Publications

Langen, M., & Schütz, M. (2023). Measuring Value Creation in the real estate and construction sectors: Developing two new EQx Indicators. In T. Casas-Klett & G. Cozzi. (Eds.), Elite Quality Report 2023: Country Scores and Global Rankings. Zurich: Seismo. https://doi:10.33058/seismo.30882.3194

Schuetz, M. & Dreier, H. (2021): Overcooked pasta – Vapiano's bankruptcy of Italian cuisine, German Style. Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong 

Vapiano was a German restaurant franchise offering budget-priced authentic Italian cuisine, where the food was prepared in front of the customer upon order. It started expansion in 2002 in the German market where it was positioned between pizza chains and the dense presence of Italian family restaurants, where it opened a new award-winning industry category described as Fast & Fresh Casual Dining. In the first few years, the business of Vapiano was growing profitably. Already in 2005, the company surpassed 20 million EUR revenue. Riding on its success, the management decided for a fast global expansion – far earlier than established competitors, for example, McDonald’s went for such a step. Without mending underlying problems in the business model and processes, Vapiano went global at a record pace. Already being present in 30 countries in 2017, to further fund the expansion, Vapiano did an IPO which was a failure. Occurring problems have long been labelled “growing pains”, followed by denial and soon Vapiano was not able anymore to compensate for structural weaknesses. On the 20th of May 2020, one day after the start of German lockdowns to curb the Covid-19 pandemic, Vapiano declared bankruptcy. The bankruptcy assets were then repurchased by the former manager for international expansion, Mario C. Bauer, and the Vapiano Master Licence went to Delf Neumann, the founder of Gastro & Soul, operating brands like Café del Sol and Bavaria Alm. It would now become his challenge to operate the repurchased Vapiano-Restaurants and blow new life into the brand.

Schuetz, M. & Lau, J. (2020): German Robotics and Chinese Money: What’s next for Kuka and Midea? Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong 

The case captures the high-profile takeover of KUKA, the German industrial robotics gem, by the world’s consumer appliances leader, the Midea Group (“Midea”) in 2016. Against China’s national agenda of Made In China 2025 (“MIC 2025”), the acquisition plays well to the narrative in the country, but it raised scepticism across Europe and in North America. The discussion will focus on examining the value chain of the two companies to identify areas of new value creation. The objective is to provide a canvas for students to explore strategies for growth, for competitive advantage, and for market leadership. Through the discussion and analysis, students will come to grasp the set of complex challenges facing a Chinese company on a cross-border M&A. The case also exposes the cultural differences between China and the developed economies, particularly in management culture and the culture for innovation, and provides the context for discussions on these issues. 

Schuetz, M. & Bezzina, F. (2020): Retooling break: Operational excellence in Malta. Turning lemons into lemonade in a time of crisis. In: Agile. Perspectives on Malta’s economy post-COVID-19, Seed Consulting, Ed. Fabri, S., Cassar, V., F 

Schuetz, M. & Orr, E. (2019) Telling the fortunes of One Belt, One Road; B+L forecasts for the construction supply industry. Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

This case describes a business opportunity for B+L, a German firm that forecasts demand for construction materials. China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a large infrastructure building program, could allow B+L to broaden both its product range and its client base. The protagonist is Martin Langen, the founder and chief executive officer of B+L. His firm produces forecasts for a range of construction materials in particular geographies. The forecasts are based on publicly available data. B+L adds value by creating models that contain a variety of factors and adjustments to produce forecasts that are standard and directly comparable across regions. This kind of forecast is unavailable elsewhere and is highly valued by construction materials makers. When China announced the BRI, a plan to build infrastructure along the old silk routes through central Asia, Martin believed B+L could create new forecast products to estimate the demand for construction materials in BRI affected markets. Since these markets were not always well developed, and there was a high degree of uncertainty surrounding the BRI projects, B+L would have to develop new techniques to create new forecasts. 

Schütz. M. & Langen, M. (2018): The future of residential and non-residential construction on the New Silk Road. B+L Research Report. 87 pp.  

Schuetz, M. & Ford, J. (2018): The Stumbling Nurse of the Mediterranean: Malta's Healthcare System at the Crossroads. Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

This case looks at the challenge the Maltese Ministry for Health faced. The public healthcare system of Malta was modelled after the British NHS and provided a comprehensive package of medical services. Healthcare was free at the point of delivery for all Maltese citizens. Operating in parallel was the Maltese private sector, which accounted for a third of total health expenditures and provided most primary care. Healthcare was undergoing a paradigm shift from a focus on disease to a focus on systems. Governments were, therefore, increasingly scrutinizing returns on healthcare expenditures and pushing health actors to reorganize inefficient and badly functioning public systems. Malta was no exception. Its healthcare system was at a crossroads. The country had two seemingly different healthcare value chains operating in parallel, an increased reliance on private care, an overburdened public care system, and a population with chronic health issues and a history of taking advantage of the system. 

Schütz, M. (2017): China's corporate view on FDI in the EU. EU Presidency by The Republic of Malta.  

http://maltaenterprise.com/eu-fdi-love-lost Malta Enterprise 

Schuetz, M. & Woo, C.H.L. (2016): Dieselgate - Heavy Fumes Exhausting the Volkswagen Group.Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

At the end of September 2015, Matthias Mueller stepped in as CEO for the Volkswagen Group, days after Martin Winterkorn resigned over the biggest automotive emissions scandal the world had ever seen. Weeks before, the United States Environmental Protection Agency confirmed the result of investigations proving that Volkswagen had installed software in its most successful diesel engines, which were cheating on the test stand and manipulating results. The successful rapid expansion of Volkswagen's TDI models in the US market was based on fraud. Across brands, about 11 million of the Group's diesel vehicles worldwide were later discovered to have had the cheating device installed. This shattered the worldwide brand and developed into a threat to the formerly pristine image of "Made in Germany" products. Mueller, a veteran of the Volkswagen group, took charge in manoeuvring Volkswagen Group out of the crisis, finding technical solutions and regaining the trust of customers, authorities and employees. The Group claimed that the scandal was the result of a chain of errors dating back to 2005. The case illustrates how a failure of proper corporate governance, over-ambitious target-setting and an authoritarian management culture can lead a successful company into crisis. It also leaves us to ponder why a corporate leader in social responsibility could be linked to such a massive scandal. 

Schütz. M. & Langen M. (2016): Digitaler Umbruch in der Baustoffindustrie 2030. 2016. B+L GmbH. Bonn. 54 pp  

Der Online-Vertrieb wird in fast allen Vertriebskanälen und Distributionsstufen zukünftig eine Rolle spielen. Die Studie zeigt anhand von verschiedenen Produktbeispielen, wie sich dies auf die Bauzulieferindustrie in den nächsten Jahren auswirkt. Beispiele aus unseren Befragungen und aus unseren Studien zeigen, wo der Online-Vertrieb im Bereich B2B und B2C heute schon besonders erfolgreich funktioniert. Desweiteren stellen wir Szenarien für die zukünftige Wertschöpfungsketten dar. Neben dem Direktvertrieb wird es neue Plattformen geben in dessen Mittelpunkt der "Digitaler Großhandel", aber auch ein "Digitaler Handwerker" stehen kann. BIM wird aus unserer Sicht die Basis für einen neuen Vertriebskanal bilden, der ebenfalls in der Studie beschrieben wird. 

Buttigieg, S.A. & Schuetz, M. & Bezzina, F. (2016): Value chains of public and private health care services in a small EU Island State. Front. Public Health, 14 September 2016 

The global financial and macroeconomic crisis of 2008/2009 and the ensuing recessions obliged policymakers to maximize the use of resources and cut down on waste. Specifically, in health care, governments started to explore ways of establishing collaborations between the public and private health-care sectors. This is essential so as to ensure the best use of available resources while securing the quality of delivery of care as well as health systems sustainability and resilience. This qualitative study explores complementary and mutual attributes in the value creation process to patients by the public and private health-care systems in Malta, a small European Union island state. A workshop was conducted with 28 professionals from both sectors to generate two separate value chains, and this was followed by an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). The latter revealed several strengths and opportunities, which can better equip health-policy makers in the quest to maximize the provision of health-care services. Moreover, the analysis also highlighted areas of weaknesses in both sectors as well as current threats of the external environment that, unless addressed, may threaten the state’s health-care system sustainability and resilience to macroeconomic shocks. The study goes on to provide feasible recommendations aimed at maximizing the provision of health-care services in Malta. 

Schuetz, M. & Ramen-Berjiano, C. (2011): China Plays Heavy Metal: Rare Earth Elements and the US Defence Industry. Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

In 2010, 97% of the world's supply of rare earth elements (REE) came from mines in China. Global demand tripled from 40,000 tonnes to 120,000 tonnes between 2000 and 2010 while China steadily cut its annual exports. Fears of a crisis in Western countries increased as alternative supplies of these materials were sought. REE was used in a number of products, including in the military industry. Reports indicated that the US defence industry was "totally dependent" on imports of REE and advised defence contractors to try to limit their dependence on these materials as well as to actively seek substitutes. The United States faced the challenge of rebuilding domestic REE supplies to achieve self-sufficiency and protect the environment. 

Schuetz, M. & Ramen-Berjiano, C. (2011): China´s Challenge to Feed Its People. Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

With the world's population estimated to grow by 40% by 2050, an additional supply of grains, meat and dairy products would be required. Concerns over the global food supply have increased. Also, with China's growing urbanisation and increase in per capita incomes, there was additional pressure on the demand for food products. However, with arable land being fixed and in short supply the constraint on the supply side was more acute. The issue of food shortages was taken a lot more seriously in China than it was in other countries around the world, because the Chinese government's memories of the Great Famine in China between 1958 and 1961 were still too recent to take the matter lightly. 

Atsushi, S. & Schuetz, M. & Woo, C.H.L. (2011): Is Sony Turning Around? Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

Instead of adopting more commonly used standards that appeal to consumers' taste, Sony's traditional focus on its own technologies has trapped the company in the state of "Galapagos-ization" (garapagosu-ka) that segregates the company from global competition. Since the mid 1990s, the company has been struggling with unstable profit and sales in its core electronics business while it aggressively expands into the entertainment content sector. A number of restructuring strategies had been implemented, but the effect was not sustained due to various internal conflicts within the company. In mid 2005, a non-Japanese, Sir Howard Stringer, was appointed as the first Western CEO and chairman of Sony. Stringer pushed forward a series of operational restructurings and placed a greater focus on software and content development than on Sony's traditional business, hardware technology. Even though Stringer's change efforts had brought a blink of hope for Sony's comeback, the situation turned sour in early 2009 when the company announced its first operating loss in 14 years. While different voices about the problems of Sony arose and the leadership of Stringer was questioned, another round of restructuring attempts was pushed forward by Stringer. How could Stringer overcome the deep-rooted internal resistance that his predecessor had failed to overcome? What had gone wrong with the iconic electronics giant? Were all those restructuring and change efforts necessary and useful to Sony's turnaround? 

Schuetz, M. & Ramen-Berjiano, C. (2010): East of Africa (and West of China): Chinese Business in Africa. Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

Trade between China and Africa was estimated to have quadrupled between 2000 and 2008, with China becoming Africa's third-largest trading partner and second-largest export destination. Trade relationships between China and Africa were mainly concentrated in three areas: primary resources from Africa to China; cheap manufactured goods and FDI from China to Africa, including new investment opportunities such as land acquisition; and outsourcing of farm production, particularly of staples and biofuels. It was estimated that by 2009, 1 million Chinese farmers were working in Africa. Africa had large extensions of fertile land available, although the lack of infrastructure (not only for farming activities themselves but also for transport) and political factors such as land ownership, corruption and governance were serious issues. This case discusses China's growing businesses with Africa and the risks that these can entail, particularly for Chinese state-owned enterprises. 

Farhoomand, A. & Schuetz, M. & Huang, M. (2010): TCL: Seeking the Road to Product Innovation. Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

Chinese home electronics manufacturer TCL has identified the need to internationalize. However, because the global home electronics industry is a rapidly changing industry and the key to success lies in product innovation, TCL must now evaluate its innovation strategies to remain competitive. Traditionally, TCL's product development strategy has focused on modular innovation. By looking at the different product innovation strategies pursued by such global market leaders as Samsung and Sony, TCL has an opportunity to evaluate the differences between modular innovation and architectural innovation strategies and assess the risks involved. 

Schuetz, M. & Loo, G. (2009): Naxos: Changing the World of Classical Music. Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

Founded in 1987, Naxos had become the world's largest classical music label. It had reached this lofty position by being an innovative cost leader. The company's chairman, Klaus Heymann, had been quick to take advantage of a drop in the manufacturing price of CDs and the fall of the iron curtain. Recording with artists and orchestras in eastern Europe and paying musicians one-time fees instead of royalties, Naxos had developed a unique and effective business model. The company had also been a first mover in the web-based distribution of music. Having exhibited a knack for making the right move at the right time, what should Naxos do to sustain its success in the decade to come? This case was used in the Second McKinsey/HSBC Business Case Competition. 

Schuetz, M. & Ramen-Berjiano, C. (2009) China's Migrant Workforce and the Reform of Its Housing Registration System. Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

This case discusses the housing registration system that was implemented in China in the late 1950s and categorized individuals into two groups: urban and rural. This was a status that individuals were born with and passed from one generation to the next. It not only defined their place of residence and work, but also the social benefits, housing, healthcare and education they were entitled to. In the period after 1978, with reforms in rural areas and the development of urban coastal areas, cheap labor flocked to the cities. With over 200 million migrants to urban areas in 20 years, the housing registration system prevented many from finding proper jobs, housing, healthcare and education. The Chinese government embarked on a number of reforms with varying degrees of success. This case highlights rural-urban disparities and the resulting migration to urban areas. 

Schuetz. M. & Lai, R. (2009): Arthur D. Little in China: A Whole New Ball Game. Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

In 2006, Thomas Schiller, a managing director of Arthur D. Little ("ADL"), arrived in hazy Beijing with a crystal clear objective: to resurrect a consultant practice that lacked brand recognition in China. Despite its success and is world-renowned for its technology-focused consultancy business, ADL's first venture into the Chinese market in the early 2000s was hamstrung by its global restructuring. Was there a magic key to unlock the giant market that had eluded Schiller's predecessor? How could Schiller ensure success for the practice in China? 

Farhoomand, A. & Schuetz, M. & Farmer, R. (2008): Chery Automobile company: Evolution of the Chinese Automotive Industry. Asia Case Research Centre (ACRC), The University of Hong Kong  

In 1908 Henry Ford revolutionized the car industry by drastically cutting production costs using assembly lines. A century later, on the other side of the world, an unknown Chinese car manufacturer, Chery, was partaking in an ostensibly similar revolution: producing inexpensive cars, priced around US$5,000, for the masses of the Chinese middle class. To achieve its objective, Chery originally adopted a cost strategy based on imitation. In December 2004 GM Daewoo filed suit against Chery for design piracy. The success of the QQ model and the possibility of greater future success nonetheless led Chery's management to dream of evolving Chery into a more mature auto-maker. In December 2006, two years after GM launched its lawsuit, Chery was the top candidate on Chrysler's list to produce a small car for sale in the United States. The question remained whether Chery could transform itself from a local manufacturer to a truly global player in the crowded and largely unprofitable car industry.

Schuetz, M. (2007): China in 2008. Reuter’s company handbook 2008. Reuters Hong Kong Limited  

Wickel-Kirsch, S. & Schütz, M. & Berlich, I. (2005): Stolpersteine auf dem Weg zum Weltmarkt. Personalwirtschaft 10/2005  

Schütz, M. (1997): Baumarkt contra Holzfachhandel. Welche Faktoren beeinflussen die Kaufentscheidung? Empirische Verbraucherstudie. B+H 4/97, p. 7  

Schütz, M. (1997): Marktchancen erkennen durch karthographische Datenbanksoftware. Holzforum, 11-12/97  

Schütz, M. (1997): Wie ein Pfennig zur Kaufschwelle wird, Price-Check ermoeglicht Reaktionsprognosen auf Preiserhoehungen. Lebensmittelzeitung LZ, 13.9.1996  

Schütz, M. (1996): Anthropogene Niederschlagsmodifikationen im komplex-urbanen Raum. Geowissenschaften 1996, 14/6. p. 249-252.  

Schütz, M. (1995): Anthropogene Niederschlagsmodifikationen im komplex-urbanen Raum am Beispiel des Ruhrgebiets. Diss. Universitatet Essen. Fachbereich Geowissenschaften  

Schütz, M. (1995): Urban precipitation patterns in the Rhine Ruhr Area (Germany). In: Höschele & Moriyama, M. (ed.): Wissenschaftliche Berichte des Kernforschungszentrums Karlsruhe / Science reports of the Nuclear Research Centre Karlsruhe. Proc. of the German-Japanese Meeting on Urban Climatology. p. 10. 

Schütz, M. (1994): Anthropogene Starkregenmodikationen im komplex-urbanen Rhein-Ruhr-Raum. Proc. 13. Tagung des Arbeitskreises Klima in Bonn (3.-5.7.1994), p. 64.  

Schütz, M. (1992): Mathematische Modellierung der Staubausbreitung in Tagebauvorhaben. Diss. Geogr. Inst. / Dipl. Prof. Dr. Helga Besler. Universitaet zu Koeln  

Schütz, M. & Borchert, S. (1979): Bau eines lichtsuchenden Fahrzeugs. Moisel, F. (ed): Jugend forscht Magazin 2. Ravensburg. p. 107-110. 

This is an article related to a contribution which won the first price in Physics (Neuwied) in the Science Youth Competition “Jugend forscht”