Case Study Shell

This course is offered in the context of the program “Master of International Business and Sustainability” in cooperation with Shell to offer students insight into the practical aspects of strategic management.

In the course, students will work on a case study on „Integrated Energy“ in cooperation with Shell that they will then present to Shell management representatives. In the case study, students will develop future strategies for Shell and implications for their business model.

Shell is facing new challenges as the energy sectors of mobility, heat, and electricity change and merge under emerging pressures such as digitalization, decarbonization, and electrification. The integration of these energy sectors comes with implications for the existing Shell business model. Students are asked to understand and illustrate this new development and give recommendations for Shell’s competitive strategy and business model. The case study shall help increase students’ sensitivity to industry development trends and to the practical challenges in developing a competitive strategy. Further details and information on the case will be provided by Shell.

Against this background, the following educational objectives shall be reached among others:

• Applying theoretical concepts and instruments of strategic management to the case study “Integrated Energy”.
• Developing an increased awareness of the practical challenges in the context of international strategic management.
• Developing the ability to implement a complex task into a project and to work on and manage the same as a team.

The course is taught in English. It is divided into two units: The kick-off meeting and formation of groups on Wednesday, 01 November 2017, 9:00 – 12:00, will be followed by a phase where students will prepare both an oral presentation of the case study and a paper jointly as a group. Following talks between Shell and the students, there will be a meeting at Shell on Thursday, 14 December 2017, from 9:00 – 17:00, where students will present the results of the case study and discuss these with representatives of Shell management. Students will then have to hand in their paper by Wednesday, 31 January 2018, at the latest.

During the kick-off meeting on 01 November 2017, 9:00 – 12:00, Shell representatives will first present the company Royal Dutch Shell, the topic of “Integrated Energy” and the actual case study. Students will then be divided into three to four groups. Furthermore, students will obtain general information as to the expected content of group work, the case study, and the paper.

Students must fulfill the following requirements in order to successfully complete the course:

All students of the same group must work on the case study and prepare a (PowerPoint) presentation. Each group will then give an oral presentation at the meeting held at Shell (group presentation). Not all students of one group must participate in the presentation, but of course may do so.     

• The oral presentation should not exceed 40 minutes (per group).
• Students must contribute to written group work and attain at least grade 4.0.
• The paper resulting from the group work shall comprise 20 to 30 pages.
• Papers that are not handed in before the expiry of the deadline are considered as failed and may not be completed by a later date.   

The final grade is composed as follows: paper 50 %; presentation 50 %