Publications

November 2018 (Revised April 2019)
Technical Note

Saudi Arabia: A Brief Background

By: Kristin Fabbe, Natalie Kindred and Safwan Al-Amin

This note provides a brief overview of the history of Saudi Arabia as well as the economic and political context in 2018. The note is an essential supplement to the case “Almarai Company: Milk and Modernization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” HBS No. 719-020, but is... View Details

January 2025
Case

Olive Young: Formulating Beauty Innovation

By: Rebecca Karp and Shu Lin

Sun-jung Lee, CEO of Olive Young, South Korea's largest beauty and health retailer, saw significant potential in the U.S. market and considered three pathways: replicating Korea's omnichannel model, adopting a digital-native approach with curated products, or relying... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Market Entry and Exit; Business Strategy; Distribution Channels; Retail Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; South Korea; East Asia; United States

15 May 2007
Working Paper Summaries

How is Foreign Aid Spent? Evidence from a Compelling Natural Experiment

Keywords: by Eric Werker, Faisal Z. Ahmed & Charles Cohen

14 Feb 2007
Op-Ed

Tata-Corus: India’s New Steel Giant

this lies within Tata Steel itself, as in its acquisition in Singapore. And the rest lies in the broader ambit of the Tata group through its acquisitions of Daewoo's truck assets in South Korea, Tetley Tea in the U.K. and ritzy hotel properties on the U.S. View Details

Keywords: by Tarun Khanna

08 Aug 2006
Working Paper Summaries

Managing Governments: Unilever in India and Turkey, 1950–1980

Keywords: by Geoffrey G. Jones

May 2025
Case

Boutiqaat: Influencing Retail in MENA

By: Juan Alcacer and Noor Al Qadhi

Boutiqaat, a Kuwait-based e-commerce platform, scaled an influencer-driven beauty retail model across MENA and now faces critical strategic choices about offline expansion and globalization. Founded in 2015, Boutiqaat combined social commerce, localized logistics, and... View Details

Keywords: Emerging Markets; Digital Strategy; Growth and Development; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Retail Industry; Kuwait; Saudi Arabia; Middle East; North Africa

February 2009 (Revised August 2010)
Case

Saudi Arabia: Modern Reform, Enduring Stability

By: Richard H. K. Vietor and Nicole Michele Forrest

This case, along with “Dubai: Global Economy” (709-043), provides an opportunity to discuss Saudi Arabia's efforts to modernize, without really Westernizing, in sharp contrast to Dubai, a nearby Arab Emirate. As Saudi Arabia's development strategy unfolds in the past... View Details

Keywords: Development Economics; Non-Renewable Energy; Globalized Markets and Industries; Government and Politics; Growth and Development Strategy; Saudi Arabia; Dubai; Middle East

February 2009 (Revised August 2010)
Case

Dubai: Global Economy

By: Richard H. K. Vietor and Nicole Michele Forrest

This case, along with Saudi Arabia: “Modern Reform, Enduring Stability” (709-042), provides an opportunity to discuss Saudi Arabia's efforts to modernize, without really Westernizing, in sharp contrast to Dubai, a nearby Arab Emirate. As Saudi Arabia's development... View Details

Keywords: Development Economics; Non-Renewable Energy; Globalized Markets and Industries; Government and Politics; Growth and Development Strategy; Saudi Arabia; Dubai; Middle East

May 2025
Teaching Note

Boutiqaat: Influencing Retail in MENA

By: Juan Alcacer and Noor Al Qadhi

Boutiqaat, a Kuwait-based e-commerce platform, scaled an influencer-driven beauty retail model across MENA and now faces critical strategic choices about offline expansion and globalization. Founded in 2015, Boutiqaat combined social commerce, localized logistics, and... View Details

Keywords: Emerging Markets; Digital Strategy; Growth and Development; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Retail Industry; Kuwait; Saudi Arabia; Middle East; North Africa

2021
Chapter

International Business History and the Strategy of Multinational Enterprises: How History Matters

By: Geoffrey Jones and Teresa da Silva Lopes

This chapter provides an overview of the evolution of international business over the long-run as well as the strategies of MNEs. It highlights how strategies became more complex over time with MNEs moving from being coordinators of resources and managers of... View Details

Keywords: Multinational; International Business; Internalization; Globalization; Theory; Multinational Firms and Management; Business History; Africa; Asia; Europe; Latin America; Middle East; North and Central America

Find at Harvard

27 Aug 2014
Lessons from the Classroom

Learning From Japan’s Remarkable Disaster Recovery

is that participants write up their own case studies—an opportunity usually reserved for faculty. Some of the 18 cases published or in development in the "The Great East Japan Earthquake" series include reports on Google Japan... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Energy; Utilities; Retail

September 2018 (Revised November 2018)
Case

Careem: Base Camp or Mountain Peak? Designing an OS for Scaling

By: Shikhar Ghosh, Gamze Yucaoglu and Alpana Thapar

This case focuses on designing a fast growing organization. It is part of a two-case set that is taught together to cover the scaling journey.
Careem, a Dubai-based ride-hailing service aimed to ‘simplify and improve the lives of people, and build an awesome... View Details

Keywords: Scale; Values; Rights; Operating Systems; Business Startup; Transportation; Organizational Design; Entrepreneurship; Information Technology; Organizational Culture; Values and Beliefs; Decision Making; Managerial Roles; Dubai; United Arab Emirates; Middle East

December 2017 (Revised April 2018)
Technical Note

A Note on the Snack Food Industry

By: David Bell, Kerry Herman and Amram Migdal

This note provides an overview of the snacking industry in 2017. View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Food; Food and Beverage Industry; United States; Europe; Asia; China; Latin America; Middle East

October 2015
Case

DPDHL Group: Employee Safety and Wellbeing

By: John A. Quelch and Carin-Isabel Knoop

Management at Deutsche Post DHL Group is designing a three-country test of investment in a new health and wellbeing strategy. View Details

Keywords: Health; Wellbeing; Wellness; Safety; Risk; Employees; Human Resources; Risk Management; Service Industry; China; Mexico; Middle East

April 2025
Teaching Note

Tabby: Winning Customers' Digital Wallets

By: Eva Ascarza

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 524-056. Tabby, a Saudi-based fintech founded in 2019, rapidly became one of the MENA region’s first unicorns by offering buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services with a unique twist: instead of charging end consumers, it partnered with... View Details

Keywords: Fintech; Business Startups; Marketing; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Strategy; Business Model; Competitive Strategy; Financial Services Industry; Middle East; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates