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The poster company for the new economy not only failed to anticipate the economic downturn, its much-heralded forecasting software and outsourcing infrastructure may have even made things worse.

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

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Anyone can make music, but when the orchestral baton rests in the hands of someone like Richard Branson (entrepreneur of the Virgin Group), the resulting sound is more than musical - it's magical. INSEAD Professor Manfred Kets de Vries examines the inner-workings of this successful entrepreneur and the evolution of Virgin - from one leader to more "systematic" management.

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

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The Internet offers yet another forum where buyers and sellers can meet. In terms of efficiency, simplicity and accessibility, what elements make up the best online marketplaces? Michael Mueller and Professor Tawfik Jelassi present the case of mondus.com, a B-2-B website that began just two years ago and struck success. What makes the firm work so well? In this case, you'll find the insights to discover the answers, as well as clear explanations of mondus.com's inner workings, from conceiving the idea to expanding globally.

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

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This series of four cases detail DBS's growth strategy to transform itself from a large local player to a significant regional player. Beginning with the much-publicised problems DBS faced with its first major overseas acquisition at the outset of the Asian Crisis, through the process of building the capability to become a successful acquirer, Keeley Wilson, Professor Peter Williamson and Chua Chei Hwee trace DBS's motives and actions, focusing on important questions that arose out of the acquisition process.

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

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Beginning with $60,000 and a dream, Alibaba.com shot to the top in less than two years and is now the world's largest online marketplace for international trade among small- and medium-sized enterprises. But just like the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, making it inside the cave is only the beginning of the adventure. Professor Ming Zeng describes Alibaba.com's rise, explains the challenges it faces, and asks where the company should go next.

"This case is a rich source for discussing numerous issues: Chinese entrepreneurship and emerging companies in China; how best to manage and support a fast-growing start-up; the interaction of Chinese culture, Internet culture, and Western managerial practices; and the development of the B2B marketplace, particularly in Asia."

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

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The fast paced Internet environment provides opportunities to those nimble firms that are capable of revising their business model in real time. Professors Jochen Wirtz and Jill Klein present the case of Spacedisk, Inc. in an effort to demonstrate the power of adaptability and collaboration in e-space.

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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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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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.

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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In 1984, a small band of Canadian street performers set out to breathe life back into the tired circus industry. In creating Cirque de Soleil, a unique amalgam of circus, opera, theater, and spectacle, founders Guy Laliberté and Daniel Gauthier turned what used to be traditional circus shows for kids into unconventional entertainment, primarily targeted to adults. This case explores how this troupe went about creating a new market space, a strategy that has proven highly successful and hugely profitable.

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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What motives propel international expansion? It seems like it's a trend for so many businesses, but in the case of Vedior, Professor Paul Verdin and Nick Van Heck query the real benefits and the classic expansion dichotomy of Europeanisation versus localisation.

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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INSEAD Professor Subramanian Rangan and Brian Coleman explain that through more than 100 successful years in business, Reuters advanced through countless communication strategies - from carrier pigeons to an Internet portal. So how did Reuters manage its development, from flying through the air to flying through fibre-optic cables?

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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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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In just ten years, ARM transformed itself from beleaguered computer company to designer of RISC chips that are today the de facto standard for mobile phones, storage devices, automotive computing, and others. In this Case Study, Eleanor O'Keeffe and Professor Peter Williamson present the company's innovative business model based on partnerships that give it unrivalled capability to "learn from the world".

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

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This Case Study examines how ChateauOnline took its wine e-tailing model from promising and well-publicized beginnings in cyberspace and then met the challenge of negotiating the complexities of a less propitious climate in a highly fragmented market. It explains how this young company developed a viable, sustainable and profitable business at a time when other start up competitors were collapsing as a result of financing problems and when big players were beginning to flex their muscle in a market where big profits were to be made.

Macintosh market share continues to decline, but the iPod and iTunes are hit products. Where does Apple Computer's future lie? An interview with HBS professor David Yoffie.

For 150 years, Steinway & Sons has set the standard for the quality manufacture of pianos. The secret to its longevity: a mix of old-world craftsmanship and modern-day management techniques.

Critics say Microsoft's incredible two-decade run at the top of the computer industry has less to do with innovation than it does with bully tactics. But new research from Harvard Business School professors Marco Iansiti and Alan MacCormack suggest a different reason: the company's ability to spot technological trends and exploit key software technologies.

Mochtar Riady, the son of immigrant shopkeepers, got his start in banking in 1960. Now he heads a global financial powerhouse with $11 billion in assets. The secret? Putting everything into allegiances and alliances to gain a foothold on the world stage.

The relationship between Xerox and Fuji Xerox, its joint venture in Japan, is the centerpiece of this commentary on how alliances among companies are forging new units of economic power known as "constellations." Internal rivalry can put constellations at a disadvantage against single-company rivals, and the ability to manage the balance of competition and cooperation is critical to success.

Note: Older EBF articles are not currently online. I'm not sure if this is temporary or permanent. If you click you will be taken to the Archive.org site to find an archived copy.

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Companies that enter into strategic alliances thus encounter many dilemmas. This article summarises the key issues into six categories of 10 dilemmas and discusses how Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance, has dealt with these 10 dilemmas.

During an economic downturn, Cemex, the world's second-largest cement maker, decided to try to sell more products to Mexico's poor. Almost by accident, the company discovered a global model for developing previously overlooked markets.

"Bertrand Caron sat in his office and contemplated his most recent communications with George Milne and Philip Brown of Vancouver Aluminum Company of Vancouver, Washington, USA. Caron was the marketing director of the Canadian Railway Car Corporation (CRCC) headquartered in Montreal. CRCC was a privately-held firm that manufactured various types of railway cars. However, Caron's firm was now threatened by increasing competition from U.S. manufacturers now able to take advantage of lower tariffs on railway cars because of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Within five years these tariffs would be completely eliminated and the U.S. cars would be even more price competitive. Caron felt that increasing CRCC's production volume by penetrating the U.S. railway car market with potential customers such as Vancouver Aluminum was essential to the company's survival..."

With rivals poised to pounce, is there a way for Thales to remain a standalone company?

In a new market, you need to secure a foothold. World domination can come later.