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

  From Cradle to Heaven: Taikang Insurance Group

  William C. Kirby, Shu Lin, John P. McHugh and Yuanzhuo Wang

  Taikang Insurance Group was a leading Chinese insurance and financial services institution. It operated in the insurance, asset management, and health and senior care industries. Due to China’s underdeveloped social welfare state, Taikang saw an opportunity for the private sector to offer a suite of lifelong services that would care for clients “From Cradle to Heaven.” However, as Taikang broadened its brand from life insurance to lifestyle, the potential pitfalls facing the firm would proliferate, too. How could Taikang leverage its scale to ward off competitors? And, crucially, how could Taikang sustain strong relations with the state and regulatory bodies as the company moved into markets with great political sensitivities, such as health services and senior care?

  Keywords: Health; Insurance; Strategy; Insurance Industry; China;

  Citation:

  Kirby, William C., Shu Lin, John P. McHugh, and Yuanzhuo Wang. "From Cradle to Heaven: Taikang Insurance Group." Harvard Business School Case 320-088, February 2020. (Revised June 2020.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2020 (Revised March 2020)

  Huawei: A Global Tech Giant in the Crossfire of a Digital Cold War

  William C. Kirby, Billy Chan and John P. McHugh

  By 2020, Ren Zhengfei, CEO of Huawei, had transformed the small telephone switch manufacturer he founded in 1987 into a $120 billion telecommunications company poised to lead the lucrative rollout of fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks. However, an emerging U.S.-China tech war has jeopardized Huawei’s prospects. The Trump administration is waging a global campaign to blacklist doing business with Huawei due to concerns in Washington about the company’s relationship with the Chinese government and the security of its products. As Huawei attempts to answer the litany of questions being asked about its business, the company’s corporate communications and government relations strategies are thrust onto center stage. How can a company so successful technologically—it is a global leader in 5G technology—struggle so mightily in telling its story? What would it take for Huawei to repair its relationship with Washington? Can Huawei protect itself from the crossfire of a growing digital cold war between the U.S. and China?

  Keywords: international strategy; government and business; digital infrastructure; political risk; Technology; Infrastructure; Business and Government Relations; Government and Politics; Technology Industry; China; United States;

  Citation:

  Kirby, William C., Billy Chan, and John P. McHugh. "Huawei: A Global Tech Giant in the Crossfire of a Digital Cold War." Harvard Business School Case 320-089, January 2020. (Revised March 2020.)  View Details

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• Supplement | HBS Case Collection | November 2019 (Revised January 2020)

  Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited: A Global Company's China Strategy (B)

  William C. Kirby, Billy Chan and Dawn H. Lau

  After the legendary founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) retired, the new chairman had to grapple with fresh challenges related to its China market: a recently opened factory in China had to find ways to reverse its financial loss and meet its full capacity, one of its major Chinese customers was facing sanctions by the U.S. government, and China was investing billions of dollars in building its own powerhouse to compete in semiconductor production. The transition from 4G to 5G technology in the telecommunication industry as well as the U.S.-China trade war added to the uncertainties facing TSMC. What had changed in the competitive landscape for TSMC, and how should it respond to the changes? What were the options for the company in doing business with China, when the country had become both a customer and a competitor?

  Keywords: cross-cultural; foreign investment; government; Business and Government Relations; Globalization; Change Management; Customer Relationship Management; Innovation Strategy; Global Strategy; Leadership; Semiconductor Industry; Taiwan; China;

  Citation:

  Kirby, William C., Billy Chan, and Dawn H. Lau. "Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited: A Global Company's China Strategy (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 320-045, November 2019. (Revised January 2020.)  View Details

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