Ares Mining Base is doing well and is getting ready for the arrival of Ares 3 – the most expensive and largest expedition yet. In order to support three times as many people, a new base needs to be built fast. But a flaw in the design was found, and now a new design needs to be made and manufactured before Ares 3 leaves.

The year is 2055. ARES 2 space shuttle is on its way to Mars when a shocking accident occurs. Now, ARES 2 must lose a significant part of its payload to be able to safely land on Mars.

Digital transformations require foundations. Placing advanced technologies on top of poor organizational structures and processes is not likely to work. Digital transformation may involve long-term strategic and organizational development to create a solid foundation that can properly absorb and develop digital initiatives.

Imagine a high-tech environment which is a hive of creativity and collaboration, where people think in terms of platforms and ecosystems, and are asked to provide a rapid response in pursuit of a goal. While a start-up setting in a tech hub will likely come to mind, such a setting is typical of a more traditional (yet advanced) organization – the military.

Does the digital age require companies to look and behave differently? This research note explores the digital journeys of various companies (with an initial focus on media companies) and introduces 10 “checkpoints” into their respective experiences as they strive to become digital-ready.

The telecommunications manufacturing industry has seen massive consolidation in the past 10 years. This is the story of how two major telecom providers, Alcatel and Lucent, merged and positioned themselves for the future. It focuses on the leadership challenges of the final years, just before the company was sold.

Organizational design can be complex, involving many different levers. But at its roots are a few fundamental formal structures or forms: functional, matrix, and divisional.

This case looks at how Lincoln Electric, the US-based company renowned for its compensation scheme, tried to implement its human resource policies globally and particularly in China.

Companies regularly face difficulties, but sometimes they have to face a "life threatening" crisis. Such events challenge leadership, not least because of their complexity - technological puzzles, loyalty and political maneuvering, branding and communication issues, to name a few.

Companies regularly face difficulties, but sometimes they have to face a "life threatening" crisis. Such events challenge leadership, not least because of their complexity - technological puzzles, loyalty and political maneuvering, branding and communication issues, to name a few.