BIZ301 - Organizational Creativity and Innovation: Alibaba Case Study

This case study examines Alibaba's innovative strategies and leadership, focusing on how the company integrates innovation and strategy. It explores Alibaba's approach to identifying customer needs, its 'Smart Business' model, and the role of leaders like Jack Ma in fostering a culture of innovation. The case study highlights Alibaba's digital manufacturing center, its interconnected digital platforms, and its diversification strategy. It analyzes how Alibaba has stayed ahead of the competition by combining skills, offering a wide range of services, and building a scalable market model. The study also delves into the role of 'Smart Business', including unconventional profit models, supportive services, and a unified ecosystem. It further discusses the leadership style of Jack Ma and his contribution to the organization's success, emphasizing his motivational approach and focus on integrity and innovation. The analysis draws on various sources, including HBR and Digital 360 Commerce, providing a comprehensive overview of Alibaba's journey and innovative practices.

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Contents
About Alibaba............................................................................................................................2
Answer 1: Ways innovation and strategy work together at Alibaba Group..............................2
Answer 2:...................................................................................................................................3
Answer 3: Role ‘Smart Business' play in the company's immediate success?..........................4
• Unconventional template profit:.....................................................................................4
• Supportive Services:........................................................................................................4
 Sensitivity for Target Audience:.....................................................................................4
 Ecosystem Unified Platform:..........................................................................................5
Answer 4: Roles leaders like Jack Ma play on companies like Alibaba and what does he
bring, personally, to the organization.........................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................8

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About Alibaba
The business helps businesses to improve the way they advertise, distribute and run
and maximize performance. The development and communications platform we have allows
retailers, companies and other organizations to leverage the potential of emerging innovations
in order to interact and work more efficiently with their consumers and clients (HBR, 2009).
There are businesses that cover core sector, cloud infrastructure, new networking,
entertainment and creativity. While Ant Financial, an unconsolidated company, supports
customers and retailers with payment and financial services on our networks. The company
networks and businesses, which involve customers, tradespeople, labels, distributors, third-
party service providers, strategic alliances and other organizations are building a digital
economy.
The business is one of the largest investment capital firms in the world, and one of the
world's leading shopping and ecommerce businesses. It is the world's largest B2B site
(Alibaba.com) and B2C (Taobao) marketplaces. Its online revenues involve the world's
largest supermarket and ecommerce group, the world's largest artificial intelligence
corporation (ARIC) and the biggest internet supermarket.
Answer 1: Ways innovation and strategy work together at Alibaba
Group
As a digital manufacturing center, Alibaba may be viewed, in several respects, as a
superpower as strong as any other factory in China making athletic goods, syringes or energy
appliances, spinning out and quickly selling innovative products, services and businesses.
Alibaba sees it not only as a business but also as a large, completely interconnected and

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increasing network of digital platforms, stock traders and emerging technology. Consumers
have a smooth experience of physical integration, which grows increasingly across a range of
web and various platforms, of line with (YouTube, 2016)
Accurate terminology says,' right from the outset, the company's founders expressed
the concept that the Internet, also playing a leading role in the small companies which used
innovation and technology in order to develop more and compete in domestic and foreign
economic sectors. The theory often relies on a constant source of innovation and resource
creation. For multiple emerging technologies, that is the trademark of every popular
company. The concept of a one-stop shop is profoundly rooted in Alibaba's business model.
In motivation for Alibaba, it became important to diversify from the concept of the
Apartment Jack Ma to its present state of affairs as a company for eCommerce. While
diversification is intended as a global competitor, it still remains a key component of the
company strategy (HBR, 2009).
Answer 2: innovation approach the company has successfully used to
identify customers’ needs, and how did it help them to continue to
stay ahead of the competition
Combining skills and providing a cluster range adequate to send a strong rivalry to
both direct and indirect rivals, major foreign firms and local players in compliance with
Fannin (2016). Gone are the following reasons behind the growth of Alibaba on the sector,
provided that a fairly tiny e-commerce firm is not every day in the top of the mountain:
A scalable model market operates as Alibaba rarely has an excessively narrow view of
itself, which allows the firm pigeonholes in just one field. The expanded ecosystems of the
business have rendered it possible for a large variety of businesses in diverse sectors and

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economies and millions of clients to offer several forms of services both inside and outside
China. Through a versatile strategy to his corporate model, Alibaba has been able to grow
into a number of international markets.
A reliable financial model exists from the outset. Throughout the sometimes turbulent
environment of internet commerce, Alibaba recognized that trust, accountability and equity
would be key. With this guiding premise, the company has evolved to become the leading
and valued player on the Asian global peer-to-peer markets.
Answer 3: Role ‘Smart Business' play in the company's immediate
success?
The Smart business provides, according to Tse (2015), the following due to the
performance of the product.
• Unconventional template profit: Most clients believe that Alibaba's fast ascent
to its height does not pay subscriptions or entrance fees, but rather, because of its
pricing structure in the menu (You Tube, 2013) .
• Supportive Services: In the light of every competition in this market, Alibaba
recognized that delivering and retaining excellent customer service is key to
development. The organization's strong operation and assistance network keeps its
clients satisfied everywhere.
 Sensitivity for Target Audience: The Alibaba decision and production is
targeted to the target market. The organization aims to recognize the changing
demands of its consumers and create new technologies from consumer to market. For
too much insight on the shopping behaviors of so many millions of clients, Alibaba

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incorporates new technologies to evolve effectively focused on the best experience of
the customer.
 Ecosystem Unified Platform: As previously stated, Alibaba is not only a forum.
This is the convergence of different channels, both linked and engaging for a large
and increasing audience. This relation simplifies customer engagement and enables
the business to sustain its online lifestyle through multiple channels and platforms.
Answer 4: Roles leaders like Jack Ma play on companies like Alibaba
and what does he bring, personally, to the organization
Jack Ma's leadership style is really motivational and strong. Since his birth, he has
been an English translator in KFC, self-sufficient and effective. Most agree that Jack Ma is a
capable fighter who knows how to do things correctly. He is a real and traditional
administrator. This is important as it encourages commitment and offers businesses a stable
base to expand. So Ma expands and operates his e-commerce company from the viewpoint of
his consumers. This helps you to deliver more appropriate and insightful products. Like a
military officer, Ma has a goal. In order to restore Chinese purpose and history, He assumes
that those were lost in the reign of Mao Zedong (Chinese Communist Leader). To gain both
of them from the growth of Alibaba, he offers his workers generous shares. Ma's other
significant leader is that instead of the conventional businessman he focus entirely on
integrity and innovation through an exquisite curriculum vitae. He believes them to be
adaptable individuals who are committed to other businesses, good citizens, and to a shared
purpose (Digital 360 Commerce, 2016).
Ma's vision was to enrich his workers ' lives and those of his broader society. This
was an underlying aim in Alibaba vision to build a sustainable future. He insists on the

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communication and treating of integrity and fairness of the other top workers. He wants to
develop a dream team that will compete for example with China's largest business, eBay.
The modest beginnings and hardships of Ma's upbringing are all quite remarkable, but
his love of man makes him an outstanding individual. He worried a lot, knowing that in our
particular forms we are all special. Many and all requires support and encouragement to
thrive in life. Alibaba aims to live with faith and trust for at least 102 years, as the creator
claims, so it is the right decision to invest in his company. Owing to China's economic
downturn, Jack Ma may not have to greatly adapt. He will start to reflect on learning and
communication from his points of view (Digital 360 Commerce, 2016).
.

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References
HBR, (2009). Alibaba and Lessons from China’s innovative digital giant. Retrieved from:
file:///C:/Users/System04121/Downloads/3991706_328012416_laureate1casestudy
%20(3).pdf
Digital 360 Commerce, (2016). Seven reasons for Alibaba’s success. Retrieved from:
https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2016/07/27/seven-reasons-alibabas-success/
YouTube, (2016) the surprising habits of original thinkers Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxbCHn6gE3U
You Tube, (2013) Six Creative Ways To Brainstorm Ideas Retrieved from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAidvTKX6xM