Publications

Read Now

November – December 2011
Article

Modeling a Paradigm Shift: From Producer Innovation to User and Open Collaborative Innovation

By: Carliss Baldwin and Eric von Hippel

In this paper, we assess the economic viability of innovation by producers relative to two increasingly important alternative models: innovations by single-user individuals or firms and open collaborative innovation. We analyze the design costs and architectures and... View Details

Keywords: Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Design; Cost; Communication; Competition; Economy; Research; Policy; Practice

2018
Working Paper

Ratcheting, Competition, and the Diffusion of Technological Change: The Case of Televisions Under an Energy Efficiency Program

By: Tomomichi Amano and Hiroshi Ohashi

In differentiated goods markets with societal implications, quality standards are commonly implemented to avoid the under-provision of innovation. Firms have clear incentives to engage in strategic behavior because policymakers use market outcomes as a benchmark in... View Details

Keywords: Product Differentiation; Energy Efficiency Standards; Ratcheting; Diffusion Of Innovation; Technological Innovation; Competition; Quality; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Policy

SSRN

Read Now

August 2011 (Revised October 2014)
Case

High Wire Act: Credit Suisse and Contingent Capital (A)

By: Clayton S. Rose and Aldo Sesia

Late in 2010, Credit Suisse CEO Brady Dougan and his team closed in on the decision of whether or not to issue contingent capital, which Swiss regulators would require by 2019. There were a number of substantial issues facing Dougan and his team, including whether... View Details

Keywords: Financial Institutions; Capital Markets; Financial Crisis; Decision Choices and Conditions; Leadership; International Finance; Financial Liquidity; Risk and Uncertainty; Competitive Strategy; Financial Services Industry; Switzerland

Educators

February 2009 (Revised December 2009)
Case

eReading: Amazon's Kindle

By: Bharat N. Anand, Peter W. Olson Esq. and Mary Tripsas

In November 2007, Amazon introduced the Kindle, the first electronic reader with wireless functionality. The case describes the launch of the Kindle and provides information on representative players in the industry (or broader ecosystem) who are likely to be affected... View Details

Keywords: Books; Disruptive Innovation; Technological Innovation; Industry Structures; Standards; Distribution Channels; Competitive Strategy; Publishing Industry

Educators

30 Oct 2005
Research & Ideas

Tuning Jobs to Fit Your Company

Executives must adjust the span of control for each key position and unit on the basis of how the company delivers value to customers. Consider Wal-Mart, which has configured its entire organization to deliver low prices. Wal-Mart's View Details

Keywords: by Robert Simons

May 1995
Teaching Note

C.K. Coolidge, Inc. (A) TN

By: David E. Bell

Teaching Note for (9-894-017). View Details

Keywords: Patents; Decisions; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Competition; Chemical Industry

19 Aug 2008
First Look

First Look: August 19, 2008

Carlyle Japan, wants to formulate a strategy to improve his firm's ability to source high-quality deals at competitive valuations, or prices. Buyout funds like Carlyle typically have two deal phases:... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

16 Jun 2003
Research & Ideas

Researchers Contribute Globalization of Markets Papers

in market outcomes." Rooting Marketing Strategy in Human Universals Global and local marketing efforts run at the opposite sides of the spectrum, and both "ignore crucial aspects of consumer behavior," argue HBS professors... View Details

Keywords: by Working Knowledge editors

08 Jul 2014
First Look

First Look: July 8

consumer goods company, first entered China, it encountered significant challenges. RB's strategy relied on selling high-margin products supported by cost-effective advertising and distribution, but the highly View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

23 Dec 2002
Research & Ideas

Partnering and the Balanced Scorecard

linkages on a strategy map that define and tell the story of the business unit's strategy. Summary Traditionally, competitive advantage came from access to low-cost raw materials, energy sources, or... View Details

Keywords: by Robert S. Kaplan & David P. Norton

March 2011
Exercise

Customer Intelligence Advantage: Module 2 Assignment

By: F. Asis Martinez Jerez

This exercise directs students to analyze a customer-centric firm by first understanding the elements that characterize a customer-centric organization, then by capturing and comparing this firm's approach to customer-centricity. Students interview three levels in the... View Details

Keywords: Business Units; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customer Satisfaction; Employees; Knowledge Sharing; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Leadership; Competitive Advantage

April 2000 (Revised June 2001)
Case

DoubleClick Buys Abacus (A)

By: John A. Deighton

By acquiring Abacus, DoubleClick won the power to serve ads with unprecedented precision, because it brought together Web surfers' online and offline identities. Several competitors had developed advanced systems for serving ads on the web, but DoubleClick had the... View Details

Keywords: Information; Rights; Internet and the Web; Ethics; Competitive Advantage; Social Issues; Customer Focus and Relationships; Digital Marketing; Advertising Industry

12 Feb 2008
First Look

First Look: February 12, 2007

competitive strategy; (2) accounting analysis for representing the firm's business economics and strategy in its financial statements and for developing adjusted accounting measures of performance; (3)... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

December 2010 (Revised March 2012)
Teaching Note

Alibaba Group

By: Julie M. Wulf

Teaching Note for 710436. View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Business Subsidiaries; Competition; Motivation and Incentives; Internet and the Web; Growth and Development; Corporate Strategy; Organizational Structure; Retail Industry; China

03 Dec 2007
Research & Ideas

Authenticity over Exaggeration: The New Rule in Advertising

functionality and status. Cultural exchanges. While advertising has always been part of popular culture, technology has increased the rate of exchange and competition for buzz. In addition to Dove's campaign, Deighton cites BMW's... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Publishing; Advertising

29 Dec 2019
Research & Ideas

Read Our Most Popular Research Stories of 2019

dynamic distinction helps for understanding whether and how sustainability practices can help companies establish a competitive advantage over time. The Economic Effects of Private Equity Buyouts This study of 6,000 private equity buyouts... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

29 May 2001
Research & Ideas

Howard Stevenson on the Lessons of the Internet Era

companies must develop new expertise. Stevenson pointed to the Chief Technical Officer as a key figure in this transformation, a person combining the right technical acumen with an understanding of the competitive landscape. The CTO, said... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

07 Apr 2009
First Look

First Look: April 7, 2009

Addleshaw-Goddard (AG), the 15th largest law firm in the U.K., is seeking ways to serve larger clients on more important legal matters. Part of this strategy involves its "Client Development Centre (CDC)," an innovative idea and... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

October 2007
Article

Opinion: Place Your Bets on the Future You Want

By: Forest Reinhardt

This piece posits that success in a carbon-constrained world will be determined by innovation and acumen, requiring companies to make bold moves. View Details

Keywords: Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Innovation and Invention; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Leadership; Success; Environmental Sustainability; Climate Change; Competitive Advantage