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1 – 10 of 281California telecommunications company Wireworld is considering an acquisition of Nusantara Communications, a subsidiary of Indonesian conglomerate Bakrie & Brothers. Nusantara had…
Abstract
California telecommunications company Wireworld is considering an acquisition of Nusantara Communications, a subsidiary of Indonesian conglomerate Bakrie & Brothers. Nusantara had invested $50 million in developing the advanced rural telephone system, which had the potential to provide much-needed telecommunications services to the mostly rural Indonesian population. If if were exported, the worldwide market for this product in the next five years was projected to be in the billions. Should Wireworld acquire this small company halfway around the world? Was it prepared to enter the Indonesian marketplace and beyond?
Students will examine a variety of data, including financial projections, in order to decide whether acquiring Nusantara will add value to Wireworld.
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Robert F. Bruner, Michael J. Innes and William J. Passer
Set in September 1992, this exercise provides teams of students the opportunity to negotiate terms of a merger between AT&T and McCaw Cellular. AT&T, one of the largest U.S…
Abstract
Set in September 1992, this exercise provides teams of students the opportunity to negotiate terms of a merger between AT&T and McCaw Cellular. AT&T, one of the largest U.S. corporations, was the dominant competitor in long-distance telephone communications in the United States. McCaw was the largest competitor in the rapidly growing cellular-telephone communications industry. Prior to the negotiations, AT&T had no position in cellular communications. This case and its companion (F-1143) are designed to allow students to be assigned roles to play. The case may pursue some or all of the following teaching objectives: exercising valuation skills, practicing strategic analysis, exercising bargaining skills, and illustrating practical aspects of mergers and acquisitions.
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Benjamin Jones and Daniel Campbell
Winner of the 2014 EFMD competition for best African Business case.In the 1990s, two entrepreneurs made daring, early entries into mobile telecommunications in Sub-Saharan Africa…
Abstract
Winner of the 2014 EFMD competition for best African Business case.
In the 1990s, two entrepreneurs made daring, early entries into mobile telecommunications in Sub-Saharan Africa, both seeing great market opportunities there. One firm, Adesemi, would ultimately go bankrupt. The other firm, Celtel, would ultimately succeed and make its founder, Mo Ibrahim, a star of the global business community. Why the difference in outcome? Emerging markets often present weak rule of law, bringing many challenges to business success—from the demand for bribes to regulatory obstacles, hold-up problems, and even civil war. This case explores strategies that can limit these critical non-market risks in foreign direct investment and entrepreneurship. Students will step into the shoes of both companies by exploring their entry strategies, wrestling with the challenges they faced, and diagnosing the reasons why a shared insight about a new business opportunity turned out to be prescient—and led to extremely different endpoints.
Identify key challenges to successful entrepreneurship in emerging markets
Evaluate government officials or competitors that might trigger regulatory obstacles or hold-up problems
Evaluate potential allies that can help avoid these problems
Assess strategies to avoid paying bribes
Understand the importance of incentive alignment in directing investment success, even in the face of difficult challenges
Identify and appraise the strategic value of partnerships with development agencie
Identify key challenges to successful entrepreneurship in emerging markets
Evaluate government officials or competitors that might trigger regulatory obstacles or hold-up problems
Evaluate potential allies that can help avoid these problems
Assess strategies to avoid paying bribes
Understand the importance of incentive alignment in directing investment success, even in the face of difficult challenges
Identify and appraise the strategic value of partnerships with development agencie
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The spin-off of Iridium, a global telecommunications system, represented a significant business risk for Motorola, as many talented Motorola executives joined the venture in the…
Abstract
The spin-off of Iridium, a global telecommunications system, represented a significant business risk for Motorola, as many talented Motorola executives joined the venture in the late 1990s. This bold technology gamble suffered from numerous marketing missteps, which led to Iridium's bankruptcy in August 1999.
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Russell Walker and Joanna Wilson
In March 2000 a fire broke out at the Royal Philips Electronics plant, damaging its supply of semiconductor chips. Nokia Corporation and Ericsson LM relied on these chips to…
Abstract
In March 2000 a fire broke out at the Royal Philips Electronics plant, damaging its supply of semiconductor chips. Nokia Corporation and Ericsson LM relied on these chips to produce their cell phones; together they received 40 percent of the plant's chip production. Both companies were about to release new cell phone designs that required the chips. At Nokia, word of the setback spread quickly up the chain of command. Nokia's team, which had a crisis plan in place, sprang into action. With an aggressive, multipronged strategy, Nokia avoided any cell phone production loss. In contrast, the low-level technician who received the information at Ericsson did not notify his supervisors about the fire until early April and had to scramble to locate new sources for the chips. This search delayed production and proved a fatal blow to Ericsson's independent production of mobile phones. Nokia's handling of its supply chain disruption provides a dramatic example of how a company's strategic risk management can alleviate financial disaster and lay the groundwork for success in the future. Perturbations in supply chain management are inevitable, and grow harder and harder to assess as the marketplace becomes more globalized.
Students will learn the following concepts:
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Marketing, new product launch and innovations.
Abstract
Subject area
Marketing, new product launch and innovations.
Study level/applicability
Postgraduate students.
Case overview
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MSIL), established in February 1981, formerly known as MarutiUdyog Limited, is a subsidiary of Japanese automobile Manufacturer Suzuki. It has a market share of 37 per cent in passenger car segment in India. Its product portfolio ranges from entry-level Alto to hatchbacks like A-Star, Zen Estilo, etc. to sedans like SX 4 to sports utility vehicles like Grand Vitara. MSIL is always known for delivering value on these lines – low cost of acquisition, high fuel economy, less maintenance hassles and wide service network. MSIL is planning to launch its much awaited hatchback Celerio with revolutionary auto gear shift technology for the first time in India at an affordable price. Promotional campaign is yet to be completed. Online trends reflect the consumer trends of any country. During the Auto Expo Week, Maruti Suzuki Celerio became the most searched hatchback on Google in the subcontinent according to a report published by the Indian Express citing the Google Trends Report. One of the key success factor is communicating the right message to the customers so as to attract them. So, MSIL's challenge is to plan a product launch so as to spread awareness.
Expected learning outcomes
To discuss the ways in which the product may be differentiated, to acquaint students with the process of developing a slogan for the introduction of Celerio to the existing market, to explain the concept of segmentation to the students, to familiarize students with communication mix and to give the students an idea about need of digital communication to promote the product.
Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
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Kuo-Ting Hung, Neil Hunt, Gina Vega, Laurie Levesque, Hasan Arslan and Christian DeLaunay
Jeff Hotchkiss, President of the Assembly Test Division of Teradyne, Inc., the largest electronics testing company in the world, returned to the corporation where he had built his…
Abstract
Jeff Hotchkiss, President of the Assembly Test Division of Teradyne, Inc., the largest electronics testing company in the world, returned to the corporation where he had built his career after a three-year hiatus as CEO of a VOIP start-up. Teradyne's operation was struggling through the effects of a bad economy coupled with significant downturns in the electronics industry, and Hotchkiss encountered numerous problems specifically in the China operation, including customer dissatisfaction with service, price, and time required to implement changes. He assembled a strategic team to address these issues and to recommend and implement an accelerated turnaround in China. Students are challenged to design the turnaround plan.
Raul O. Chao and Stylianos Kavadias
Microsoft employs 90,000 people and its products affect millions of users around the world every day. Developing the next version of Windows or Office is easy for Microsoft, but…
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Microsoft employs 90,000 people and its products affect millions of users around the world every day. Developing the next version of Windows or Office is easy for Microsoft, but the company has struggled when it comes to more radical innovation. Intense competition from Google, Apple, and others threatens a business model that has delivered tremendous success over 25 years. This case highlights the strategic challenges facing Microsoft and provides insights into the organizational, leadership, and operational issues that must be addressed in order to define a successful innovation strategy at one of the world's most well-known companies.
Jinyun Sun and Feiting Wu
This case is mainly about the development journey of Tujia, a unicorn in China's accommodations-sharing sector, as well as the development status of the sector. On December 1…
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This case is mainly about the development journey of Tujia, a unicorn in China's accommodations-sharing sector, as well as the development status of the sector. On December 1, 2011, Tujia.com—China's first medium- and high-end vacation apartment booking platform—was formally launched, and it announced the first round of capital injection in less than half a year after its launch. It completed D and D+ round of financing on August 3, 2015, securing $300 million with an estimated value exceeding $1 billion. The completion of this financing round meant that Tujia formally entered the $1 billion club composed of “unicorn” Internet companies. In June 2016, it announced the strategic M&A of Mayi; in October 2016, it announced its strategic agreement with Ctrip.com and Qunar.com for the M&A of their apartment and homestay businesses. The completion of these transactions manifested the matrix with the four major platforms Tujia, Mayi, Ctrip, and Qunar. Since then, Tujia has become the absolute pacesetter in China's online accommodations-sharing sector.
Wendell E. Dunn and Scott Shane
This case describes the evolution of an entrepreneur's venture-capital fund-raising from seed-stage financing through later-round efforts. The case focuses on where the “action”…
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This case describes the evolution of an entrepreneur's venture-capital fund-raising from seed-stage financing through later-round efforts. The case focuses on where the “action” is in venture finance: the exploitation of social capital by an entrepreneur and investors. Much of the teaching materials on venture finance focus on the economics of financing; while these materials provide useful information about the mechanics of valuation and how to structure venture-capital agreements, they miss the social side of venture-capital investing. The case illustrates the theoretical concept that social capital (i.e., a person's relationship to other people in society) influences venture finance. The case can be used in a class on entrepreneurship or venture finance.
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