A peripheral concern for most firms in 2015, digital disruption now impacts half of companies globally – and has become a top-of-mind issue at the board level.
Our latest research uncovered these and many other important insights about how the state of disruption across industries has changed since 2015. This new study from the Global Center for Digital Business Transformation (DBT Center), an IMD and Cisco initiative, draws on survey data from hundreds of executives, along with quantitative data, such as where venture capitalists are placing their bets.
The results show large differences among industries in how they are experiencing the effects of disruption in the “Digital Vortex.”
How to master the 6 skills of strategic thinking
Are you struggling to lead successfully in the face of relentless disruption and uncertainty? Now’s the time to master the art of strategic thinking, starting with these six key skills.
By
Michael D. Watkins
4 February 2025
How to become a digital sustainability leader in 5 steps
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.
By
Michael R. Wade and
Evangelos Syrigos
20 January 2025
ABN AMRO (A): When culture drives transformation
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
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
ABN AMRO
Industry
Finance and Insurance, Banking
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
ABN AMRO (B): The challenge of scaling self-organization
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
©2025
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
ABN AMRO
Industry
Finance and Insurance, Banking
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research: How AI helped executives improve communication
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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Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
When your coworkers got laid off — but you didn’t
Summary
The colossal wave of downsizing in the last few years is dividing the workplace in two, between the leavers and the survivors. Business has traditionally emphasized the consequences of downsizing on the leavers, sometimes putting in place severanc...
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
How to master the 6 skills of strategic thinking
Summary
Are you struggling to lead successfully in the face of relentless disruption and uncertainty? Now’s the time to master the art of strategic thinking, starting with these six key skills.
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Chi può fermare la guerra tra Stati Uniti e Cina
Summary
Consumer-voters and the processing industry are the sure losers of the trade war against China that Trump will carry on with renewed energy.
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Four areas where boards fall short
Summary
This article examines four critical governance failures in boards: risk management, strategic oversight, executive and non-executive relationships, and integrity. It advocates for a shift in the role of boards from reactive oversight to proactive ...
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Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
China Resources Beer: Becoming future ready
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
©2024
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
China Resources Beer
Industry
Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
DIDA: Becoming a world leader in IT infrastructure
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
©2024
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Organization
DIDA (Disguised)
Industry
Services, Telecommunications
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
How to become a digital sustainability leader in 5 steps
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.
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications