Publications

September 1994
Case

Otis Elevator Company: China Joint Venture (D)

By: Michael Y. Yoshino

Describes a set of challenges facing Otis Elevator's joint venture in China as it seeks to expand to other regions of the country. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details

Keywords: Joint Ventures; Expansion; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Strategy; Globalization; Construction Industry; Manufacturing Industry; China

08 Jul 2024
Research & Ideas

The Critical Computer Science Principles Every Strategic Leader Needs to Know

than others. “Every company today needs to think of themselves as a tech company,” says Andy Wu, the Arjun and Minoo Melwani Family Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. “Whether you’re in retailing or... View Details

Keywords: by Ben Rand; Technology; Information Technology

Matt Higgins

Matt Higgins is one of the preeminent venture investors in next-generation technology companies and beloved consumer brands. Created alongside Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, RSE Ventures has built an expansive multi-billion-dollar... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products & Packaged Goods;#60;#Services

01 Jun 2009
News

Consumption Is America’s Competitive Advantage

develop a technology that helps retailers reduce inventories. The exceptional companies to use it, such as Wal-Mart, will lead to greater increases in productivity and living standards in the United States than in countries — possibly... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

September 2005 (Revised January 2006)
Case

Yum! Brands, Inc: A Corporate Do-Over

By: Frances X. Frei, Amy C. Edmondson, James Weber and Eliot Sherman

Describes the successful turnaround of the restaurant company Yum! Brands after its spin off from PepsiCo and covers how the company's leadership planned and executed on virtually every dimension of the employee experience. The main dilemma centers on what the company... View Details

Keywords: Product; Brands and Branding; Service Operations; Expansion; Trade; Leadership Development; Business or Company Management; Retail Industry; Retail Industry

Profile

Fola Folowosele

result of the executive education program at HBS. I was fortunate to meet the Grupo Technos CEO, who was at the time doing an executive education program on campus. We developed a relationship that eventually led to an internship focused on helping the company evaluate... View Details

Keywords: Consulting; Consumer Products

March 2018
Case

GoFundMe: The Giving Layer of the Internet

By: Scott Duke Kominers and Allison M. Ciechanover

By 2017, GoFundMe is the world’s largest social fundraising platform. Gross donation volume is growing rapidly, yet the number of monthly campaign starts is relatively flat. The CEO contemplates a variety of growth initiatives. View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Expansion; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Technology Industry

15 Mar 2016
First Look

March 15, 2016

store. In 2015 the company was developing a strategy for its Smart Platform, a model in which Ocado would lease its software, hardware, and integration services to brick-and-mortar grocery retailers seeking... View Details

27 Jul 2009
Research & Ideas

Social Network Marketing: What Works?

retail and other online sites in general hoping to influence online purchasing decisions? A: The fact that people are influenced by their friends is not new. We all know it at some level or another. However, by understanding the social... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Retail; Retail; Retail

07 Dec 2010
First Look

First Look: Dec. 7

PublicationsSeven Strategy Questions: A Simple Approach for Better Execution Author:Robert L. Simons Publication: Harvard Business Press, 2010 Abstract To stay ahead of the pack, you must translate your organization's competitive View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

April 2010
Teaching Note

The Globalization of East Asian Pop Music (TN)

By: Jordan I. Siegel

Teaching Note for 708479. View Details

Keywords: Music Entertainment; Business Strategy; Profit; Expansion; Globalization; Culture; East Asia; United States

September 2023
Case

Breaking Barriers: How Brex is Shaping the Future of Financial Services for Startups

By: Marco Di Maggio, James Barnett and Susie L. Ma

In 2020, Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi, co-founders and co-CEO’s of the fintech company Brex, needed to determine how to balance their vision with the desires of their investors. They intended to expand Brex’s offerings to include other products that served... View Details

Keywords: Business and Stakeholder Relations; Expansion; Growth and Development Strategy; Entrepreneurial Finance; Financial Services Industry

January 2020
Case

Ureed.com: The Marketplace for Language

By: Ashley V. Whillans, Esel Çekin and Alpana Thapar

Jordanian entrepreneur, Nour Al Hassan, founded Tarjama in 2008, tapping into an underserved and high demand need: Arabic translation service. Its lean model comprised of hiring full-time employees, mainly women, who worked from home. It steadily grew over the... View Details

Keywords: Language Translation; Freelancers; Entrepreneurship; Human Resources; Management; Expansion; Quality; Growth and Development Strategy

July 2018
Teaching Note

Cumplo.com

By: Frank V. Cespedes

Teaching Note for HBS No. 818-039. Teaching Note for HBS No. 818-039. Cumplo is a Chilean-based fin-tech startup that provides investors and small businesses with opportunities to access loans and investments in ways distinct from traditional financial institutions in... View Details

Keywords: Fintech; Alternative Finance; Crowdfunding; Crowdlending; Marketing Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Social Entrepreneurship; Expansion; Financial Services Industry; Latin America; South America; Chile

2006
Case

Infosys Consulting

By: Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble

Aiming to expand their value proposition from software development to consulting, Infosys launched a new business unit, Infosys Consulting. From scratch, it quickly grew to over 200 professionals. The case study illustrates the challenges of launching a new business in... View Details

Keywords: Expansion; Information Technology; Market Entry and Exit; Software; Consulting Industry

Read Now

November 2013
Teaching Note

Vitalia Franchise

By: Regina E. Herzlinger

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Health Care and Treatment; Ownership; Expansion; Health; Health Industry; Spain

October 1995 (Revised March 1996)
Case

Executive Shirt Company, Inc.

By: Janice H. Hammond and Sylvie Ryckebusch

The Executive Shirt Co. is contemplating a move into custom-made shirts. The company's general manager has charged two of his managers to come up with plans for incorporating production of custom shirts into the existing manufacturing process. View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Production; Strategic Planning; Expansion; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

August 2014
Case

Rent the Runway (Abridged)

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann, Brent Goldfarb and David A. Kirsch

Two months after a successful launch In November 2009, the cofounders of Rent the Runway (RTR), a website that rented designer dresses, are debating whether to grow their startup at a measured pace and focus on improving operational effectiveness, or raise a new round... View Details

Keywords: Lean Startup; Electronic Commerce; Fashion; Expansion; Business Startups; Growth and Development Strategy; E-commerce; Fashion Industry

January 2011 (Revised February 2011)
Case

GLOBIS

By: Mukti Khaire, Akiko Kanno and Nobuo Sato

Yoshito Hori, dean of the Graduate School of Management, GLOBIS University, was planning to launch a full-time English MBA program in September 2012. GLOBIS University was already offering successful part-time MBA programs in English and Japanese. The full-time English... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Business Education; Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Adaptation; Expansion; Education Industry; Japan