Two HEC Paris in Qatar professors have complied several high profile cases studies from Qatar in a new book titled ‘Doing business in Qatar - case studies for executive education’.
The work by Dr Wolfgang Amann Dr Laoucine Kerbache, explores business opportunities and challenges in Qatar.
“Case studies have been used in management education for over 100 years and it is a trend that continues in various forms even today. In fact, they have also had a long tradition at HEC Paris in Qatar and are an essential pillar in its high-impact learning framework,” Dr Amann told Gulf Times.
Such case studies allow for unique learning experiences covering four essential levels. He explained, “It takes the learner through four key stages: clarifying why a topic matters; illustrating how it works; practising holistic problem solving; and discussing what gained insights mean for individuals, their teams, and organisations.”
“The ‘knowing’ level discusses facts, figures and conceptual frameworks, and it is the easiest to tackle. The ‘doing level’ ensures that the learners hone their practical skills towards achieving results as merely knowing a model would never suffice. The ‘being level’ is about the kind of leader and manager that one aspires to be. And lastly, the ‘becoming level’ is about learners benefitting from new insights as they ought to have an opportunity to clarify what stages come next in their development,” he continued.
The book comprises high-profile cases that include big names like Al Shaqab, a world class player in the equine industry; Qatari Diar Vinci Construction (QDVC), which is in charge of carrying out highly complex construction projects in the country; and Msheireb, that faced leadership challenges in building and operating the ‘new heart of Doha’.
The transitional journey of Qtel to Ooredoo has also been reviewed, in a case involving the telecom sector. In addition to that, cases about the training of Qatari investors and getting entry into the Qatari market have also been talked about in the book. While the former addresses the dilemmas that arise when portfolio companies are merged, the latter is based on an analysis of local players and customers in a specific industry.
The book balances international best and next practices case studies with local ones in the short, custom, certificate and degree programmes of HEC Paris in Qatar. The book covers different industries, organisations, ownership structures and degrees of diversification and consists of cases used in the programmes of the institution.
