leadership case studies catalogues

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Women Leaders in FashionBusiness: Yves Saint Laurent's

(YSL) Valerie HermannThe Darwinian Theory – 'survival of thefittest' applies to the fashion industrywhere fashion changes faster than seasons.The definition of 'fittest' also changesaccordingly. Fashion businesses for overdecades has been built on the coreprinciples of rarity and exclusivity –operated with 'supply-creates-demand'psyche. Buzz around the founder, engulfedthe business side. With the emergence ofnew contexts, fashion businesses arewaking up to the new realities. Withincreasing competition and high volatilityin fashion trends, these companies arerealising the need to strike a balancebetween creativity and business. Like othermajor industries namely banking, IT, retail,etc., this industry is learning the economicsof business. Although the industry hasembraced technology, improvised itssupply chain logistics, modifiedorganisational structures, not much changehas been witnessed in terms of encouragingthe participation of women in business asexecutives. The industry has a dearth ofwomen executives – barring a few like CocoChanel and Liz Claiborne. However,proving detractors wrong, more numberof women are shouldering bigresponsibilities in this industry. ValerieHermann took up the challenge of turningaround YSL as its CEO in 2005 – that wassuffering for decades. Her new initiativesare paying off and her approach towardsYSL is being commended by analysts. Thiscase study discusses the role of womenexecutives in an unpredictable fashionindustry and debates upon whether womenexecutives can become 'the turnaroundCEOs of loss-making businesses'.

Pedagogical Objectives

• To prepare an industry analysis of thefashion business to gain insights of itsmarket dynamics and to analyse theindustry attractiveness using Porter'sFive Forces Model

• To examine the emergence of womenin business especially in the fashionindustry and therefore compare theleadership styles of women executiveswith that of men

• To discuss the challenges and constraintsfor women executives in the fashionindustry and debate on what it takes tobe a successful women executive in thisindustry.

Industry Fashion RetailingReference No. LDS0029Year of Pub. 2009Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Leadership, Valerie HermannWomen inBusiness, Fashion, Industry Analysis,Industry Attractiveness, Five Forces,Portat, YSL, Retail, Coco Chanel, SupplyChain, Leadership Case Studies, CreativeIndustries, Turnaround

Royal Military AcademySandhurst (RMAS): Leadership

Lessons"Study the past if you would divine thefuture", said Confucius, which is theoverarching objective of this case. Howwere all the battles and wars fought, rightfrom Sun Tzu's The Art of War and GenghisKhan, and may be even beyond? Whatprinciples guided some of the armies tovictory, while many were left with bruisedfailures? How did they formulate strategiesand who executed them? What was thecommander-in-chief's role? Do thebeginnings of management have roots inmilitary for organisational structure,resource mobilisation and resourceallocation, motivating the forces, etc.?What are the similarities and dissimilaritiesbetween military leadership and corporateleadership, if any? This case study enablesa discussion on all the above questions.Management as a discipline had evolvedover many decades imbibing practices fromvarious other fields. Military is one suchfield. Management borrowed somepractices from military and vice versa.What are they? The case can also be usedto dwell on this in the backdrop of RoyalMilitary Academy Sandhurst (RMAS).


• To compare and contrast militaryleadership with corporate leadership

• To explore if corporate leadership hasits roots in military leadership

• To understand RMAS' leadership traininginitiatives and debate whether companiescan emulate some of those practices

• To analyse the challenges in adoptingthe military leadership style incompanies nurturing 'open culture'.

Industry Not ApplicableReference No. LDS0028Year of Pub. 2008Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Leadership; Military; The Art of War;RMAS; Henry Fayol; Sandhurst; Strategy;Sun Tzu; Warfare; Culture; Crisis;Leadership Case Studies; HRM, Marketing;Drucker

Colgate-Palmolive: LeadershipStyle of Reuben Mark

Colgate-Palmolive, headquartered in NewYork City is the world leader in oral careproducts. Its consistent success in the oralcare segment was attributed to Reuben Mark(Mark), who has been the CEO of Colgate-Palmolive for the past 23 years, since1984. As the company's CEO, Markstressed that focus is an important elementof leadership at Colgate-Palmolive. Hisbusiness ideas reflect his accumulatedexperience and his humane view of how tolead a business organisation. He persistentlyfocused on achieving consistent growthwhich is required to maintain thecompany's global success and make itstronger. Mark followed a different styleto lead the company. According to Mark,it is the management's responsibility toimplement and make improvements in theorganisation so as to move it towardsexcellence. The case study allows fordiscussion on how personal styles ofleadership influence corporate leadershipstyles.


• To analyse the different leadership stylesthat drive a company's success

• To analyse how personal beliefs,attitudes, lifestyles influence businessdecisions

• To analyse the leadership styles ofReuben Mark and his views on corporateleadership.

Industry FMCGReference No. LDS0027CYear of Pub. 2008Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Colgate-Palmolive; Leadership Style;Corporate Leadership; Ian Cook; EffectiveLeader; Transformational Leadership;William Colgate; Business Decisions;Leadership Case Study; Restructuring;Moving the Bell Curve; Reuben Mark

Robert Nardelli: Driving ChryslerOff the Road?

A distressed corporate major like Chryslerand the appointment of its CEO, RobertNardelli (Nardelli) calls for a fascinatingdiscussion detailed in the case study. It isaimed at introducing students to exploreleadership styles and apply them to aparticular situation. Students are led toinsights in situational leadership and to theunderstanding that effective executives usea collection of leadership styles matchingthe right situation. The case discussionwould also call for a role-play, where

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students were asked questions – like howdo you view the situation? what issuessurround your role?


This case study helps students to understandand analyse:

• Leadership styles

• The portability of leadership skills

• Execution – the discipline of gettingthings done

• CEOs on leading change duringturnarounds

• Situational leadership.

Industry AutomobileReference No. LDS0026Year of Pub. 2007Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Leadership Styles; Portability of LeadershipSkills; Turnaround; Situational Leadership;Robert Nardelli; Daimler Chrysler; CarlosGhosn; Leadership Case Study; Execution-Discipline of Getting Things Done; CEOson Leading Change

Corrado Passera RestructuringPoste Italiane and Banca Intesa:

The Leadership Style of theCorporate Savior

Corrado Passera was one among the rarebreed of Chief Executive Officers who hadthe unique achievement of successfullyrestructuring three loss making Italiancompanies in a period of one and a halfdecade. A graduate from Wharton BusinessSchool, Passera joined the loss makingItalian Information Technology Company,Olivetti, in 1999 as its Managing Directorand Co-CEO. He, along with the company'sChairman, Carlo DeBeneditti, restructuredOlivetti by refocusing on the company'score business line of ink-jet printers,slashing the redundant work force andhierarchy of management, and expandingthe company's business into an altogetherdifferent area of cellular telephony. Next,he was instrumental in restructuring theItalian postal services department, PosteItaliane, which was beset by governmentapathy and bureaucratic inefficiency. In2002, when Passera left Poste Italiane, itwas already a profit making company. Hisnext assignment was to restructure theItalian banking Group, Banca Intesa. Atthat time, the banking Group was strugglingunder the burden of non-performing loans.It was also grappling with the challenge ofintegrating three separate independentbanks, Banco Ambrosiano Veneto, theCariplo Savings Bank, and Banca

Commerciale Italaina; that combined toform Banca Intesa. Since September 2002,when Passera embarked upon therestructuring plans of Banca Intesa, thebank's revenue had steadily increased.

The case provides a perfect backdrop forthe students to discuss the leadership andmotivation style of Passera. It alsoprovides insight into the changemanagement strategies of the corporatesavior.


• To have a brief understanding ofOrganisational Restructuring

• To understand the importance of humanresource management in the context ofOrganisational Restructuring

• To understand how delegation ofauthority and responsibility impacts inthe employee morale

• To analyse how the employee moraleand motivation enhances theperformance.

Industry Financial ServicesReference No. LDS0025KYear of Pub. 2007Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

Corrado Passera; Poste Italiane; BancaIntesa; Olivetti; Leadership; Motivation;Change management; Corporaterestructuring; Functional organisation;Customer focus; Hierarchy ofmanagement; Lay off; Leadership CaseStudy; Change manager; Inorganic growthstrategy

Virgin Group: Richard Branson'sBusiness with Flamboyance?

Richard Branson is leading a well-diversifiedVirgin Group with over 350 companies.He is known for his outlandish andflamboyant leadership style. In 2005, theVirgin Group had annual sales of about $8billion with operations in Africa, Asia,Australia, Europe, and North America.

With the group becoming bigger and morediverse, Branson emerged as a strategic andcharismatic leader rather than a hands-onmanager. Industry observers felt that thegroup needed a systematic approach tocontrol, and exploit its synergies betweenits businesses, and manage risks. But thequestion was whether the group wouldsustain as an entity as it seemed to be ledby the active involvement of Branson.


• To understand the growth of the VirginGroup

• To analyse the role of Richard Bransonin the growth of the Virgin Group

• To study whether an organizationrequires a systematic approach to manageits activities

• To understand whether Virgin Group cangrow further without the charisma of itsleader.

Industry Diversified BusinessReference No. LDS0024BYear of Pub. 2007Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

Virgin Group; Richard Branson; Leadership;Unorthodox; Virgin Airlines; LeadershipCase Study; Charity; Virgin Atlantic; BritishAirways; Continental Airlines; Virgin Brand

.Steve Jobs: A RejuvenatorSince the 1970s, Apple had been a leaderin the global computer market. Its founderSteve Jobs had molded the company tobecome a leader in the computer market.Though he left Apple in 1985, Jobs made acome back in 1996 as interim CEO torevive Apple from its problems. In 2006,Disney acquired Pixar in which Steve Jobswas the CEO. Disney made Steve Jobsresponsible for Disney-Pixar animationbusiness. With Disney undergoing difficulttimes and as Apple was financially strongin 2006, a few analysts felt that Steve Jobsshould leave Apple and head Disney. But afew others opined that he should not leaveApple. It remained to be seen whetherSteve Jobs would head Disney or remain asCEO in Apple.


• To discuss about the computer market

• To understand how Apple became amarket leader under the CEO Steve Jobs.

Industry PC IndustryReference No. LDS0023BYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

Steve Jobs; rejuvenator; computer market;Leadership Case Study; software market;Apple; market position; marketmonopoly; Disney; Pixar; business models;Macintosh; Apple products; iPod; MP3player; expansion plan

Will Proton's New Leadershipsteer it to Success?

In 1983, Perusahaan Otomobil NasionalSdn. Bhd. (Proton) was founded to

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symbolise country's rapid industrialisationand aspirations to first-world status, byprime minister Mahathir Mohamad. Sinceits inception, Proton grew consistentlyfrom a mere assembler to an integrated carcompany and became a national icon ofMalaysia. Even with the iconic status,cheap prices and imposition of heavytariffs on rivals Proton's domestic marketshare which once peaked at 74% in 1993,declined to 35% in 2005.

According to ASEAN Free TradeAgreement (AFTA) introduced in 1992,ASEAN members agreed to eliminate intra-regional tariffs and non-tariff barriers.Malaysian automobile industry protectedby its government was expected to facetroubles in future as the AFTA facilitatedforeign players to establish their base inMalaysia. On the contrary Perodua (thesecond national car of Malaysia) performedwell and went ahead Proton for the firsttime in the history.

In order to combat the economicchallenges and competitive pressures fromProton, Syed Zainal (former ExecutiveDirector at Perodua) was appointed as CEOof Proton. Would Syed Zainal be able tosteer Proton back on to the success path?


• To analyse Malaysian passenger carindustry and Proton's share

• To understand importance of Politicaland Legal factors on the growth ofProton

• To analyse the growth and marketpenetration strategies of Proton.

Industry Passenger CarReference No. LDS0022AYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

Proton; Perodua; National car; LeadershipCase Study; Malaysian automobile industry;Mahathir Mohamad; Syed Zainal AbidinTahir; Market share; Asian Free TradeAgreement; ASEAN; Passenger carindustry; Mitsubishi Motors Corporation(MMC); Heavy Industries Corporation ofMalaysia (HICOM); Tariffs; Volkswagen;Branding; Strategic alliances; Leadership;Excise and import duty; Growth; Marketposition; Competitive advantage; Research& Development

Napoleon – The Master StrategistThe modern era trade could be called the‘warfare’ of business people as theymaneuver for increased revenues on thebattlefield of commerce. Winning thebusiness war could depend upon many

factors such as, focus in creating a plan,flexibility, good people with skills andequipment, and a good leader with abilitiesto motivate and manage people.

Napoleon Bonaparte used these factors towin his battles. Napoleon's 'La GrandeArmee' (French word for ‘Big Army’ or‘The Great Army’) achieved an advantageover their enemies following Napoleon’sflanking strategy, first mover advantageand by living off the land. However,Napoleon also faced failures in some of hiswars and downfall in later stage of life.

The case correlates Napoleon’s warfarestrategies with modern era businesssituations. The achievements and failuresof Napoleon provide several insights tocorporate strategists. Several parallels couldbe drawn from Napoleon’s life by today’smanagers.

The case highlights Napoleon’s strategicleadership skills through which hetransformed his weak army into a braveone. It also discusses how Napoleon usedflanking strategy to surprise the enemy;how he made Innovations and got firstmover advantage and his supply chainmanagement skills. Besides, the case alsohighlights the insights that Napoleon’sfailures provide to managers.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To link the Napoleonic warfare strategiesvis-à-vis modern era StrategicManagement

• To discuss the concept of strategicleadership

• To analyse innovation strategies andfirst mover advantage

• To understand flanking movements andoffensive strategy.

Industry Not ApplicableReference No. LDS0021AYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

Keywords

Business Strategy; Strategic Management;Leadership Case Study; Competitivestrategy; Strategic Leadership; First MoverAdvantage; Innovations; Supply ChainManagement; Offensive Strategy; FlankingMovements; Military Strategies; WarfareStrategies; Napoleon Bonaparte; La GrandeArmée

Howard Stringer: Turning SonyAround

On March 7th 2005 the Board of Directorsof the giant multinational SonyCorporation created history by appointinga non-Japanese, Howard Stringer to head

Sony Corporation as Chairman and CEO.Stringer took over at a time whenoperating margins of the Electronicsdivision, which contributes to nearly two-thirds of Sony’s total revenues, wereshowing negative growth. Sony’s productsegments were also beset with problems.The company was losing the televisionwars to Sharp, its Walkman line was beingcrushed by the Apple iPod and itsPlayStation games console was threatenedby Microsoft’s X-box. In September, 2005Stringer began implementing the first partof his strategy to turnaround Sony. He cut10,000 jobs, 7% of Sony’s globalworkforce, closed down 11 out of 65production facilities worldwide and put inplace plans to reduce costs by $1.8 billionby March, 2007.

The case highlights the strategies adoptedby Stringer primarily with respect to theElectronics Division. Stringer realised thatreducing costs was just one of the manyparameters that could affect bottom lines.What was required was new projects andstrategies covered by timely decisionmaking. Sony’s lacklustre performance inthe electronic business was because of low-price competition from, amongst others,Samsung, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic),Apple and Microsoft. The case analysesthe product groups with the gamesconsoles, audio systems, digital cameras andtelevision. It examines the performanceof these groups and studies the downslidein sales over the years especially in thenew millennium.

Stringer was also trying to reinvent Sony’sbrand image to make it more relevant todigital-age consumers. He had to keep inmind the reality that standardisation ofkey parts and the increasing role ofcontract manufacturers in the electronicsindustry had led to falling margins and atougher competitive landscape. Stringerhad to also sort out copyrightinfringements and antipiracy problems.The major goal of his restructuring planfor Sony was to make electronics moreprofitable by making gadgets and contentwork together effectively so thatconsumers would be willing to pay apremium price for them. Stringer also feltstrongly about High-Definition (HD)products being the key to Sony’s futuresuccess. Also, under his stewardship, Sonywas the first to make the television thecentre of the Internet world by skirtingaround the computer monitor and takingthe Internet direct to the television screen.

The case further details the initial resultsof Stringer’s turnaround strategy. ByJanuary, 2006, Sony’s stock price on theNikkei rose by 30% over the earlier threemonths, outpacing Japanese rivals such asPioneer, Sharp, and Panasonic. Operatingmargins had also turned the corner, upfrom 1.3% in 2004 to 2.6% in 2006.


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Pedagogical Objectives:

• To discuss issues on turnaround strategies

• To discuss leadership initiatives andstyles.

Industry Consumer ElectronicsReference No. LDS0020CYear of Pub. 2007Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

Sony; Howard Stringer; Consumer;Electronics; PlayStation; Digital RightsManagement (DRM); Globalisation;Leadership Case Study; Universal MediaDisc (UMD); Walkman; MP3; iPod;Entertainment; Brand; Profitability;Television

JP Morgan - The 'Dimon'Medicine at Work

On January 1, 2006, James ‘Jamie’ Dimontook over as CEO of JP Morgan Chase.Dimon had been the CEO of Bank OneCorporation before it merged with JPMorgan Chase in July 2004. He had beenthe protégé of Sandy Weill, the ex-Citigroup CEO, but the two fell apart amidsttensions of the series of mergers andintegrations that went in creating thecurrent Citigroup. The job ahead forDimon was again one of integration. JPMorgan, the second largest US financialservices company by assets, was a looselyintegrated body of various acquired financialcompanies. But despite its size, growth andprofitability had been subdued. With anoverpaid staff and an underperformingstock, JP Morgan was gravely in need of ashake-up. Dimon had prescribed hismedicine right at the onset of his stint atJP Morgan — keep costs flat and raiserevenues. He had already startedimplementing some of the changes in thelast few months, but the turnaround wastaking more time than he had predicted.Expectation of Wall Street was mounting,and he needed to deliver results soon. Thequestion was, given the scale and culture ofthe company, would Jamie be able toadminister the pill at JP Morgan? The casedeals with his ‘no-frills’ management styleand investigates whether that would fit intothe JP Morgan work culture and translateinto topline and bottomline growth.


• To understand and familiarize with theimportance of integration in the successof M&A strategies

• To understand the importance of changein existing culture for the success ofturnaround strategy

• To understand leadership in general andno-frill management style in particular

• To analyse whether a particular type ofleadership can be successfully transferredin other organisations.

Industry Large Market InvestmentBanking

Reference No. LDS0019KYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

Keywords

JP Morgan; Bank One; Jamie Dimon;CitiGroup; Sandy Weill; Finance; Banking;Cost cutting; Culture; Management style;Leadership; Merger; Leadership Case Study;Integration; Acquisition; Takeover

Warren Buffett – Maverick of theMarket

Warren Buffett the chairman and CEO ofBerkshire Hathaway had beenunquestionably the most successfulinvestor of our times. His mantra ‘ValueInvesting’ and ‘The power ofcompounding’ stood the test of time.Buffett was an early bird having started hisinvesting career at a very young age andused the compounding effect of money tothe core. His talent for investing in theright kind of shares was phenomenal. Thismaverick of the market had a lot to teachto those who were troubled by the vagariesof the stock market. His strategies were amust study for the potential financial pros.

Buffett’s investment philosophy, hisphenomenal wealth, a comparatively frugallifestyle, his lack of faith in the technologystocks and the dot com companies, hisunflinching commitment to value investingand compounding were all guideposts forthose who wanted to follow his footprints.

Pedagogical Objective

• To discuss how Warren Buffet succeededas an investor.

Industry Not ApplicableReference No. LDS0018BYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Investment; Warren Buffett; fundamentalanalysis; Technical analysis; economicmoat; US stock market; Philanthropy;Value investing; Berkshire Hathaway.

Bill Gates’ Retreat: Future ofMicrosoft?

This is a narrative case about Microsoftand Bill Gates.

Microsoft has been a leader in the globalsoftware market. Its founder Bill Gates had

been instrumental in moulding Microsoftto a software giant. Though Microsoft hasbeen dominating the software industry, itwas facing several problems which analystsfelt that it would be different to overcomein the near future. At this crucial hour, in2006, Bill Gates decides to step down fromhis position to concentrate onphilanthropy. What will happen toMicrosoft without Bill Gates? WillMicrosoft’s problems force Bill Gates tomake a re-entry?


• To discuss how Bill Gates shapedMicrosoft

• To understand the problems faced byMicrosoft.

Industry SoftwareReference No. LDS0017BYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Bill Gates; software industry; microsoft;extinguish; embrace; and extinguishwindows; leadership; MD-DOS internet;security problems; philanthrophy; google;linux; transition; rayozzies.

Growth and Leadership atMckinsey

In 2005, Mckinsey & Company(Mckinsey) was the world’s largest and mostprestigious management-consultingorganisation, with 7,000 consultants in 82offices across 44 countries with annualrevenues of $3.4 billion. During thedotcom boom, Mckinsey had expanded itsbusiness rapidly. Like most other consultingfirms, Mckinsey had got carried away inthe e-business wave to increase revenuesand partner payouts in 2000. When theboom turned to bust, the firm was stuckwith far too many consultants and notenough assignments. The utilisation rate,of its consultants fell to 52% in 2003, itslowest level in more than 32 years,compared to 64% during the boom.

The case describes the entrepreneurialhistory of the firm and the efforts of thevisionary, Marvin Bower in makingMckinsey a global player. The note gives asnapshot of the management consultancyindustry. The leadership at Mckinsey andthe knowledge management has beendescribed. The case highlights the realchallenge for the new managing partner tocontinue the growth of the firm. It endson a debate whether Mckinseycompromised on its core philosophies forgrowth and would Mckinsey be able toremain a leader in the industry, withoutcompromising its founding values.

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• To understand the nature of themanagement consultancy industry

• To discuss the issues involved inglobalisation of the managementconsultancy

• To analyse the growth strategy ofMcKinsey for globalization and itssuccess

• To discuss the role of leadership forsuccess at McKinsey

• To debate the sustenance of its growthin a competitive world.

Industry Global ManagementConsultancy

Reference No. LDS0016AYear of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Management Consultancy; Leadership;Vision; James O. Mckinsey; Marvin Bower;Strategic Management; Business History;Globalization; Industry Analysis;Entrepreneurship ; Innovation.

Exxon Mobil’s New CEO, RexTillerson’s Agenda – Diplomacy:

Can He Manage?In the mid-1980s, the global oil industrywitnessed the rise of a new phenomenoncalled resource nationalism.Nationalisation of oil reserves resulted inrestricted access to oil reserves for globaloil majors. With oil-rich nations dictatingtougher terms, Exxon Mobil, the largestoil company faced the biggest challenge,as under the leadership of its former CEO,Lee Raymond, the company was largelyresented by national governments due toits tough negotiating stand. It is believedthat to sustain its access to oil reservesacross the globe, Exxon Mobil needs tonegotiate with national governmentsemploying tact and diplomacy, a skill thatRex Tillerson, the new CEO of ExxonMobil, is known for.


• To understand the landscape of the globaloil industry and how geopolitical forcesexert a strong influence on the supply-side

• To discuss whether the diplomatic skillsof Exxon Mobil’s new CEO, RexTillerson, would help the company insuccessfully negotiating oil deals withhostile governments of oil-rich countries

• To debate whether alternative sourcesof energy would ever be able tocompletely substitute oil

• To analyze, in the light of the fact thatglobal oil reserves are fast depleting,whether Exxon Mobil can afford to placeits bet on technology to explore andexploit new reserves and overlook thegrowing importance of alternative fuel.

Industry Oil & Gas Refining, Marketing& Distribution

Reference No. LDS0015Year of Pub. 2006Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Geopolitics of oil; Major producers of oilworldwide; The major consumers of oil;Nationalisation of oil reserves; Role ofgoodwill for a company; Factors that drivegrowth in global oil industry; The changingtrends of global oil industry; Theimportance of alternative fuels;Negotiation skills; Impact of oil prices onworld economy; Successful global CEOs(chief executive officers); Leadershipstrategies; Business model of Exxon Mobil;Consumption patterns of oil; Royal DutchShell; Chevron; Texaco; BP (BritishPetroleum).

MIT's Media Lab: Frank Moss’Culture Change

Established in 1985, MIT’s Media Labbecame the most popular research lab inthe world by popularising the ‘digitalrevolution’. The Lab had been mainlyfunded by corporate sponsors since itsinception. However, since the early 21stcentury, it has been witnessing a decline insponsorships. Increasing competition,failure of its expansion ventures in Indiaand Ireland and its research leading to onlyfew commercially-viable products aresome of the reasons cited for the declinein its funding. On February 1st 2006,Nicholas Negroponte, the founder directorof the Lab, retired and Frank Moss wasappointed as the new director. It is believedthat Moss’ experience as an entrepreneurwould be beneficial for the Lab to increaseits corporate sponsorship. True to thatbelief he has brought in new initiativeswhose efficacy is yet to be tested.


• To understand the transformation ofMIT’s Media Lab as the most popularresearch lab in the world

• To focus on the issues behind the declinein the corporate funding of the lab

• To discuss how Frank Moss’ culturechange initiatives might help the Lab toregain its ability to attract corporatesponsorship.

Industry Academic and ResearchInstitutions

Reference No. LDS0014Year of Pub. 2006Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Media research labs; MIT’s Media Labs inAsia and Europe; Main sponsors of MIT’sMedia Lab; Companies spun off fromMIT’s Media Lab; MIT’s industry-academia rapport; Corporate sponsorshipof Media Research Labs; Digital revolution;Constraints of Media Research Labs;Scientific contribution of Media ResearchLabs.

Aditya Birla Group Under KumarMangalam Birla: Can HeManage the Mandate?

After taking over as Chairman of AdityaBirla Group in 1995, Kumar MangalamBirla initiated significant restructuring inthe management policy of the Group byabolishing old practices such as ‘babu-culture’, ‘womb-to-tomb policy’ and‘Partha system’ and implementing newprogrammes, which were prevalent in theGroup for many years. In 2005, the biggestchallenge for Birla was maintaining theleadership position in the Group’s corebusiness and positioning itself in the list ofFortune 500 companies.


• To discuss the restructuring strategiesadopted by Kumar Mangalam Birla

• To discuss the challenges faced in theinternal environment of the business.

Industry Metals and MiningReference No. LDS0013Year of Pub. 2006Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Aditya Birla; KM Birla; India; Leadership;Grasim Industries; Hindalco; Aluminiumproduction; Management style; TataGroup; Reliance Industries; Asianconglomerate; Aditya Birla ManagementCorporation Ltd; Cement; Larsen &Toubro; AT&T (American Telephone andTelegraph Corporation).

Sir John Bond at HSBC: The End ofan Era?

Sir John Bond, who joined HSBC (HongKong Shanghai Banking Corporation) in1961 and later went on to become thebank's chief executive and chairman, wascredited with transforming HSBC into the





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third largest bank by market value in theworld by 2004. In November 2005, HSBCannounced the retirement of Bond aschairman; and the succession of the chiefexecutive Stephen Green, to the post ofchairman from May 2006. Analysts doubtwhether the new chairman would be ableto come out of the shadow of Bond’s legacy.


• To discuss the evolution of HSBC underthe leadership of Sir John Bond

• To discuss the scope of the new chairmanStephen Green after Sir John Bond.

Industry Banking and FinancialServices

Reference No. LDS0012Year of Pub. 2006Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

keywords

Sir John Bond; Hong Kong ShanghaiBanking Corporation; Acquisitions;Expansions; Legacy; Diversifications;Asian Financial Crisis; Emerging markets;Internet banking services; Brandrecognition; Global branding campaign;Corporate philanthropy; Organic growth;Human resource management andorganisational behaviour.

McGraw-Hill Under HaroldMcGraw III

McGraw-Hill came into existence in 1888when James H McGraw formed a smallpublishing company. Gradually thecompany expanded its operations anddiversified into businesses like financialservices, information and media services,and educational publications, throughorganic as well as inorganic growth. In1993, Harold McGraw III (popularlyknown as Terry), great grandson of James,became the President of the company.Doubts were raised regarding hiscapabilities. However, Terry committedhimself to the company’s mission toexpand as a global information, educationand financial service provider. Over theyears the company’s performance hassurpassed various benchmarks.


• To discuss the growth of McGraw-Hillover the years

• To discuss the leadership style of Terryduring challenging times.

Industry PublishingReference No. LDS0011Year of Pub. 2005Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

McGraw-Hill Publishing Company; HaroldMcGraw; Business Week; Acquisitions;Growth; Strategic business unit; Successionplanning; McGraw-Hill Companies;McGraw-Hill Education; Business-to-Business Group; Broadcasting Group; Debt-equity ratio; Financial leverage; Businessleadership ; Human resource management/organisational behaviour.

Leadership Conundrum: Nikeafter Knight

In December 2004, Phil Knight, thelegendary Chief Executive Officer (CEO)of Nike, stepped down to hand over thereigns (for the third time) to William DPerez. Although Knight had stepped downtwice in the past, Nike’s dismalperformance forced him to return as theCEO on both occasions. Knight created aunique organisational culture at Nike wherehe seldom gave his managers direction norevinced interest about the details of theproducts that his company manufactured.‘Knight has always been one of the oddestof the Fortune 500 CEOs, a man who seemsto embody exactly the opposite of whathis creation extols.


• To discuss the leadership style of PhilKnight at Nike.

Industry FootwearReference No. LDS0010Year of Pub. 2005Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Leadership styles; Phil Knight; Nike;William D Perez; Bill Bowerman;Footwear industry; Reebok; German sportshoe manufacturers; Adidas; Sports apparel.

General Electric (GE): JeffreyImmelt’s Cultural Revolution

Jack Welch was the proverbial name thathad redefined GE (General Electric) duringthe 1980s and 1990s. The managementpractices defined by Welch were path-breaking programmes, later adopted byseveral chief executive officers (CEOs)across corporate America and elsewhere inthe world. Jack Welch’s initiatives and hiscultural changes within GE enabled thecompany to become one of the largest andmost admired companies in the world. Butthe retirement of Welch and theappointment of Jeffrey Immelt as the newCEO raised speculations about the futureof the company. This was followed by theeconomic slowdown and fall of several largeAmerican companies, eroding investor

confidence. Under these circumstances, tosuit the modern day environmentrequirements and continue GEs success inthe 21 st century, Immelt launched acultural revolution within the company.But the revolution is yet to yield substantialresults.


• To discuss the diverse changes introducedby Jack Welch at GE

• To discuss the different leadership stylesadopted at GE.

Industry Electronics EquipmentServices


keywords

General Electric (GE) Company; Largestcompany by market capitalisation; JackWelch and Jeffrey Immelt; Cultural changesand cultural revolution; Work-outprogramme; Change Acceleration Process(CAP); Conglomerate with diversifiedbusinesses; Thomson-Houston and EdisonGeneral Electric; National BroadcastingCorporation (NBC); Rigid and bureaucraticculture; Aircraft engines; nuclear reactors;appliances; plastic; US economic recession;Neutron; Jack Crontonville; Six Sigma;Commercial and consumer finance; At thecustomer for the customer (ACFC).

Lawrence H. Summers atHarvard University: Growth Plans

vs ControversiesLawrence H. Summers (Summers) whobecame the President of Harvard Universityin 2001 had devised an expansion plan forthe University. In early 2005, in the midstof the implementation of expansion plans,Summers got enmeshed in a highly publicisedbattle with Harvard’s ‘powerful’ Faculty ofArts and Sciences, after a remark he madein the National Bureau of EconomicsResearch (NBER) conference that womenhad less innate ability to perform in scienceand mathematics than men. AlthoughSummers repeatedly apologised for hiscomments later, critics commented thatSummers’ remarks were ‘wildlyinappropriate’ coming from the head of thenation’s oldest university. Meanwhile, somefaculty members voiced a ‘lack ofconfidence’ in Summers’ management andleadership style, and condemned hiscontroversial statements about the abilitiesof women. Some analysts felt that resumingthe expansion plans would be difficult inthe light of the ‘lack of confidence’ motionby the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, whichwas considered to be a strong lobby in theUniversity.





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• To discuss the strategies adopted bySummers for the growth of theuniversity.

Industry EducationReference No. LDS0008Year of Pub. 2005Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Harvard University; Lawrence H Summers;Growth plans; Controversial comments;NBER conference; Faculty of Arts &Sciences; Women Faculty at Harvard;Racism; Lack of confidence motion.

HP’s New CEO, Mark Hurd: TheNew Imperatives

The celebrity CEO (chief executive officer)of $80 billion Hewlett-Packard Company,Carlton S. Fiorina, was asked to resign fromthe helm, in February 2005, after adisagreement over the implementation ofstrategy at HP. Following the ousting ofFiorina, the CEO search ended with theappointment of Mark Hurd after sevenweeks. It is widely acknowledged that whatHP needs is a turnaround strategy asoutlined by Jack Welch for GE or Louis VGerstner for IBM. Many eyebrows wereraised over the appointment of Hurd whowas from a small time $6 billion techcompany called NCR. It is believed thatputting the company back on track wouldbe a Herculean task for anyone, let aloneMark Hurd.


• To discuss the various challenges facedby the new CEO Mark Hurd after theouster of Carlton S. Fiorina.

Industry Printing and ImagingEquipment


keywords

Hewlett-Packard (HP) Company; CarltonS Fiorina; Mark Hurd; Corporate strategy;Computer industry; Hardware industry;Appointment of new CEO (chief executiveofficer); The HP way; Corporaterestructuring; HP and Compaq merger

British Airways’ Willie Walsh: TheNew CEO’s Challenges

In September 2005, Willie Walsh, underwhose leadership the Irish state-ownedairline, Aer Lingus, transformed into a

formidable low cost carrier, will take overas the chief executive officer of BritishAirways. Since 2001, British Airways haslaid off 15,000 jobs and is planning tocompete with domestic low cost carriers,easyJet and Ryanair, to cut costs andimprove its profitability by introducing newwork practices.


• To discuss the strategies adopted byBritish airways in the global aviationindustry

• To discuss the challenges faced by CEOWillie Walsh to sustain the company’sleadership.

Industry AirlinesReference No. LDS0006Year of Pub. 2005Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

British Airways; Putting People First;Managing People First; Business EfficencyProgramme; Shift to Terminal 4;Transport & General Workers’ Union;British Airlines’ Stewards and StewardessesAssociation; Low cost carriers; Ryanair;easyJet; Aer Lingus; Willie Walsh; RodEddington; Industrial Relations ChangeProgramme.

John Hood: Revamping Oxford’sFinances

In October 2004, Oxford Universitychanged its tradition for the first time inits 900-year-old history by hiring JohnHood, who was not from Oxford's academicranks, as its Vice Chancellor. To makeOxford competitive with universities likeHarvard and Yale in the US, Hood hadundertaken the challenge of improvingOxford’s finances. With decreasinggovernment funding and lesser endowmentfunds as compared to universities likeHarvard, Oxford was finding it difficult tomaintain its position among the topuniversities in the world. By early 2005,Oxford was having a deficit of $36 million.


• To discuss the strategies adopted by JohnHood to improve Oxford’s finances.

Industry Colleges and UniversitiesReference No. LDS0005Year of Pub. 2005Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Oxford; Funding crisis in Britishuniversities; Top-up fees; John Hood;Harvard; Universities in the USA;

Endowment funds; Public funding ofuniversities; Oxford’s fundraisingcampaign; Cost of an undergraduateeducation; Universities in the UK.

Carlos Ghosn as CEO of Nissanand Renault: Can he Rework the

'Nissan Magic'?I In April 2005, Carlos Ghosn, the‘turnaround artist’ behind the muchacclaimed restructuring at Nissan, wouldlead two companies. Louis Schweitzer, CEOof Renault, announced in 2002 that CarlosGhosn would succeed him as CEO ofRenault, while continuing as CEO ofNissan. While at Nissan, with his cost-cutting ventures and bold ‘unJapanese’ways of management, he was regarded asthe most charismatic leader in thecompany as well as among the Japanesebusiness community. With hisunconventional ideas and attention forurgency, he managed to bring radicalchanges in the company’s operations. Asthe industry observers eagerly awaited themanagement change, the pressure wasperceived to be high on Carlos Ghosn.Brazilian by birth, Ghosn has to deal withJapanese culture at Nissan as well as Frenchetiquettes at Renault, while achievingsynergies with their partnerships. At thesame time, the challenges for the twoautomakers were equally high with theglobal automobile industry in a downturnand product and market expansionsunderway at both the companies. In theage of globalisation and increasingcorporate scandals, Carlos Ghosnepitomises the qualities required to be asuccessful leader with cultural adaptabilityand transparency constituting the core ofhis leadership style.


• To discuss the leadership style of CarlosGhosn at Nissan

• To discuss the turnaround strategiesadopted by Carlos Ghosn at Nissan.

Industry AutomobileReference No. LDS0004Year of Pub. 2005Teaching Note AvailableStruc.Assig. Available

keywords

Carlos Ghosn; Nissan restructuring; Cost-cutting; Renault; CEO of two companies;Leadership style; Transparency; Culturaladaptability; Mergers and culturaldifference; Cross functional teams; Nissanrevival plan; Globalisation; Cultural clashes





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Singapore: From Lee Kuan to LeeHsien Loong

Lee Kuan Yew, considered as the foundingfather of Singapore, is credited with turningthe city-state into one of Asia’s richestand fastest growing nations. His elder son,Lee Hsien Loong, who has been a memberof the parliament since 1984, held theposts of Finance Minister, Deputy PrimeMinister, and head of Singapore’s centralbank before being sworn in as Singapore’sthird Prime Minister in August 2004.


• To discuss the ideology of Lee, thedevelopment of Singapore under hisleadership and the challenges ahead forthe incumbent prime minister

• To discuss Singapore’s current economicand social problems and the PrimeMinister’s efforts to deal with them

• To understand issues such as theconcentration of decision-making powerwithin the Lee family and theexpectations of new generationSingaporeans from their premier.

Industry Not ApplicableReference No. LDS0003Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

Lee Kuan Yew; Lee Hsien Loong;Singapore; Singapore’s new prime minister;Ideology of Lee Luan Yew; Temasek; Needfor a liberal state; Globalisation ofSingapore; Lee dynasty; Goh Chok Tong.

Lindsay Owen-Jones: L’Oreal’sGlobal Makeover Strategist

Established in 1909, L’Oreal, the Frenchcosmetics company, had become the worldleader in the cosmetics market by 2003.The L’Oreal group marketed over 500brands, consisting of more than 2,000products. Its product range included make-up, perfume, hair and skin care products,which were tailored according to theconsumer needs. The company believed inthe strategy of innovation anddiversification. In 2003, though theL’Oreal group was ranked number one inthe US cosmetics market, it faced toughcompetition from Esteé Lauder andProcter and Gamble (P&G). This made thegroup refocus its business strategy. It cameup with products catering to the beautyneeds of different ethnic groups andgenders.


• To discuss the various strategiesimplemented by the L'Oreal group to bethe market leader in the global cosmeticmarket

• To discuss how the group is trying tosustain that position by refocusing itsstrategy

• To discuss Lindsay Owen-Jones’contribution in L’Oreal’s makeover.

Industry CosmeticReference No. LDS0002Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note Not AvailableStruc.Assig. Not Available

keywords

L'Oreal; Lindsay Owen-Jones; Cosmeticindustry; Maybelline; Garnier;International acquisitions; HelenaRubenstein; Afro-American consumers;Research and innovation at L’Oreal; Globalbranding.

Tata Group: Under Ratan TataWhen Ratan Tata took over the reins ofthe Tata Group in 1991, little did industryobservers expect the manifold growth thatTata Group would post in the decade tocome. Even for Ratan Tata, being placedat the helm of INR 10,627 crore companywas a daunting task. Particularly, the Indianmarket was just opening up for foreigninvestments and multinational companieswere fast-mushrooming in all the sectorsthat Tata was dominating. Under thestewardship of Ratan Tata, Tata Group notonly withstood the onslaught ofmultinational corporations, but also cameout as a formidable player in new businessareas. By March 2002, Tata Group’sturnover had leapfrogged to INR 49,456crores with a contribution of 2.4% towardsthe country’s gross domestic product.


• To analyse Ratan Tata’s efforts tointegrate Tata’s diverse businesses andenable the group companies compete inthe global marketplace

• To discuss both the successful and thenot-so-successful initiatives taken up byRatan Tata

• To discuss succession planning in theTATA group.

Industry Not ApplicableReference No. LDS0001Year of Pub. 2004Teaching Note AvailableStruc. Assign. Not Available

Keywords

Tata Group; Ratan Tata; Tata Motors;Indica; Tata Consultancy Services (TCS);Tisco; Indian hotels; Tata Tea; Tetley;Telecommunications; Videsh SancharNigam Limited (VSNL); Succession plan;Noel Tata; Trent; Westside.




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