Publications
Publications
- March 2010 (Revised March 2010)
- HBS Case Collection
Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A)
By: Bhaskar Chakravorti and David Lane
Abstract
Iqbal Quadir, a former New York investment banker, set about to bring universal telecommunications to his native Bangladesh. He was convinced that, GSM, the same advanced wireless technology that penetrated developed countries in Europe was also the right solution for Bangladesh. He assembled a critical group of partners in a venture, GrameenPhone, that included Scandinavian telecom operators, Grameen Bank, the microfinance pioneer, Bangladesh Railways as well as a Japanese investment firm. Each partner brought a different capability to the venture, but the coalition was fundamentally unstable. Quadir was facing roadblocks no matter which way he turned in his quest to assemble the venture. He came to a point where the rational decision seemed to be to abandon the venture and return to his secure investment banking job. This case highlights the role of bottlenecks and constraints in sparking innovations in business models by the creative entrepreneur.
Keywords
Decisions; Personal Development and Career; Entrepreneurship; Problems and Challenges; Wireless Technology; Telecommunications Industry; Bangladesh
Citation
Chakravorti, Bhaskar, and David Lane. "Looking for Opportunity in Adversity: Iqbal Quadir and Grameenphone (A)." Harvard Business School Case 810-075, March 2010. (Revised March 2010.)