Publications

10 Aug 2010
First Look

First Look: August 10

in an environment in which consumers disseminate content without the assistance, or approval, of gatekeepers. Purchase this case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/510064-PDF-ENG Vereinigung Hamburger Schiffsmakler und Schiffsagenten e.V. (VHSS): Valuing View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

05 Oct 2010
First Look

First Look: October 5, 2010

supplement (B):http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/110030-PDF-ENG Compass Maritime Services, LLC: Valuing Ships Benjamin C. Esty and Albert SheenHarvard Business School Case 211-014 Tom Roberts, a founding partner of Compass Maritime... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

19 Nov 2018
Sharpening Your Skills

E-Santa: Is Retail Ready for Digital Christmas?

Is Amazon's growing retail power capable of breaking the "wheel of retailing" theory? Retail Reaches a Tipping Point—Which Stores Will Survive? E-commerce is about to deal severe blows to many familiar store-based brands. How to Use Free View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Retail

20 Dec 2018
Research & Ideas

Most Popular Stories and Research Papers of 2018

earners, who may also exploit additional strategies to increase the share of total income that accrues to the top 1 percent, according to Ethan Rouen and colleagues. Shipping Fees and Product Assortment in Online Retail This study... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

10 May 2011
First Look

First Look: May 10

strategy—made by Cake's team in response to market feedback. Purchase this case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/811041-PDF-ENG Vereinigung Hamburger Schiffsmakler und Schiffsagenten e.V. (VHSS): Valuing Ships Benjamin C. Esty and... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

August 1996 (Revised December 1999)
Case

J Boats, Inc.

By: Robert L. Simons

During the 20-year evolution of a family-owned, entrepreneurial sailboat company, two founders leverage their design and marketing skills to build one of the most recognized brands in the recreational boating industry. The founder then considers management succession... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Family Business; Risk Management; Financial Management; Leveraged Buyouts; Brands and Branding; Competitive Strategy; Capital Markets; Valuation; Shipping Industry; Shipping Industry

26 Mar 2008
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Disaster!

Can leaders anticipate disaster? How Does Disaster Change Leadership Goals? Shackleton: An Entrepreneur of Survival On a trek across Antarctica, Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance became trapped in ice. How did Shackleton lead his... View Details

09 Apr 2013
First Look

First Look: April 9

U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program with an Alabama assembly facility. In January 2009 it had just completed the construction of its first LCS, but the global economic crisis put the company in a difficult position. Its... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

October 1989
Case

Federal Express: The Money Back Guarantee (A)

Discusses a large overnight express company, which guarantees its service, and which has created a major headache for one of its customers. The problem exposes deficiencies in its service and in the guarantee it has advertised heavily. A formal complaint is made to the... View Details

Keywords: Service Delivery; Crisis Management; Shipping Industry; Shipping Industry

12 Apr 2018
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: The Trouble with Tariffs

Stacks of shipping containers waiting to be filled with export goods. ralfgosch In March, when the Trump administration released its proposed tariffs list against China, I was eager to get a look. After all, these are the products from... View Details

Keywords: by Willy C. Shih; Manufacturing; Auto; Steel; Air Transportation; Technology; Telecommunications

December 2023 (Revised April 2025)
Case

Yellow Corporation: On the Verge of Bankruptcy

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Edward A. Meyer

Yellow Corporation, one of the country’s oldest and largest less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, was nearing its 100th anniversary in 2024. Whether it would reach that milestone, however, was uncertain as the company was attempting to restructure its operations to... View Details

Keywords: Labor Unions; Labor and Management Relations; Capital Structure; Restructuring; Financial Management; Ethics; Borrowing and Debt; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Financial Strategy; Truck Transportation; Change Management; Shipping Industry; Shipping Industry; United States

October 1989
Case

Exxon Corp.: Trouble at Valdez

Discusses the events leading to and repercussions following the 11 million gallon oil spill in Prince William Sound off the Alaskan coast. This was the largest spill in U.S. history. Examines the response to the spill by Exxon management, government agencies, and... View Details

Keywords: Natural Environment; Crisis Management; Energy Sources; Shipping Industry; Shipping Industry; Alaska

12 Oct 1999
Research & Ideas

Confronting the Challenges that Face Bricks-and-Mortar Stores

many types of products to be shipped across the country or from a different country. Some products can't be shipped at all. Customers may be reluctant to purchase on-line because the computer display is... View Details

Keywords: by Raymond Burke; Retail

15 Jul 2015
Research & Ideas

Amazon Prime Day: The Logic Behind a Retailer’s Made-up Holiday

Amazon's low costs and reduced shipping rates. In these cases, however, Gupta believes Amazon has and can exploit a distinct advantage. "Amazon offers a lot more benefits, like their streaming music and movie services," Gupta... View Details

Keywords: Re: Sunil Gupta; Retail

09 Dec 2015
Research Event

When Hosts Attack: The Competitive Threat of Online Platforms

categories, they found that, on average, the products Amazon chose tended to have higher retail prices and lower shipping costs than those it didn’t choose, which makes sense because Amazon offers free View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Retail; Technology; Web Services

October 2002 (Revised December 2003)
Case

eShip-4U

By: Roy D. Shapiro and Timothy M. Laseter

eShip is a small Israeli start-up with a potentially exciting new concept for the residential package-delivery value chain--the Automatic Delivery Machine (ADM). Much like today's ubiquitous ATMs, ADMs would allow consumers to have parcels delivered to a nearby ADM... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Business Model; Service Operations; Logistics; Corporate Strategy; Information Technology; Competitive Strategy; Value Creation; Saving; Innovation and Invention; Shipping Industry; Shipping Industry; Shipping Industry; Israel; United States