Publications

March 1991 (Revised August 1994)
Case

Berkshire Partners

By: Cynthia A. Montgomery

Berkshire Partners is a limited partnership engaged in the acquisition of companies valued between $25 million and $250 million. The purpose of the case is to examine the resources of the firm and discuss the firm's competitive advantage vis-a-vis other types of... View Details

Keywords: Working Capital; Partners and Partnerships; Competitive Advantage; Acquisition; Corporate Finance

09 Jul 2020
Video

Sylvia Escovar

Sylvia Escovar, the President of the Colombia-based oil and gas distribution company Terpel, discusses the challenge of income inequality in Colombia, the role of Fundación Terpel in demonstrating that business... View Details

December 2011
Exercise

What We Carry: Success, Failure, and Happiness in Family Systems

By: Timothy Butler

The purpose of this exercise is to enable participants to identify essential career and life themes. The core task of the exercise is to extract themes, images, metaphors and "dynamic tensions" from a list of exciting careers that have been selected from a larger... View Details

Keywords: Family and Family Relationships; Success; Failure; Happiness

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13 May 2011
News

Do politicians use public sector banks to win elections?

Teaching Interest

Overview

I currently teach an Elective Course on Capitalism and the State, and recently developed a module for the Required Curriculum on the Social Purpose of the Firm. Earlier I developed Managing International Trade and Investment, and have also taught BGIE and Strategy in... View Details

Article

Drivers of the Variation in Prosthetic Implant Purchase Prices for Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasties

By: Derek A. Haas, Kevin J Bozic, Anthony M. DiGioia, Zirui Song and Robert S. Kaplan

Previous studies have documented wide variation in health-care spending and prices; however, the causes for the variation in supply purchase prices across providers are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the drivers of variation in... View Details

Keywords: Costing; Cost Variation; Total Knee Arthroplasty; Total Hip Arthroplasty; Prosthetic Implant Cost; Health Care and Treatment; Cost Management; Health Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

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May 2008
Background Note

The Producing Manager: A Double-Barreled Role

By: John J. Gabarro and Thomas J. DeLong

The purpose of this note is to ground and amplify on the characteristics and challenges of the producing manager role. It is in response to requests from participants for a piece of "take away" material that can be shared with colleagues in professional service firms... View Details

Keywords: Managerial Roles; Production; Service Operations; Practice

15 Aug 2024
Blog Post

Learning from Mistakes and Leveraging Personal Experiences: Tiffany Kent (MBA 2001)

strategic choice that clashed with the industry norms of prioritizing rapid asset accumulation, requiring me instead to focus on relationship building. Most importantly, it aligned with my strengths and added a new level of purpose to my... View Details

Keywords: All Industries

13 May 2015
News

Professionalism, Fiduciary Duty, and Health-Related Business Leadership

January 1996 (Revised July 1996)
Case

Rabobank Nederland

By: Kenneth A. Merchant and Robert S. Kaplan

Describes the account manager's role and the history of one credit application. The purpose is to evaluate various methods the bank uses to influence account managers' behaviors. Also describes some alternatives being considered to improve the information systems used... View Details

Keywords: Financial Management; Managerial Roles; Accounting; Information Management; Banks and Banking; Power and Influence; Banking Industry; Netherlands

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October 2024
Case

Reed Group and Succession in a Family Business: An Impossible Job to Fill?

By: Lauren H. Cohen and Tonia Labruyere

James Reed had taken over Reed Group, the recruitment and career services company his father had founded and built, in 1994. He was now reflecting on succession planning and other challenges that lay ahead: with no obvious choice among his family members, he needed to... View Details

Keywords: Charity; Succession Planning; Family Business; Values and Beliefs; Management Succession; Mission and Purpose; Family Ownership; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Family and Family Relationships; Recruitment; AI and Machine Learning; Employment Industry; United Kingdom; London

May 2013
Teaching Note

Launching Krispy Natural: Cracking the Product Management Code (Brief Case)

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Heather Beckham

This case study concerns a review and interpretation of test market results for a new packaged good product. The purpose of the case is to provide students with practice and guidelines in the analysis of quantitative test market data while illustrating the roles of... View Details

Keywords: Analytics and Data Science; Analysis; Product Marketing

October 1978 (Revised March 1987)
Background Note

Note on Market Definition and Segmentation

Outlines the problems involved in defining "markets" for purposes of 1) developing competitive strategies, 2) measuring market share, and 3) evaluating the extent of competition. The primary focus is on strategic planning--specifically, the questions of delimiting the... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Markets; Segmentation

June 2025
Teaching Note

Paul Weiss: Fighting or Negotiating with POTUS

By: Eugene Soltes and Anthea Brady

This note was prepared by Professor Eugene Soltes and Research Associate Anthea Brady for the purpose of aiding classroom instructors in the use of “Paul Weiss: Fighting or Negotiating with POTUS,” HBS No. 125-098. It provides analysis and questions that are intended... View Details

July 2022
Supplement

Netflix: A Creative Approach to Culture and Agility (B)

By: Ranjay Gulati and Matt Higgins

This (B) case, set in summer 2022, was designed as a companion to "Netflix: A Creative Approach to Culture and Agility," a case set in 2018. The purpose of this brief document is to unlock a discussion around how the Netflix culture can be used to weather new... View Details

Keywords: Netflix; Corporate Culture; Streaming; Media; Technology; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Innovation Leadership; Innovation Strategy; Leadership Style; Organizational Culture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Technology Industry; California

March 1995 (Revised February 1997)
Case

Apple Computer (A)(Abridged): Corporate Strategy and Culture

By: Michael Beer and Gregory C. Rogers

Provides an overview of the company's history, industry, competitive position, strategy, and organization. Analyzes the culture and morale at Apple. Written at a time when the company faces a very compelling threat to their business, and when morale within the company... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Design; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Organizational Culture; Computer Industry