Publications

07 Apr 2015
First Look

First Look: April 7

brand and introduce an entirely new pricing scheme. Early financial results from the strategic shift are not favorable. Based on the experience of U.S. retailer J.C. Penney, the piece raises fundamental questions about repositioning... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

July 2007 (Revised August 2010)
Case

JP Morgan Partners - Cabela's Inc.

JP Morgan Partners (JPMP), the private equity arm of JP Morgan Chase, owned 15% of Cabela's, Inc., a hunting and fishing equipment retailer in the U.S. In June of 2003, founders Dick and Jim Cabela wanted to liquidate some of their holdings. However, Cabela's was not... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Private Equity; Financial Liquidity; Investment; Ownership Stake; Retail Industry; United States

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2007
Working Paper

Innovation through Global Collaboration: A New Source of Competitive Advantage

By: Alan MacCormack, Theodore Forbath, Peter Brooks and Patrick Kalaher

Many recent studies highlight the need to rethink the way we manage innovation. Traditional approaches, based on the assumption that the creation and pursuit of new ideas is best accomplished by a centralized and collocated R&D team, are rapidly becoming outdated.... View Details

Keywords: Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Groups and Teams; Research and Development; Performance Improvement; Management Practices and Processes; Partners and Partnerships; Competency and Skills; Framework; Competitive Advantage; Global Strategy; Opportunities; Cost

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23 Sep 2014
First Look

First Look: September 23

over structure or structure over strategy. The case, therefore, presents students with a strategic and organizational challenge that tests students' understanding, and Valve's resolve, with regard to the congruence between their... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

May 2018 (Revised June 2018)
Case

Ashar Group: Brokers and Co-opetition in the Life Settlement Industry

By: Alexander Braun, Lauren H. Cohen, Christopher J. Malloy and Jiahua Xu

Connecting life insurance policyholders with potential investors (called Life Settlement Providers), Ashar Group plays a pivotal role in the industry. Its current position is, however, increasingly being challenged by consumer-direct models, led by major providers... View Details

Keywords: Insurance; Investment; Markets; Competitive Strategy; Cooperation; Financial Services Industry

25 Jul 2007
Lessons from the Classroom

The Evolution of Apple

Wall Street Journal in June 2004. By then, sales of its iPod, introduced in 2001, had nearly quadrupled over the year before, leaping to over $1.3 billion in net sales. In 2005, that figure increased again to over $4.5 billion. "This is a case where you can focus... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Computer; Technology

27 Aug 2008
Research & Ideas

Creating Leaders for Science-Based Businesses

to know how to get those discoveries into the economy." To achieve that goal, Bowen and others believe that science-based companies require a different kind of leadership. "Since the investment and R&D decisions you make... View Details

Keywords: by Garry Emmons; Biotechnology; Health

Teaching Interest

Data Science for Managers

Served as a teaching fellow; assisted MBA students with classroom coding exercises.
Developed course materials, including new case studies, technical notes, and code notebooks students used to analzye case data.
Developed interactive web... View Details

20 Jun 2005
Research & Ideas

Creating a Positive Professional Image

and change your image. Employ appropriate traditional and social identity-based impression management strategies. Pay attention to the balancing act—build credibility while maintaining authenticity. Manage the effort you invest in the... View Details

Keywords: by Mallory Stark

25 Oct 2016
First Look

October 25, 2016

a company’s population health footprint. Examples, statistics, and visuals showcase emerging corporate involvement in public health and underscore the business opportunities available to companies that invest in health. Publisher's link:... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

25 Sep 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, September 25, 2018

recall leads to a one-month reduction in time to major innovation. Our results suggest that product failures influence subsequent innovation but that their impact is dependent upon recall source, proximity, and severity. The strategic and... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

28 May 2024
In Practice

Job Search Advice for a Tough Market: Think Broadly and Stay Flexible

MBA students concentrate their efforts on the large strategic consulting firms such as McKinsey, Bain, and BCG. This approach severely limits opportunities. When openings are so scarce, remember that there are a huge array of consulting... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

June 2006 (Revised January 2007)
Case

Dana Hall: Funding a Mission (A)

By: F. Warren McFarlan, Herman B. Leonard and Melissa Tritter

Dana Hall is a private all-girls school in New England facing a crisis in its mission. As social norms shift away from single-sex education, the school's enrollment is falling and deficits are becoming the norm. At the same time, the modern vision for girls' education... View Details

Keywords: Crisis Management; Financing and Loans; Nonprofit Organizations; Mission and Purpose; Strategic Planning; Education Industry; England

09 Mar 2010
First Look

First Look: March 9

agreement to give ownership of the Canal back to Panama in the 1970s was not a gesture of magnanimity, but because the strategic and economic value of ownership had since disappeared. In a surprise to those who argued that it was... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

June 2007 (Revised March 2008)
Case

Zoots - Financing Growth (A)

By: Michael J. Roberts, William A. Sahlman and Todd Krasnow

Traces the genesis and founding of Zoots, the largest chain of dry cleaning establishments in the U.S. Founded by some of the founders of the very successful Staples chain, the company raises a very large amount of capital without fully proving its business model, and... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Decision Choices and Conditions; Venture Capital; Financial Strategy; Investment Return; Growth and Development Strategy; Valuation; United States