Practicing Asia/SEA-Relevant Cases

Question

Most case resources are heavily skewed toward US-centric cases. For those of us recruiting in Southeast Asia, with Singapore as a primary target, how much does this actually matter, and what's the best way to get more regionally relevant practice?

Do SEA-office interviewers expect region-specific knowledge (market sizes, local players, industry dynamics)?
Which resources or casebooks are best for Asia-relevant cases?
Any tips from people who've successfully recruited into MBB or T2 firms in Singapore/SEA

Answer 1

Hi there,

In general, regional knowledge matters, but consider it as a layer on top, as the frameworks are the same. Interviewers do not expect you to have all the numbers in mind, but to have a geographic common understanding. If you are solving a retail case and you only talk about Google and Microsoft, it obviously looks like you haven't done your homework.

I suggest you focus on the following:

Hub Logic: A typical case could involve regional HQ roles, where you are figuring out how to scale from a tiny, wealthy market like Singapore into big, fragmented ones like Indonesia or Vietnam.
Fragmentation: Unlike the US, SEA is not one big block. It is plenty of different sets of rules, languages, and ways of paying for things and you should consider regulatory and cultural nuances in your framework.
Mobile-First: People in SEA mostly skipped the PC era. If your case involves digital strategy, assume everything happens on a smartphone instead of a credit card.
Conglomeration: In SEA, huge family-run companies are everywhere. Unlike US firms, many of those family-owned businesses often are more keen to building legacy that lasts for generations or branching in totally different industries.

I definitely suggest to look into the INSEAD casebooks since they focus specifically on the types of cases you will actually see in Asia.

I hope this was helpful! I have been living and working in Hong Kong for the past years and am well connected to the region. Feel free to drop me a message if you want to prep SEA-specific cases or just want to understand nuances of the SEA market. :)