Alibaba in 2011: Competing in China & Beyond

 
Case Studies | Cases in Business, Management, Cases | Case Study

ICMR HOME | Case Studies Collection

To download Alibaba in 2011: Competing in China & Beyond case study (Case Code: BSTR404) click on the button below


Buy Now

Amount to be paid:



Prefer to pay in another currency ?
Select Currency for Payment



Exchange Rates: Click Here
Delivery Details: Click Here

» Business Strategy Case Studies
» Case Studies Collection
» Business Strategy Short Case Studies
» View Detailed Pricing Info
» How To Order This Case
» Business Case Studies
» Area Specific Case Studies
» Industry Wise Case Studies
» Company Wise Case Studies

Custom Search
My status


Please note:

This case study was compiled from published sources, and is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion. It is not intended to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. Nor is it a primary information source.

Bookmark and Share

Case Details:

Price:
Case Code : BSTR404 For delivery in electronic format: Rs.500;
For delivery through courier (within India): Rs. 500 + Rs. 25 for Shipping & Handling Charges

Themes

International Business/ International Management
Case Length : 23 Pages
Period : 2004-2011
Pub Date : 2012
Teaching Note : Available
Organization : Alibaba Group
Industry : E-Commerce
Countries : China; Global

Abstract:

This case discusses the success of Alibaba.com Corporation (Alibaba) in China under the leadership of Jack Ma (Ma), its founder. It talks about the transformation of Alibaba into one of the most successful e-commerce companies in China and also analyzes its business portfolio. The case explains in detail the rationale behind Ma starting an e-commerce website and his efforts to bring about the growth of the company. Alibaba had emerged as the largest e-commerce company in China. The company tailored its strategies to meet the needs of the customers and made a mark because of its understanding of the Chinese language and culture. However, some experts also raised doubts over the sustainability of Alibaba's business model.

In 2011, the company was also making efforts to increase its dominance in the Chinese web search market. In August 2011, it acquired Sogou.com, search engine of Chinese online portal Sohu.com, and in October 2011, it launched an online shopping site eTao to combat with Baidu. In December 2011, Alibaba announced that it was testing a social-networking product. This was part of its efforts to expand outside its e-commerce platforms to seek different streams of revenue, according to industry observers. The company was also planning to acquire Yahoo! China's stake of 40 percent in Alibaba. Experts felt that all these initiatives would help Alibaba gain a stronger foothold in China since Internet penetration and e-commerce were rapidly growing in China.

Issues:

» Understand the issues and challenges faced by a Chinese e-commerce company in growing its business.
» Study Alibaba's business model and see whether it is sustainable.
» Study how Alibaba achieved a balance in catering to global customers while customizing its practices to suit the needs of its Chinese consumers.
» Understand how e-commerce companies operate in emerging markets.
» Examine the challenges faced by Alibaba in expanding its business globally.

Contents:

  Page No.
Introduction 1
Background Note 1
Alibaba in its Initial Years 3
Business Portfolio 7
The Competition 8
Another IPO at Alibaba? 14
Outlook 14
Exhibits 16

Keywords:

Competition, Strategy, Business model, Innovation, Entrepreneur, Market leader, Global expansion, e-commerce, Small and Medium Enterprises, B2B, B2C, C2C, Web search market, Initial Public Offering , Alibaba, Taobao, eBay, Baidu, Google, China

Introduction - Next Page>>

 

Case Studies Links:- Case Studies, Short Case Studies, Simplified Case Studies.

Other Case Studies:- Multimedia Case Studies, Cases in Other Languages.

Business Reports Link:- Business Reports.

Books:- Textbooks, Work Books, Case Study Volumes.









Leave Your Feedback

More ICMR India Case Studies

Business Environment Business Ethics Business Reports Business Strategy
Corporate Governance Economics Enterprise Risk Management Finance
HRM Innovation Insurance IT and Systems
Leadership and Entrepreneurship Marketing Miscellaneous Operations
Project Management Short Case Studies Cases in other Languages Free Case Studies