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• Supplement | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

  Innovation and Business in Emerging Markets: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed

  Geoffrey Jones, Tarun Khanna, Nataliya Langbird Wright and Morgan Spencer

  Citation:

  Jones, Geoffrey, Tarun Khanna, Nataliya Langbird Wright, and Morgan Spencer. "Innovation and Business in Emerging Markets: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 319-719, June 2019.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

  Kenya Railways

  Caroline M. Elkins, Prithwiraj Choudhury and Tarun Khanna

  Keywords: Kenya;

  Citation:

  Elkins, Caroline M., Prithwiraj Choudhury, and Tarun Khanna. "Kenya Railways." Harvard Business School Case 319-109, June 2019.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2019 (Revised May 2019)

  Rural Taobao: Alibaba's Expansion into Rural E-Commerce

  Tarun Khanna, Ryan Allen, Adam Frost and Wesley Koo

  Alibaba's Rural Taobao initiative had been launched in 2014 as a public service initiative to increase e-commerce adoption in China’s remote rural areas. In the first two iterations of the initiative, dubbed “1.0” and “2.0,” Alibaba had partnered with local businesses and young returnees to operate village stations. Village stations served as logistical and educational hubs to help villagers make online purchases. Despite significant growth in sales through village stations, the business model was operating at a loss, and competitors JD and Pinduoduo were growing quickly, threatening to challenge Alibaba by claiming the rural e-commerce markets. Bill Wang, the head of the initiative, was tasked with designing and implementing the next model for Alibaba’s future expansion into rural areas. The decision centers around whether Alibaba should copy the successes of competitors JD and Pinduoduo, escalate commitment to its original value proposition (hands-on service to villagers), or embrace an entirely new model. The case highlights the competing pressures of financial performance, CSR and corporate mission, government relations, and long-term competitive positioning that are common to major strategic decisions.

  Keywords: strategy; Business growth; ecommerce; corporate social responsibility; Business and Government; emerging market; Market Platforms; Online Technology; Emerging Markets; Rural Scope; Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Government Relations; Decision Making; China;

  Citation:

  Khanna, Tarun, Ryan Allen, Adam Frost, and Wesley Koo. "Rural Taobao: Alibaba's Expansion into Rural E-Commerce." Harvard Business School Case 719-433, January 2019. (Revised May 2019.)  View Details

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