IE code
Language
Format
Nr. Of Pages
Academic Area
Type of publication
Description
This case follows the evolution of the children’s performing ensemble The Mumbles, primarily through the eyes of founder, George Mumble. George gets his start as a performer hustling to make a few extra dollars, and then working with his brother Paul pursues performance fulltime. The group pivots multiple times, from school performances, to television, to major reorganizations, and then into multimedia. Through this journey, critical concepts are explored in the areas of family business, entrepreneurship and strategy. From a family business perspective, there is the issue of firm succession, as George and Paul seek to ensure strong positions for the children who vary widely in ages. In addition, the brothers seek to balance their familial interests with non-family stakeholders. In entrepreneurship, we track the journey of entrepreneur from passion, to opportunity recognition, exploitation, growth, and mature repositioning for secondary growth. Furthermore, there are the conflicting issues of managing a business for passion versus profit. From a strategy perspective, the case deals with strategic renewal, and ultimately ends with the firm at a crossroads examining its current and potential future strategic positions.