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Latest Case Studies
Case Study
SIX Payment Services (A): Disruptive innovation in the European payments industry? (Spanish translation)

The payment processing industry in Europe had operated in largely the same way for decades. A standard system of financial processing and clearing ensured a steady profit pool for most of the players. However, the payments system in Europe was facing threats on a series of fronts, including changing regulation that shifted power away from some i…

Disruption Finance
By Michael R. Wade and Christopher Zintel
Case reference: IMD-7-1543-ES, © 2021
SIX Payment Services (A): Disruptive innovation in the European payments industry? (Spanish translation)
By Michael R. Wade and Christopher Zintel
Case reference: IMD-7-1543-ES ©2021
Summary
The payment processing industry in Europe had operated in largely the same way for decades. A standard system of financial processing and clearing ensured a steady profit pool for most of the players. However, the payments system in Europe was facing threats on a series of fronts, including changing regulation that shifted power away from some incumbents, lower prices, new competitors, and more demanding customers. One of the region’s large players, Swiss-based SIX Payment Services, needed to decide how to respond to these threats.
Reference IMD-7-1543-ES
Copyright ©2021
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Six Payment Services
Industry Finance and Insurance, Financial Services
Available Languages Spanish
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Case Study
Governance at Uber (B): The board reviews the holder report

Case (B) explains the contents of the Holder report, which investigated the diversity, equity and inclusion culture at Uber and ends with Travis Kalanick’s separation from the company.

Board Corporate Governance Diversity and Equity and Inclusion Organizational Culture
By Anand Narasimhan and Shruti Bajpai
Case reference: IMD-7-2586, © 2024
Governance at Uber (B): The board reviews the holder report
By Anand Narasimhan and Shruti Bajpai
Case reference: IMD-7-2586 ©2024
Summary
Case (B) explains the contents of the Holder report, which investigated the diversity, equity and inclusion culture at Uber and ends with Travis Kalanick’s separation from the company.
Reference IMD-7-2586
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Uber Technologies
Industry Manufacturing, Technology
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Governance at Uber (C): The all-hands meeting

Case (C) discusses the meeting that showcased the proposed actions following the Holder report recommendations and highlights the concerning response of one of the board members.

Board Corporate Governance Diversity and Equity and Inclusion Organizational Culture
By Anand Narasimhan and Shruti Bajpai
Case reference: IMD-7-2587, © 2024
Governance at Uber (C): The all-hands meeting
By Anand Narasimhan and Shruti Bajpai
Case reference: IMD-7-2587 ©2024
Summary
Case (C) discusses the meeting that showcased the proposed actions following the Holder report recommendations and highlights the concerning response of one of the board members.
Reference IMD-7-2587
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Uber Technologies
Industry Manufacturing, Technology
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Common sense is not a common practice: Hangar 12 explosion in the port of Beirut

On 4 August 2020, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history destroyed the port of Beirut and most of the city, killing 238 and wounding over 7000 people. The case is structured into five sections illustrating the same event according to five different perspectives: the cargo owner, the ship, the port authorities, the judicial authorit…

General Management Geopolitics
By Sameh Abadir and Marc Chauvet
Case reference: IMD-7-2531, © 2024
Common sense is not a common practice: Hangar 12 explosion in the port of Beirut
By Sameh Abadir and Marc Chauvet
Case reference: IMD-7-2531 ©2024
Summary
On 4 August 2020, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history destroyed the port of Beirut and most of the city, killing 238 and wounding over 7000 people. The case is structured into five sections illustrating the same event according to five different perspectives: the cargo owner, the ship, the port authorities, the judicial authorities and the political stakeholders. It aims to show how rational decisions can lead to major disasters. These five perspectives exemplify the Swiss Cheese Model of safety, whereby catastrophes occur when the “holes” in each layer align.
Reference IMD-7-2531
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Governance at WeWork: Adam Neumann’s erratic behavior

This is a fascinating case about Adam Neumann’s problematic behavior, which led to the downfall of WeWork, once one of America’s most valued startups.

Board Organizational Behavior Diversity and Equity and Inclusion Organizational Culture
By Anand Narasimhan and Shruti Bajpai
Case reference: IMD-7-2591, © 2024
Governance at WeWork: Adam Neumann’s erratic behavior
By Anand Narasimhan and Shruti Bajpai
Case reference: IMD-7-2591 ©2024
Summary
This is a fascinating case about Adam Neumann’s problematic behavior, which led to the downfall of WeWork, once one of America’s most valued startups.
Reference IMD-7-2591
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization The We Company
Industry Services, Real Estate
Available Languages English
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Case Study
How Boeing lost altitude

The case study examines recent aviation safety concerns at Boeing, focusing on manufacturing issues, leadership decisions and regulatory oversight. It traces Boeing’s trajectory since the McDonnell Douglas merger in 1997, highlighting the changes in the engineering culture and outsourcing strategy that affected the production quality of the 787 …

Board Corporate Governance Leadership Strategy
By Goutam Challagalla, Patrick Reinmoeller and Samaja Penumaka
Case reference: IMD-7-2588, © 2024
How Boeing lost altitude
By Goutam Challagalla Patrick Reinmoeller and Samaja Penumaka
Case reference: IMD-7-2588 ©2024
Summary
The case study examines recent aviation safety concerns at Boeing, focusing on manufacturing issues, leadership decisions and regulatory oversight. It traces Boeing’s trajectory since the McDonnell Douglas merger in 1997, highlighting the changes in the engineering culture and outsourcing strategy that affected the production quality of the 787 Dreamliner and the 737 MAX aircraft. The case also explores how leadership decisions prioritized cost-cutting over quality, leading to inconsistencies and delays. Then the case discusses the 737 MAX, which was grounded after two major crashes in 2018 and 2019. Investigations by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Department of Justice and a Senate Committee found defects in the MCAS flight control system and flaws in the safety certification. The case study explores the leadership actions of CEOs McNerney, Muilenburg and Calhoun, who decisively shaped the nature of the company.
Reference IMD-7-2588
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Boeing
Industry Travel and Leisure, Airlines and Aviation
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Governance at Uber (A): Travis Kalanick derails

Case (A) recounts Travis Kalanick’s journey through the growth of Uber, highlighting instances of his problematic behavior and the board’s lack of oversight.

Board Corporate Governance Diversity and Equity and Inclusion Organizational Culture
By Anand Narasimhan and Shruti Bajpai
Case reference: IMD-7-2585, © 2024
Governance at Uber (A): Travis Kalanick derails
By Anand Narasimhan and Shruti Bajpai
Case reference: IMD-7-2585 ©2024
Summary
Case (A) recounts Travis Kalanick’s journey through the growth of Uber, highlighting instances of his problematic behavior and the board’s lack of oversight.
Reference IMD-7-2585
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Uber Technologies
Industry Manufacturing, Technology
Available Languages English
Contact

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Case Study
UrbanLuxe Cosmetics: Embracing S&OP/IBP

The case is seen through the eyes of the newly appointed supply chain director at a cosmetics company based in Berlin. The general manager has tasked the new supply chain director to provide bold process recommendations to improve the poor service, high inventory and rampant use of overtime. To understand the issues at play, the supply chain dir…

Operations Strategy
By Ralf W. Seifert and Richard Markoff
Case reference: IMD-7-2572, © 2024
UrbanLuxe Cosmetics: Embracing S&OP/IBP
By Ralf W. Seifert and Richard Markoff
Case reference: IMD-7-2572 ©2024
Summary
The case is seen through the eyes of the newly appointed supply chain director at a cosmetics company based in Berlin. The general manager has tasked the new supply chain director to provide bold process recommendations to improve the poor service, high inventory and rampant use of overtime. To understand the issues at play, the supply chain director meets with the CFO, the factory manager, the chief procurement officer and chief revenue officer and their feedback constitutes the body of the case. Each individual offers a different perspective, though none take any responsibility. The CFO is unhappy with the high inventory levels. The factory manager feels helpless in the situation. The chief procurement officer is proud of the savings he has generated by shifting to Asia. The chief revenue officer appears altogether disinterested and not concerned by the problem. The supply chain director must integrate this feedback and propose a new process that will address the performance shortcomings, define the roles and responsibilities of each, along with KPIs to monitor progress.
Reference IMD-7-2572
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization UrbanLuxe Cosmetics (Invented name)
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Metalshub: A steely approach to launching a B2B metal trading platform

Few Business to Business (B2B) marketplaces have succeeded. Metalshub has successfully combined a software platform as a service, with a marketplace matching supply and demand for raw materials used in the Metals and Mining industries. Through innovative pricing and business models, the company has managed to scale its operations in a short time…

Business to Business Digital Disruption Economics Operations Strategy
By Didier Bonnet, Geoffrey G. Parker, Charles E. Hutchinson and Lisa Simone Duke
Case reference: IMD-7-2457, © 2024
Metalshub: A steely approach to launching a B2B metal trading platform
By Didier Bonnet Geoffrey G. Parker Charles E. Hutchinson and Lisa Simone Duke
Case reference: IMD-7-2457 ©2024
Summary
Few Business to Business (B2B) marketplaces have succeeded. Metalshub has successfully combined a software platform as a service, with a marketplace matching supply and demand for raw materials used in the Metals and Mining industries. Through innovative pricing and business models, the company has managed to scale its operations in a short timeframe.
Reference IMD-7-2457
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Metalshub
Industry Materials, Metals and Mining
Available Languages English
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Case Study
Contabilizei: Freeing entrepreneurs from Brazil’s tax complexity

The case focuses on Contabilizei, a Brazilian startup providing online accounting services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The case study delves into the challenges faced by the company’s founder and CEO, Vitor Torres, as he navigated Brazil’s complex social and economic landscape. Issues such as Brazil’s byzantine tax system, dis…

Entrepreneurship Business to Business Digital Strategy
By Benoit F. Leleux, Diego Dias, Ariella Pfenninger, Daniel Töller and Thomas Villiger
Case reference: IMD-7-2546, © 2024
Contabilizei: Freeing entrepreneurs from Brazil’s tax complexity
By Benoit F. Leleux Diego Dias Ariella Pfenninger Daniel Töller and Thomas Villiger
Case reference: IMD-7-2546 ©2024
Summary
The case focuses on Contabilizei, a Brazilian startup providing online accounting services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The case study delves into the challenges faced by the company’s founder and CEO, Vitor Torres, as he navigated Brazil’s complex social and economic landscape. Issues such as Brazil’s byzantine tax system, disparate educational quality and accessibility, and the high cost of doing business in the country are explored. Despite these barriers, Contabilizei demonstrated impressive growth, transforming digital innovation into standardized services. However, the rise of competitors and persistent profitability concerns prompt Torres to thoroughly explore future strategies to maintain market leadership and improve financial performance. The case provides an in-depth analysis of Brazil’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, examining its business, educational, legal and infrastructural realities and their implications for startups as well as the difficult step for startups to become established companies.
Reference IMD-7-2546
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization Contabilizei
Industry Finance and Insurance, Financial Services
Available Languages English
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Case Study
From grease to green: Impact investing due diligence on ZhanaSolutions

Fatbergs and grease waste from industrial kitchens are hardly the most enticing topics for a business school case study. Yet ZhanaSolutions, the start-up examined in this impact investment due diligence case, is all about grease waste. At least, on the surface. When one dredges deeper, the case reveals a compelling story about how to embed impac…

Social Innovation Entrepreneurship Finance Sustainability
By Vanina Farber and Shih-Han Huang
Case reference: IMD-7-2518, © 2024
From grease to green: Impact investing due diligence on ZhanaSolutions
By Vanina Farber and Shih-Han Huang
Case reference: IMD-7-2518 ©2024
Summary
Fatbergs and grease waste from industrial kitchens are hardly the most enticing topics for a business school case study. Yet ZhanaSolutions, the start-up examined in this impact investment due diligence case, is all about grease waste. At least, on the surface. When one dredges deeper, the case reveals a compelling story about how to embed impact into decision making. It illustrates the risk, return and impact relationship – specifically, the added-value that impact investors can bring by investing in companies that generate a clear measurable impact, even when the risk-return profile could lead traditional commercial investors who do not consider impact to underappreciate the business opportunity. The ZhanaSolutions case looks at due diligence in the impact investing context. The protagonist, José Lozano, is the Latin American managing director of the Geneva-based impact investor AlphaMundi Group (AMG), an impact first but very commercially minded impact investor that invests in Africa and Latin America. In the case, Lozano and his team have completed the due diligence and are deciding whether to present a positive recommendation to the AMG Investment Committee to invest in ZhanaSolutions, The start-up, headquartered in Bogotá, offers a novel leasing model for its grease removal G-Trap technology to industrial kitchens in Colombia. Students assume the role of Lozano and will need to balance impact and financial considerations as they make a recommendation. Through the case, students can experience a real impact investing due diligence, explore the layers of considerations needed to build a compelling investment case and simulate how best to present proposals to an investment committee. The case underscores the idea that investable opportunities can be found in even the most mundane places.
Reference IMD-7-2518
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Organization AlphaMundi, ZhanaSolutions
Industry Finance and Insurance, Investment Management;Services, Water Supply and Sanitary Services
Available Languages English
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Case Study
The afro-textured hair care industry

An industry note describing the $13 billion market for hair care and related products in Africa.

Global Business
By Leif M. Sjöblom and Eve Nyaboke
Case reference: IMD-7-2560, © 2024
The afro-textured hair care industry
By Leif M. Sjöblom and Eve Nyaboke
Case reference: IMD-7-2560 ©2024
Summary
An industry note describing the $13 billion market for hair care and related products in Africa.
Reference IMD-7-2560
Copyright ©2024
Copyright owner IMD Copyright
Industry Consumer Goods, Cosmetics and Perfumes
Available Languages English
Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications