Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A)

Case Solution

Bhaskar Chakravorti, David Lane
Harvard Business School ()

Iqbal Quadir, a former New York investment banker, set out to bring universal telecommunications to his native Bangladesh. He believed that GSM, the same advanced wireless technology that was making its way in the developed countries of Europe, was the right solution for Bangladesh. He brought together a core group of partners in one company, GrameenPhone, which included Scandinavian telecom operators, Grameen Bank, microfinance pioneer Bangladesh Railways, and a Japanese investment firm. Each partner brought different skills to the company, but the coalition was fundamentally unstable. Quadir faced obstacles no matter in which direction he took the lead in seeking him to build the company. It got to a point where the rational decision seemed to be to leave the company and go back to your safe job in investment banking. This case highlights the role of bottlenecks and limitations in the activation of innovation in business models by the creative entrepreneur.

We don‘t have the case solution, but we pay up to $50 for yours!

  • Set a reminder to receive an email after your university‘s case study deadline.
  • Upload your case study solution. We will review it for quality.
  • Get your money via PayPal or to your bank account.