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- All HBS Web (543)
- Faculty Publications (264)
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- 15 Sep 2003
- Research & Ideas
The Lessons of New-Market Disruption
very inexpensive commodity components that perform basic computations in household appliances, like irons and toasters. At the time, microcontroller manufacturers were just beginning to use automated test equipment. Although the... View Details
- Article
Manage the Suppliers That Could Harm Your Brand: Know When to Avoid, Engage, or Drop Them
By: Jodi L Short and Michael W. Toffel
The pandemic has placed a new spotlight on working conditions in factories that supply global companies. To avert problems, firms often impose codes of conduct on their suppliers and perform audits to assess compliance. Do these measures help identify unethical... View Details
Keywords: Auditing; Agency Cost; Quality And Safety; Quality Management System; Quality Management; Unions; Environmental Management; Globalization; Goods and Commodities; Governance; Labor; Labor Unions; Wages; Working Conditions; Operations; Supply Chain; Safety; Quality; China; Bangladesh; Asia; Pakistan
Short, Jodi L., and Michael W. Toffel. "Manage the Suppliers That Could Harm Your Brand: Know When to Avoid, Engage, or Drop Them." Harvard Business Review 99, no. 2 (March–April 2021).
- 14 Feb 2007
- Op-Ed
Tata-Corus: India’s New Steel Giant
pressure from cut-throat competition in mainland China. Even though TCL was one of the largest Chinese TV manufacturers (even prior to the acquisition of Thomson's assets), commodity TVs and other consumer electronics items were not... View Details
Keywords: by Tarun Khanna
- December 2001
- Case
iSteelAsia-2001
By: F. Warren McFarlan and Iris T. Li
Presents a follow-up one year later. Shows how this online steel distributor has now reached breakeven. Focuses on the new challenges for the future. View Details
Keywords: Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Economy; Goods and Commodities; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Information; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Problems and Challenges; Steel Industry; China; United States
McFarlan, F. Warren, and Iris T. Li. "iSteelAsia-2001." Harvard Business School Case 302-074, December 2001.
- Research Summary
Overview
Dr. Lurtz researches the history of agricultural economies in Latin America. She has a particular interest in export agriculture and attendant state- and locally-driven modernization projects. Her current work looks to the coffee economy of southern Mexico in the 19th... View Details
Keywords: Coffee Production; Institutions; Property Rights; Labor History; Credit; Modernization; Development Economics; Rural Scope; Trade; Food; Agribusiness; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Globalized Economies and Regions; Goods and Commodities; History; Growth and Development; Emerging Markets; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Latin America; Mexico; Central America
- February 2016 (Revised August 2016)
- Case
Chilli Beans: Peace, Love, and Sunglasses
By: José B. Alvarez, Robert Mackalski and Andrew Otazo
This case illustrates how Chilli Beans became the most popular sunglasses retailer in Brazil and the issues it faced when expanding into the United States. View Details
Keywords: Sunglasses; Brazil; Sao Paulo; Chilli Beans; Watches; Fast Fashion; Supply Chain; Retail; Franchise; International Expansion; Culture; Middle Class; Fashion; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Global Strategy; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customer Value and Value Chain; Design; Economic Growth; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Goods and Commodities; Leadership; Marketing; Operations; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Fashion Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Brazil; China
Alvarez, José B., Robert Mackalski, and Andrew Otazo. "Chilli Beans: Peace, Love, and Sunglasses." Harvard Business School Case 516-020, February 2016. (Revised August 2016.)
- 13 Jun 2014
- Op-Ed
World Cup Soccer: 770 Billion Minutes of Attention
tournament will garner 770 billion minutes of attention. The fact that most will view the matches as they are played makes the tournament even more valuable to advertisers—a key principle of "Attention Economics," which focuses on what has become a scarce... View Details
- June 1999 (Revised April 2003)
- Case
Zucamor S.A.: Global Competition in Argentina
Describes the evolution of Zucamor and its business strategy, particularly after the opening of the Argentine economy in 1992 and 1993. Traces the action that led to its association with U.S. paper giant Union Camp. Poses some of the critical challenges faced by the... View Details
Keywords: Business Strategy; Global Strategy; Value; Problems and Challenges; Business or Company Management; Goods and Commodities; Alliances; Pulp and Paper Industry; Argentina; United States
Rangan, V. Kasturi. "Zucamor S.A.: Global Competition in Argentina." Harvard Business School Case 599-096, June 1999. (Revised April 2003.)
- 15 May 2020
- Research & Ideas
Find Your Pragmatic Path through Radical Uncertainty
communicating with those who depend on us for advice and leadership. We must be willing to explain why we can’t answer all the questions. Credibility is a critical commodity in a crisis and it must not be wasted. “Who to trust” is a... View Details
- June 2022 (Revised October 2022)
- Background Note
Digital Commerce and Delivery: Preparing Food and Retail Value Chains for a 50-50 World
By: William R. Kerr, Daniel O'Connor, Paige Boehmcke and Will Ensor
Increasing digitalization of grocery retail and quick commerce reveals insights about managing complex supply chains at scale and shifting revenue streams from product sales to data monetization. How are the roles of retailers changing? What happens if marginal cost... View Details
Keywords: Grocery Delivery; Grocery; Digitalization; Fulfillment; Delivery; Supply Chain; Disruption; Food; Supply Chain Management; Market Design; Trends; Value Creation; Goods and Commodities; Customer Value and Value Chain; Digital Transformation; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States; China
Kerr, William R., Daniel O'Connor, Paige Boehmcke, and Will Ensor. "Digital Commerce and Delivery: Preparing Food and Retail Value Chains for a 50-50 World." Harvard Business School Background Note 822-108, June 2022. (Revised October 2022.)
- 11 Mar 2014
- Research & Ideas
Book Excerpt: ’Entrepreneurship and Multinationals’
markets. They have shown that the second half of the nineteenth century witnessed a deeper globalization than ever seen previously using that criterion. By 1914 world capital, commodity and labor markets were closely integrated, and more... View Details
Keywords: Re: Geoffrey G. Jones
- 06 Dec 2006
- Op-Ed
India Needs to Encourage Trade with China
Jiabao last year during a similar visit. But $19 billion is hardly anything to write home about, even if one were to discount the fact that much of what India exports to China is low-value-added commodities (notably iron ore). I asked... View Details
Keywords: by Tarun Khanna
- 16 Jul 2008
- Op-Ed
What Should Employers Do about Health Care?
and value. But health care has been treated as a commodity and cost reduction has been the dominant approach. Employers have gone to their vendors, health plans, or third-party administrators in the case of self insured plans, and tried... View Details
- Summer 2018
- Article
Why High-Tech Commoditization Is Accelerating
By: Willy C. Shih
Knowledge embedded within state-of-the-art production and design tools is a powerful force that is leveling the global technology playing field. It democratizes innovation and makes future competition more challenging. This paper describes the knowledge flows through... View Details
Keywords: Product Design; Product Commercialization; Product Development; Product Development Strategy; Production; Manufacturing Tools; Manufacturing; Manufacturing Industry; Engineering; Globalization; Goods and Commodities; Knowledge; Commercialization; Business Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Information Infrastructure; Technology Adoption; Consumer Products Industry; Auto Industry; Semiconductor Industry; Electronics Industry; Industrial Products Industry; Information Technology Industry; North America; Asia
Shih, Willy C. "Why High-Tech Commoditization Is Accelerating." Art. 59420. MIT Sloan Management Review 59, no. 4 (Summer 2018): 53–58.
- May 1988 (Revised March 1990)
- Case
Matsushita Electric Industrial (MEI) in 1987
By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Sumantra Ghoshal
Describes the development of Matsushita's international operations and the building of its dominant competitive position in the consumer electronics industry. Picks up the major challenges facing the company in 1987 as both its product focus and geographic posture are... View Details
Keywords: Global Strategy; Goods and Commodities; Product Positioning; Problems and Challenges; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Value; Electronics Industry
Bartlett, Christopher A., and Sumantra Ghoshal. "Matsushita Electric Industrial (MEI) in 1987." Harvard Business School Case 388-144, May 1988. (Revised March 1990.)
- January 2025
- Supplement
Negotiating a Legacy at Sustainable Harvest (B)
By: Jillian Jordan, Julian Zlatev, Alicia Dadlani and Martha Hostetter
The specialty coffee importer Sustainable Harvest was the first certified B Corp in the coffee industry due to its investments in building coffee farmers’ capacity and livelihood. But in 2022, after coffee prices plummeted and the company’s bank declined to extend its... View Details
Keywords: Negotiation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Trust; Ethics; Plant-Based Agribusiness; Volatility; Futures and Commodity Futures; Social Enterprise; Valuation; Business Model; Credit; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Food and Beverage Industry; United States; Europe
Jordan, Jillian, Julian Zlatev, Alicia Dadlani, and Martha Hostetter. "Negotiating a Legacy at Sustainable Harvest (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 925-011, January 2025.
- September 2010
- Article
Do Inventory and Gross Margin Data Improve Sales Forecasts for U.S. Public Retailers?
By: Saravanan Kesavan, Vishal Gaur and Ananth Raman
Firm-level sales forecasts for retailers can be improved if we incorporate cost of goods sold, inventory, and gross margin (defined here as the ratio of sales to cost of goods sold) as three endogenous variables. We construct a simultaneous equations model, estimated... View Details
Keywords: Sales; Forecasting and Prediction; Distribution; Goods and Commodities; Cost; Public Sector; Profit; Mathematical Methods; Analytics and Data Science; Retail Industry; United States
Kesavan, Saravanan, Vishal Gaur, and Ananth Raman. "Do Inventory and Gross Margin Data Improve Sales Forecasts for U.S. Public Retailers?" Management Science 56, no. 9 (September 2010): 1519–1533.
- 30 May 2017
- First Look
First Look at New Research and Ideas, May 30
pricing for first-exposure products on the site. Many in the industry have relied on years of experience and intuition to determine pricing—can Wilson provide new insights? Purchase this case:https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/product/617059-PDF-ENG Harvard Business... View Details
Keywords: Sean Silverthorne
- 30 May 2000
- Research & Ideas
Market Makers Bid for Success
two-minute version is that after I left HBS I worked at McKinsey down in Texas. I learned two major things while I was there. First, the way to make money in commodities markets is to have superior information, to make better trades, and... View Details
- January 2020
- Case
The June Oven
By: Leonard A. Schlesinger and Christian Godwin
The June Oven was a smart oven which was capable of identifying food and cooking it accordingly. This type of smart oven represented the next step in the long history of oven and stove development. Due to the widespread use of traditional ovens, the market for the June... View Details
Keywords: Business Ventures; Trends; Customers; Design; Entrepreneurship; Food; Goods and Commodities; Innovation and Invention; Marketing; Brands and Branding; Demand and Consumers; Distribution; Product Development; Sales; Information Technology; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Consumer Products Industry; Retail Industry; Technology Industry; Electronics Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States
Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Christian Godwin. "The June Oven." Harvard Business School Case 320-067, January 2020.