Tesla in 2019: Is Sustained Profitability a Realistic Prospect?

We feel that the Tesla in 2019: Is Sustained Profitability a Realistic Prospect? case pairs particularly well with the material covered in all chapters of the textbook. The case can be used with the chapters covering environmental and industry analysis, competitive positioning, diversification, corporate social responsibility, and leadership.

What are the chief elements of Elon Musks overall leadership and managerial style? How well is it working? Is his style evolving?

Select yes for those statements below that are accurate and choose no for those that are not.

a. Musk has been gradually but firmly expanding Tesla's repertoire to include environmental responsibility, walking the talk to support his belief that "the world needed an environmentally clean method of transportation."

b. Musk's ability to retain the strengths of Tesla's prior business model while making incremental adjustments to improve and broaden that model has maintained the culture of innovation while empowering employees and pushing authority down to teams.

c. Musk has failed at overseeing the building and strengthening of Tesla's competitively valuable resources and capabilities.

d. Tesla has achieved its success through R&D, while the impact of acquisitions and partnerships, particularly in China, remains to be seen

e. On a market creation and share basis, there are preliminary indications of very slow progress as compared to other auto manufacturers.

f. Tesla's vision is to disrupt and transform existing industries.