More from the Author

• Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2018 (Revised December 2020)

  Saudi Arabia: Vision 2030

  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 reliance on oil. Internationally, he must cope with the Arab Spring, with war in Syria and Yemen, as well as the threats from Iran and ISIS and continuing friction between Palestinians and Israelis. The key to these issues is Vision 2030—the plan his son, the Crown Prince, has introduced and begun implementing.

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

  Citation:

  Vietor, Richard H.K., and Haviland Sheldahl-Thomason. "Saudi Arabia: Vision 2030." Harvard Business School Case 718-034, January 2018. (Revised December 2020.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase

  Related

• Case | HBS Case Collection | March 2016 (Revised November 2020)

  South Africa: A Fractured Rainbow?

  Richard H.K. Vietor and Haviland Sheldahl-Thomason

  Twenty years after the end of Apartheid, South Africa's democracy persists, albeit with problems. A tripartite coalition—the African National Congress, the labor unions, and the Communist Party—still controls the political system but with diminishing economic results and authority. Since 2010, the economy has grown at 1.4% annually, with unemployment at 25%. Several national plans have been initiated but none with success. Most recently, the National Development Plan is the Zuma administration's approach. And then, at the end of 2015, cronyism sunk the stock market and the currency, causing a political crisis. Pravin Gordhan, an experienced bureaucrat, is once again Finance Minister but faces the tradeoff between growth and debt reduction. With the recent resignation of Zuma and the instatement of former deputy president and wealthy businessman Cyril Ramaphosa as President, it was still to be determined if a change in leadership would be enough to improve the country's economic and social situation.

  Keywords: labor; politics; Development; productivity; Labor Unions; Infrastructure; Government and Politics; Economic Growth; Performance Productivity; Economy; Social Issues; South Africa;

  Citation:

  Vietor, Richard H.K., and Haviland Sheldahl-Thomason. "South Africa: A Fractured Rainbow?" Harvard Business School Case 716-069, March 2016. (Revised November 2020.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase

  Related

• Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2020 (Revised November 2020)

  Australia: Commodities, Competitiveness, Climate and China

  Richard H.K. Vietor and Laura Alfaro

  For the past few decades, Australia has dealt with the benefits and costs of repeated mining booms—inflation, a housing bubble, a current account deficit, and growing dependence on China. Between 1996 and 2007, however, Australia had most of these issues under control and grew at impressive rates, becoming one of the richest of developed countries. Yet competitiveness in its non-mining sectors declined. Since the financial crisis, additional challenges associated with climate change, minerals taxes, migration, fiscal deficits, and currency fluctuations have complicated the issues facing both Labor and Liberal administrations, with a very thin majority. Meanwhile, Australia's non-mineral competitiveness continues to recede.

  Keywords: commodities; competitiveness; carbon tax; environment; capital flows; current account; Mining; Economy; Problems and Challenges; Climate Change; Taxation; Competition; Financial Condition; Australia;

  Citation:

  Vietor, Richard H.K., and Laura Alfaro. "Australia: Commodities, Competitiveness, Climate and China." Harvard Business School Case 720-028, February 2020. (Revised November 2020.)  View Details

  CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase

  Related