Discussion Questions

1. Describe Travis Kalanick’s strategic leadership. Which qualities stand out to you, and why? Was he an effective strategy leader? Why, or why not?

2. What is Uber’s platform strategy? What are some strengths and some weaknesses of this approach?

3. Describe Uber’s challenges in terms of business ethics and corporate governance. What recommendations would you give Arianna Huffington to address some of these issues?

4. Who is/are Uber’s main competitors? What and who should Uber worry about? What should Uber’s new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, do about it? Provide recommendations, be specific.

5. Uber’s new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi (appointed August 30, 2017), announced that he plans to take Uber public in 18–36 months. What are some of the main issues he needs to address to position Uber for a successful IPO? What can he do now to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage going forward post-IPO?

After reading the case on Uber Technology, you are expected to submit a written analysis of the case ranging from 3-5 typewritten, double-spaced pages. For the analysis, you should conduct additional research on the cases beyond the information provided in the case. This assignment is due by Sunday at 11:59pm.

Construction of paper (grammar, spelling, and style in addition to content) will be considered when grading the paper (see Grading Criteria for Written Assignments under the Announcements tab on the left side of Blackboard.) All cases should use standard American Psychological Association (APA) format. In particular, cases must be:

• double-spaced,
• employ 1” margins,
• use headings and subheadings where appropriate,
• use page numbers, and
• use a 12-point Times New Roman font.