Publications

November 1993 (Revised March 1997)
Case

Romeo Engine Plant

By: Amy P. Hutton and Robert S. Kaplan

A newly reopened automobile engine plant has been organized along total quality and teamwork principles. Employees now is to solve problems and ensure quality, rather than watch parts being produced. New operating and financial systems have been installed to promote... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Motivation and Incentives; Management Practices and Processes; Groups and Teams; Performance Efficiency; Performance Improvement; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry

March 1998
Case

Bumper Acquisition (B), A

By: James K. Sebenius and David T. Kotchen

Picks up the negotiation between Thermo-Impact and Medallion Capital where the (A1) and A2) cases leave off. The companies began talks in 1995 when Medallion offered to buy Thermo-Impact. This case brings the negotiation through May 1996. Students view developments... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Process; Negotiation Tactics; Negotiation Participants; Decision Making; Entrepreneurship; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Illinois

April 1993 (Revised June 1993)
Case

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW)

By: Robert J. Dolan

In 1992, BMW attempts to revive its position in the United States market. In 1991, unit sales had fallen to 53,000 from 88,000 in 1987. The new CEO of North America considers a multifaceted plan to turn around the situation. View Details

Keywords: Product Positioning; Marketing Strategy; Multinational Firms and Management; Market Entry and Exit; Sales; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Germany; North America

September 1992 (Revised January 2002)
Case

Chrysler: Iacocca's Legacy

By: Nitin Nohria and Sandy Green

Describes the changes fashioned by Iacocca during his tenure as CEO of the Chrysler Corp. Pays particular attention to the rhetoric he employed in mobilizing change and the actions he took to implement change. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leading Change; Leadership Style; Management Teams; Communication Strategy; Auto Industry; Auto Industry

November 1989 (Revised November 1991)
Case

Transformation at Ford

By: Leonard A. Schlesinger and Richard Pascale

In 1980 Ford was near disaster. The company lost billions of dollars between 1980 and 1982. By 1988 the company had been transformed into one of the most successful corporations in the United States. Describes what happened and then examines how it happened. The major... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Success; Transformation; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States

2023
Working Paper

Toward Decision-Useful Carbon Information

By: Gunther Glenk

Companies are increasingly viewed as crucial drivers for timely decarbonization. Current accounting practices for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, however, often leave corporate carbon disclosures and abatement obscured. Here I introduce a taxonomy for assuring the... View Details

SSRN

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Research Summary

Evolution of firm structure in vertical specialized technology supply chains

By: Willy C. Shih

The global market in many everyday products has been transformed by the internationalization of production. In many industries, semiconductors and electronic products in particular, a sequential mode of production has evolved in which goods are produced... View Details

Keywords: Globalization Of Supply Chain; Globalization; Technological Innovation; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States; Asia; China

28 Oct 2024
Op-Ed

Latino Voters Have Grown More Politically Divided. That’s Not Surprising.

their policy platforms, to appeal to suburban voters. Why demographics are not destiny in politics We are economists, and we study markets. Politics is a competitive one. Just as auto manufacturers don’t sit... View Details

Keywords: by Richard Calvo, Vincent Pons, and Jesse M. Shapiro

February 1996 (Revised September 1996)
Case

Chrysler Takeover Attempt, The

By: Richard S. Ruback and William DeWitt

On April 12, 1995, Kirk Kerkorian made an unsolicited offer to buy the outstanding shares of Chrysler Corp. This case analyzes the proposed deal and addresses the key contextual elements contributing to the takeover attempt. View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Negotiation Deal; Negotiation Offer; Acquisition; Financial Strategy; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States

May 1997
Case

Toyota Motor Corporation: Target Costing System

Explores Toyota's target costing system, considered to be the most advanced such system of any major Japanese manufacturer. Specifically, describes Toyota's process of setting rigorous cost-reduction goals and the steps taken to achieve them. View Details

Keywords: Cost Management; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Japan

April 2011
Teaching Note

Magna International, Inc. (TN) (A) and (B)

By: Timothy A. Luehrman and Yuhai Xuan

Teaching Note for 211044. View Details

Keywords: Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Canada

May 2002 (Revised April 2004)
Teaching Note

Metalcraft Supplier Scorecard, TN

By: Susan L. Kulp and V.G. Narayanan

Teaching Note for (9-102-047). View Details

Keywords: Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry

March 1998 (Revised August 2000)
Case

Bumper Acquisition (C), A

By: James K. Sebenius and David T. Kotchen

Carries the negotiation between Thermo-Impact and Medallion Capital through October 1996. The companies began talks in 1995 when Medallion offered to buy Thermo-Impact. Students view developments from the perspective of Thermo-Impact's owners and must make decisions... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Negotiation Process; Negotiation Participants; Entrepreneurship; Acquisition; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Illinois

January 1996 (Revised February 1998)
Case

Japan's Automakers Face Endaka

By: Debora L. Spar

In April 1995, the Japanese yen hit a post-World War II high against the U.S. dollar. The yen's relentless ascent affected firms on both sides of the Pacific, but fell particularly hard on Japan's big four automakers. This case explores how endaka--or"high... View Details

Keywords: Currency Exchange Rate; Competitive Strategy; Trade; Foreign Direct Investment; Macroeconomics; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Japan

September 1994 (Revised January 2002)
Case

BMW: The 7-Series Project (B)

By: Gary P. Pisano and Sharon L. Rossi

Describes the decision made on the 7-Series project with respect to prototyping and its impact on quality. View Details

Keywords: Research and Development; Quality; Auto Industry; Auto Industry; Germany

February 1991 (Revised July 1993)
Case

Cultural Change at Nissan Motors

By: John P. Kotter

Depicts the reformation of Nissan Motor Co.'s corporate culture and the company's subsequent turnaround in market share and profits. In 1985, Yutaka Kume became president of Nissan and thereafter, he continually emphasized the need for internal change throughout the... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Leadership; Behavior; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Change Management; Management; Auto Industry; Auto Industry

20 Apr 2010
First Look

First Look: April 20

supplement:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/310077-PDF-ENG Local Motors: Designed by the Crowd, Built by the Customer Michael I. Norton and Jeremy B. DannHarvard Business School Case 510-062 In the wake of the meltdown among U.S. View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

January 2006 (Revised December 2006)
Case

Toyota Motor Corporation: Launching Prius

By: Forest L. Reinhardt, Dennis A. Yao and Masako Egawa

In 1995, Hiroshi Okuda, president of Toyota Motor Corp., considers whether to push for a more aggressive launch of the Toyota Prius--an automobile that incorporates Toyota's new and technically advanced hybrid power train. This launch decision allows discussion of the... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Product Launch; Transportation; Brands and Branding; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Japan