
The Business World in 2025
In order to challenge thinking and help decision-makers test their strategy and underlying assumptions we have identified the three factors which will lead to the greatest uncertainty and change:
- Shifting geographies: How will the global economy work in 2025?
- Blurring industry boundaries: How will companies organize across sectors in 2025?
- Evolving digital behavior: How will the consumer react to Internet ubiquity in 2025?
What happens in an open geopolitical environment where new revenue streams are unlocked by technology? Global Bazaar is a scenario of business transformation and continuous change. However, corporate volatility remains high, which means guaranteeing stable business results is challenging with fluid markets and hyper-competition.
Concerned consumers reclaim their data and turn to privacy-friendly companies. This triggers new competitive dynamics, challenging digital players and reining in opportunities for cross-industry platforms. Cautious Capitalism describes a global and open business landscape challenged by a shift in consumers’ digital behavior.
Imagine an international environment, where countries step back towards protectionism. Local industry regulation tightens, big regional companies dominate and entrepreneurship is scattered and marginal. Territorial Dominance describes stagnant economic growth and companies focusing on efficiency gains.
In Regional Marketplace the world divides into localized clusters, each following its own rules in trade, business policy, and Internet governance. Governments still drive local innovative environments, fostering native disruptive ventures, but protect regional players from international competition.
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- Four scenarios to stress test your strategy
- The business world in 2025: Four scenarios to stress test your strategy
- Four scenarios to stress test your strategy
- The business world in 2025: Four scenarios to stress test your strategy
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DBT Research Paper, 11 May 2016
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To navigate a turbulent business environment, CEOs must understand their landscape and align leadership thinking priorities, advises IMD’s Michael Watkins.
Case B describes the unprecedented challenges faced by CO-RO in 2020. The implementation of the sugar tax in its largest Middle Eastern market led to a near 50% volume drop in CO-RO’s sales, and Covid-19 lockdowns impacted the Asia-Pacific (APAC) ...
The CO-RO Group is a manufacturer of fruit-based still drinks, concentrates and ambient ice (home-freeze popsicles) headquartered in Denmark. Although production takes place in Denmark, most of its products are sold internationally, with the compa...
The case explores TBC Bank Group’s remarkable journey from a small Georgian bank to a regional leader in digital financial services across Central Asia. Founded in 1992 with just US$500 in initial capital, TBC evolved into Georgia’s largest financ...
The case explores the principles and challenges of operational excellence through the experience of Magdi Batato, former EVP of Operations at Nestlé. It examines how he implemented Mission-Directed Work Teams (MDWTs) to empower front-line workers,...
The board of Nestlé S.A. announced that Anna Mohl would become the CEO of Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) — a global leader in nutritional science — on 1 January 2024. She was delighted to hear about her new position but knew there was little time to...
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...
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...
As uncertainty grows, organizations must rethink how they navigate a volatile world. Rather than relying solely on scenario planning based on historical data, organizations could take a more proactive approach—imagining and shaping distant futures...
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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Case reference: IMD-7-2636 ©2025
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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...
in Forbes.com 20 February 2025
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Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications