Publications

December 1991
Supplement

Whistler Corp. (B)

By: Gary P. Pisano and David T. Kotchen

Describes the decision the company chose and how it worked out. Designed as an in-class follow-up to Whistler Corp. (A). View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Massachusetts

December 1991 (Revised February 1992)
Case

Concerns a product redesign decision for one of the company's most successful motor products, its rectified power, medium D-C motor, the RPM. A one-year redesign program has proposed a design that comes close to meeting its stated cost and performance goals, but at the... View Details

Keywords: Product Design; Strategic Planning; Research and Development; Business Divisions; Decisions; Forecasting and Prediction; Product Development; Technological Innovation; Machinery and Machining; Manufacturing Industry; Ohio

November 1991
Supplement

G. Heileman Brewing Co. (C): Public Controversy Over PowerMaster

By: Stephen A. Greyser

Supplements the (A) case. Designed as an in-class handout. View Details

Keywords: Food and Beverage Industry

October 1991 (Revised January 2000)
Case

Workplace Safety at Alcoa (A)

By: Kim B. Clark and Joshua D. Margolis

Examines the challenge facing the managers of a large aluminum manufacturing plant in its drive to improve workplace safety. The CEO of the company has made safety a top priority. The plant has made good progress in reducing the injury rate, but now confronts the need... View Details

Keywords: Working Conditions; Safety; Problems and Challenges; Change Management; Operations; Resignation and Termination; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Manufacturing Industry; United States

October 1991 (Revised April 1992)
Case

Honda Today

By: Marco Iansiti

Describes a situation in which the manager in charge of a major development project at Honda needs to make a decision about the technical specification of the product. The decision has profound implications for the product concept and strategy, as well as for the... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Product Design; Organizational Design; Performance Consistency; Projects; Auto Industry

October 1991 (Revised September 1998)
Case

Maxwell Appliance Controls

By: Robert S. Kaplan

A profitable manufacturing division of a large company is looking for new ways to identify sources of productivity improvements. Led by its senior finance officer, an activity-based cost system is developed to identify activities performed for its highly varied product... View Details

Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Management Teams; Quality; Performance Improvement; Organizational Culture; Problems and Challenges; Production; Manufacturing Industry

Article

Responsibility and Responsiveness: Black & Decker Designs a Recall

By: Craig Smith, John A. Quelch and Gael Simonson

September 1991 (Revised September 2010)
Case

Dore-Dore

By: Janice H. Hammond and Audris Wong

Dore-Dore, a French manufacturer of socks and children's knitwear, has just converted a portion of its knitwear operations to a flexible modular system to allow faster response and greater flexibility. The case provides an opportunity to assess the changes in knitwear... View Details

Keywords: Order Taking and Fulfillment; Logistics; Production; Performance Productivity; Apparel and Accessories Industry; France

1991
Chapter

Improving the Acceptance and Use of New Technology: Organizational and Inter-organizational Challenges

By: R. M. Kanter

Keywords: Technology Adoption; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Design; Attitudes

Summer 1991
Article

Breaking the Chains of Embedded Knowledge: Architectural Innovation as a Source of Competitive Advantage

By: Rebecca M. Henderson

Keywords: Knowledge; Design; Innovation and Invention; Competitive Advantage

June 1991 (Revised March 1995)
Case

Becton Dickinson (A): Corporate Strategy

By: Michael Beer

This case series introduces the strategic human resource management (SHRM) process. SHRM is an action research program designed to align the organization and management of human resources with strategy. This case describes the health care industry, Becton Dickinson's... View Details

Keywords: Business or Company Management; Corporate Strategy; Alignment; Human Resources; Health Industry

June 1991 (Revised June 1993)
Supplement

Becton Dickinson (B1): Global Management, Update

By: Michael Beer

Designed to bring closure to the discussion of the (B) case. View Details

Keywords: Globalized Firms and Management

June 1991
Teaching Note

Regency Plaza, Teaching Note

By: William J. Poorvu

Teaching Note for (9-391-021). View Details

Keywords: Management; Projects; Buildings and Facilities; Design; Strategy; Business or Company Management; Luxury

June 1991 (Revised April 1995)
Background Note

Corporate Strategy: A Conceptual Framework

By: David J. Collis

Provides a conceptual framework for the study of corporate strategy. First describes previous perspectives on corporate strategy and then develops a framework of four elements: resources, tasks, structure, and industries. This framework can be used to explain the value... View Details

Keywords: Resource Allocation; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Corporate Strategy; Value

June 1991 (Revised April 1997)
Background Note

Managing the Multibusiness Corporation

By: David J. Collis

Lays out some ideas on how to restructure a multibusiness corporation. Identifies sixteen elements of organization design, and then applies contingency theory to argue that these elements need to be aligned with the tasks the corporation uses to create value across its... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Alignment; Corporate Strategy; Theory; Value Creation