Publications

Find at Harvard

September 2009 (Revised November 2021)
Case

OnStar: Not Your Father's General Motors

By: Clayton M. Christensen

After two years of less than stellar performance resulting in sales well below plan, senior management at General Motors (GM) mobile telecommunications service start-up, OnStar, recognized that without a substantial change in their strategy, support for the venture... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Decision Choices and Conditions; Growth and Development Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Technology; Risk and Uncertainty; Joint Ventures; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Product Positioning; Risk Management; Auto Industry; Telecommunications Industry

September 2000 (Revised November 2021)
Background Note

Using Aggregate Project Planning to Link Strategy, Innovation, and the Resource Allocation Process

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Links two very useful pieces of management research--resource allocation processes as studied by Bowen and Burgelman and the aggregate project plan expounded by Wheelwright and Clark. View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Innovation and Management; Resource Allocation; Projects; Management

August 1999 (Revised March 2000)
Case

Required Course Sucommittee: A Sentence from Hell , The

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Describes a faculty team at a leading business school that was charged with developing an integrated, cross-discipline curriculum. Shows how and why integrated projects like this are so difficult to manage. View Details

Keywords: Curriculum and Courses; Integration; Groups and Teams; Problems and Challenges

Find at Harvard

August 1999
Case

Graduate Center of Marlboro College, The

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Keywords: Higher Education; Education Industry

Find at Harvard

May 1999 (Revised September 1999)
Teaching Note

Du Pont Kevlar Aramid Industrial Fiber (Abridged), TN

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Teaching Note for (9-698-079). View Details

April 1999
Teaching Note

Value Networks and the Impetus to Change: Managing Innovation: Overview Teaching Note for Module 1

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Provides instructors with an overview teaching note for the first module of the Managing Innovation course in which the disruptive technology framework is explored and used. Summarizes this framework and provides a brief synopsis of each of the cases used in the... View Details

Keywords: Change; Framework; Disruptive Innovation; Technology; Value

November 1998
Teaching Note

GE Plastics: Selecting a Partner TN

By: Clayton M. Christensen

March 1998 (Revised June 1999)
Teaching Note

Linking Strategy and Innovation TN

By: Clayton M. Christensen

An overview note to guide instructors in teaching the third module of the Managing Innovation course. Describes how managers can use aggregate project planning to manage the resource allocation process in new product development. View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Management; Managerial Roles; Resource Allocation; Product Development; Planning; Projects; Strategy

April 1998
Case

Becton Dickinson: Worldwide Blood Collection Team (Abridged)

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Becton Dickinson's Vacutainer business was largely based in the United States, but in 1980 management determined to grow the business aggressively first in Europe and then Japan. These areas demanded new products that were tailored to local markets. Despite the change... View Details

Keywords: Resource Allocation; Growth and Development Strategy; Change Management; Product Development; Global Strategy; Expansion; Innovation and Invention; Multinational Firms and Management; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; United States; Europe; Japan

March 1998
Teaching Note

We've Got Rhythm! Medtronic Corp.'s Cardiac Pacemaker Business (TN)

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Teaching Note for (9-698-004). View Details

March 1998
Teaching Note

Studio Realty TN

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Teaching Note for (9-697-036). View Details

Keywords: Real Estate Industry

August 1994
Teaching Note

Raychem Corporation: Interconnection Systems Division TN

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Teaching Note for (9-694-063). View Details

Keywords: Electronics Industry

November 1993 (Revised November 1994)
Case

Molding the Impossible: the NYPRO/Vistakon Disposable Contact Lens Project

By: Clayton M. Christensen

NYPRO, Inc., one of the world's leading manufacturers of plastic injection-molded products, is asked by the Vistakon Division of Johnson & Johnson to manufacture molds that Vistakon will use to produce disposable contact lenses. The required dimensional tolerances for... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Engineering; Management Practices and Processes; Product Development; Production; Groups and Teams; Manufacturing Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry