DBS transformation (C): The world’s best digital bank - IMD business school for management and leadership courses

ABN AMRO (A): When culture drives transformation

By Michael R. Wade and Lisa Simone Duke
Case reference: IMD-7-2192 ©2025

Summary

The case describes two transformation journeys for ABN AMRO bank. The first transformation is cultural and the second is digital. It explores the interplay between these two journeys from the perspective of the head of the Personal Banking. The case goes into detail regarding how the bank rebuilt its internal operating model. The hierarchy was de-layered and replaced with agile ways of working, employee empowerment and a new performance management approach. At first, there was a lot of chaos, but, after some time for adjustment, benefits started to appear, such as higher NPS scores and improved financial results. The new approach also helped the bank cope with the Covid-19 pandemic as many of the changes were linked to remote working for employees and technology-mediated service provision for customers. The case also explores new challenges that appeared. While some teams embraced the new ways of working, others had trouble letting go of legacy approaches. There were inconsistencies and confusion around performance measurement. Despite improving performance in some areas, multifunctional teams were not necessarily delivering the best customer experiences. Sick leave was increasing, and there were signs that employee engagement was falling. The reader is placed in the shoes of the head of Personal Banking who must come up with solutions to these challenges.

Reference IMD-7-2192

Copyright owner IMD Copyright

Organization ABN AMRO

Industry Finance and Insurance, Banking

Available Languages English

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Digital

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ABN AMRO (B): The challenge of scaling self-organization

The B case picks up at the end of Case A. It’s now autumn 2022. Klaas Ariaans and Eric Jones, leaders within ABN AMRO’s Personal and Business Banking Division had been reflecting on the success of self-organization in their divisions. This new wor...

Digital

By Michael R. Wade and Lisa Simone Duke

ABN AMRO (B): The challenge of scaling self-organization

By Michael R. Wade and Lisa Simone Duke
Case reference: IMD-7-2439 ©2025

Summary

The B case picks up at the end of Case A. It’s now autumn 2022. Klaas Ariaans and Eric Jones, leaders within ABN AMRO’s Personal and Business Banking Division had been reflecting on the success of self-organization in their divisions. This new working method gave branches and banking teams more autonomy over how, when and where they worked, as well as how they could best serve their local customers. It had also improved employee attraction and retention. Video banking and self-organization enabled the division to find a balance between digital self-service and personal contact for complex products such as mortgages. The result was a 57% increase in the division’s transactional NPS score. Yet, although Ariaans and Jones had achieved considerable success, their ambition to expand self-organization to other parts of ABN AMRO had not yet been realized. The case explores the different strategies and initiatives they attempted and what happened. Their resolve was unchanged, however, and the case ends with a question: How could they set a path for the rest of the bank to enjoy similar success?

Reference IMD-7-2439

Copyright owner IMD Copyright

Organization ABN AMRO

Industry Finance and Insurance, Banking

Available Languages English

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Digital

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Case Study

ABN AMRO (A): When culture drives transformation

The case describes two transformation journeys for ABN AMRO bank. The first transformation is cultural and the second is digital. It explores the interplay between these two journeys from the perspective of the head of the Personal Banking. The ca...

Digital

By Michael R. Wade and Lisa Simone Duke

Research: How AI helped executives improve communication

By Katharina Lange and José Parra Moyano
in HBR.org 14 February 2025

Summary

A great way for executives to hone their communication skills is by having a coach listen in on their conversations and provide feedback. But given the increasing capability of AI-based tools to have meaningful conversations with people, research...

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Artificial Intelligence

Communication

Coaching

Digital

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5 ways to kick bad habits

By Faisal Hoque
in I by IMD Brain Circuits 24 January 2025

Summary

Just as individuals can reap big benefits from kicking bad habits, businesses must consider scrapping old habits, processes, and ways of thinking to reinvent themselves and stay relevant. Here are five "LIFTS" to help leaders do it.

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Agility

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China Resources Beer: Becoming future ready

By Mark J. Greeven and Wei Wei
Case reference: IMD-7-2538 ©2024

Summary

The China Resources Beer (CR Beer) case study is a compelling narrative of the world’s largest beer producer by volume under the leadership of CEO Hou Xiaohai. In 2016 CR Beer embarked on a pivotal transformation journey. This case study offers critical insights that particularly resonate with Chinese corporations navigating similar challenges in an era marking the end of China’s rapid economic growth. Faced with industry saturation, changing consumer behaviors, the rise of digital technology and the imperative shift from expansive to high-quality growth, CR Beer’s story mirrors the predicament in which many Chinese companies find themselves today. The case delves into CR Beer’s strategic overhaul, how it optimized its vast 60,000-employee structure, streamlined operations and embraced digital transformation to remain competitive. CR Beer’s transformation was characterized by tackling “three mountains” – operational inefficiency due to numerous small factories with high costs and low-capacity utilization, weak brand presence in the high-end beer market and an underutilized and mismatched workforce. The study also highlights the company’s innovative approach to rebranding for younger consumers, integrating consumer insights into product development and exploring new business models. It underscores the importance of internal cultural shifts to support these external changes and the role of leadership in guiding transformation. CR Beer’s journey from traditional efficiency to future-readiness offers valuable lessons in managing large-scale organizational change, strategic management and business innovation. It provides essential insights for understanding the complexities of transformation in a rapidly evolving industry, making it a crucial read for those interested in organizational change, particularly in the context of the Chinese market and its unique challenges and opportunities.

Reference IMD-7-2538

Copyright owner IMD Copyright

Organization China Resources Beer

Industry Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage

Available Languages English

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China

Digital

Human Resources

Strategy

Diversity and Equity and Inclusion

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DIDA: Becoming a world leader in IT infrastructure

By Patrick Reinmoeller
Case reference: IMD-7-2547 ©2024

Summary

Five friends created DIDA in 1983 and turned it into a global provider of IT infrastructure and services. Riding the wave of rapid growth of communication networks and increasingly global business relationships of corporations, DIDA established its brand through its strong alignment with dominant infrastructure companies such as Cisco and Microsoft. Navigating the end of the internet bubble, DIDA served as a major reseller of these companies’ products, adding value with its integration services by increasing its clients’ efficiency and enabling collaboration within corporate networks. By 2005 DIDA had resumed rapid growth through partnerships, equity-based alliances and, most prominently, acquisitions, which led to a network of subsidiaries in more than 50 countries and six continents. By the end of 2009, DIDA had shown its critics that it could grow and integrate. However, its revenue was growing faster than its profits and it was not poised to help corporations move to the next generation of internet technology which would require new capabilities for installing and managing large data centers for computing as a service (CaaS) and cloud computing. The case ends with DIDA’s CEO reviewing the prospects of shrinking core markets and displacement by technological disruption. He acknowledges the need to make choices and get ahead of technological trends again in a changing IT infrastructure landscape. DIDA could seek to further grow its core business or internalize new capabilities to get ready for a CaaS future. Should DIDA seek more profitable growth organically or through acquisitions?

Reference IMD-7-2547

Copyright owner IMD Copyright

Organization DIDA (Disguised)

Industry Services, Telecommunications

Available Languages English

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Strategy

General Management

Digital

Disruption

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NTT at a crossroads (A): Quest for growth

NTT Corporation, Japan’s information and communication technologies (ICT) leader since 1953, was the first to commercialize internet usage on mobile phones in the 1990s, which resulted in NTT achieving much success in Japan. However, by the end of...

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption

By Patrick Reinmoeller

Case Study

NTT at a crossroads (B): Mapping growth options

Building on NTT (A), the case starts with NTT’s CEO having narrowed down strategic growth options with the board to prepare NTT for the future. Past international investments in AT&T Wireless and KPN to tap into foreign markets had resulted in bil...

Strategy General Management Digital Disruption

By Patrick Reinmoeller

How to become a digital sustainability leader in 5 steps

By Michael R. Wade and Evangelos Syrigos
in I by IMD Brain Circuits 20 January 2025

Summary

Companies that excel in both digital and sustainable transformation attract a stock market premium – but how do you tap into that value? Here’s a five-step guide to outperforming your competitors.

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Sustainability

Digital

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SURFing the TSUNAMI: A framework for assessing and adapting in turbulent times

By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-7-2629 ©2024

Summary

This technical note introduces two powerful frameworks for navigating complex, rapidly changing business environments: TSUNAMI and SURF. The TSUNAMI framework provides a comprehensive tool for assessing external challenges across seven dimensions:...

Reference IMD-7-2629

Copyright owner IMD Copyright

Available Languages English

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Future Readiness

Agility

Business Transformation

Leadership

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Case Study

GreenGro (A): Cultivating a future

The GreenGro (A) case explores the challenges faced by GreenGro, a mid-sized agricultural technology company, as it navigates a rapidly changing industry landscape. CEO Sarah Chen and her leadership team are confronting issues ranging from technol...

Future Readiness Agility Business Transformation Leadership

By Michael D. Watkins

Case Study

GreenGro (B): SURFing the TSUNAMI

The GreenGro (B) case study is a follow-up to GreenGro (A) and details how the company applied the TSUNAMI and SURF frameworks to address its complex challenges. The case illustrates the practical implementation of these frameworks, introduced in ...

Future Readiness Agility Business Transformation Leadership

By Michael D. Watkins

The business value of gamification: 5 tips for success and 2 pathways to failure

By Michael G. Jacobides M. Dalbert Ma Konstantinos Trantopoulos and Vasilis Vassalos
in I by IMD Brain Circuits 15 January 2025

Summary

Gamification projects can result in very different outcomes, depending on which features are included – and which are left out. Here are five tips for success and two mistakes to avoid.

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Technology Management

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The business value of gamification: Three pathways to new customer acquisition

Well-designed games can bring in new users, who may eventually become customers. This can lead directly to new revenue streams or boost interest and brand equity by association. In the second of a three-part series on gamification, here are three ...

Technology Management

By Michael G. Jacobides, M. Dalbert Ma, Konstantinos Trantopoulos and Vasilis Vassalos

in I by IMD Brain Circuits

8 January 2025

Article

The business value of gamification: Pathways to customer relations

Customer retention is a long-term endeavor. By securely locking customers into a game, firms can generate more value from them and gain a crucial competitive edge.

Customer Centricity

By Konstantinos Trantopoulos

in I by IMD Brain Circuits

18 December 2024

GreenGro (B): SURFing the TSUNAMI

By Michael D. Watkins
Case reference: IMD-7-2628 ©2024

Summary

The GreenGro (B) case study is a follow-up to GreenGro (A) and details how the company applied the TSUNAMI and SURF frameworks to address its complex challenges. The case illustrates the practical implementation of these frameworks, introduced in ...

Reference IMD-7-2628

Copyright owner IMD Copyright

Organization GreenGro (Fictionalized)

Available Languages English

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Related topics

Future Readiness

Agility

Business Transformation

Leadership

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Related content

Case Study

SURFing the TSUNAMI: A framework for assessing and adapting in turbulent times

This technical note introduces two powerful frameworks for navigating complex, rapidly changing business environments: TSUNAMI and SURF. The TSUNAMI framework provides a comprehensive tool for assessing external challenges across seven dimensions:...

Future Readiness Agility Business Transformation Leadership

By Michael D. Watkins

Case Study

GreenGro (A): Cultivating a future

The GreenGro (A) case explores the challenges faced by GreenGro, a mid-sized agricultural technology company, as it navigates a rapidly changing industry landscape. CEO Sarah Chen and her leadership team are confronting issues ranging from technol...

Future Readiness Agility Business Transformation Leadership

By Michael D. Watkins