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February 2006
Case

Millions of Customers and the Search for a Business: the Challenge of IRC-Hispano

Like many online services, IRC-Hispano, the world's largest Spanish-language chat organization, has many customers but sees few revenues. As an association, its structure presents many limitations and hurdles to overcome involving investing in technology platform... View Details

Keywords: Customer Value and Value Chain; Decision Choices and Conditions; Digital Platforms; Technology Adoption; Internet and the Web; Organizational Structure; Technological Innovation; Revenue; Web Services Industry; Technology Industry; Spain

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22 Aug 2005
Research & Ideas

Balancing the Future Against Today’s Needs

It is a classic leadership challenge of the early twenty-first century: How do you steer your business and motivate your people to pursue breakthrough growth while giving proper attention to executing the here and now with the utmost care and efficiency? Accomplishing... View Details

Keywords: by Paul Michelman

February 2010 (Revised March 2010)
Supplement

Leading Change at Simmons (E)

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Susan Thyne

This case updates the “Leading Change at Simmons” series by examining Simmons' increasing debt under the ownership of Thomas H. Lee, a private equity firm. Charlie Eitel, the former CEO, wonders what the company's, and his, legacy will be after declaring bankruptcy... View Details

Keywords: Borrowing and Debt; Private Equity; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Leading Change; Operations; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Ownership; Performance Improvement; Consumer Products Industry

15 Nov 2019
News

Getting Your Team to Do More Than Meet Deadlines

March 2008 (Revised March 2022)
Case

Cadbury Schweppes: Capturing Confectionery (A)

By: David Collis, Toby Stuart and Troy Smith

In late 2002, global confectionery and beverage maker Cadbury Schweppes needed to decide whether or not to make an acquisition bid for Adams, an underperforming gum company which had been put up for sale by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Examining the decision from a... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions; Mergers and Acquisitions; Food and Beverage Industry

14 May 2013
Blog Post

Alumni: Where are they now? Featuring Matt…

HBS alum, Matt Segneri, MBA 2010, provides an update on his career post-HBS. Check out his original profile at graduation. Current Position: Government Innovation at Bloomberg Philanthropies Current Location: New York Cit Tell us what... View Details

Keywords: Nonprofit / Government

Descent-to-Delete: Gradient-Based Methods for Machine Unlearning

We study the data deletion problem for convex models. By leveraging techniques from convex optimization and reservoir sampling, we give the first data deletion algorithms that are able to handle an arbitrarily long sequence of adversarial updates while promising... View Details

January 2014
Supplement

Patagonia (B)

By: Forest Reinhardt, Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Lauren Barley

Patagonia produces high-quality environmentally friendly garments that command significant price premiums. In Spring 2010, Patagonia rolled out a new, radical environmental initiative called "Product Lifecycle Initiative" (PLI), which was committed to lengthening the... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Strategy; Environmental Management; Business Models; Beliefs; Product Differentiation; Product Lines; Yvon Chouinard; Rose Marcario; Retailing; Corporate Social Responsibility; Apparel Manufacturing; Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

June 1986 (Revised May 1989)
Case

Biltwell Shears, Inc.

By: Thomas R. Piper

A senior loan officer is reviewing the recent performance of a company that has failed to repay its loan as scheduled. The failure results from a cyclical downturn in sales, coupled with a lag in cutting back production. Inventory risk is minimal. This case is an... View Details

Keywords: Financial Condition; Financing and Loans; Corporate Finance; Manufacturing Industry

Mar 2021
Conference Presentation

Descent-to-Delete: Gradient-Based Methods for Machine Unlearning

By: Seth Neel, Aaron Leon Roth and Saeed Sharifi-Malvajerdi

We study the data deletion problem for convex models. By leveraging techniques from convex optimization and reservoir sampling, we give the first data deletion algorithms that are able to handle an arbitrarily long sequence of adversarial updates while promising both... View Details

Keywords: Machine Learning; Unlearning Algorithm; Mathematical Methods

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October 1991
Supplement

Philips' Compact Disc Introduction (B)

Updates students to 1982. Asks students to consider Philips' best strategy for investing in disc-pressing capacity dedicated to the United States market. The analysis draws on game theoretic techniques (in normal form with subgame perfection as the governing... View Details

Keywords: Technology; Competition; Game Theory; Technology Industry

12 Nov 2020
News

Stanford vs. Harvard: Two Famous Business Schools’ Opposing Tactics for the COVID-19 Pandemic

October 2015
Supplement

The National Geographic Society (B)

By: David A. Garvin

This case was written as an update to the case "The National Geographic Society," HBS No. 311-002, published in 2011. The (B) case describes the 2015 creation of National Geographic Partners, a for-profit joint venture between the National Geographic Society and 21st... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Information Publishing; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Growth and Development Strategy; Managerial Roles; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Internet; Publishing Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

December 2020 (Revised September 2023)
Case

PG&E and the First Climate Change Bankruptcy

By: Stuart C. Gilson and Sarah L. Abbott

In early 2020, the California-based utility PG&E filed a second amended plan of reorganization. PG&E had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the face of more than $30 billion of legal claims brought against it for its alleged role in causing California wildfires. The... View Details

Keywords: Chapter 11; Utilities; Liabilities; Restructuring; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Debt Securities; Legal Liability; Climate Change; Utilities Industry; United States

June 2010
Supplement

Chet Huber on OnStar, video

By: Willy C. Shih

Chet Huber, general manager of GM's OnStar unit, givbes an update on how OnStar is doing, talks about the job OnStar does for consumers, and reflects on assembling the OnStar team. The video is organized into three chapters so that instructors may use then... View Details

Keywords: Product Positioning; Product Development; Service Delivery; Performance Evaluation; Groups and Teams; Auto Industry; Telecommunications Industry

27 Mar 2014
News

Young workers change jobs frequently, study shows

February 2003 (Revised August 2003)
Case

Disposable Diaper Industry in 2003, The

Updates the continuing developments in the disposable diaper industry from 1994 to 2003. Investigates new product innovation, global expansion, and emerging competitors in the highly competitive diaper industry, including the rise of training pants and ventures into... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Market Entry and Exit; Supply and Industry; Consumer Products Industry

November 1993 (Revised June 2007)
Case

Jack Thomas

By: John P. Kotter and Andrew P. Burtis

This redisguised version of an earlier case, Tom Levick, provides an updated setting but does not change the teaching objectives. Chronicles the first six weeks of experience on the job for a recent business school graduate. Emphasis is on managing... View Details

Keywords: Power and Influence; Behavior; Leadership Style; Strategy; Rank and Position; Publishing Industry