Calum McCracken and NGN Telecoms: The Power of Perseverance

Description

Calum McCracken and NGN Telecoms: The Power of Perseverance: Abstract

Calum McCracken and NGN Telecoms: The Power of Perseverance is a case study by Stephanie Townsend.

In September 2014, Calum McCracken, chief executive officer (CEO) of Next Generation Network Telecommunications (Pty) Ltd (NGN Telecoms), met with his partners to discuss the company’s Kenyan dilemma. Doing business in Kenya had proved to be far more challenging than in any other country. Among other challenges, the company had to deal with fraud and negotiate from scratch with a new telecommunications operator, without success. This ended in a struggle to renew its Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) licence. No licence meant no trading and the company eventually had to withdraw from the country. Years had passed since the company’s first entry into Kenya, but McCracken felt the time was right for another attempt. What should the partners consider to avoid the challenges of the past?

Teaching objectives

This case intends to enable learning about the critical success factors of expanding business on the African continent.