U.S. Roles Merger Case Study by Harvard Business Review Press

This is a role-play case study, designed for use in MBA leadership development courses. It features four roles, with two students each portraying U.S.- and China-based managers. There are two versions of the case, one for U.S.-based managers (L-22US) and one for China-based managers (L-22CHN). Each version includes a set of shared facts and facts known only to that side. The case's objectives can only be achieved through information exchange and collaboration between players. Students must reset post-merger expectations, address differing interests, and revive the merger plan. They can demonstrate active listening, inquiry, and feedback regarding post-merger expectations at HBT headquarters and HBT Shanghai. Both pairs of students enter the meeting with varying objectives and must manage the other side's expectations and perceptions assertively, collaboratively, or both.