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  • May 2012
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Quietly Brilliant: Transformational Change at HTC

By: Michael L. Tushman and Kerry Herman
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:31
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Abstract

The case examines smartphone maker HTC's 2006 decision to become a branded company. The case focuses on the cultural and organizational shifts HTC underwent to successfully make the transition from an ODM, founded in 1997, to a leading branded manufacturer (7% market share of smartphones in 2010), with the adoption of the tagline: "Quietly Brilliant." Significant challenges considered in the case include: transitioning HTC from a Taiwanese to a global firm, developing and maintaining a functioning global structure, building a sales and marketing force, and finding the right cultural balance between eastern and western capabilities.

Keywords

Globalized Firms and Management; Organizational Structure; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Telecommunications Industry; Taiwan

Citation

Tushman, Michael L., and Kerry Herman. "Quietly Brilliant: Transformational Change at HTC." Harvard Business School Case 412-070, May 2012.
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About The Author

Michael L. Tushman

Organizational Behavior
→More Publications

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