Summary
Bruce Clafin, CEO of 3Com, was also required to consider his position vis-a-vis the alliance with Huawei and the Cisco suit. He was now being criticized widely for contemplating an alliance with an alleged counterfeiter. Should he continue with this partnership under fire?
Teaching objectives
This case provides the basis for discussing how to manage an alliance when key environmental conditions change; in this case, when one partner is accused of piracy. Through role-playing (Ren and Clafin), the participants will consider alternatives for restructuring an alliance, as well as the strategic implications of each alternative.
Keywords
- Strategic Alliance
- International Reputation
- International Joint Venture
- Strategic Negotiation
- International Expansion
- Intellectual Property Violations
- Lawsuit
- Alliance Restructuring
