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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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During the 1990s, the telecommunications environment was undergoing a series of complex changes that would dramatically alter the competitive landscape: deregulation, globalisation and new technological developments. Professors Paul Verdin, Rudi Bogaert and Arnoud De Meyer present issues and challenges (mainly for product development and innovation) within a multinational telecom equipment manufacturer organised on a country-based unit structure and facing these environmental changes.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Harley-Davidson has been able to build a community of enthusiasts around its brand that includes members from very diverse groups, and with almost no advertising. How does the king of heavyweight motorcycling keep its fans so loyal? It gives them a reason to "belong."

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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iMotors offers customers the chance to custom-order used cars online, all for low, low prices. But can its business plan deliver profitability? And how will it sustain its advantages in the face of growing competition? Professor Ron Adner and Charles Nunn ask you to consider the management's next steps in this case study.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Rhodex-Puguet has long been a leader in the specialty chemicals market. Its success has been attributed to heavy investment in R&D, but lately, instead of producing innovative, new products, it's having problems with missed deadlines, overworked staff and unclear expectations. So what does a firm do when it finds its R&D suddenly stands for Returns Declining? Professor Arnoud De Meyer challenges you to find the answers.

This case looks at how IBM has modified its selling structure to accomodate various changes in the IT market environment, specifically in the Italian market.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Webraska is a young, high-tech wireless company, which is left drifting in the wake of the troubled telecom industry in early 2001. It faces important strategy choices and must decide whether and how to adapt its business and revenue models in an uncertain market. Iwona Bancerek, Beatrix Biren and Professor Christoph Zott guide you through one of the first-ever cases written on wireless business in Europe, covering issues of business model adaptation and in the process, giving insight into the complex wireless value chain and telematics business.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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The Internet revolution burst on the scene, bringing new industries and overhauling existing ones. With the stock market euphoria of 1999 and early 2000, it seemed these tech-oriented firms could do no wrong. In fact, in 2000, despite the reservations of certain analysts who downgraded the stock of Nortel and Cisco, their share prices continued to rise. But with the arrival of the stock market downturn, even an industry with as bright a future as optical networking was not immune. How did such a promising industry see its fortunes reveres with such alacrity? Dr. Marie Carpenter and Professor William Lazonick pose some important questions concerning the growing importance of the role of the stock market in the optical networking industry and provide rich material for debate.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Tesco currently lays claim to about one-fifth of the UK grocery market, and to take full advantage of the Internet as a sales channel, the retailing chain launched Tesco.com in the mid-1990s. What challenges did the "old economy" firm face as it added this "new economy" expansion? Albrecht Enders, Professor Tawfik Jelassi and Professor Charles Waldman illustrate its path, including the heated debate on implementation issues as it broke away from industry standards. This case presents significant issues for "old economy" firms who are opening Internet channels as part of a retailing strategy, and more specifically, the challenges in online grocery retailing. It raises key questions for logistics management, especially in electronic retail, and can be applied to a variety of e-related topics in marketing, business policy and/or strategic management.

To grow a new fiber-optics business at Internet speed, the Canadian giant gave up manufacturing and turned its vendors into strategic partners.

For the pioneering U.K. startup, clicks without bricks and building share without care led to a first-mover disadvantage.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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The automotive industry has changed radically in the past twenty years. In the 1980s, Japanese firms dominated, but today they've lost ground to multi-nationals. The new shape of the industry brings difficulties and opportunities alike. Using the 1999 Renault-Nissan union as their example, the authors ask you to consider the challenges of cross-border acquisitions and alliances.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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From state-regulated monopoly to pan-Asian powerhouse, the Singaporean telecom SingTel has come a long way. In this two-part case study, Research Fellow Sarah Meegan and Professor Peter Williamson focus on SingTel's mobile operations, asking you to consider the firm's history, its acquisition of Optus, and the challenges it faces in managing its network of partnerships and executing its regional strategy.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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MobilCom has an ear for its business - the reselling of mobile phones - and its sharp senses have also picked up on a diversification opportunity in Germany. Should this young, successful company plunge into the action, or is the deal too much to handle too fast? In their case studies, Erol Ali Dervis and Professor Laurence Capron explain how this company handled those questions.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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A Texas oil tycoon takes half his trusty drills and heads for new territory. But he's not moving West, he's headed to the Far East. Can Tex count on any success from this globalisation? Professor Philippe Lasserre and Jocelyn Probert explain that for Ahlstrom Korea's similar expansion effort, it must deal with a wealth of stumbling blocks to make headway.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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It's a critical time for Procter and Gamble - no fun or games. The company is planning product development through a major pan-European project. It must consider intricacies such as cross-border processes and interaction between strategic and organisational developments. Read why Professor Paul Verdin, Professor Christopher A. Bartlett and co-author Alice De Koning propose a bit of "play time" at this juncture - role-playing time, that is.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Your idea of private banking might begin and end with your ATM PIN, but UBS has a better idea of what it entails. Thanks to its expansive reach, UBS has a presence in every major capital-market around the world. In this case study, the first modern one written about international private banking, Professor Ingo Walter shows how UBS created its global strategy and made it work.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Not long ago, Monsanto offered a host of attractive products to agriculturists and multinational companies. But in the space of two years, those products became much less tempting. A surprisingly virulent anti-genetically modified organisms (GMO) campaign in Europe and the EU's new and restrictive regulatory policy on GMOs presented Monsanto with a bleak future. Professors Olivier Cadot, Landis H. Gabel and Daniel Traça ask where Monsanto went wrong.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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BIS Banking systems had the "Midas touch," literally. During the 1980s, the company journeyed to the number one position in the world of the specialized financial (banking) software industry. MIDAS, its flagship software package, became the installed system for more than 400 banks around the world. But in April 1990, the company somewhat lost that touch, because despite its diffusion and success, BIS missed the mark on profit expectations.

Paul Verdin, INSEAD Professor At-Large, and co-author Nick Van Heck, Research Associate at the Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven, explain how external forces caused dramatic changes in the banking industry at this time, and the management at BIS wondered about the banking environment: was this simply a temporary crisis (within the banking industry), or should the company take some action in the form of strategy or reorganization?

This case encourages its user to explore the interaction between the environment, industry and the company's strategy and organization, as well as the pros and cons of globalization (how can a global corporation localize its products and services?). It also poses queries as to how one might react to changes in the environment. Should a company (de)centralize because its clients are (de)centralizing?

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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It took just one merger, and literally overnight, a new multinational shuffled the ranks of the drinks industry. Two large beverage companies, Brahma and Antarctica, formed AmBev, instantly claiming the number three spot on the list of the largest beer companies in the world. Professor Lourdes Casanova explains in this case study what's even more surprising to the drinks industry - this new multinational was coming from Brazil.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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Professional wrestling has been popular in North American for over a century, though mostly limited to small arenas and controlled by local promoters. It was Vince McMahon, head of an East Coast operation, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), who made the sport a national enthusiasm in the 1980s.

This was all to change in 1988, when Ted Turner and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) arrived on the scene.

Thomas Mannarelli, Professor of Organizational Behavior, and Research Associate Christopher Baty, both of INSEAD, examine the changes in wrestling over the past twenty years, with a view towards understanding the ethical and managerial dilemmas faced by wrestling executives.

This three-part case focuses on the WWF-WCW rivalry and explains why the appearance of the WCW brought McMahon into conflict with his top wrestler, Bret Hart.

Part one traces the history of wrestling in North America, and discusses the phenomenal rise to success of the WWF in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as the ever-increasing challenge posed by Ted Turner's nascent WCW. Part two narrates the longstanding tensions between Hart and McMahon, and discloses the astonishing outcome of the 1997 Montreal match between Hart and Shawn Michaels, and its surprising impact on the WWF as whole. Finally, part three looks at what happened next, examining how McMahon manipulated the aftermath of the Hart-Michaels fight and Hart's subsequent departure from the WWF to boost ratings. It also explores Hart's brief career at WCW and the final conclusion of the decade-long WWF and WCW rivalry.

The authors ask you to consider the factors of charismatic and transformational leadership as well as management ethics and integrity. The cases also outline the importance of innovation in entrepreneurship, the role of motivation in privately owned family business, and the debate over whether it is management or talent that drives a company's success.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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The Internet: wow, what a great concept! And wouldn't it be even better if you could access it from your mobile phone? Kouiji Ohboshi, chairman of the Japanese telephone giant, NTT DoCoMo, thought so. But back in the early days of 1999, it seemed that few others agreed. In this story of a contrarian business leader, Professors W. Chan Kim, Renée Mauborgne and Ben M. Bensaou, along with Yasushi Shiina, INSEAD MBA '00, explain how Ohboshi stood back and questioned the future direction of the mobile phone industry while many others, busy rolling around in the euphoria of the mobile phone success, never bothered to look ahead.

This case is particularly appropriate in an MBA strategy course or executive education program focused on value innovation and winning business ideas.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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When Peugeot pulled out of its partnership with the Guangzhou Automobile Group in 1997, it left behind slow sales, a decrepit factory filled with 20-year-old equipment, and 1,600 exasperated employees. In this new Case Study, Professors Philippe Lasserre and Ming Zeng, and Hiromi Hinata tell how Honda turned this picture around.

Note: INSEAD used to offer free evaluation copies of their cases. They no longer do...

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In the late 1990s, INSEAD stood at a crossroads: to one side was the status quo, a continuation of its expansion on the Fontainebleau campus; to the other was a bold step, a further commitment to the Asian market by opening a second campus in the region. Professors Lasserre and De Meyer, and Sam Garg provide an analysis and chronology of the decision-making process.