Strategy
October 2020
COVID-19: Pret a Mangerâs Fight for Survival
By Nader Tavassoli, Jessica Spungin
The case describes how Pret a Mangerâa London casual-dining institutionâwas significantly adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they tried to pivot by launching several business experiments in fast succession. The long-term outcome of these experiments was far from certain, but th...
October 2020
Takeda: The governance of strategic transformation (B) (Japanese language)
By Harry Korine, Kazuhiro Asakawa
The case series describes strategic transformation at Takeda, the largest Japanese pharmaceutical company, with a special focus on the R&D function. Since 2015, the 237-year-old industry doyen has narrowed its strategic focus from six to three therapeutic areas, reorganised its global R&D fo...
October 2020
Takeda: The Governance of Strategic Transformation (A) (Japanese language)
By Harry Korine, Kazuhiro Asakawa
The case series describes strategic transformation at Takeda, the largest Japanese pharmaceutical company, with a special focus on the R&D function. Since 2015, the 237-year-old industry doyen has narrowed its strategic focus from six to three therapeutic areas, reorganised its global R&D fo...
September 2018
David Pyott: The Battle for Allergan (B)
By Randall Peterson, Lisa Duke
This case series charts the evolution of the hostile battle for Allergan and its ultimate sale to a white knight, Actavis. David Pyott had been the CEO of Allergan since January 1998; only the third CEO in the companyâs 60-year-plus history. Allergan was primarily known for Botox, the aesthetic an...
July 2020
Haierâs (2019) ecosystem revolution: From Rendanheyi 2.0 to Rendanheyi 3.0
By Michael Jacobides, Lisa Duke
2019 was an important year for Haier. Its new version of its radically decentralised structure, dubbed Rendanheyi 2.0, based on many independent âEcosystem Micro-enterprise Communitiesâ (EMCs) had been devised to help it respond to the shifting ways of adding value in the digital, internet-based...
July 2020
Haierâs Rendanheyi 2.0: An ecosystem revolution
By Michael Jacobides, Lisa Duke
Haier in 1984 was a small, local firm on the verge of collapse, with poor-quality products and low morale. Within 30 years, it was transformed by Zhang Ruimin, who took over as CEO, into one of the worldsâ leading white-goods manufacturers, with a reputation for quality and innovation and an incre...
July 2020
Haier in 2014: An entrepreneurial juggernaut facing a world of platforms and ecosystems
By Michael Jacobides, Lisa Duke
Until the 2010s, China had been known for inexpensive products and efficient, low-cost production and for copycat or OEM products rather than for leading-edge innovation. Yet, in a few short years, Chinese firms turned to quality and innovation, drastically increasing their market share. A shining e...
June 2020
Enel S.p.A.: A Traditional Utility Embraces the Digital Revolution
By Julian Birkinshaw, Ken Mark
The case study describes the digital transformation of Enel under the leadership of Francesco Starace from 2014 to 2019. Enel is one of Europeâs largest utilities, providing electricity to 71 million customers across Europe and South America. It is also an impressive success story. At the time the...
June 2020
Zensar Technologies
By Julian Birkinshaw, Tanvi Deshpande
The case study describes the digital transformation of Zensar Technologies Ltd. under CEO Sandeep Kishore. Zensar was a mid-tier IT services company based in Pune, India; profitable and successful but without any obvious differentiating features and with relatively weak growth. On his arrival in 20...
June 2020
CI&T Building an Entrepreneurial Management Model
By Julian Birkinshaw, Carolina Rossi Wosiack
The case study describes the growth of CI&T, from a start-up in Brazil to a 3,000+ person consulting firm with global reach in 2019. The case describes the stages of growth the company has been through over 25 years, focusing on both the market offering and the internal organisation structure/cu...