Publications
Publications
- January 2016 (Revised November 2016)
- HBS Case Collection
Uber in China: Driving in the Gray Zone
By: William C. Kirby, Joycelyn W. Eby, Shuang L. Frost and Adam K. Frost
Abstract
CEO and Founder of Uber Technologies, Travis Kalanick, had made clear to investors and the public that expansion into China was one of his company's major priorities for 2016. Uber had already demonstrated remarkable capacity for rapid, global scaling, and for operating despite its unclear legal status in many markets. But the China market, while offering Uber unprecedented opportunity in terms of customer demand, presented Uber with a host of new challenges, including a murky regulatory framework and a strong, native incumbent, Didi-Kuaidi, that boasted the lion's share of the ride-hailing market. Could Uber overcome these obstacles and thrive in the China market?
Keywords
China; Uber; Start-up Growth; Regulation; Ride-sharing; Transportation; Business Startups; Growth and Development; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Transportation Industry; Technology Industry; China
Citation
Kirby, William C., Joycelyn W. Eby, Shuang L. Frost, and Adam K. Frost. "Uber in China: Driving in the Gray Zone." Harvard Business School Case 316-135, January 2016. (Revised November 2016.)
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