Janice Greer works for NVX Pharmaceuticals, a US firm with increasing global operations. Not long after Greer’s promotion to country head for Japan, their boss suggests that widespread layoffs will be needed to help bring performance of the international units in line with domestic operations. Cultural differences between US and Japanese work practices and traditions complicate the decisions Greer
Paul Waddle works for Tripod Capital (Tripod), a venture fund focused on investing globally in fintech start-ups. Ambitious and a self-starter, Waddle is in pursuit of fast-growing the Nigerian payments platform DigitApt. As he enters the final stages of closing a deal, he is confronted with cultural differences between US and Nigerian work practices and traditions. Understanding and appropriately
Mei-Ling Liu has come a long way from her humble beginnings in a small town on the coast of Taiwan. She is in New York City to interview for an assistant professor position at Columbia University’s business school. After completing undergraduate studies in Taipei—and following much soul-searching—she had departed for the United States to earn her PhD. Now, six years later and against long odds, sh
Abdullah “Abe” Al-Multaq works in the acquisitions team of a large and ambitious US tech company. As his team undertakes due diligence at a target company he had identified in Saudi Arabia, cultural differences between representatives of the two firms flare up, chilling relations between the groups. Being from Saudi Arabia originally and brought up in an Islamic home, Abe feels responsible to act
Colleen Burton has taken over the account of a Swiss client for her New York–based financial-services company. Landing the account, after a long courtship, had been a coup for her midmarket firm. The investor, however, has expressed his disapproval and unease with his new manager, and Burton’s best efforts have failed to win him over. On a trip to Switzerland, she learns of a personal conflict of
Blake Cody is a consultant who has been brought in to optimize and increase efficiency at a manufacturing plant mired in a market slump. He identifies divisions between two groups of employees—salaried (permanent) and hourly (temporary)—as a central challenge. Are misaligned values, incentives, and work practices at the root of the problem? Resolving the tensions could lead to significant improvem
This case follows Caroline Lee, a first-year student at a prestigious East Coast MBA program. After going through a grueling round of interviews for a summer internship at an investment bank, she finds herself worn out and stressed with the MBA experience.
This case follows Andy, a second-year MBA student who has just received a job offer and is looking for guidance on how to leverage his remaining schooling to become a successful manager upon graduation. Not sure whether the case method is the best approach to learning about business, or how to translate it into real-world abilities, Andy reaches out to almunus Jason for advice.
At many leading business schools, cases are written only by professors or professional case writers. At the Darden School of Business, however, MBA students may also write cases.
Case writing helps students to gain tangible business writing and communication skills, to sharpen their business acumen, to understand better the key concepts learned in the classroom, and to prepare for the practical r
This technical note aims to guide discussion on three strategic moves that are designed for multipoint competition: thrust, feint, and gambit. It will examine how these moves might be applied for multipoint competition within the pet food industry. In the 1980s, pet food companies competed across many different subsegments of cat and dog food, requiring complex and creative multipoint competition
This case describes the thoughts and reflections of five MBA alumni on their way back to their alma mater for a 20-year reunion event. As invited speakers, they will advise the upcoming graduating class on what to expect after graduation. The case provides a brief background on the career trajectories and family circumstances of each of the five protagonists as well as their personal reflections o
This note offers a set of strategic questions to help you formulate an effective personal plan that can be especially useful for your first years after business school. It draws on theories and principles of management strategy as well as wisdom from top busi