The case study recounts the experiences of Mariana, a Mexican executive who heads Importaciones La Catrina, a company that imports Mexican products in Barcelona. The case describes three conversations between 2012 and 2017, during which Mariana gathers information about the growing political tensions between the Spanish government and the Catalan independence movement. Faced with the political uncertainty generated by the 2017 independence referendum and the unilateral declaration of independence that followed, Mariana is forced to make decisions about the future and expansion of Importaciones La Catrina. The case prompts participants to reflect on the importance of a company’s political and social environment and to analyze the various levels of that environment, as well as the political, social, cultural, ideological, and economic forces that may be relevant to strategic decision-making.
