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A key contributor to the business reputation and success of Caterpillar Inc. (Caterpillar) was the company’s reliable aftermarket service. Caterpillar’s Asia Distribution Centre in Singapore processed urgent spare parts orders received from dealers located in 10 Southeast Asian countries. In 2017, the operations team was working to develop a rigorous analytical method for making daily decisions about how to ship the spare parts. Shipments were consolidated by country destination and needed to optimize the interests of three stakeholders: (1) Caterpillar, which wanted to minimize freight costs; (2) dealers, who wanted to receive the spare parts in the shortest time possible; and (3) freight forwarders, who wanted to be rewarded for their on-time delivery performance.

In May 2017, the owner and co-founder of the Sun Café & Bar (Sun Café) contemplated the future strategic direction of the restaurant, which offered both Nepalese and continental cuisine. Though Sun Café had shown growth since its opening in 2013, it had not achieved the revenue or brand reputation that the co-founders had hoped for. Facing mediocre financial performance within a fiercely competitive industry, the co-founders wondered where they should go from here, should they pursue new avenues for growth. They had six months before the fourth-year anniversary of the café to discuss strategic issues and come to a decision.

In September 2016, Apple prepared to launch a new version of its flagship product, the iPhone 7. The new product, termed “the best, most advanced iPhone ever,” was priced at three times its cost in the U.S. market. However, Apple had witnessed an 18 per cent year-on-year dip in iPhone revenues in the first calendar quarter of 2016, dragging down Apple’s revenues for the first time in 13 years. The leader in the smartphone market was ousted from its number one position in fiscal year 2016 by the Samsung Group, which had a 20.5 per cent market share. A multitude of factors had caused a dip in the sales of iPhones in the United States and China—Apple’s key markets. Apple was now eyeing India, the third-largest smartphone market in the world, to replicate its China growth story. The India launch of the iPhone 7 was planned for October 7, 2016. The base model was priced at the equivalent of over US$900, about 39 per cent higher than the U.S. phone price. Did Apple have the pricing power to charge more than three times the cost of the iPhone in the Indian market? What would be Apple’s best pricing strategy in a market like India? How could Apple grow its revenues and profits in one of the fastest-growing smartphone markets in the world?

Since its founding in 1951, Chinese state-owned Jinjiang International (Group) Company Limited (Jinjiang) had become a leading international company in the travel and hospitality industry with business divisions in hotels, transportation, travel, realty, investments, and finance. The Jinjiang brand was well-known in China, and the group had been pursuing a conservative investment approach. However, in response to the Chinese government's "Going Global" and "One Belt and One Road" policies, and in order to strengthen the firm's international competitiveness, Jinjiang made a series of aggressive mergers and acquisitions between 2014 and 2016. The acquisitions-especially those of two large hotel groups-had worsened Jinjiang's debt position, while integration was proving difficult due to the acquired firms' different corporate cultures and values. The hospitality market was also becoming mature and highly competitive; host-country governments were increasingly wary of foreign state-owned companies acquiring domestic assets. How could Jinjiang overcome these challenges to achieve its aspiration of building a world-class brand, while fulfilling the Chinese government's political agendas through a series of aggressive globalization efforts?

In 2017, the director of Laurs & Bridz Pharmaceuticals Private Limited (an Indian pharmaceutical manufacturer) was working to expand the company throughout India and increase sales revenue by 2020. However, the director recognized two obstacles: the lack of employees and the absence of a dedicated human resources department. The company needed to create human resources systems and processes to manage a sales force. The director needed to quickly decide on the selection recruitment policies, consider the best recruitment sources for sales personnel, and determine the competencies of the company’s sales force, while factoring in the various aspects of sales-performance evaluation, the sales-training processes, and the timing of regular sales training periods. What strategy should the CEO use to set up the company's human resources department?

In September 2016, Apple prepared to launch a new version of its flagship product, the iPhone 7. The new product, termed "the best, most advanced iPhone ever," was priced at three times its cost in the U.S. market. However, Apple had witnessed an 18 per cent year-on-year dip in iPhone revenues in the first calendar quarter of 2016, dragging down Apple's revenues for the first time in 13 years. The leader in the smartphone market was ousted from its number one position in fiscal year 2016 by the Samsung Group, which had a 20.5 per cent market share. A multitude of factors had caused a dip in the sales of iPhones in the United States and China-Apple's key markets. Apple was now eyeing India, the third-largest smartphone market in the world, to replicate its China growth story. The India launch of the iPhone 7 was planned for October 7, 2016. The base model was priced at the equivalent of over US$900, about 39 per cent higher than the U.S. phone price. Did Apple have the pricing power to charge more than three times the cost of the iPhone in the Indian market? What would be Apple's best pricing strategy in a market like India? How could Apple grow its revenues and profits in one of the fastest-growing smartphone markets in the world?

In mid-June 2011, the Chinese president of the China-Benin joint venture Benin Textile Company (Compagnie Béninoise des Textiles, or CBT) was deeply worried about the supply of cotton in Benin. Since 2009, CBT had faced significant challenges in obtaining a reliable cotton supply. In 2010, the company had already placed its cotton orders, but local Beninese cotton producers were unwilling to deliver cotton at the earlier agreed-on price due to the rising market price. CBT was forced to stop production for five months and could not deliver on numerous contracts. The president of CBT was unsure whether to stay in West Africa and if so, how to improve the cotton supply situation. He had four options: maintain the status quo and hope for improvements, withdraw from West Africa, buy cotton contracts from other countries, or invest in cotton production. Which would be the best option for his company?

As a well-established Chinese garment brand, Yangtzekiang Garment Limited (YGM) and its related retail business, YGM Trading Limited, faced the challenges of a labour shortage, stagnant productivity, and the transformation of the traditional garment industry. As China was rapidly developing, Chinese companies were facing new challenges and needed to consider strategies to ensure more sustainable development. In March 2015, the executive chairman of YGM needed to transform the company and develop a sustainable strategy of innovation and transformation that would lead it forward in these new circumstances.

In mid-June 2011, the Chinese president of the China–Benin joint venture Benin Textile Company (Compagnie Béninoise des Textiles, or CBT) was deeply worried about the supply of cotton in Benin. Since 2009, CBT had faced significant challenges in obtaining a reliable cotton supply. In 2010, the company had already placed its cotton orders, but local Beninese cotton producers were unwilling to deliver cotton at the earlier agreed-on price due to the rising market price. CBT was forced to stop production for five months and could not deliver on numerous contracts. The president of CBT was unsure whether to stay in West Africa and if so, how to improve the cotton supply situation. He had four options: maintain the status quo and hope for improvements, withdraw from West Africa, buy cotton contracts from other countries, or invest in cotton production. Which would be the best option for his company?

In 2017, bike sharing was one of the hottest technology trends in China. Since its inception two years earlier, Mobike had quickly become one of China's leading bike on-demand companies because of its bicycles' superior quality, and the company's intelligence capability, open innovation, alliance strategies, and big data applications. Mobike expanded aggressively to take advantage of opportunities in this emerging market and the need for efficient, green, and sustainable solutions to short-distance urban transportation. However, Mobike's aggressive expansion faced tough challenges, including shared bicycle operations and management, competition from rivals, and government regulations. By late 2017, several bike-sharing services had gone bankrupt. How could Mobike avoid the same fate, generate profit, and continue to prosper?

The family-run Balaji Wafers Pvt. Ltd. (Balaji Wafers), a savoury snack manufacturer, had adopted a phased strategy in taking on the likes of global multinational corporation PepsiCo in India, an emerging economy. After operating successfully for more than three decades in western India, Balaji Wafers was planning to grow and to go national with forays into north and south India. Balaji Wafers had a strong foothold in western India, where in Gujarat and Maharashtra it had left PepsiCo’s brand Lay’s far behind; however, growing nationally would require more investments, robust business strategy, and marketing acumen. In pursuing growth, should Balaji Wafers expand nationally, or should it strengthen its leadership position in its home territory?

A new analyst has been asked to forecast the upcoming dividends for Singapore Airlines Limited. However, unlike most dividend-paying firms, which typically maintain stable, transparent, and simple dividend policies, Singapore Airlines maintained an opaque, complex, and irregular pattern of dividends. Further, the company did not respond to requests for information about expected dividends or the company's dividend policy. The analyst decided to gather historical data about the company and its competitors to gain insights on Singapore Airlines’ dividend policy and to forecast its upcoming dividend.

Xbed Technology Group (Xbed), a start-up that branded itself as an online hotel platform, was founded in 2015 with the aim of addressing the changing landscape of China’s hospitality industry while coping with issues related to a customer-to-customer sharing economy model. By employing a dual-sharing model and utilizing state-of-the-art digital technologies, the company emerged as a disruptor in the market and expanded to 44 cities in China in just two years of development. As Xbed grew, it faced many challenges, including intense competition from both sharing economy players and traditional hotels. In 2017, as the company looked toward the future, its founder wondered about the future of hospitality services in China and what the company’s strategic focus should be as it pursued its next phase of growth.

In April 2015, the Dharampal Satyapal Group introduced a new hard-boiled candy in three states in India. The candy, named Pulse, had a distinctive raw-mango flavour and a spicy, tangy taste. It quickly became popular. Within two years, Pulse candy surpassed ₹3 billion in sales and became the leader in the hard-boiled candy segment, beating leading national and international brands. The company achieved all of this with a small advertising budget and very little promotion; rather, the candy’s success was largely a result of word-of-mouth and interest on social media. Demand exceeded supply, and competitors were beginning to launch similar and poorly imitated products. How could the group sustain the sales momentum of Pulse? Should it extend the Pulse brand to other formats and flavours and into other product categories? Should it take the candy to overseas markets, and if so, which ones?

In 2016 the chief executive officer (CEO) of Harley-Davidson Inc., the iconic U.S. manufacturer of motorcycles, was facing a constant decline in sales and stock price due to the company's dependence on a mature U.S. market and the natural attrition of its most loyal riders, who were ageing. In May 2017, the CEO needed to determine how to return his global company to growth amid a protectionist agenda and direct business interference from the White House. Should the company expand internationally or not?

The chief executive officer of Daimler Trucks and Buses China Ltd. was on an expatriate assignment in China. In November 2016, he faced a discomforting situation that could bring an abrupt halt to his career; an unfortunate incident in which he lost his temper led to fierce outrage in local Chinese and worldwide media. The media reaction threatened China’s prominence as a major source of revenue for Daimler, and sent Daimler’s share price on a downhill spiral. How should Daimler react, and what could it do to restore the company brand image?

In August 2015, a law student in Singapore came up with the idea for his first scooter when he needed a simple and economical mode of transport to get from his apartment to university. The student, who was Norwegian, and his Singaporean partner registered and incorporated Skutis Corporation Pte Ltd (Skutis) within only five days. The Skutis e-scooter emitted no fumes or noise and featured a quick folding design for easy storage. As new entrants in the industry, they felt confident that their combined study skills (law and business) would help them design and produce a more durable and dynamic scooter than those currently available. However, by April 2017, Skutis had already encountered major difficulties dealing with a Chinese manufacturer of its products. After 20 months of experience in the market, the two entrepreneurs were planning their company’s strategy for the future. Having experienced the lows and highs of the Chinese production market, they were searching for ways to make their business more profitable and develop a long-term trustworthy relationship with a reliable manufacturer who would produce their designs.

In 2013, two entrepreneurs launched the Virtual Market in Mexico City with a mission to transform small traditional retailers (the so-called “mom-and-pop” shops) into competitive market players. The family-owned shops were strongly embedded in the society, culture, and economy of Mexico and Latin America, producing 50 per cent of the region’s retail sales and 15 per cent of Mexico’s true gross domestic product. However, economic growth had increased consumers’ earnings, leading to previously low-income consumers gaining financial status. The traditional shops were unable to compete with the new demands for cashless payment methods, wider ranges of products and services, and lower prices. To remedy the situation, the Virtual Market gained the trust of the shop owners and worked to improve their financial, technological, and business literacy. By 2017, the Virtual Market had successfully worked with 10,000 shops but had still not attained break-even. Was its business model sustainable in the long term? Could it be replicated in other countries and with other cultures? How could it scale up and secure profits?

In late 2012, an executive vice-president faced a dilemma at Industrias Metalúrgicas Pescarmona S.A. (IMPSA), an Argentine multinational company that designed and produced cranes, dams, and components for power plants, and had recently begun building hydroelectric and wind power projects. The company’s chief executive officer had tasked the executive vice-president with recommending how IMPSA could be radically restructured to adapt to changes in the world marketplace for renewable energy. However, IMPSA was at the top of its game, and the company had a backlog of orders valued at US$3.3 billion. The executive vice-president knew that the chief executive officer would not accept a minor reorganization but would demand a major restructuring based on the firm’s existing resources, which was a strategy that, in the past, had proven to be successful for the company, particularly in emerging markets. The executive vice-president wondered how IMPSA could build on its existing wind power and hydroelectric dam business without abandoning the resources the firm had developed over the years.

It was September 2009 when 21-year-old entrepreneur Lu Chengdui first considered entering the partnership that led to his becoming the chairman and general manager of Wenzhou Cijueshi Science and Technology Co. Ltd. (Cijueshi) in Zhejiang Province, China. Lu started his entrepreneurial efforts when he was in college; he became a serial entrepreneur and achieved great performance. His story drew the attention of both the media and the public. Lu was known for his perseverance and his courage in overcoming difficulties and pursuing his dreams for success. He was a role model for college students who wanted to be entrepreneurs. As he considered a possible involvement in Cijueshi, a company that specialized in developing, selling, and repairing pottery and porcelain, Lu wondered about entering a business in a field where he had no practical experience. What had made him so confident in his previous entrepreneurial success? How had he motivated himself to realize his entrepreneurial targets? He looked back at his entrepreneurial experiences to date to find answers to these questions and motivation for this new endeavour.