Publications

March 2020
Case

ZEISS Group: Organize by Customer Culture?

By: Willy C. Shih

How should ZEISS, the German manufacturer of precision optical and optoelectronic systems manage two historic businesses that operated fairly autonomously? The Industrial Quality Solutions (IQS) business sold measurement equipment to manufacturing companies in sectors... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Structure; Organizational Culture; Manufacturing Industry; Europe; Germany

25 Mar 2014
Research & Ideas

Book Excerpt: ‘Can China Lead?’

day in the Soviet Union (Chiang Ching-kuo) and Germany (Chiang Wei-kuo and Tai An-kuo). Times change. Today there is no shortage of American families who send their children to China. As Chinese universities increase their international... View Details

Keywords: Re: William C. Kirby & F. Warren McFarlan; Education; Technology

01 Jan 2008
News

Meg Whitman, MBA 1979

relevant in Korea as it is in Germany or Argentina,” says Whitman, noting that eBay is now in 39 markets around the world. Whitman built the brand by listening and responding to customers and through smart acquisitions, expanding into... View Details

10 Jul 2000
Research & Ideas

Privatization and the New European Economy

From France to Italy, Germany to Denmark, chances are good that if you pick a country in Europe, you can match it with its state-owned airline. But as Europe unites, barriers come down, and competition heats up, cross-border mergers have... View Details

Keywords: by James E. Aisner; Air Transportation; Transportation

04 Apr 2023
Blog Post

African American Student Union Spotlight on Tech

and experiencing it are entirely different. That weekend made me realize how close we had all become in such a short time. David Smith (MBA 2024) Where is your hometown? I was born overseas in Munster, Germany but since the age of 9 I’ve... View Details

01 Jan 2011
News

Peter Harf, MBA 1974

Chairman and CEO, Joh. A. Benckiser SE Download Harf profile (pdf) Return to Alumni Achievement Awards main page TIMELINE 1946 Born, Cologne, Germany 1973 Earns PhD, Monetary Economics, University of Cologne 1981 Joins Joh. A. Benckiser... View Details

January 2025
Case

From Neverkusen to Meisterkusen:* Building a Winning Organization at Bayer Leverkusen

By: Boris Groysberg, Brian L. Walker, Sascha L. Schmidt and Gamze Yucaoglu

This case follows Bayer Leverkusen football team through 2018-2024, as Fernando Carro takes the helm and makes organizational changes. Led by CEO Fernanda Carro, sporting director Simon Rolfes, and head coach Xabi Alonso, the Club becomes league champion for the first... View Details

Keywords: Sports; Business Strategy; Alignment; Competitive Strategy; Europe; Germany

25 Oct 2012
Research & Ideas

Developing the Global Leader

insatiable need to learn about other cultures." A knack for cross-boundary partnering. "You need to feel comfortable engaging a team in India and giving them as much power as a team in Germany or the United States. There's a... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna

January 2025
Teaching Note

AGENTS.inc: Pathways to Growth at an AI Startup

By: Frank Nagle and Susan Pinckney

In 2024, AI agent startup company AGENTS.inc faced multiple strategic decisions that could shape the company’s ability to grown into the future AI agent market leader. View Details

Keywords: Computer Industry; Europe; Germany

July 2024
Case

ZEISS: Commercializing Science

By: Maria P. Roche, Carlota Moniz and Daniela Beyersdorfer

Karl Lamprecht, President and CEO of the ZEISS AG Group, mused on how far ZEISS had come in 175 years of being a pioneer in optics, and how the course he had charted since taking the helm of the company could keep it on track. In his role, he oversaw the four core... View Details

November 2021
Case

LKQ-Stahlgruber

By: Guhan Subramanian and Caeden Brynie

Through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions, LKQ Corp. became the leading aftermarket auto parts distributor in the U.S. by the early 2000s. Beginning in 2012, the company began similarly consolidating the European marketplace. However, by 2017, the... View Details

Keywords: Consolidation; Acquisition; Decision Making; Strategy; Opportunities; Europe; Germany

July 2024
Case

Porsche

By: Stefan Thomke and Daniela Beyersdorfer

The case reveals how Porsche has become one of the world’s leading car companies. Central to Porsche’s growth strategy is creating great products, including its legendary 911 Carrera sportscar, and offering innovative customer experiences. As the automotive industry is... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Product Development; Growth and Development Strategy; Product Marketing; Auto Industry; Germany; Europe

March 2011
Case

MorphoSys AG: The Evolution of a Biotechnology Business Model

By: Gary P. Pisano, Ryan Johnson and Carin-Isabel Knoop

In the biotech world, the 18-year-old Munich-based company MorphoSys was a rarity: it was profitable. The company achieved this profitability not by developing and selling its own drugs, but by licensing access to its proprietary library of human antibodies. Recently,... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Profit; Intellectual Property; Rights; Risk Management; Digital Platforms; Product Development; Business and Shareholder Relations; Vertical Integration; Biotechnology Industry; Munich