Publications

November 1993 (Revised October 1995)
Case

Sunrise Medical, Inc.'s Wheelchair Products

Sunrise's CEO must decide whether to intervene in a decision by a division, Guardian Products, to introduce a new lightweight standard wheelchair. Guardian wants to introduce the wheelchair to complement its line of commodity crutches, walkers, and other patient aids.... View Details

Keywords: Business or Company Management; Competition; Corporate Strategy; Business Divisions; Organizational Culture; Decision Making; Product Marketing; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

November 1977
Teaching Note

Sorenson Research Co. (Abridged), Teaching Note

By: Steven C. Wheelwright

Teaching Note for (9-677-257). View Details

Keywords: Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

02 Jul 2019
Working Paper Summaries

Risk-Mitigating Technologies: The Case of Radiation Diagnostic Devices

Keywords: by Alberto Galasso and Hong Luo; Medical Devices & Supplies

09 Jul 2018
Research & Ideas

Overcoming the Challenges of Selling Brand New Technology (Hey, Need a 3-D Printer?)

things like making machine parts and medical implantations. Still, the printers were large, unreliable, and expensive. Starting around 2011 the revolution began. 3-D printers began to shrink, grow in quality, and become considerably less... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Medical Devices & Supplies; Medical Devices & Supplies; Medical Devices & Supplies; Medical Devices & Supplies; Medical Devices & Supplies; Medical Devices & Supplies; Medical Devices & Supplies; Medical Devices & Supplies

July 2000 (Revised August 2000)
Case

AllHerb.com: Evolution of an E-tailer

By: Teresa M. Amabile and Christina L. Darwall

Serial entrepreneur Ken Hakuta, in the second year of his latest venture, reconsiders his original strategy of maintaining an independent, self-funded, self-led company. His Internet herbal remedy company, AllHerb.com, has already enjoyed considerable success with its... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Technological Innovation; Business or Company Management; Goals and Objectives; Strategic Planning; Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

July 2011
Teaching Note

Digital microscopy is making me crazy! (TN)

By: Willy C. Shih

Teaching Note for 612-002. View Details

Keywords: Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

September 2008
Background Note

Background on the Technology of Molecular Diagnostics

By: Regina E. Herzlinger and Jason Sanders

To be used as background reading for the "EXACT Sciences Corp.: Commercializing a Diagnostic Test" and "Diagnostic Genomics" cases, HBS nos. 308-090 and 309-040. View Details

Keywords: Health Testing and Trials; Technology; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

May 2002
Teaching Note

Guidant: Radiation Therapy (TN)

Teaching Note for (9-801-040). View Details

Keywords: Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

September 1993
Case

Manufacturing at ALZA: The Right Prescription? (A)

By: Dorothy A. Leonard

ALZA, a company specializing in drug delivery systems such as transdermal patches, considers manufacturing its own products. Until now, the company has conducted research and development on its patented system but has then licensed the technology to client-partner... View Details

Keywords: Business or Company Management; Technological Innovation; Innovation and Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Problems and Challenges; Production; Research and Development; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

January 2025
Case

A Tiger in the Tank: Exxon Sues Investors

By: Clayton S. Rose, Sarah Sasso and James Weber

In June 2024, investors were trying to make sense of ExxonMobil’s (Exxon) lawsuit against two impact investors, Arjuna Capital (Arjuna) and Follow This, that had just been dismissed by the U.S. District Court of Northern Texas. Exxon’s suit challenged the rights of two... View Details

September 2022
Technical Note

Addressing Social Determinants of Health in the American Landscape

By: Susanna Gallani and Jacob Riegler

Social determinants of health (SDOH) have gained significant attention in recent years. A growing body of research shows that a person’s health is influenced by a large number of non-genetic factors, most of which operate outside the realm of health care and are... View Details

Keywords: Socioeconomic Determinants Of Health; Social Determinants Of Health; Population Health; Health; Health Care and Treatment; Social Issues; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; United States

27 Aug 2012
Research & Ideas

Employee-Suggestion Programs That Work

policy at the Harvard School of Public Health. Trained as an industrial engineer, Tucker is interested in the perspective of frontline workers in productivity and process improvement, including how internal supply chains and other... View Details

Keywords: by Paul Guttry

14 Apr 2021
Research & Ideas

The High Cost of the Slow COVID Vaccine Rollout

officials took steps to speed vaccine development last year, the United States and other countries could have paid to build manufacturing infrastructure and shore up the supply chain needed to produce vaccines at higher capacity. That... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Health

22 Feb 2010
Research & Ideas

Manager Visibility No Guarantee of Fixing Problems

the "long tail" of problems. While it's highly visible mistakes such as medication errors that make the headlines, health-care managers need also be concerned about less dramatic infrastructure-type problems—such as insufficient... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Health

March 1994 (Revised January 1995)
Case

Cardinal Health, Inc.

By: Jay W. Lorsch

Robert D. Walter, chairman and CEO of Cardinal Health, Inc., responds to questions regarding Cardinal's board and its influence on the acquisition of and merger with Whitmire Distribution. View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Governing and Advisory Boards; Power and Influence; Management Teams; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

April 1984
Supplement

Johnson & Johnson (A): Philosophy & Culture, James Burke, Video

By: Francis Aguilar

James Burke, chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, discusses the company's philosophy and culture, with particular emphasis on the significance of the Credo. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Culture; Values and Beliefs; Mission and Purpose; Management Teams; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry