Located in southwest China, Bosai Minerals Group Co., Ltd. (Bosai) has been engaged mainly in the bauxite and manganese business since 1997, and by 2010, it had successfully completed acquisitions of three large overseas mining companies. By incorporating the traditionally mild and inclusive neo-Confucianism into its management philosophy, Bosai’s overseas branches had successfully integrated themselves into local communities and cultures. In March .....more

Teaching note for product W25487.

In 2011, China-based Wensli Group’s newly appointed chairwoman was preparing to transform the company’s silk business into a global luxury brand. It was a lofty goal for a company that started out as a state-owned silk factory before growing into the largest silk-producing company in China. Tapping into the luxury market, however, presented a challenge because Chinese companies were better known for producing cost-conscious products. That meant Wensli, .....more

A merchant fraud scandal threatened Chinese e-commerce group, Alibaba Group, endangering its positioning, corporate values, reputation, brand strength, share price value and performance. It compromised Alibaba’s leaders’ credibility and the public’s perception of the trustworthiness of Internet-based trading. In the fallout of the scandal, two talented executives were accused of negligence. The board of directors had to decide how to respond to this .....more

The three cases in this series focus on two Chinese families’ experiences with entrepreneurship and succession. Because most family businesses in China are relatively young, these first-generation entrepreneurs use their own approach to identify and develop their successors, and to pass their “wealth” to their offspring in a context shaped by unique Chinese cultural elements. The role-play exercise that relates to the (C) case illustrates the current .....more

This is the second case in a three-case series. See also 9B15C020 and 9B15C022.