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2010
Chapter

Business Groups in Historical Perspectives

By: Geoffrey Jones and Asli M. Colpan

Business groups-collections of legally independent firms interconnected by multiple economic and social linkages that exhibit widely diversified product portfolios-are viewed as the prototypical large-enterprise form in contemporary emerging economies. By exploring the... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Management Skills; Emerging Markets; Alliances; Groups and Teams; Competitive Advantage; Great Britain

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March 1992 (Revised April 1995)
Case

Saatchi & Saatchi Co. PLC: Corporate Strategy

By: David J. Collis

Saatchi & Saatchi, founded in 1970, became the world's largest advertising agency in 1986. It then diversified into consulting and other managerial areas before crashing in 1989. Under a new CEO, the company restructured and refocused on its advertising agencies. View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Globalized Firms and Management; Corporate Strategy; Diversification; Advertising Industry

September 1993 (Revised December 1993)
Case

Cott Corp.: Private Label in the 1990s

By: Ray A. Goldberg and Robert S. Kaplan

Private label cola, Cott, gets 30% of the market in Canada. How does it move into the U.S. market? How do retailers evaluate its benefit costs? Does Cott use an existing structure or build new ones? Does Cott diversify from drink to snack foods? View Details

Keywords: Private Sector; Cost Management; Labels; Growth and Development Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Industry Structures; Diversification; Food and Beverage Industry

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March 1981 (Revised October 1998)
Case

Corning Glass Works International (A)

By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Michael Y. Yoshino

Follows the impact of a change in global strategy on a diversified company's global organization structure. Traces two failed attempts at bringing a business perspective to a geographic organization, and poses the problem of what the international division president... View Details

Keywords: Disruption; Framework; Global Strategy; Organizational Structure; Perspective; Power and Influence

31 Oct 2019
Video

Binod Chaudhary

Binod Chaudhary, head of Nepal-based diversified business group Chaudhary Group, describes his company's work to mediate business transactions between China and India, and speculates about the possibility for... View Details

15 Jan 2020
Video

Rahmi M. Koç

Rahmi Koç, former Chair of of Koç Holding, the largest diversified business group in Turkey, explains the role of family members in monitoring the performance of professional managers, using his own company... View Details

02 Jul 2019
News

The high price of breaking up global supply chains

Video

Mohammed Al Barwani

Mohammed Al Barwani, founder of the Oman-based diversified group MB Holding Company, discusses the diversification of his oil production and services companies into other industries ranging from biotechnology... View Details

April 1971 (Revised February 1984)
Case

Gould, Inc.: Graphics Division

Describes the decision of a battery manufacturer to diversify into the computer field through acquisition and the development of a new product. Among the issues to be discussed are the company product fit, phases in new product introduction, product positioning, and... View Details

Keywords: Diversification; Market Entry and Exit; Acquisition; Product Development; Computer Industry; Battery Industry

04 Feb 2020
Video

Güler Sabancı

Güler Sabancı, chair of Sabancı Holding, one of the largest diversified business groups in Turkey, describes how her grandfather trained his children (including her father) to take over the family business and... View Details

04 Feb 2020
Video

Ratan Naval Tata

Ratan Naval Tata, former chair of the India-based diversified business group Tata Group, describes his company's acquisition of Jaguar/Land Rover in the UK and some of the challenges in convincing the employees... View Details

March 1981 (Revised November 1998)
Supplement

Corning Glass Works International (C2)

By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Michael Y. Yoshino

Follows the impact of a change in global strategy on a diversified company's global organization structure. Reviews the company's subsequent performance internationally. Also presents reflections by top management on future possible change in the organization... View Details

Keywords: Global Strategy; Change; Performance; Globalized Firms and Management; Management Teams; Manufacturing Industry

Video

Alternative Investments - Carousel

2008
Article

Diversification of Chinese Companies: An International Comparison

By: Joseph P.H. Fan, Jun Huang, Felix Oberholzer-Gee, Troy D. Smith and Mengxin Zhao

The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic comparison of the level of business diversification in China and eight other large economies for the 2001-2005 period. The reasons why publicly listed Chinese firms are more diversified than companies elsewhere are... View Details

Keywords: Business Ventures; State Ownership; Diversification; China

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January 2018 (Revised September 2021)
Case

Saudi Arabia: Vision 2030

By: Richard H.K. Vietor and Haviland Sheldahl-Thomason

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman faces several challenges, both domestic and foreign. Domestically, he needs to build the country’s economy to accommodate a "youth bulge" while balancing between liberals and conservatives. And he needs to diversify the economy away from its... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Economy; Demographics; Diversification; Government and Politics; International Relations; Saudi Arabia