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Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2019 (Revised November 2019)

Transforming Hindustan Unilever

by Krishna G. Palepu and Rachna Tahilyani

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Abstract

In October 2013, when Mehta had taken over the reins of Unilever’s business in India and the larger South Asia region, HUL had been going through a difficult time. Caught in the midst of a weakening economy, falling consumer spending and increasing competition, growth at the firm had slowed. HUL was underperforming not only the market index but also the FMCG index. At the same time, HUL was struggling with many internal woes, ranging from slow market responsiveness to a higher cost structure. The next quarter had not brought any relief. With the external situation worsening, Mehta wondered what changes he needed to make to ensure consistent, competitive and profitable growth at HUL. The case is accompanied by a video in which the CEO outlines his thinking, and the choices he made. The video can be used in class as the class discussion unfolds to bring closure to the discussion, and to brief the class on what actions were taken.

Keywords: Change Management; Transformation; Leading Change; Performance Improvement; Consumer Products Industry; India;

Language: English Format: Print 16 pages EducatorsPurchase

Citation:

Palepu, Krishna G., and Rachna Tahilyani. "Transforming Hindustan Unilever." Harvard Business School Case 120-022, August 2019. (Revised November 2019.)

Related Work

  1. Supplement | HBS Case Collection | September 2019

    Transforming Hindustan Unilever, Video Supplement

    Krishna G. Palepu and Rachna Tahilyani

    Citation:

    Palepu, Krishna G., and Rachna Tahilyani. "Transforming Hindustan Unilever, Video Supplement." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 120-705, September 2019.  View Details
    CiteView DetailsPurchase Related
  2. Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2019 (Revised November 2019)

    Transforming Hindustan Unilever

    Krishna G. Palepu and Rachna Tahilyani

    In October 2013, when Mehta had taken over the reins of Unilever’s business in India and the larger South Asia region, HUL had been going through a difficult time. Caught in the midst of a weakening economy, falling consumer spending and increasing competition, growth at the firm had slowed. HUL was underperforming not only the market index but also the FMCG index. At the same time, HUL was struggling with many internal woes, ranging from slow market responsiveness to a higher cost structure. The next quarter had not brought any relief. With the external situation worsening, Mehta wondered what changes he needed to make to ensure consistent, competitive and profitable growth at HUL. The case is accompanied by a video in which the CEO outlines his thinking, and the choices he made. The video can be used in class as the class discussion unfolds to bring closure to the discussion, and to brief the class on what actions were taken.

    Keywords: Change Management; Transformation; Leading Change; Performance Improvement; Consumer Products Industry; India;

    Citation:

    Palepu, Krishna G., and Rachna Tahilyani. "Transforming Hindustan Unilever." Harvard Business School Case 120-022, August 2019. (Revised November 2019.)  View Details
    CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase Related

About the Author

Photo
Krishna G. Palepu
Ross Graham Walker Professor of Business Administration
Accounting and Management
General Management

View Profile »
View Publications »

 

More from the Author

  • Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2019 (Revised November 2019)

    Pinduoduo

    Feng Zhu, Krishna G. Palepu, Bonnie Yining Cao and Dawn H. Lau

    Founded in 2015 by serial entrepreneur, Colin Huang, Pinduoduo Inc. (PDD) had become China’s fastest-growing e-commerce platform in history. PDD pioneered a new approach to online shopping that allowed shoppers to share products, invite friends to form shopping teams, and purchase together at discounted prices. The company’s rapid development helped it debut on the Nasdaq in July 2018, only three years after its inception. The fast growth was partly boosted by PDD’s heavy investment in marketing and branding, such as through coupons and promotions. How should the company make its competitive advantages more sustainable? Could its business model be replicated outside China?

    Citation:

    Zhu, Feng, Krishna G. Palepu, Bonnie Yining Cao, and Dawn H. Lau. "Pinduoduo." Harvard Business School Case 620-040, September 2019. (Revised November 2019.)  View Details
    CiteView DetailsEducatorsPurchase Related
  • Case | HBS Case Collection | October 2018 (Revised October 2019)

    Rio Tinto vs. the Securities and Exchange Commission

    Aiyesha Dey, Krishna G. Palepu and Sarah Gulick

    Keywords: coal mining; SEC enforcement; FCPA; mining; fraud; acquisition; Financial Reporting; Mergers and Acquisitions; Non-Renewable Energy; Ethics; Financial Management; Investment; Corporate Governance; Laws and Statutes; Lawsuits and Litigation; Risk Management; Risk and Uncertainty; Energy Industry; Mining Industry; Financial Services Industry; Mozambique; United States; Australia; England;

    Citation:

    Dey, Aiyesha, Krishna G. Palepu, and Sarah Gulick. "Rio Tinto vs. the Securities and Exchange Commission." Harvard Business School Case 119-046, October 2018. (Revised October 2019.)  View Details
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  • Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2019

    Funding Sources for Science & Technology Start-ups in India

    Tarun Khanna, Arjun Swarup and Rachna Tahilyani

    India's start-up ecosystem is amongst the largest globally, with a variety of funding options from angel investors, venture capital and corporate venture capital to debt. Classic consumer focused start-ups which look to leverage technology have been able to raise significant amounts of capital but the situation is more challenging for deep science and technology focused startups. This note focuses on these issues and the factors behind them.

    Keywords: Venture Capital; Business Startups; Science; Technology; Financial Services Industry; Banking Industry; Technology Industry; India; South Asia;

    Citation:

    Khanna, Tarun, Arjun Swarup, and Rachna Tahilyani. "Funding Sources for Science & Technology Start-ups in India." Harvard Business School Case 720-401, September 2019.  View Details
    CiteView DetailsEducators Related
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