Mall Connection: Entrepreneurship, consolidation and challenges of a regional family business

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a tool for the integration of knowledge and the development of students’ capacities for analysis in the area of strategic management of companies. Mall Connection is a Chilean company that has developed mainly in the business of the commercialization of technological devices and their accessories. From this base, it has constructed a portfolio of related business and currently has expansion into neighbouring countries as one of its most important challenges. Design/methodology/approach The case has been developed from primary sources of information, in-depth interviews with the management team of the company and secondary information obtained mainly from the Passport Euromonitor database. This information was processed, analysed and presented in the document so as to give support to the learning outcomes defined in the teaching notes. Findings The breadth of the case offers flexibility in its application in corporate strategy and business courses. It allows external and internal competitive analysis of the strategy of the company. One central aspect is that it requires students to integrate the theory learnt in their courses with the practical experience described in the case to propose answers to the questions asked. Originality/value The case is of great value in motivating the learning in MBA students and in courses of business strategy at undergraduate level. It is an original case that allows students to know experiences of entrepreneurship and strategic management in a Latin American context.