Abstract

The case ‘Nongfu Spring: Can the Chinese Bottled Water Market Leader Sustain its Position?’ is about Nongfu Spring Co., Ltd., (Nongfu), a bottled water and beverage company based in China. Nongfu had become the leading brand in China’s bottled water market. After its Hong Kong listing, its founder became the sixth richest person in the world. The case deals with the entrepreneurial venture of founder Zhong Shanshan (Zhong) as well as the trials and tribulations he faced in his entrepreneurial journey. Nongfu’s business model is discussed in detail, along with the company’s CSR initiatives. Nongfu used water from ten natural sources for its bottled water business. The case discusses the sustainability aspect of Nongfu’s raw material sources and the environmental pollution caused by discarded plastic bottles. With the ever-increasing competition from domestic as well as foreign companies, it could be challenging for Nongfu to retain its top position in the bottled water market while also adhering to sustainability norms per the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the four-stage growth model of entrepreneurship
• Evaluate the relationship between sustainability, the environment, and businesses
• Understand what constitutes a sustainable business model in entrepreneurship
• Evaluate the role of sustainability and sustainable growth with respect to the UN SDGs

Keywords

UN SDG; Sustainability; entrepreneurship; sustainable business model; sustainable growth; sustainable development; business value innovation; four stage growth model of entrepreneurship