Business strategy case studies are the specific stories which present the realistic and complex business situations; at the same time, they often include a particular conflict, dilemma, or the other issue that must be solved by the relevant characters. These cases allow students to identify the major aspects of a problem, recognize and articulate positions, evaluate courses of action, and argue the various points of view. Therefore, business strategy case studies serve as a true method to train students who desire to be the top managers in business organizations.
The first case study to discuss is about American Express and the redefinition of its business strategy; for instance, in 2014, the company established a new credit card, called “Amex EveryDay Credit Card,” that would target students and housewives. In addition, American Express also provided the other new products, including Serve and Bluebird, as the important step on the way toward the expansion of the mass market. Such an approach was taken because since the time of its foundation, American Express had focused on a relatively limited number of clients and performed as a closed-loop network. Moreover, the company maintained higher commissions from customers than the other financial services due to the fact that it provided them with access to rich clients who had the significant spending power. On the other side, American Express was obliged to face new competitors, especially in the face of online payment processing businesses, including PayPal, which created much cheaper and safer payment solutions. Thus, the main goals of the discussed case study are the following ones: to determine the challenges faced by American Express, to define the potential ways of struggling with the entrance of new competitors, and to evaluate the influence of latest technologies on the particular business.
The second case study relates to the disinvestment of ITDC hotels and identifies the major reasons for such a move. To begin with, ITDC has been integrated into the development and promotion of tourism in India since its establishment in 1966; however, the company faced the spectacular losses from 1997 to 2001. Therefore, the certain case presents the issues that made a negative impact on the ITDC and resulted in its disinvestment; for example, the poor leadership, the weak world economy, and the increasing employment costs are the main factors that attributed to the downfall of the company. All in all, the disinvestment above led to the numerous negative problems like the resistance from workers, litigations, and, of course, the absence of consensus among the company’s officials. The case study also involves a discussion related to the potential challenges and perspectives of the relevant hotel group; meanwhile, the most important outcomes include the understanding of problems connected with disinvestment, a role of macro-environmental factors in a business company, and strategic planning.
In conclusion, business strategy case studies present the most challenging problems in business history and stimulate students to find the appropriate and well-reasoned solutions on their own. After all, it can be possible to create own case study by using the materials from the professional experience, business events, or historical data.
References
Harrow, R. (2017). Can American Express Stay Above The Fray In The Credit-Card Wars? Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertharrow/2017/04/06/can-american-express-stay-above-the-fray-in-the-credit-card-wars/#66af31bf4921
Meola, A. (2016). American Express has a strategy to win back Costco customers. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/american-express-has-a-strategy-to-win-back-costco-customers-2016-6
Pandey, N. (2015). ITDC hotels can be revived with investment, govt action: official. Business Line. Retrieved from http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/itdc-hotels-can-be-revived-with-investment-govt-action-official/article7295231.ece
Sharma, M. (2016). Government to sell off 14 ITDC hotels: Mahesh Sharma. The Economic Times. Retrieved from http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/hotels-/-restaurants/government-to-sell-off-14-itdc-hotels-mahesh-sharma/articleshow/52488896.cms
Shaughnessy, H. (2012). American Express, How To Create a New Business Strategy. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/haydnshaughnessy/2012/04/04/american-express-on-how-to-create-a-new-business-strategy/#2c9f72535c8d