84 Posts found for Source: INSEAD

BASF is a multi-national producer of petro-chemicals that has enjoyed a comfortable, well-padded history of success in the packaging industry. The company’s product Styropor®, one of the few branded chemicals on the market, is a commodity – somewhat like Lycra®. The authors explain BASF’s problem in this case study: since Styropor®, by nature, costs more than similar products produced locally in China, it needs to … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Authors: Hellmut Schütte, Jocelyn Probert | Source: INSEAD | Subjects: International, Marketing / Sales | Industry: Petro / Chemical | Company: BASF

This case discusses the e-business strategy of Ducati, an Italian manufacturer of high-performance motorcycles. Ducati became the first firm to sell a new-model motorcycle over the Internet, its MH900e motorcycle (15,000 Euros each). Professor Tawfik Jelassi and Stefanie Leenen discuss the company’s Internet venture from creation to launch, raising issues about how to handle and integrate an online operation.

Content: Case Study | Authors: Stefanie Leenen, Tawfik Jelassi | Source: INSEAD | Subject: IT / Technology / E-Business | Company: Ducati Motorcycle

Even if you can’t put your finger on it, and even if you can’t express it in one statement, there is something different about doing business in Asia. With respect to cultural nuance and regional resources, Asian business is distinguishable from business in the rest of the world. Professors Ming Zeng and Ingmar Björkman explain that Guangdong Electronics provides a textbook example.

Content: Case Study | Authors: Ingmar Björkman, Ming Zeng | Source: INSEAD | Subject: International | Company: Guangdong Electronics

Knowledge is the key element in running an organization. It’s also the cornerstone for a new economy and, combined with innovation, knowledge enables daily business practices to be reworked. Professor Soumitra Dutta, Professor Luk Van Wassenhove and Beatrix Biren consider how knowledge can be converted into marketplace success for any organization. They study one particular Xerox community as well as the overall … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Authors: Beatrix Biren, Luk N. Van Wassenhove, Soumitra Dutta | Source: INSEAD | Subject: Knowledge Management | Company: Xerox

You’ve heard, “It’s who you know, not what you know,” but in top organizations today, it’s “how you know”. INSEAD Professors Charles Galunic and John Weeks use Booz-Allen & Hamilton to show that once the how’s began making sense, the who’s fell into place. It’s what’s next in knowledge management.

Content: Case Study | Authors: Charles Galunic, John Weeks | Source: INSEAD | Subject: Knowledge Management | Company: Booz-Allen & Hamilton

Buy low, sell high – the Luksic Group began small using this business tactic, and soon, the formula was highly successful. Over the years, it grew into one of Chile’s largest conglomerates. But a tougher challenge followed when the group attempted to convert its local successes into global ones. In this recent case study, Paulina Cuadra and Professors Lourdes Casanova and Gonzalo Jimenez explain how … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Authors: Gonzalo Jiménez, Lourdes Casanova, Paulina Cuadra | Source: INSEAD | Subject: International | Company: The Luksic Group

adidas, a leading athletic shoe manufacturer, worked hard to develop and implement its human rights policy. It paid special attention to its work practices in the developing world. Nevertheless, it needed to make some strategic decisions, as it was faced with NGO protests on the sidelines of the adidas-sponsored Euro 2000 football championship. Robert Crawford and Professor Jill Klein explain the situation and explore the … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Authors: Jill G. Klein, Robert J. Crawford | Source: INSEAD | Subject: Social Responsibility (ESG) | Company: Adidas

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.

Content: Case Study | Authors: Charles Nunn, Ron Adner | Source: INSEAD | Subjects: Industry Specific, Strategy | Industry: Automotive | Company: iMotors

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.

Content: Case Study | Authors: Jill Klein, Jochen Wirtz | Source: INSEAD | Subjects: Marketing / Sales, Strategy | Company: Spacedisk Inc.

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 … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Authors: Albrecht Enders, Charles Waldman, Tawfik Jelassi | Source: INSEAD | Subjects: Industry Specific, IT / Technology / E-Business | Industry: Food Products/Service

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 … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Authors: Marie Carpenter, William Lazonick | Source: INSEAD | Subject: Industry Specific | Industry: Telecommunications

When the Semiconductor Trade Agreement was set to expire in 1996, some US industry leaders called for renewal, while their Japanese counterparts argued against it. In this case study, Professor Daniel Traca and Robert Crawford challenge you to examine the issues surrounding US-Japanese semiconductor trade and the possibility of an STA III.

Content: Case Study | Authors: Daniel Traça, Robert Crawford | Source: INSEAD | Subjects: Economics, Trade

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 … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Author: Arnoud De Meyer | Source: INSEAD | Subjects: Industry Specific, Strategy | Industry: Pharmaceutical | Company: Rhodex-Puguet S.A.

Parfums Cacharel’s AnaisAnais and Loulou were once the number one and number two best-selling fragrances in Europe, but profits had slipped and the firm’s new director argued that the organization had lost sight of its brand identity. How could it carry out an effective self-assessment? Cacharel chose brand decoding over market research. Professor Pierre Chandon, Professor Klaus Wertenbroch and Nicholas Rowell ask you to determine … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Authors: Klaus Wertenbroch, Nicholas Rowell, Pierre Chandon | Source: INSEAD | Subject: Marketing / Sales | Company: Parfums Cacharel de L’Oréal

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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 … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Author: Ming Zeng | Source: INSEAD | Subjects: International – Asia, Strategy | Company: Alibaba.com

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 … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Authors: Chua Chei Hwee, Keeley Wilson, Peter Williamson | Source: INSEAD | Subject: Strategy | Company: DBS

The members of Lee Coker’s team have varying degrees of experience and successes. How can he best manage this mixed group so that each person achieves his or her goals, as well as the milestones of the overall organisation? Professor Jean-Francois Manzoni and Research Fellow Jean-Louis Barsoux illustrate the challenges of operational management in this case study.

Content: Case Study | Authors: Jean-François Manzoni, Jean-Louis Barsoux | Source: INSEAD | Subjects: Management, Organizational Behavior

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 … [ Read more ]

Content: Case Study | Authors: Michael Mueller, Tawfik Jelassi | Source: INSEAD | Subjects: IT / Technology / E-Business, Strategy | Company: mondus.com

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.

Content: Case Study | Author: Manfred Kets de Vries | Source: INSEAD | Subjects: Entrepreneurship, Strategy | Company: Virgin