Publications

June 1991 (Revised February 1999)
Case

Willow Creek Community Church (A)

By: Leonard A. Schlesinger

Describes the historic evolution and current positioning of a Christian church which focuses on the attraction of "unchurched" individuals. Describes the church's strategic service vision and its current growth and leadership problems. View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; Strategic Planning; Social Enterprise; Marketing Strategy; Growth Management; Religion; Service Industry

July 2008 (Revised April 2009)
Background Note

Horizontal Specialization and Modularity in the Semiconductor Industry

By: Willy C. Shih, Chintay Shih and Chen-Fu Chien

Well-codified interfaces have enabled horizontal specialization in the global semiconductor industry. This Technical Note describes the modern integrated circuit value chain, and the motivation for the reuse of blocks of intellectual property in modern IC designs. It... View Details

Keywords: Customer Value and Value Chain; Intellectual Property; Industry Structures; Horizontal Integration; Semiconductor Industry

October 1997 (Revised February 2003)
Background Note

Worldwide Web and Internet Technology,The

In terms non-technical readers can understand, the evolution of the Internet and the Web, characteristics of the supporting technology, and current issues surrounding use of the technology are examined. View Details

Keywords: Internet; Web

March 2004 (Revised July 2004)
Case

Sarbanes-Oxley Act, The

By: Lynn S. Paine and James Weber

Describes the evolution and passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 from the perspective of the senior counsel on capital markets for the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services. View Details

Keywords: Government Legislation; Corporate Accountability; Governance Controls; Capital Markets; Financial Reporting; Laws and Statutes; United States

12 Feb 2015
Video

When Girl Meets Oil

05 Dec 2017
News

What We've Learned from 101 Entrepreneurs in Emerging Markets

April 1985 (Revised September 1993)
Background Note

Hattori-Seiko and the World Watch Industry in 1980

By: Michael E. Porter and Edward J. Hoff

Focuses on the industry's development and evolution in three principal watch producing countries: Switzerland, the United States, and Japan. Based in part on two earlier cases by F.T. Knickerbocker and H.E.R. Uyterhoeven. View Details

Keywords: Industry Growth; Consumer Products Industry; Japan; Switzerland; United States

January 1992 (Revised February 1992)
Case

Quantum Corp.: Business and Product Teams

By: Steven C. Wheelwright and Clayton M. Christensen

Describes the adoption and evolution of product development teams and business teams at Quantum. Emphasizes integration of team capabilities with product development and competitive advantage in a rapidly changing environment. View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Groups and Teams; Situation or Environment; Competitive Strategy; Integration; Consumer Products Industry

08 May 2013
Research & Ideas

A Company’s Evolving View of Gender Equity

A company's internal deliberations and changing beliefs about women in the workplace over the course of two decades, particularly about their role as leaders, is the subject of a recent paper that traces how fundamental societal views can change an organization. The... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Accounting

14 Jul 2011
News

Amazon Takes On California

February 2003 (Revised September 2003)
Case

Howie Cohen at Versity.com

By: Leslie A. Perlow

Howie Cohen is Versity.com's founder. This case provides a behind-the-scenes look at his thoughts and feelings about his company's evolution as they expand across the country and bring in a professional management team. View Details

Keywords: Leadership

Find at Harvard

January 2023 (Revised June 2024)
Case

Elon Musk at Tesla

By: George Serafeim and Amram Migdal

This case gives an overview of Elon Musk’s career arc through the lens of the 2003 founding of Tesla and its growth through 2022. Background information is included on Tesla’s unique strategic decisions, its operational and reputational struggles and successes, and the... View Details

04 Mar 2020

Incorporating Climate Risk into Financial Models: Sustainable Finance

Research Summary

Investment and marketing strategies of American multinationals in Argentina (1890c-1939)

Andrea Lluch is undertaking a major research project on American business expansion in Argentina up to the beginning of World War II. The first part of the project focuses on the American companies investment strategies. The second part analyses of the evolution of... View Details

April 2018 (Revised May 2018)
Case

Goldman Sachs: Making an Imprint in Impact Investing

By: Shawn Cole, Vikram S. Gandhi, Caitlin Reimers Brumme and Lynn Schenk

Goldman Sachs acquired Imprint Capital Advisors, a small firm that specialized in advising clients on environmental/social/governance (ESG) and impact investments. The founders sold Imprint with the belief that joining a global financial firm would help to scale impact... View Details

Keywords: Impact Investing; ESG; Investment; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Growth and Development Strategy; Acquisition; Integration

November 1989 (Revised August 1994)
Supplement

Du Pont's Titanium Dioxide Business (E)

Provides students the opportunity to track industry evolution over time, to explore the role that signaling may play in such evolution, and to construct and validate industry scenarios. View Details

Keywords: Analysis; Supply and Industry; Chemical Industry

November 2018
Case

Komatsu Komtrax: Asset Tracking Meets Demand Forecasting

By: Willy Shih, Paul Hong and YoungWon Park

Komatsu's Komtrax system started as a way of remotely monitoring and tracking equipment for the purpose of improving operational efficiency. This case follows its evolution towards other uses including demand forecasting for its sales, marketing, and production... View Details

Keywords: Big Data; Manufacturing; Manufacturing Industry; Data Strategy; Internet Of Things; Construction; Production; Analytics and Data Science; Strategy; Performance Efficiency; Forecasting and Prediction; Industrial Products Industry; Construction Industry; Japan

November 1989 (Revised August 1994)
Supplement

Du Pont's Titanium Dioxide Business (B)

Provides students with the opportunity to track industry evolution over time, to explore the role that signaling may play in such evolution, and to construct and validate industry scenarios. View Details

Keywords: Analysis; Supply and Industry; Chemical Industry

2011
Teaching Note

UFIDA (C) (TN)

By: F. Warren McFarlan, Donglin Xia and E. Chen

This case documents the evolution of UFIDA's management control system over a decade as it grew five-fold from a 325 million RMB to a 1.66 billion RMB company, while its staff grew by more than three-fold. View Details

Keywords: Budgeting; Computer Software; Emerging Markets; Management Controls; Performance Management; Planning; China; Applications and Software; China