Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(2,137)
- Faculty Publications (472)
- December 2001 (Revised February 2008)
- Case
Borealis
By: Robert S. Kaplan and Bjorn N. Jorgensen
When Borealis, a European producer of plastics, used a traditional, time-consuming budgeting process, the budget was quickly out of date in a competitive environment characterized by continually changing input and output prices and dynamic market conditions. This case... View Details
- October 2001 (Revised June 2004)
- Case
Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
By: Rajiv Lal and Patricia Carrolo
Describes a situation facing Philip Satre, chairman and CEO of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. Satre was reading a May 2000 Wall Street Journal story that discussed the company's marketing success in targeting low rollers, the 100% growth in stock price and profits in the... View Details
- September 2001 (Revised October 2002)
- Case
Virgin Group, The: Filling in the Value Gap
By: Frances X. Frei, Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar and Corey B. Hajim
Chronicles the successes and failures of the Virgin Group. By examining these examples, students discover attributes of Virgin's overall service concept, which, at its core, competes on quality rather than on price. Students are challenged to consider how Virgin might... View Details
- May 2001 (Revised February 2005)
- Case
KONE: The MonoSpace Launch in Germany
By: Das Narayandas and Gordon Swartz
Focuses on the launch of a new elevator product in Germany. In 1996, global construction slumps and low differentiation among competitive offerings has led to significant price competition and margin erosion in the elevator industry. In these circumstances, KONE, one... View Details
- March 2001 (Revised August 2003)
- Case
Wilkerson Company
By: Robert S. Kaplan
The president of Wilkerson, faced with declining profits, is struggling to understand why the company is encountering severe price competition on one product line while able to raise prices without competitive response on another product line. The controller proposes... View Details
- March 2001
- Article
Strategy and the Internet
By: M. E. Porter
Many of the pioneers of Internet business, both dot-coms and established companies, have competed in ways that violate nearly every precept of good strategy. Rather than focus on profits, they have chased customers indiscriminately through discounting, channel... View Details
- November 2000 (Revised November 2005)
- Case
Tellme Networks, Inc.
By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Nicole Tempest
Tellme, an early-stage, venture-backed company based in Silicon Valley, leverages speech-recognition technologies to provide: 1) a "voice portal" with news and other information accessible through any telephone, and 2) turnkey application development and hosting... View Details
- October 2000 (Revised April 2001)
- Case
Cost of Capital at Ameritrade
By: Mark L. Mitchell and Erik Stafford
Ameritrade Holding Corp. is planning large marketing and technology investments to improve the company's competitive position in deep-discount brokerage by taking advantage of emerging economies of scale. In order to evaluate whether the strategy would generate... View Details
- October 2000 (Revised March 2001)
- Case
eLance.com: Building a Professional Services Marketplace
By: Lynda M. Applegate and Kristin Kohler
Launched as an eBay for services, eLance promises to leverage the capabilities of the Internet to not only change the way services are bought and sold, but change the fundamental dynamics of the global economy. Building on theories posited in the HBR article by Tim... View Details
- October 2000
- Background Note
Sustaining Value
By: Robert J. Dolan
Describes the challenges a firm faces in building and sustaining a value proposition over time. Describes major ways in which the marketing environment changes over time and the methods a firm can use to protect its market position. View Details
- Article
Impact of Competition and Taxes on Responsibility Center Organization and Transfer Prices
By: V.G. Narayanan and Michael Smith
- September 2000 (Revised November 2002)
- Case
Amazon.com: 1994-2000
By: Lynda M. Applegate and Meredith Collura
Enables a thorough analysis of Amazon.com and the company's value proposition, in terms of its business concept, digital business capabilities, and community and shareholder value. Examines the company's complex set of business models and web of business relationships,... View Details
- June 2000 (Revised September 2000)
- Case
Amazon.com: Exploiting the Value of Digital Business Infrastructure
By: Lynda M. Applegate and Meredith Collura
Enables a thorough analysis of Amazon.com and the company's value proposition, in terms of its business concept, digital business capabilities, and community and shareholder value. Examines the company's complex set of business models and web of business relationships,... View Details
- March 2000
- Case
Merloni Elettrodomestici spa: Building for Profit
By: Joseph L. Bower, Bruce McKern and John L. Naman
In 1995, the Merloni management is faced with profitless prosperity. A rise in raw material prices in the face of ferocious competition in their markets hurts margins. At the same time, the company is trying to expand geographically in order to become Pan-European and... View Details
- December 1999 (Revised November 2000)
- Background Note
Pricing and Market Making on the Internet
By: Robert J. Dolan and Youngme E. Moon
Considers the impact of the Internet on how market exchanges will take place. Discusses the role of shopping agents and alternatives to fixed prices such as negotiations, auctions, and exchanges. View Details
- September 1999 (Revised April 2000)
- Case
Novell: World's Largest Network Software Company
By: Richard L. Nolan
After phenomenal growth and market leadership in networking, founder and CEO Ray Noorda made a frontal assault on Microsoft's core strengths. In 1994, Noorda spend over $1.5 billion acquiring companies such as WordPerfect to combat Microsoft Word, products such as... View Details
- September 1999 (Revised March 2001)
- Case
Charles Schwab Corporation (A)
By: F. Warren McFarlan and Nicole Tempest
A look at the industrial restructuring in the brokerage industry made possible by e-commerce. Focuses the student's attention on the decision alternatives facing Charles Schwab, one of the industry leaders in January 1998. In a word, the challenge is "Do they slash... View Details
- March 1999 (Revised March 2001)
- Case
Nike, Inc.--Entering the Millennium
Traces the evolution of Nike from 1987 through 1998. Through a series of eight assignment questions, it examines how the company has created and sustained a competitive advantage, and how that competitive advantage is reflected in growth, profitability, and share price... View Details
- March 1999 (Revised January 2000)
- Background Note
A Note on Microeconomics for Strategists
By: Kenneth S. Corts and Jan W. Rivkin
Summarizes the core ideas about the microeconomics of markets that are most relevant to business strategy. Sections I and II develop two basic building blocks of any market, demand and supply. Section II discusses how demand and supply interact to determine the... View Details
- March 1999
- Case
Merck & Co., Inc.: Corporate Strategy, Organization and Culture (A)
By: Michael Beer and Perry Fagan
In the early 1990s, Merck faced a series of challenges because of significant changes in its competitive and regulatory environment (e.g., growth in power of pharmaceutical buyers like managed care organizations led to price pressures and President Clinton's review of... View Details
Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Business or Company Management; Organizational Culture; Problems and Challenges; Management Practices and Processes; Competitive Strategy; Management Teams; Health Care and Treatment; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Situation or Environment; Alignment; Pharmaceutical Industry; United States