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  • June 2023
  • Teaching Note
  • HBS Case Collection

From Cradle to Heaven: Taikang Insurance Group

By: William C. Kirby and Noah B. Truwit
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:4
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Abstract

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 320-088. The case explores the rise of Taikang Insurance Group and its quest to be a leader of one of China's fastest-growing 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 political sensitivities, such as health services and senior care? Students should gain a better understanding of China's healthcare and insurance industries. The case highlights how a private sector company curated a product ecosystem and collaborated with the government to meet institutional needs.

Keywords

Health Care and Treatment; Government and Politics; Health Industry; China

Citation

Kirby, William C., and Noah B. Truwit. "From Cradle to Heaven: Taikang Insurance Group." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 323-126, June 2023.
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About The Author

William C. Kirby

General Management
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