Publications

June 2004 (Revised November 2004)
Case

Acorda Therapeutics: Rebuilding the Spinal Cord

Acorda is an early-stage life science start-up with a promising product that is close to reaching the market (Phase III clinical trials). The company is grappling with how to expand its portfolio of molecules to make the business more sustainable. It faces classic... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Science-Based Business; Health Testing and Trials; Business Startups; Product Development; Biotechnology Industry

Article

Representative Democracy and the Implementation of Majority-Preferred Alternatives

By: Katherine Baldiga Coffman

In this paper, we contrast direct and representative democracy. In a direct democracy, individuals have the opportunity to vote over the alternatives in every choice problem the population faces. In a representative democracy, the population commits to a candidate ex... View Details

Keywords: Economic Systems; Voting; Decision Choices and Conditions

25 Sep 2018
News

Corporations of the World! Young Scientists Need You

31 Jan 2022
News

The Tussle over Location-Based Pay

November 2009 (Revised May 2010)
Case

Red Tomato: Keeping It Local

By: Jose B. Alvarez, Mary Louise Shelman and Laura Winig

This case describes the operating model and history of Red Tomato, a non-profit organization dedicated to branding and logistical support for locally grown produce farmers in the northeast U.S. The case highlights the challenges involved in making locally grown produce... View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Trends; Food; Local Range; Consumer Behavior; Logistics; Supply Chain; Nonprofit Organizations; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Northeastern United States

January 2009 (Revised March 2013)
Case

Live Nation Faces the Music

By: Stephen P. Bradley, Frank Cespedes and Kerry Herman

In 2008, concert producer and promoter Live Nation faces a decision about its strategy in light of the tumultuous changes in the music industry and the increasing power of the major artists. As the music business once again recreates itself in response to new... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Decision Choices and Conditions; Music Entertainment; Five Forces Framework; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Corporate Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Music Industry; Service Industry

October 1990 (Revised April 1991)
Case

RU 486 (A)

By: Joseph L. Badaracco Jr.

Describes the factors faced by Roussel UCLAF, a French drug company, in deciding whether and how to market a controversial new drug, RU 486, which is often called "the French abortion pill." Roussel's decision involved its relations with the French government, its... View Details

Keywords: Judgments; Ethics; Product Launch; Negotiation; Outcome or Result; Performance; Business and Government Relations; Health Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; France; Germany; United States

02 Jun 2022
News

Blissful Thinking: When It Comes to Finding Happiness, 'Your Dreams Are Liars'

March 2007 (Revised March 2012)
Case

Edward Jones in 2006: Confronting Success

By: David J. Collis and Troy Smith

When Jim Weddle took over as Managing Partner of Edward Jones in January 2006, the brokerage firm was at a critical juncture. The firm's distinctive strategy had enabled it to grow from its roots in small-town America to become the 4th largest broker in the U.S. Weddle... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Goals and Objectives; Growth and Development Strategy; Performance; Competitive Advantage; Financial Services Industry; United States

May 2010 (Revised May 2010)
Case

Data.gov

By: Karim R. Lakhani, Robert D. Austin and Yumi Yi

This case presents the logic and execution underlying the launch of Data.gov, an instantiation of President Obama's initiative for transparency and open government. The process used by Vivek Kundra, the federal CIO, and his team to rapidly develop the website and to... View Details

Keywords: Safety; Rights; Analytics and Data Science; Internet and the Web; Ethics; Cost vs Benefits; Innovation and Management; Information Management; Public Administration Industry; Information Industry; United States

November 1994 (Revised February 1997)
Case

Levi Strauss & Co.: Global Sourcing (A)

By: Lynn S. Paine and Jane Palley Katz

In 1993, senior managers at Levi Strauss & Co., the world's largest brand-name apparel manufacturer, were deciding whether the company should have a business presence in China, given the human rights and other problems there. The China Policy Group has been asked to... View Details

Keywords: Management Teams; Decisions; Management Skills; Trade; Brands and Branding; Rights; Ethics; Foreign Direct Investment; Apparel and Accessories Industry; China

22 Aug 2016
Research & Ideas

Master the One-on-One Meeting

But how we treat them as individuals can determine the way their DNA will impact the fabric of your organization. What are you doing, as their manager, to make sure they are satisfied and making the best... View Details

Keywords: by Julia B. Austin

26 Apr 2023
In Practice

Is AI Coming for Your Job?

that they understand how to use cognitive AI to transform their operations, the impact on workers promises to be dramatic. White-collar workers whose job security was founded on their knowledge of complex processes and ability to integrate information from various... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Technology

09 Jul 2020
News

It’s Time to Reset Decision-Making in Your Organization

November 2007
Supplement

Differences at Work: Alex (B)

By: Sandra J. Sucher and Rachel Gordon

In Differences at Work: Alex (B) HBS Case No. 9-408-042 turns to his uncle, an employment lawyer, to discuss the situation. After receiving a matching offer from his current firm, Alex decides to stay with his firm but concedes that he did not have to make any hard... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Ethics; Job Offer; Compensation and Benefits

January 2002
Case

Intrinsix: Managing Growth at an Electronic Design Service Company

By: H. Kent Bowen and Courtney Purrington

Intrinsix is a 15-year-old semiconductor design services company that wants to continue its growth and market reach and appears to be ready for an initial public offering (IPO). This case leads up to this strategic decision point by tracing the growth of Intrinsix from... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Initial Public Offering; Growth Management; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Management Style; Marketing Strategy; Problems and Challenges; Competitive Strategy; Electronics Industry

Program

Ascending the Peak: Finding the Leader Within—Virtual

themselves better, you will gain inspiration to be your best self as you build a tool box of specific action-oriented behaviors and perspectives to help you get there. Through live engagement with renowned Harvard Business School faculty,... View Details

June 2004
Case

Nehemiah Strategy, The: Bringing it to Boston

By: Diana Barrett and Arthur I Segel

In 2003, Lee Stuart was working with the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization to implement an affordable housing initiative in Boston. She and her colleagues faced a number of challenges in transferring the strategy, including whether the strategy was appropriate for... View Details

Keywords: Housing; Problems and Challenges; Strategy; Projects; Decisions; Boston

September 2019 (Revised May 2020)
Supplement

Keroche (D): Transforming the Core Business

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Pippa Tubman Armerding

This case describes Keroche co-founder Tabitha Karanja’s decision to exit the wine business following the Kenyan government’s 2007 increase in excise taxes on wine. In August 2007, Keroche introduced the vodka drink Viena Ice as a replacement for its fortified wines,... View Details