Publications

February 1992 (Revised January 1996)
Supplement

Birds Eye and the U.K. Frozen Food Industry (B)

By: David J. Collis

Describes the change in strategy Birds Eye adopted in the 1980s in the face of declining profitability and eroding market share. Updates the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Stock Shares; Adoption; Business Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Vertical Integration; Food and Beverage Industry; United Kingdom

July 2008
Case

eHarmony

By: Mikolaj Jan Piskorski, Hanna Halaburda and Troy Smith

eHarmony's CEO needs to decide how to react to imitations of its business model, encroachment by competing models, and ascendance of free substitutes. The case provides four options to address these threats and asks students to choose one after they analyzed the... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Decision Choices and Conditions; Growth and Development Strategy; Industry Structures; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Service Industry

Web

Capstone | MBA

that will advance new drug discoveries and therapeutics with those equally passionate about changing the business of healthcare for the better. 2. The practicalities of business decisions meet the practicalities of hard science. Students become adept at delving into... View Details

April 2006 (Revised September 2009)
Case

BYD Company, Ltd.

By: Robert S. Huckman and Alan D. MacCormack

Considers whether BYD Co., Ltd., the largest Chinese maker of rechargeable batteries, should enter the Chinese automobile industry by acquiring Qinchuan Auto, a state-owned car manufacturer. Set just after BYD's initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Labor; Production; Competitive Advantage; Diversification; Auto Industry; Battery Industry; Manufacturing Industry; China

February 1985 (Revised September 1988)
Case

Komatsu Ltd.

By: Christopher A. Bartlett

Reviews and updates the structure and characteristics of the earth-moving equipment industry presented in the companion case, Caterpillar Tractor Co. After revealing that CAT has suffered major financial losses during the period from 1981 through 1984, the case... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Machinery and Machining; Price; Growth and Development; Brands and Branding; Product Development; Production; Competitive Strategy; Global Strategy; Manufacturing Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Industrial Products Industry

26 Aug 2013
Lessons from the Classroom

Built for Global Competition from the Start

Thanks to the Internet, entrepreneurs are no longer confined to a local geography when building a new business—the world can be their market from day one. But building a startup as a global business requires managers with skills and View Details

Keywords: by Kim Girard; Education

Research Summary

Overview

What makes some organizations more innovative than others? Innovation follows from strategy and structure. A good strategy allows individuals to impose their own imagination towards organizational goals in a coordinated way. Good structure adds incentives that... View Details

June 2011 (Revised December 2013)
Case

FIJI Water: Carbon Negative?

By: Francesca Gino, Michael W. Toffel and Stephanie van Sice

Seeking to go beyond global best practices in reducing environmental impacts, FIJI Water, a premium artesian bottled water company in the United States, launched a Carbon Negative campaign that would offset more greenhouse gas emissions than were released by the... View Details

Keywords: Carbon Footprint; Carbon Offsetting; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Brands and Branding; Negotiation Tactics; Business and Government Relations; Corporate Strategy; Food and Beverage Industry; United States; Fiji

September 1997 (Revised August 1999)
Case

Boston Chicken, Inc.

By: Paul M. Healy

This case examines Boston Chicken's franchise strategy for growing its innovative restaurant business, and the associated accounting reporting issues that arise. View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Franchise Ownership; Financial Strategy; Business Strategy; Food and Beverage Industry

17 Feb 2022
News

A Company Can Create More Value by Focusing on Two Core Factors Instead of Multiple Projects: Felix Oberholzer-Gee

Flipkart: Transitioning to a Marketplace Model

Founded in 2007 as an online book retailer, Flipkart rapidly became the largest e-commerce player in India, valued at almost $15 billion. However, it faced intense competition from other e-commerce players like Amazon and Snapdeal. Over the years Flipkart was slowly... View Details

September 2017
Supplement

Taj Hotels: Leading Change, Driving Profitability (B)

By: Krishna Palepu, Anjali Raina and Rachna Chawla

The Taj Group financial in March 2017 reflects a turnaround in performance. The new branding strategy is described. View Details

Keywords: Turnaround; Hospitality Industry; Leading Change; Leadership; Brands and Branding; Marketing; Strategy; Globalization; Performance Improvement; Accommodations Industry; India

28 May 2013
Research & Ideas

Can LEGO Snap Together a Future in Asia?

unique opportunity to study strategy in the making when she headed to the company's Denmark headquarters last year. The case study The LEGO Group: Envisioning Risks in Asia, coauthored with HBS research associate Dominique Hamel, vividly... View Details

Keywords: by Kim Girard; Entertainment & Recreation

June 2016
Case

Suominen Wipes the Slate Clean

By: Boris Groysberg, Kalle Heikkinen and Michael Norris

In 2016, after successfully turning around Finnish nonwovens manufacturer Suominen, CEO Nina Kopola faces a decision on the company’s strategy moving forward. View Details

Keywords: Nonwovens; Female Protagonist; Turnaround; Strategy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Pulp and Paper Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Industrial Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Europe; United States; Finland

11 Feb 2013
News

Ten Questions: Cynthia Montgomery

10 Nov 2010
News

Harvard Business School Introduces Program To Help Leaders Drive More Profitable Growth

January 1977 (Revised April 1983)
Case

Corning Glass Works: The Electronic Products Division (B)

By: Michael Beer

Focuses on the recommendations and implementation strategy made by the organizational development group for the electronic product division's problems. View Details

Keywords: Business Divisions; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Problems and Challenges; Adaptation