My Case Studies
I like to use my case studies in my teaching. Together with my doctoral students and colleagues, I have written a dozen business case studies on strategic topics ranging from strategic alliances in the automotive industry (in mobility, the Your Now cooperation between Mercedes and BMW, or the strategic alliance of more than 25 years between Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi, or the alliance portfolio approach to growth at Klarna) to M&A, such as the recent acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk. Another area of focus is food retailing and the competitive dynamics at play - be it in the UK between Tesco and Sainsbury's or in Germany between Aldi and Lidl. These case studies look at how these companies have achieved international growth and diversification. The case of the start-up company Cyreen is also worth mentioning. Another area of specialization is professional services firms (PSFs), in particular strategy consultancies, which I cover in my cases on knowledge management at Booz & Company and on the strategic renewal of Helvetic Management Consulting.
These case studies have been published and are accessible all in the Case Centre and partly in the Harvard Business School Case Collection.
Push and Pull: The Twitter Takeover
co-authored with Marius Weber
The case study examines Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition of Twitter and its first year under his leadership. Initially resisting his takeover bid, Twitter's board ultimately accepted Musk's offer after a legal and public battle. Following the acquisition, Musk implemented major changes, including executive dismissals, workforce reductions, and a rebranding to X. Amid backlash and advertiser pressure, Musk stepped down as CEO, appointing Linda Yaccarino as his successor. The case explores the events and their implications for Twitter's future.
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Strategic Alliance: Past Accomplishments and Future Challenges
co-authored with Valentin Pfeffer
The 1999 strategic alliance between Renault and Nissan became the longest-lasting partnership among large automotive firms, transforming both companies despite initial skepticism due to their financial difficulties. While Nissan faced significant debt and losses, Renault provided stability with its strong financial performance. Over time, the alliance overcame challenges such as industry competition, the 2008 financial crisis, and technological disruptions. By 2016, it expanded to include Mitsubishi, making the alliance a leader in electric vehicles and one of the world’s largest car manufacturers. This collaboration remains a benchmark for successful strategic alliances.
Enemies with Benefits: Daimler and BMW's Mobility Ecosystem 'YOUR NOW'
co-authored with Pia Kerstin Neudert
The case study 'Enemies with Benefits: Daimler and BMW's Mobility Ecosystem 'YOUR NOW'' portrays how the German automotive giants Daimler AG and the BMW Group, strong competitors for decades, bundle different ventures and activities in the field of new mobility solutions to create a joint ecosystem called 'YOUR NOW'. The ecosystem entails a variety of different business models covering car sharing, ride-hailing, charging, parking, and mobility-as-a-service offerings. These different divisions (that Daimler and BMW often refer to as 'verticals') oftentimes complement each other, but partly also compete with each other. This situation creates a unique potential to combine complementary resources and capabilities, but also causes tensions from competitive behaviors among the single ventures.
Overcoming Adversity: How Cyreen Evolved by Connecting Ad-impressions with Purchase in Offline Retailing
co-authored with Marius Weber
This case study follows the rise of the retail media firm Cyreen, the hardships, difficulties, and setbacks along the way, and how the young firm ultimately succeeded in establishing its technology ecosystem. By creating a data-based retail technology capable of significantly enhancing the traceability of offline retail advertising, as well as additional advertising tools in the form of screen-based in-store advertising, Cyreen has managed to provide both a unique centerpiece around which further services may be developed by current and future partners and a great foundation for the firm's future growth and development. Students analyze the strategic decisions and the resulting business model adaptations that Cyreen made to overcome the many challenges posed by today's offline retail environment. In addition, students will gain valuable insight into how technology-based ecosystems are designed, established, and grown across multiple continents. Students will develop the skills necessary to examine ecosystem formation critically, identify potential avenues for ecosystem development, and capitalize on technology market opportunities across various sectors.
Alliance Governance at Klarna: Managing and Controlling Risks of an Alliance Portfolio
co-authored with Felix Meissner
The case study object is the Swedish Internet start-up, Klarna, and its partnership-business model design and governance. Klarna provides payment solutions that increase sales for collaborating merchants in the e-commerce sector. Their invoice and installment payment services are an alternative for shoppers who do not want to pay via other services, such as credit cards, PayPalTM, or advance payment. Invoice payments are perceived as safe and simple to use and thus increase sales for merchants. Klarna’s growth story represents very successful partner management. Klarna’s great success primarily builds on its ability to minimize risk through effective alliance governance. This case study illustrates the governance and management of the alliance portfolio of Klarna and the interplay of control, trust, and risk in the inter-organizational context. Special attention is given to the interrelation of important governance mechanisms, namely, agreement design, control mechanisms, and trust, and their influence on collaboration risks.
Knowledge Management at Booz & Company: Toward a Culture of Knowledge Sharing & Collaboration
After its split from Booz Allen Hamilton in July 2008, Booz & Company emerged as a globally operating strategy consulting firm. As a new organization, Booz & Company had to redefine its brand, culture, and values. The new CEO stressed the importance of knowledge management (KM) as part of the firm’s competitive strategy to be foremost in foresight and provide essential advantages to clients. Adrienne Crowther, director of knowledge sharing and collaboration, and Tom Stewart, the firm’s new chief marketing and knowledge officer, rolled out a new firm-wide KM-system that would act as a differentiator in enabling connections across the firm. The case shows the importance of KM to professional service firms and management consultancies, that depend heavily on knowledge for their existence and growth. It illustrates the process of renewing the KM-system at Booz & Company by describing the triggers, obstacles, and challenges encountered throughout the initiative and the major actions taken to overcome them. The case can be used in both executive programs and MBA curriculums as part of a KM-course or for electives on management consulting and PSFs. Likewise, it serves as a purposive underpinning for courses on organizational change and strategic renewal stressing the role of KM in organizational change.
Helvetic Management Consulting: Growth and Strategic Renewal: Part A: Growth and Need for Strategic Renewal
This is part A of a two-case series. The foundation, growth, and business model of Helvetic Management Consulting, a mid-sized Swiss consulting firm, is described from 1977 to 2004. The year 2004 marks a time when the firm faced severe problems triggered by a market downturn and a resulting misfit between its positioning, management system, and ownership model and the new market environment. It can be used to illustrate the challenges and potential shortcomings in a professional service firm's business model and positioning and to think about adequate initiatives for strategic renewal and change. This case is the first part of a two-case series. Part B describes the process of strategic renewal, that is, the actual events and strategic initiatives undertaken at Helvetic Management Consulting.
Helvetic Management Consulting: Growth and Strategic Renewal: Part B: The Process of Strategic Renewal
This is part B of a two-case series. Part A describes the foundation, growth, and business model of Helvetic Management Consulting, a mid-sized Swiss consulting firm from 1977 to 2004. The year 2004 marks a time when the firm faced severe problems triggered by a market downturn and a resulting misfit between its positioning, management system, and ownership model and the new market environment (characterized by changing client demands and increased competition). This part B describes the process of strategic renewal at Helvetic and shows the actual events. The new managing director initiated three major renewal activities between 2004 and 2007, which he implements in the face of severe internal obstacles and inertial forces. Two additional strategic growth initiatives in 2007 and 2008 are described that should set the stage for future growth of the firm. Taught together, the two parts present material that is highly suitable for stimulating discussion and analysis on the full process of strategic renewal and change in a professional service firm (PSF). Discussion themes include the triggers of strategic renewal, concrete renewal activities and initiatives, challenges, obstacles, inertial forces, and inhibitors in the renewal process, and outcomes of strategic renewal processes. Part B requires the information given in Part A as a foundation.
Opportunities and Risks After Market Deregulation: The Case of Germany’s Long-distance Travel Market
co-authored with Marc Hummel
The two-case series about deregulation in the German long-distance travel market focuses on the market incumbent, the German railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB), and the new market entrants - the long-distance bus companies. Until the end of 2012, long-distance people transportation in Germany was highly regulated and mainly done by DB or the airlines. In September 2012, the German parliament agreed to deregulate the market, thereby substantially changing the competitive environment: Since 2013, bus companies have also been allowed to provide scheduled public long-distance travel. Part A of the case series describes the situation in Germany’s long-distance travel market before market deregulation. Part B covers market developments after deregulation from 1 January 2013 until mid-2016. On the one hand, the case focuses on the incumbent, DB, the German railway company, which before deregulation enjoyed a quasi-monopoly. The case elaborates on DBs challenges and the questions of whether, how, and when to adapt its business model and activities to the new, fast-changing, and dynamic market setting (and thereby potentially cannibalizing its existing business). On the other hand, the case takes a look at the new market entrants to understand how they differ in their market entry strategies and their business models. We focus on the most successful long-distance bus service provider, which developed a market share of 40% within a year. Based on the case, students will be able to derive the success factors of this bus service provider, MeinFernbus (MFB), and will understand why many other new players were less successful or even went bankrupt in this highly contested market.
Tesco versus Sainsbury’s: Growth Strategies and Corporate Competitiveness 1990-2015
co-authored with Nepomuk Schessl
The 1999 strategic alliance between Renault and Nissan became the longest-lasting partnership among large automotive firms, transforming both companies despite initial skepticism due to their financial difficulties. While Nissan faced significant debt and losses, Renault provided stability with its strong financial performance. Over time, the alliance overcame challenges such as industry competition, the 2008 financial crisis, and technological disruptions. By 2016, it expanded to include Mitsubishi, making the alliance a leader in electric vehicles and one of the world’s largest car manufacturers. This collaboration remains a benchmark for successful strategic alliances.