Publication records

In its 100th year of existence in 2009, Borussia Dortmund (BVB) was the only German soccer club listed on the stock exchange. With three days to go before the annual shareholders’ meeting on November 24 of that year, the club's managing directors, Thomas Treß and Hans-Joachim Watzke, went through the year-end figures one more time. Although the situation had improved since 2005 when the club was on the brink of insolvency, the closing accounts once again showed a negative net income. After nine years as a publicly traded company, the BVB had to report its fifth loss, this time for €5.9 million, which added up to a cumulative loss of more than €145 million. After the passing of a century, many stakeholders were concerned about the way forward. What was the organization’s purpose? What was more important, finally making a profit and meeting shareholders' expectations, or playing for the fans and the club’s honor? What could the managing directors offer to their shareholders, who had seen the value of their shares drop from €11 at the IPO to less than €1 in November 2009?

In July 2010, André Glardon, who is the regional sales director of a major health care products provider in Spain, returns from an unpleasant customer visit. The head of administration to the Hospital de Gandía, one of his important customers, just delayed the order of two MRIs, making it almost impossible for André to reach his personal annual sales targets. External factors such as the health care reforms, the exploding costs of the health care system, a shift in the buying behavior of hospitals and increased economic pressures on hospitals, might be causing a fundamental shift in the industry. Through the implementation of new business models that address these issues. André and two friends developed a business idea and were wondering whether they should push this idea within their company or leave their company and launch the business on their own.

The case starts in 1973 when Pina Bausch stood at the turning point of her professional career: the transition from being a celebrated dancer to becoming a choreographer. Reflecting on what made Pina Bauschs career as a dancer exceptional, the case then elucidates Pina Bausch´s leadership and working style during her years as artistic director at the Tanztheater Wuppertal. Not only did Pina Bausch become famous for her artistic work and creative productivity, but also for her way of leading people and making them grow long-term. Her capability of leveraging the diversity of her dancers - the collective genius - made her choreographies inherently innovative and ground-breaking. Demanding highest performance, she created one of the most successful compagnies worldwide. She died 2009, leaving behind a dedicated and outstanding dance theater.

The case study documents the efforts of the equity investor African Development Corporation (ADC) and the African investment Loita Group to acquire shares in Nile Commercial Bank (NCB) of South Sudan in the summer of 2011. South Sudan had just become independent from northern Sudan in July 2011 after decades of civil war. It is one of the poorest countries in the world, but has vast reserves of commodities, mainly oil. On the one hand, NCB in 2011 was bloated with debt and managed badly. Certified data on the bank like P&L statements and balance sheets did not exist until summer 2011 and a due diligence has never been carried out. On the other hand, it is the most powerful banking brand in South Sudan and thus could yield high future profits by participating in the development of the economy and financing the exploration of the oil fields. The central bank, the Bank of South Sudan, has supported NCB since its founding in 2003, but was in 2011 looking for international debt- or equity investors to invest in NCB. The case focuses on ADC’s CEO, Dirk Harbecke, and his negotiations with the central bank. In summer 2011, ADC was an $80 million private equity fund, investing in banking and insurance services in sub-Saharan Africa. It is based in Mauritius. The case discusses whether or not ADC and Loita should invest in NCB when considering risk, return, and ethics as well as how a debt- or equity investment should be structured. The case can be taught in MBA, EMBA, and advanced management programs focusing on market expansion, global strategy, negotiation, and international finance.

The case is set in February 2008. Stefan Tammler, head of the chassis systems control division (CC) of Robert Bosch GmbH (Bosch), has to make a decision about the location for the development of the new anti-lock braking system (ABS) for the low-price vehicle segment (LPV). The case begins with a short introduction outlining the situation. It gives a detailed background on Bosch, especially the chassis systems control division. The main part of the case focuses on the global product development strategy, highlighting especially the two development sites in Suzhou, China; and Yokohama, Japan. Furthermore, the Chinese car market is described in detail, with special emphasis on the LPV segment. The case concludes with Stefan Tammler having to decide where to develop the new ABS system for the LPV segment.

In 2008, the German coffee and consumer goods corporation Tchibo has launched Tchibo Ideas, an internet platform where customers can share their product/design ideas with the company. The tension in the case emerges from the uncertainty regarding Tchibo’s intentions with Tchibo Ideas. While some people perceive this move as a genuine attempt from the company to establish closer interactions with customers, some people see it simply as a marketing gimmick. The case describes the challenges and potential benefits that Tchibo Ideas is encountering to foster a discussion on the value of a co-creation strategy.

The case study describes the situation of mobile telephone network operators (MNOs) in 2010 facing a fast increase in the traffic over their third generation (3G) networks (UMTS) following the growing adoption of so-called “smart phones.” Smart phones had capabilities similar to a laptop computer in addition to the normal functions of a cellular telephone: they allowed users to access the Internet virtually anywhere the 3G networks were deployed. Subscribers could thus download music, videos, application software (apps), and upload large files. There were growing concerns among MNOs that some content distributors, and especially Apple with its iTunes and App Store was capturing a large share of the customer value, while not carrying the huge cost of the network. Was there any way for them to regain a share of the content distribution?

The case study describes the situation of mobile telephone network operators (MNOs) in 2010 facing a fast increase in the traffic over their third generation (3G) networks (UMTS) following the growing adoption of so-called “smart phones.” Smart phones had capabilities similar to a laptop computer in addition to the normal functions of a cellular telephone: they allowed users to access the Internet virtually anywhere the 3G networks were deployed. Subscribers could thus download music, videos, application software (apps), and upload large files. There were growing concerns among MNOs that some content distributors, and especially Apple with its iTunes and App Store was capturing a large share of the customer value, while not carrying the huge cost of the network. Was there any way for them to regain a share of the content distribution?

The case describes a critical external incident that will have fundamental consequences for a small but very successful family business: In 2010, Konnopke’s Imbiss was considered to be one of the, if not the, most famous snack bars in Berlin. This family-owned business was especially famous for the legendary “currywurst,” a Berlin invention that consists of a sausage fried in hot oil and served with ketchup, chili sauce, curry powder, and French fries. The main branch of Konnopke’s Imbiss was located in the Berlin district of Prenzlauer Berg, which was considered to be one of the “coolest” districts of Berlin. Konnopke’s had become a Berlin fast food icon, winning critical acclaim in almost all major Berlin travel guides. But in 2010, the snack bar no longer seemed to fit to its environment, which had changed from a working class district to a posh neighborhood mainly consisting of young freelancers and tourist.

The case describes how an external event (construction work) will have fundamental consequences for a small but very successful family business. This critical incident forces the owner family to rethink its business.

The case describes the challenges faced at BestCar Bank with respect to talent management and leadership development in the context of a difficult business environment, low-growth markets, and fundamental organizational changes. BestCar Bank is an automotive financial services provider, part of one of the Germany's most premium car manufacturers. After years of high growth and internationalization, the company is finding only limited growth opportunities in the developed countries of the Western World. The management attention has shifted to re-engineering initiatives to make the organization lean and efficient. The economic crisis has increased the pressure to reduce costs and increase efficiency. Despite a state-of-the-art talent management, BestCar Bank faces increasing difficulties in retaining and developing talent. The case can be used to facilitate a discussion and exchange on questions such as - how talent management can be adapted to a changing environment, - what driving and restraining forces influence the success of talent management, - how the link between strategy, change, and talent management can be re-established, - and how a modern management development today can look like.