Publications

April 1999 (Revised November 1999)
Case

Columbia Capital Corporation: Summer 1998

By: G. Felda Hardymon and Justin D. Wasik

In August 1998, the partners of Columbia Capital in Arlington, Va. made a decision about whether or not to raise an outside fund for venture capital investing. Columbia had begun in 1988 as a boutique investment bank focused on the telecommunications industry, but had... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Venture Capital; Private Equity; Partners and Partnerships; Investment Funds; Banks and Banking; Financial Services Industry; Telecommunications Industry; United States

October 10, 2022
Article

Ensuring Your Products Aren’t Used for Discrimination

By: Michael Luca, Elizaveta Pronkina and Michaelangelo Rossi

Discrimination is both a societal and a business issue. And, the extent to which discrimination is allowed to affect a company is a decision that is made by business leaders. Fortunately, there is a growing toolkit for leaders who want to create a more inclusive... View Details

Keywords: Social Issues; Leading Change; Prejudice and Bias

January 2016
Supplement

Open Innovation at Fujitsu (B)

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Jean-François Harvey

This add-on case study reveals the location decision that was made in front of the challenge presented in case study #616-034. The launch of the Open Innovation Gateway (OIG) was a success. Fujitsu's management team now had to figure out the best way to continue to... View Details

Keywords: Open Innovation; Collaboration; Culture Change; Inter-organizational Relationships; Teaming; Maker Movement; Nascent Industries; Change Management; Leading Change; Organizational Culture; Leadership; Emerging Markets; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Information Technology Industry; Technology Industry; Japan; United States; Sunnyvale

April 2014
Case

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.: Taking on Seasonal Starvation in Latin America

By: Christopher Marquis and Zoe Yang

A company with a strong commitment toward corporate social responsibility since its founding days, Green Mountain faced an ethical decision point in 2007 as new information from the field uncovered a chronic dire problem facing coffee communities—seasonal starvation.... View Details

Keywords: Fair Trade; Coffee; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Food and Beverage Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Latin America; Central America; Mexico; Guatemala; Nicaragua

August 2009 (Revised April 2012)
Case

Genzyme's CSR Dilemma: How to Play its HAND

By: Christopher A. Bartlett, Tarun Khanna and Prithwiraj Choudhury

Genzyme, a global biotechnology company, launches a program to develop therapies for neglected diseases (e.g., malaria, TB), giving away the intellectual property. This case focuses on the decision of which diseases, which partnerships, and which markets should... View Details

Keywords: Global Strategy; Health Care and Treatment; Intellectual Property; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Partners and Partnerships; Research and Development; Biotechnology Industry

January 2006 (Revised March 2007)
Case

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (A): True to Brand?

By: Jeffrey Fear and Carin-Isabel Knoop

Examines one of the most important entrepreneurial decisions made in the history of Porsche, made in early 1998: to build a sport utility vehicle (SUV)--the Cayenne. After decades of relying on one or two sports car models and nearly going bankrupt and losing its... View Details

Keywords: Diversification; Supply Chain Management; Luxury; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Globalization; Brands and Branding; Manufacturing Industry; Auto Industry

August 2003 (Revised December 2003)
Background Note

Doctrine of Stare Decisis and Lawrence v. Texas, The

Explains the difference between civil law and common law systems and explores the role of precedent in a common law jurisdiction, such as the United States. Includes extensive excerpts from both the majority and the dissenting opinions in Lawrence v. Texas, in which... View Details

Keywords: Common Law; Code Law; United States

January 1998 (Revised February 1998)
Case

Sideco Americana S.A. (A)

By: Lynn S. Paine and Harold F. Hogan Jr

This case focuses on a decision the Sideco management team faces when customers of its newly acquired and privatized water and sewer company neglect to pay its bills. Describes the effort to transform an old-style Argentine construction and engineering company into a... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Government Relations; Transformation; Business or Company Management; Values and Beliefs; Argentina