Publications

January 2003 (Revised February 2003)
Case

Office Depot, Inc.: Business Transformation (A)

By: James L. Heskett, Dan Maher, Daniel F. OBrien, Thomas Watson and Jeffrey F. Rayport

The company's management is considering the possibility of launching a rebranding campaign around the promises "What you need. What you need to know." The questions are whether and when to launch the campaign in view of the large number of training efforts and... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Advertising Campaigns; Brands and Branding; Business Strategy; Technology Adoption; Transformation; Market Timing; Growth and Development; Training; Retail Industry

October 1991 (Revised August 2000)
Case

Becton Dickinson & Company: VACUTAINER Systems Division (Condensed)

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Frank V. Cespedes

Becton Dickinson, a phenomenally successful company with an 80% market share in the blood collection needles and syringes market faces a change in the customer buying environment (cost containment pressures at hospitals). This forces a reevaluation of the company's... View Details

Keywords: Business Divisions; Customer Satisfaction; Demand and Consumers; Market Participation; Distribution Channels; Success; Corporate Strategy; Value Creation; Health Industry

March 2011 (Revised February 2014)
Case

Cree, Inc.: Which Bright Future?

By: David J. Collis, Mary Furey and Matthew Shaffer

After its founding in the late 1980s, Cree Inc. quickly grew into a major player in the emerging LED market. By 2007, technological improvements in LEDs had made them suitable for TV, computer, and mobile "backlighting"; and concerns over global warning led to calls to... View Details

20 Dec 2018
Cold Call Podcast

Using Fintech to Disrupt Eastern Bank from Within

Keywords: Re: Karen Mills; Banking; Financial Services

May 2024 (Revised June 2024)
Case

Together for Sustainability

By: Ranjay Gulati, David Shin and Emily Tedards

This case documents the origin and development of Together for Sustainability (TfS), a chemical industry initiative dedicated to raising sustainability standards throughout the industry’s supply chains. In 2011, six Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) from some of the... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Standards; Supply Chain Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Partners and Partnerships; Nonprofit Organizations; Corporate Accountability; Chemical Industry

12 Dec 2017
First Look

New Research and Ideas, December 12, 2017

case:https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/product/518030-PDF-ENG Harvard Business School Case 918-009 Managing Diversity and Inclusion at Yelp This case explores the industry-wide lack of employee diversity in the technology sector and Yelp’s decision to take a leadership... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

21 Jul 2009
First Look

First Look: July 21

the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/10-002.pdf Culture Clash: The Costs and Benefits of Homogeneity Author:Eric Van den Steen Abstract This paper develops an economic theory of the costs and benefits of corporate culture—in the... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

06 Sep 2016
First Look

September 6, 2016

control this risk, the authors write, but you can and should plan for it. They offer three steps to help you survive a corporate scandal. 1. Be forthright. Transparency and full disclosure are key to overcoming the stigma. Executive... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

Web

Archival Collections - Georges F. Doriot : Educating Leaders, Building Companies, Baker Library, Harvard Business School

Clubs Faculty & Research Business & Environment Business History Christensen Center for Teaching & Learning Entrepreneurship Faculty & Research Global Healthcare HBS Working Knowledge Institute for Strategy & Competitiveness Leadership... View Details

December 1989 (Revised June 2003)
Case

Bayside

By: William J. Poorvu and Richard Ellis Crum

Explores the issues associated with leasing office space in a softening market from the perspective of a young leasing agent. Addresses market and lease analysis, negotiating tactics and strategy, and management of a financial partnership. View Details

Keywords: Management; Partners and Partnerships; Negotiation Tactics; Markets; Business Strategy; Leasing; Corporate Finance; Real Estate Industry

March 2002 (Revised October 2005)
Case

Wal-Mart in 2002

By: David B. Yoffie and Yusi Wang

In its first quarter of 2002, Wal-Mart became the largest company on the globe (by sales) and expanded into Japan. Was the giant retailer unstoppable? This case explores Wal-Mart's top issues in fueling top- and bottom-line growth: diversification into groceries, new... View Details

Keywords: Diversification; Expansion; Multinational Firms and Management; Corporate Strategy; Global Strategy; Retail Industry; Japan; United States