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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(2,524)
- People (3)
- News (565)
- Research (1,640)
- Events (15)
- Multimedia (7)
- Faculty Publications (1,050)
- April 18, 2023
- Article
The Rebirth of Software as a Service
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Jacco van der Kooij
Traditional sales models focus on customer acquisition and the “funnel” or “pipeline” metrics that dominate talk about sales. But this approach falls short when applied to a recurring revenue business, where the customer life cycle looks more like a bowtie, not a... View Details
Cespedes, Frank V., and Jacco van der Kooij. "The Rebirth of Software as a Service." Harvard Business Review (website) (April 18, 2023).
- Research Summary
The Chopstick Auction - An Experimental Study of the Exposure Problem in Auctions (with P. Guillen, L. Llorente, S. Onderstal, R. Sausgruber), 2002
Multi-unit auctions are sometimes plagued by the so-called exposure problem. In this paper, we analyze a simple game called the "chopstick auction" in which bidders are confronted with the exposure problem. We analyze the chopstick auction with incomplete information... View Details
- July 2002 (Revised March 2005)
- Case
Kendall Square Research Corporation (A) (Abridged)
By: William J. Bruns Jr. and F. Warren McFarlan
Kendall Square Research was a small competitor in the supercomputer industry. Sales grew rapidly in 1992 and early 1993, and the company sold stock to the public for the first time. Analysts forecasted higher earnings for 1993, then the company's revenue recognition... View Details
Bruns, William J., Jr., and F. Warren McFarlan. "Kendall Square Research Corporation (A) (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 303-036, July 2002. (Revised March 2005.)
- January 2010 (Revised February 2012)
- Case
Meetup
By: Mikolaj Jan Piskorski and David Chen
Meetup, an on-line company providing means of arranging face-to-face meetings, is deciding between two options of increasing its revenue by investing to: (i) increase new sign ups, (ii) improve the engagement of existing users. View Details
- April 2019
- Case
Walmart Update, 2019
By: David B. Yoffie and Daniel Fisher
In 2019 Walmart was still the world's largest company, with over $500 billion in annual revenue and operations around the world. Although it had mostly vanquished its rival discount retailers in the U.S., it was struggling to find the right growth strategy. Facing a... View Details
Keywords: E-Commerce Strategy; Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Business Growth and Maturation; Growth and Development Strategy; Global Range; Business Strategy; Corporate Strategy; E-commerce; Retail Industry
Yoffie, David B., and Daniel Fisher. "Walmart Update, 2019." Harvard Business School Case 719-504, April 2019.
- 03 Oct 2011
- Research & Ideas
Transforming Manufacturing Waste into Profit
It's been said that "one man's trash is another man's treasure." HBS Assistant Professor Deishin Lee, however, has taken that old adage a step further in her recent working paper Turning Waste into By-Product by showing how it's possible for companies to turn... View Details
- October 2016 (Revised April 2018)
- Case
DataXu: Selling Ad Tech
By: Frank V. Cespedes, John Deighton, Lisa Cox and Olivia Hull
DataXu served marketers by buying digital advertising for brands using its demand-side platform. It sought a way to build a more predictable revenue stream in the very transactional media marketplace, and hoped that two new marketing analytics products would give it a... View Details
Keywords: Sales Management; Pricing; Programmatic Ad Buying; ＂Marketing Analytics＂; Advertising Technology; Sales; Digital Marketing; Marketing Strategy; Advertising Campaigns; Product Launch; Product Positioning; Media; Technology Industry; Advertising Industry; Boston; Massachusetts
Cespedes, Frank V., John Deighton, Lisa Cox, and Olivia Hull. "DataXu: Selling Ad Tech." Harvard Business School Case 817-012, October 2016. (Revised April 2018.)
- September 2016
- Case
Partners Group: Ain't No Mountain High Enough
By: Nori Gerardo Lietz and Ricardo Andrade
Partners Group (PG), a Swiss-based PE manager, initiated a series of strategic shifts and evolved from a predominately fund-of-funds manager into a large, multi-asset class PE firm focused on direct investments. PG was the first PE firm to go public in 2006. A number... View Details
Lietz, Nori Gerardo, and Ricardo Andrade. "Partners Group: Ain't No Mountain High Enough." Harvard Business School Case 217-035, September 2016.
Willy C. Shih
Willy Shih is the Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Management Practice in Business Administration. He is part of the Technology and Operations Management Unit, and he teaches in the MBA and Executive Education Programs. His expertise is in manufacturing, product... View Details
- 2025
- Working Paper
When Where Watt: Harnessing the Value of Time and Location for Renewable Electricity Generation
By: Vishrut Rana, Christian Kaps and Serguei Netessine
Problem definition: Investments in renewable energy have surged worldwide in recent years, with over $2 trillion spent globally on clean energy. This surge was driven by growing policy support, concerns about energy security, and, most importantly, the cost... View Details
Keywords: Wind Power; Electricity Distribution; Renewable Energy; Profit; Investment Return; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Geographic Location; Revenue; Energy Industry; Utilities Industry
Rana, Vishrut, Christian Kaps, and Serguei Netessine. "When Where Watt: Harnessing the Value of Time and Location for Renewable Electricity Generation." Working Paper, January 2025.
- November 2005 (Revised July 2007)
- Case
Pine Ridge Winery, LLC (A)
By: Joseph B. Lassiter III and Lauren Barley
George Scheppler, president and CEO of Pine Ridge Winery, LLC, (the "Company") sat in his office overlooking the steep hillside vineyards of the Pine Ridge Winery in Napa Valley. It was June 2005, and he was preparing for the upcoming board of managers meeting where he... View Details
Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards; Brands and Branding; Product Positioning; Corporate Strategy; Napa Valley
Lassiter, Joseph B., III, and Lauren Barley. "Pine Ridge Winery, LLC (A)." Harvard Business School Case 806-060, November 2005. (Revised July 2007.)
- December 2017 (Revised November 2018)
- Case
Tesla Motors (B): Merging with SolarCity
By: Stuart C. Gilson and Sarah L. Abbott
In 2016, electric car manufacturer Tesla announced that it was making an offer to acquire solar panel manufacturer SolarCity in an all-stock offer worth $2.6 billion in Tesla stock. Tesla’s co-founder and CEO, Elon Musk, believed that the merger would generate... View Details
Keywords: M＆A; M＆A Valuation; Investing; Equities; Equity; Valuation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Auto Industry; Energy Industry; United States
Gilson, Stuart C., and Sarah L. Abbott. "Tesla: Merging with SolarCity." Harvard Business School Case 218-038, December 2017. (Revised November 2018.)
- September 2001 (Revised August 2004)
- Case
Rapid Rewards at Southwest Airlines
By: Frances X. Frei and Corey B. Hajim
Southwest Airlines is well known as the low-fare airline that has achieved ongoing financial success in one of the most financially troubled industries in the United States. Told from the perspectives of two Southwest customers--a frequent flier and a more typical... View Details
Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Air Transportation; Service Operations; Service Delivery; Air Transportation Industry
Frei, Frances X., and Corey B. Hajim. "Rapid Rewards at Southwest Airlines." Harvard Business School Case 602-065, September 2001. (Revised August 2004.)
- January 2002 (Revised March 2004)
- Case
Computer Associates International, Inc.
In late 2000, Computer Associates (CA) changed its business model and the way it recognized revenue, ostensibly to better serve its stakeholders. The new subscription-based license model offered customers greater flexibility. Clients could subscribe to any CA software... View Details
Keywords: Business Model; Valuation; Corporate Disclosure; Revenue Recognition; Corporate Governance; Technology Industry
Hutton, Amy P., and Suma Raju. "Computer Associates International, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 102-061, January 2002. (Revised March 2004.)
- November–December 2022
- Article
The Value of Descriptive Analytics: Evidence from Online Retailers
By: Ron Berman and Ayelet Israeli
Does the adoption of descriptive analytics impact online retailer performance, and if so, how? We use the synthetic difference-in-differences method to analyze the staggered adoption of a retail analytics dashboard by more than 1,500 e-commerce websites, and we find an... View Details
Keywords: Descriptive Analytics; Big Data; Synthetic Control; E-commerce; Online Retail; Difference-in-differences; Martech; Internet and the Web; Analytics and Data Science; Performance; Marketing; Retail Industry
Berman, Ron, and Ayelet Israeli. "The Value of Descriptive Analytics: Evidence from Online Retailers." Marketing Science 41, no. 6 (November–December 2022): 1074–1096.
The Value of Descriptive Analytics: Evidence from Online Retailers - Marketing Science
Does the adoption of descriptive analytics impact online retailer performance, and if so, how? We use the synthetic difference-in-differences method to analyze the staggered adoption of a retail analytics dashboard by more than 1,500 e-commerce websites, and we... View Details
- September 2004 (Revised February 2007)
- Case
Hedging Currency Risks at AIFS
By: Mihir A. Desai, Vincent Dessain and Anders Sjoman
The American Institute for Foreign Studies (AIFS) organizes study abroad programs and cultural exchanges for American students. The firm's revenues are mainly in U.S. dollars, but most of its costs are in eurodollars and British pounds. The company's controllers review... View Details
Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment; Investment Funds; Financial Strategy; Forecasting and Prediction; Revenue; Credit Derivatives and Swaps; Currency; Currency Exchange Rate; Education Industry; North and Central America
Desai, Mihir A., Vincent Dessain, and Anders Sjoman. "Hedging Currency Risks at AIFS." Harvard Business School Case 205-026, September 2004. (Revised February 2007.)
- August 1994
- Case
Higashimaru Shoyu Company, Ltd. (A): Price Control System
Illustrates how Japanese firms use profit pressures to increase efficiency. In particular, explores how pseudo profit centers create pressure on workers to increase revenues and reduce costs, and the use of semiautonomous teams in a traditional Japanese workforce. View Details
Keywords: Cost Management; Groups and Teams; Organizational Structure; Performance Efficiency; Management Systems; Japan
Cooper, Robin. "Higashimaru Shoyu Company, Ltd. (A): Price Control System." Harvard Business School Case 195-050, August 1994.
- June 1999 (Revised August 2004)
- Case
Friendly Fenway Program, The: The Value of Experience Enhancement
The marketing head of the Boston Red Sox is reviewing the team's "Friendly Fenway" fan satisfaction program. The program is described in the context of the team's on-the-field performance, the ballpark's character, and team marketing and fan-building in general. The... View Details
Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Revenue; Framework; Management; Marketing Reference Programs; Performance; Boston
Greyser, Stephen A. "Friendly Fenway Program, The: The Value of Experience Enhancement." Harvard Business School Case 599-035, June 1999. (Revised August 2004.)
- 2021
- Working Paper
The Value of Descriptive Analytics: Evidence from Online Retailers
By: Ron Berman and Ayelet Israeli
Does the adoption of descriptive analytics impact online retailer performance, and if so, how? We use the synthetic difference-in-differences method to analyze the staggered adoption of a retail analytics dashboard by more than 1,500 e-commerce websites, and we find an... View Details
Keywords: Descriptive Analytics; Big Data; Synthetic Control; E-commerce; Online Retail; Difference-in-differences; Martech; Internet and the Web; Analytics and Data Science; Performance; Retail Industry
Berman, Ron, and Ayelet Israeli. "The Value of Descriptive Analytics: Evidence from Online Retailers." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-067, November 2020. (Revised December 2021. Accepted at Marketing Science.)