Project was announced as a Blue IQ project in 2000 and officially approved by the Gauteng Provincial Government in 2001. As a Blue IQ project, the primary aim of the Gautrain Project was to stimulate economic growth in Gauteng through enhancing infrastructure development and creating employment. The further aim was to alleviate the traffic congestion on roads between Johannesburg and Tshwane by promoting public transport as an alternative to private vehicle usage. A highly efficient, as well as user-friendly, automatic fare collection system had to be developed in order to promote Gautrain as a viable alternative to private modes of transport.
A key example of strategic partnerships is the Gautrain Management Agency public transport integration model with the taxi industry, referred to as the Midibus Feeder Distribution Service. The partnership model was developed in 2011 with the objective of providing a service from the Gautrain rail system’s Marlboro station to Linbro Business Park. Through an innovative contracting model, a partnership was formed with the taxi association operating in these service areas.
NEIWAI, a popular Chinese lingerie brand, was founded in 2012. The brand was able to rapidly adapt to both online and offline channels and attracted investment from several top venture capital firms. Being a direct-to-consumer brand, NEIWAI faced various issues like sustainable growth, creating intellectual property protection, and setting pricing limits. To overcome these issues, NEIWAI created offline channels and, at the same time, also planned to enter international markets, starting with the United States. In this scenario, would NEIWAI be able to make its mark in the US market?
The Women's Premier League (WPL) final was contested on March 25, 2023, the atmosphere at the crowded Brabourne Stadium mirrored the phrase for which the competition became famous: "Ye Toh Bas Shuruat Hai" (This is just the start). Fans filled stadiums throughout the event to support the best female cricket players in the world. But the event's organizers did not give themselves the best opportunity to enable the franchises to connect with local fan bases. What more measures could the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) undertake to increase attendance at WPL games? How could they market and position the WPL more effectively among viewers? How should they analyze the values created by the WPL for the viewers?
This case focused on the scenario of income inadequacy at the Madras Crocodile Bank and Centre for Herpetology, a notable zoo in Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India. The zoo was run on the income it generated through visitors’ fees, corporate sponsorship, individual donors, and grants. It was under pressure to increase its revenue, reduce the surplus of reptiles, and maintain the climatic conditions inside the premises. The solution potentially lay in aligning its economic, social, and environmental challenges; that is, in achieving triple bottom-line excellence to save the people, the planet, and the profit.
In March 2023, Havells India Ltd., founded by Haveli Ram Gandhi and later acquired by Qimat Rai Gupta, reported a significant increase in turnover to $2.06 billion from a low of $1.14 billion during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Despite its success and growth investments, questions arose about Havells' strategic direction. While traditionally known for its electrical products as a B2B enterprise, Havells made inroads into the brown goods market, notably with the struggling Lloyd business post-acquisition in 2017. CEO Anil Rai Gupta faced challenges in adapting Havells' strategies to the competitive B2C market and evaluating the retention of the Lloyd brand's identity. Looking ahead, how will Havells navigate these strategic dilemmas to sustain its growth momentum and market relevance effectively?