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Book

Digital Vortex

How today’s market leaders can beat disruptive competitors at their own game

By Michael R. Wade, Jeff Loucks, James Macaulay and Andy Noronha

266 pages

Hardcover

Overview

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Overview

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Digital disruption sounds like another business buzzword – until it happens to your company. Seemingly out of nowhere, startups and other tech-savvy disruptors attack. Your customers bolt for the door and revenues stall. Senior executives ignore the problem, or turn to yesterday’s management playbook. In months instead of years, you’ve gone from market leader to also-ran.

This scenario is beginning to play out in every industry. Everything that can be digitized – from products and services to the entire value chain – is being digitized, to the advantage of companies that can harness disruption. Unfortunately, few companies are building the organizational capabilities and strategic responses to compete in this stark new reality.

In Digital Vortex, you will learn how to use the business models and strategies of startups to your own advantage. Instead of waiting to be disrupted, you can maximize the value of your existing businesses and move into profitable new ones. Most importantly, you will learn how to build the agility to anticipate threats, sense opportunities, and seize them before your rivals do.

In today’s world there are two paths: navigating to a new digital future, or being engulfed by exponential competitive change. With recommendations backed by research with thousands of senior executives from market leaders and startups alike, this book gives you a compass to chart your own course – to compete with disruptors and win.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Hardcover

eBook

You can also buy the book on Barnes & Nobles, Book Depository, Orell Füssli and Routledge.

Publisher

International Institute for Management Development

ISBN

9781945010002

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Case Study

Nestlé Health Science: Building a healthy future towards 2030

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By Niccolò Pisani, Elham Pazirandeh-Micol, Karine Richard, Liudmila Ost and Quentin de Rham

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in HBR.org

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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...

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By Alyson Meister and Victoria Kemanian

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in I by IMD

5 February 2025

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By Natalia Olynec

in I by IMD

3 February 2025

Article

Are stakeholders making or breaking your strategy?

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By Paul Strebel, Angeliki Papasava and Patrick Reinmoeller

in I by IMD

3 February 2025

Nestlé Health Science: Building a healthy future towards 2030

By Niccolò Pisani Elham Pazirandeh-Micol Karine Richard Liudmila Ost and Quentin de Rham
Case reference: IMD-7-2636 ©2025

Summary

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 celebrate. The pressure was on her to make timely strategic decisions to navigate some operating challenges while future-proofing the business for years to come. As Anna sat at her desk and looked out the large window, she began reflecting on how NHSc had grown under her predecessor, Greg Behar, who was instrumental in expanding it into new markets and establishing it as a well-known player in nutritional health solutions. Anna’s dilemmas boiled down to four main questions: Should the company choose organic or inorganic growth? What about market expansion and exploring potential outside North America? How to ensure continued product innovation via research and development (R&D) and potential acquisitions? Finally, how best to align sustainability goals with financial performance? And, of course, expectations were high and a lot was at stake. Anna was aware that the journey ahead would not be easy, but she was ready to tackle the challenges head-on, steering the company towards long-term success.

Reference IMD-7-2636

Organization Nestlé Health Science

Industry Healthcare, Health and Medical Services;Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Strategy

General Management

Global Business

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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

Organization ABN AMRO

Industry Finance and Insurance, Banking

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Digital

Browse all topics

Related topics

Digital

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Artificial Intelligence

Communication

Coaching

Digital

Browse all topics

Future ready - Thoughtful Restraint beats dash for growth

By Howard H. Yu Jialu Shan Lawrence Tempel and Alexandre Sonderegger
in I by IMD 13 February 2025

Summary

Why is Hermès outpacing Nike, and what's driving the success of Roche and NVIDIA? Their cautious and steady approach is making them the best-equipped to face an uncertain 2025.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Competitiveness

Future Readiness

Browse all topics

When your coworkers got laid off — but you didn’t

By Alyson Meister and Victoria Kemanian
in HBR.org 7 February 2025

Summary

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Workplace Well-being

Team Dynamics

Disruption

Change Management

Browse all topics

Solving the puzzle of today’s multi-dimensional labor force

By Sebastian Reiche
in I by IMD 5 February 2025

Summary

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Leadership

Strategy

Talent Management

Human Resources

Organizational Design

Browse all topics

Alcohol-free Drinks - Sober Serious - America

By Natalia Olynec
in I by IMD 3 February 2025

Summary

Warnings about alcohol’s harms by medical experts are nothing new. But the drinks industry is now taking sobriety seriously by investing in a growing range of alternative products.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Innovation

Strategy

Sustainability

Browse all topics

Are stakeholders making or breaking your strategy?

By Paul Strebel Angeliki Papasava and Patrick Reinmoeller
in I by IMD 3 February 2025

Summary

How an easy-to-use tool can help executives assess and manage the impact of stakeholders on the creation and destruction of value.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Strategy

Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Value Creation

Browse all topics