• April 2020
• Teaching Note

Indigo Agriculture: Harnessing Nature

By: Michael W. Toffel and James Barnett

Teaching Note for HBS No. 620-024. Indigo Agriculture used a digital-enabled research and development (R&D) process to launch its initial product, microbial coatings for agricultural seeds, which increase crop yields while reducing the need for fertilizers. In doing... View Details

Keywords: Operations; Supply Chain; Social Enterprise; Product Development; Distribution Channels; Business Strategy; Digital Platforms; Science-Based Business; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Green Technology Industry; United States; Massachusetts

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Toffel, Michael W., and James Barnett. "Indigo Agriculture: Harnessing Nature." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 620-075, April 2020.

• February 2020
• Supplement

Indigo Agriculture: Harnessing Nature

By: Michael W. Toffel and James Barnett

Indigo Agriculture used a digital-enabled research and development (R&D) process to launch its initial product, microbial coatings for agricultural seeds, which increase crop yields while reducing the need for fertilizers. In doing so, the company developed direct... View Details

Keywords: Operations; Supply Chain; Social Enterprise; Product Development; Distribution Channels; Business Strategy; Digital Platforms; Environmental Sustainability; Science-Based Business; Climate Change; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Green Technology Industry; United States; Massachusetts

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Toffel, Michael W., and James Barnett. "Indigo Agriculture: Harnessing Nature." Harvard Business School PowerPoint Supplement 620-110, February 2020.

• November 2019 (Revised June 2020)
• Case

Indigo Agriculture: Harnessing Nature

By: Marco Iansiti, Michael W. Toffel and James Barnett

Indigo Agriculture used a digital-enabled research and development (R&D) process to launch its initial product, microbial coatings for agricultural seeds, which increase crop yields while reducing the need for fertilizers. In doing so, the company developed direct... View Details

Keywords: Carbon Sequestration; Operations; Supply Chain; Social Enterprise; Product Development; Distribution Channels; Business Strategy; Digital Platforms; Environmental Sustainability; Science-Based Business; Climate Change; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Green Technology Industry; United States; Massachusetts

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Iansiti, Marco, Michael W. Toffel, and James Barnett. "Indigo Agriculture: Harnessing Nature." Harvard Business School Case 620-024, November 2019. (Revised June 2020.)

• November 2019 (Revised May 2021)
• Case

DeepGreen - the Metals Company and Polymetallic Nodules

By: Richard H.K. Vietor

The world has begun a “green transition”—a move to reduce carbon emissions. Part of this will entail a growing shift to electric vehicles. Huge amounts of metals—cobalt, nickel, and copper—will be needed to supply electric vehicles. Mining these on land, however, is... View Details

Keywords: Polymetallic Nodules; Seabed Mining; Entrepreneurial Finance; Metals and Minerals; Mining; Entrepreneurship; Finance; Problems and Challenges

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Vietor, Richard H.K. "DeepGreen - the Metals Company and Polymetallic Nodules." Harvard Business School Case 720-016, November 2019. (Revised May 2021.)

• April 2016 (Revised December 2016)
• Case

The Container Store

By: Tatiana Sandino, Zeynep Ton and Aldo Sesia

The Container Store (TCS) is a Texas-based retailer of organization and storage solutions. The company prides itself in taking care of its employees first, and its cofounder and CEO Kip Tindell practices Conscious Capitalism. Since its beginnings in 1978, TCS grew to a... View Details

Keywords: Culture; Conscious Capitalism; Merchandising; Customer Focus and Relationships; Growth and Development Strategy; Operations; Service Delivery; Going Public; Performance Evaluation; Performance Productivity; Retail Industry; United States

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Sandino, Tatiana, Zeynep Ton, and Aldo Sesia. "The Container Store." Harvard Business School Case 116-020, April 2016. (Revised December 2016.)

• November 2011 (Revised October 2014)
• Case

The 2010 Chilean Mining Rescue (A)

By: Amy C. Edmondson, Faaiza Rashid and Herman B. "Dutch" Leonard

On August 5, 2010, 700,000 tons of some of the hardest rock in the world caved in Chile's century-old San José mine. The collapse buried 33 miners at a depth almost twice the height of the Empire State Building-over 600 meters (2000 feet) below ground. Never had a... View Details

Keywords: Mining; Chile

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Edmondson, Amy C., Faaiza Rashid, and Herman B. "Dutch" Leonard. "The 2010 Chilean Mining Rescue (A)." Harvard Business School Case 612-046, November 2011. (Revised October 2014.)

• September – October 2010
• Article

The Effect of Product Variety and Inventory Levels on Retail Sales: A Longitudinal Study

By: Zeynep Ton and Ananth Raman

We examine the effects of product variety and inventory levels on store sales. Using four years of data from stores of a large retailer, we show that increases in product variety and inventory levels are both associated with higher sales. We also show that increasing... View Details

Keywords: Buildings and Facilities; Design; Logistics; Product; Quality; Sales; Retail Industry

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Ton, Zeynep, and Ananth Raman. "The Effect of Product Variety and Inventory Levels on Retail Sales: A Longitudinal Study." Production and Operations Management 19, no. 5 (September–October 2010): 546–560.

• February 2010 (Revised April 2011)
• Case

The Political Economy of Carbon Trading

By: Forest L. Reinhardt, J. Gunnar Trumbull, Mikell Hyman, Patia McGrath and Nazli Zeynep Uludere

Global climate change is an increasingly prominent political and business problem. Design of market-based systems to reduce carbon emissions has proven difficult. More broadly, national attempts to comply with the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol present both... View Details

Keywords: Policy; International Relations; Risk Management; Agreements and Arrangements; Business and Government Relations; Natural Environment; Pollutants; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability; Public Administration Industry

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Reinhardt, Forest L., J. Gunnar Trumbull, Mikell Hyman, Patia McGrath, and Nazli Zeynep Uludere. "The Political Economy of Carbon Trading." Harvard Business School Case 710-056, February 2010. (Revised April 2011.)

• January – February 2008
• Article

Managing the Impact of Employee Turnover on Performance: The Role of Process Conformance

By: Zeynep Ton and Robert S. Huckman

We examine the impact of employee turnover on operating performance in settings that require high levels of knowledge exploitation. Using 48 months of turnover data from U.S. stores of a major retail chain, we find that, on average, employee turnover is associated with... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Governance Compliance; Retention; Standards; Service Operations; Business Processes; Retail Industry; United States

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Ton, Zeynep, and Robert S. Huckman. "Managing the Impact of Employee Turnover on Performance: The Role of Process Conformance." Organization Science 19, no. 1 (January–February 2008): 56–68.

• May 2006 (Revised March 2009)
• Teaching Note

Borders Group, Inc. (TN)

By: Zeynep Ton and Ananth Raman

Teaching Note for (9-601-037). View Details

Keywords: Retail Industry

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Ton, Zeynep, and Ananth Raman. "Borders Group, Inc. (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 606-144, May 2006. (Revised March 2009.)

• April 2005 (Revised May 2005)
• Case

Exel PLC--Supply Chain Management at Haus Mart

By: Zeynep Ton and Steven C. Wheelwright

Exel plc is a global third-party logistics provider, serving clients such as Home Depot, Dell, Unilever, and Marks & Spencer. Describes the range of activities Exel performs for its clients and the capabilities the company has developed. Exel traditionally focused on... View Details

Keywords: Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Supply Chain Management; Logistics

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Ton, Zeynep, and Steven C. Wheelwright. "Exel PLC--Supply Chain Management at Haus Mart." Harvard Business School Case 605-080, April 2005. (Revised May 2005.)

• April 2003 (Revised March 2009)
• Case

Operational Execution at Arrow Electronics

By: Ananth Raman and Zeynep Ton

Distribution center operations (from order taking to order fulfillment) and the importance of attending to process details at Arrow Electronics, a large distributor of electronic components and computer products are described. The case also details the actions the... View Details

Keywords: Information; Distribution; Logistics; Strategy; Electronics Industry

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Raman, Ananth, and Zeynep Ton. "Operational Execution at Arrow Electronics." Harvard Business School Case 603-127, April 2003. (Revised March 2009.)