Sunrise and Huawei: A partnership beyond the ordinary

Sunrise, a Swiss local telecom service provider and the second largest player in the Swiss telecom market, decided to team up with Huawei to set up a 5G Joint Innovation Center (JIC) in Zurich to differentiate itself from other competitors. The decision was made out of strategic considerations for both parties: Sunrise would gain competitive advantage thanks to the cost-efficient high-tech of Huawei and engage more partners in using its 5G offer by demonstrating the tangible benefits of the new technology; for Huawei, the venture with Sunrise would offer an opportunity to showcase 5G technology that can serve as a template for future business ventures in Europe and around the world. During the cooperation, the two companies managed to maintain the communication in a smooth manner through finding common ground, albeit some initial inconveniences due to their distinct cultural backgrounds.

Covid-19 pandemic related case

Alibaba Group: Leveraging the advantages of its ecosystem during the COVID19 pandemic

At the beginning of 2020, the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba was facing its biggest challenge yet with the dire economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the company's core business was in need of help. What happened next can serve as a lesson for the e-commerce industry as a whole. Several of Alibaba's business units bucked the downward trend were able to leverage circumstances to their advantage. They managed to continue to support the SMEs who are the lifeblood of the platform and in turn help Alibaba weather the storm. The case provides insight into the power and resilience of an ecosystem business model in a time of crisis.

"A case is a vehicle for learning. (...)
[It is] an account or description of a situation, or sequence of events, which raises issues or problems for analysis and solution."

(John Heath, 2015)

Contact

University of Zurich

Europe-Asia Case Study Center

Affolternstrasse 56

CH-8050 Zurich

yuan.qin@execed.uzh.ch

We study and share real-life business stories with a clear focus on European-Asian managerial challenges.

Our Commitment

At the Europe-Asia Case Study Center, we dedicate ourselves to developing in-depth, up-close, and up-to-date case studies in intercultural contexts. Our publications contribute academic research and practical knowledge, and enrich classroom experience.

Research areas

Our case study center is proud to present our field-research based studies. The areas of our research include but not limited to 1) Asian enterprises expanding globally; 2) European firms entering the Asian market; 3) Management of family business (tradition and innovation); 4) Sustainability and crisis management.

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Teaching

While still adhering to management, our case studies describe the specific circumstances and environment a company finds itself in and detail the challenges that need to be resolved. In the classroom, students discuss the problems and apply their knowledge to coming up with possible solutions. This type of interactive discussion of real life cases is one of the reasons case studies have become increasingly popular in universities and business schools.

Publications

Our research is published in the form of business case studies and presented at workshops and conferences with the intention of sharing them with a broader audience. The research we do advances an understanding of both the increased prominence of Asian firms in international business and what benefits and risks the exchanges can imply between Asia and the rest of the world.

Our
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