Publications

February 2019 (Revised September 2019)
Case

Amazon in Fashion

By: John R. Wells, Benjamin Weinstock and Gabriel Ellsworth

According to many analysts and industry observers, in 2018 Amazon became the largest retailer of apparel in the United States and the second largest in the world, behind Alibaba. Much of Amazon’s apparel was made by third-party retailers on its platform, but Amazon had... View Details

September 2014
Case

Google Inc. in 2014 (Abridged)

By: Benjamin Edelman and Thomas R. Eisenmann

Describes Google's history, business model, governance structure, corporate culture, and processes for managing innovation. Reviews Google's recent strategic initiatives and the threats they pose to Yahoo, Microsoft, and others. Asks what Google should do next. View Details

Keywords: Search Engines; Google; Online Advertising; Internet and the Web; Network Effects; Business Model; Competition; Information Technology Industry; Advertising Industry

March 2012
Article

Advertising Disclosures: Measuring Labeling Alternatives in Internet Search Engines

By: Benjamin Edelman and Duncan S. Gilchrist

In an online experiment, we measure users' interactions with search engines, both in standard configurations and in modified versions with clearer labels identifying search engine advertisements. In particular, for a random subset of users, we change "Sponsored links"... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Disclosure; Online Advertising; Measurement and Metrics; Internet; Search Technology; Education; Labels

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July 2008 (Revised June 2009)
Teaching Note

TheLadders

By: Peter A. Coles and Benjamin Edelman

Teaching Note for [908061]. View Details

Keywords: Job Search; Web; Employment Industry

13 Jan 2009
First Look

First Look: January 13, 2009

Working PapersCPC/CPA Hybrid Bidding in a Second Price Auction Authors:Benjamin Edelman and Hoan Soo Lee Abstract We develop a model of online advertising in which each advertiser chooses from multiple advertising measurement... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

10 May 2011
First Look

First Look: May 10

strategy—made by Cake's team in response to market feedback. Purchase this case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/811041-PDF-ENG Vereinigung Hamburger Schiffsmakler und Schiffsagenten e.V. (VHSS): Valuing Ships View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

June 2016
Article

When Doctors Go to Business School: Career Choices of Physician-MBAs

By: Damir Ljuboja, Brian W. Powers, Benjamin Robbins, Robert S. Huckman, Krishna Yeshwant and Sachin Jain

There has been substantial growth in the number of physicians pursuing Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees over the past decade, but there is continuing debate over the utility of these programs and the career outcomes of their graduates. The authors... View Details

Keywords: Medical Education; MD; MBA; Physicians; Executive Education; Training; Personal Development and Career; Health Care and Treatment; Health Industry; United States

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June 2010
Teaching Note

Google Inc. and Google Inc. (Abridged)

By: Benjamin Edelman and Thomas R. Eisenmann

Teaching Note for [910032] and [910036]. View Details

Keywords: Web Services Industry

November 2016 (Revised March 2017)
Case

Three Problems in Protecting Competition

By: Benjamin Edelman and Lena Goldberg

In three mini-cases, readers see a range of disputes in competition law—and apply legal principles to assure fair competition. View Details

Keywords: Law; Competition; Fairness

July 2015
Supplement

Resuscitating Monitter — slide supplement

By: Benjamin Edelman and Wei Sun

August 2014 (Revised March 2015)
Case

Reinventing Retail: ShopRunner's Network Bet

By: Benjamin Edelman and Karen Webster

ShopRunner considers adjustments to improve its online shopping service which offers no-charge two-day shipping as well as easy returns and other conveniences. Competitors' diverse pricing models and ancillary benefits raise questions about how to structure and price... View Details

Keywords: Shopping Club; Coop; Pricing; Shipping; Marketing Channels; Global Strategy; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Information Technology Industry; Retail Industry; United States; China

January 2010 (Revised February 2015)
Teaching Note

eBay Partner Network (A), (B), (C), and (D)

By: Benjamin Edelman and Ian Larkin

Teaching Note for [910008], [910009], [910012], and [914016]. View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Networks; Information Technology Industry

September 2009 (Revised March 2015)
Supplement

eBay Partner Network (C)

By: Benjamin Edelman and Ian Larkin

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Networks

September 2009 (Revised March 2015)
Supplement

eBay Partner Network (B)

By: Benjamin Edelman and Ian Larkin

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Networks

August 2008 (Revised May 2009)
Case

Consumer Payment Systems — Japan

By: Benjamin Edelman and Andrei Hagiu

In 2008, the Japanese consumer payments landscape featured ongoing widespread use of cash, limited use of credit cards and rapid rise of e-money systems based on contactless technology embedded in cards and especially mobile phones. The case details the alliances that... View Details

Keywords: Personal Finance; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Digital Platforms; Alliances; Competitive Strategy; Information Infrastructure; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Japan

January 2008 (Revised February 2010)
Case

Microsoft adCenter

By: Peter Coles and Benjamin Edelman

Microsoft considers alternatives to expand its presence in online advertising, especially text-based pay-per-click advertising. Google dominates, and it is unclear how Microsoft can grow, despite considerable technical and financial resources. Microsoft considers a set... View Details

Keywords: Digital Marketing; Growth and Development Strategy; Competition; Advertising Industry

2007
Article

Greedy Bidding Strategies for Keyword Auctions

By: Matthew Cary, Aparna Das, Benjamin Edelman, Ioannis Giotis, Kurtis Heimerl, Anna Karlin, Claire Mathieu and Michael Schwarz

How should players bid in keyword auctions such as those used by Google, Yahoo! and MSN? We consider greedy bidding strategies for a repeated auction on a single keyword, where in each round, each player chooses some optimal bid for the next round, assuming that the... View Details

Keywords: Auctions; Bids and Bidding; Strategy; Revenue; Search Technology

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July 2019 (Revised April 2021)
Case

Salary Finance

By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock

In April 2019, Asesh Sarkar, co-founder and chief executive of Salary Finance Limited, a London-based FinTech, faced tough choices. Sarkar had founded Salary Finance with Dan Cobley and Daniel Shakhani in 2015. The company’s value proposition was quite simple: partner... View Details

Keywords: Credit; Financing and Loans; Wages; Innovation and Invention; Expansion; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Culture; Decision Choices and Conditions; Financial Services Industry