Publications

March 2008 (Revised March 2009)
Case

Transforming AMFAM

By: Rakesh Khurana, Rajiv Lal and Cathy Ross

On a winter day in December 2007 at the American Family Mutual Insurance Company (AMFAM) headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin, Dave Anderson and Jack Salzwedel remained in the conference room after the senior management meeting had concluded. Anderson, CEO of AMFAM since... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Governing and Advisory Boards; Marketing; Mission and Purpose; Strategic Planning; Insurance Industry; United States

2009
Working Paper

Applying the Care Delivery Value Chain: HIV/AIDS Care in Resource Poor Settings

By: Joseph Rhatigan, Sachin H Jain, Joia S. Mukherjee and Michael E. Porter

The care delivery value chain is a framework that can help conceptualize the organization and structure of care delivery for medical conditions. We apply this framework to HIV/AIDS care in resource-limited settings. Several conclusions arise than can help inform... View Details

Keywords: Customer Value and Value Chain; Framework; Health Care and Treatment; Health Disorders; Service Delivery

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December 2013 (Revised March 2016)
Case

Managing Online Reviews on TripAdvisor

By: Thales Teixeira and Leora Kornfeld

In 2013, TripAdvisor was the most visited online travel site in the world. It hosted a massive repository of information on hotels and travel services, and provided millions of reviews written by consumers. Consumers were becoming increasingly motivated to read and... View Details

Keywords: Online Word-of-mouth; Online Reviews; Hotels; Internet and the Web; Marketing Communications; Marketing Reference Programs; Digital Marketing; Customer Satisfaction; Accommodations Industry; Travel Industry

2011
Working Paper

The Architecture of Transaction Networks: A Comparative Analysis of Hierarchy in Two Sectors

By: Jianxi Luo, Carliss Y. Baldwin, Daniel E. Whitney and Christopher L. Magee

Many products are manufactured in networks of firms linked by transactions, but comparatively little is known about how or why such transaction networks differ. This paper investigates the transaction networks of two large sectors in Japan at a single point in time. In... View Details

Keywords: Customer Value and Value Chain; Market Transactions; Networks; Competitive Strategy; Vertical Integration; Auto Industry; Electronics Industry; Japan

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19 Jan 2011
First Look

First Look: Jan. 18

under the Hood: Wealth-based Discrimination in Illicit Customer Help Authors:F. Gino and L. Pierce Publication:Organization Science 21, no. 6 (November-December 2010) Abstract This paper investigates whether an employee's perception of... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Sep 2009
News

E Ink’s Wild Ride

percent a year and is poised on the cusp of enormous change. In June, Prime View International (PVI) signed an agreement to acquire E Ink for about $215 million. Based in Taipei, Taiwan, PVI is E Ink’s largest customer and the world’s... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; e-books; e-reading; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information; Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing; Manufacturing

27 Feb 2020
Sharpening Your Skills

How Following Best Business Practices Can Improve Health Care

Harvard Business School spends a significant amount of research funds each year on the health care industry, answering questions such as: How can the business of health care be made more efficient? What can a business do to motivate employees to take better care of... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Health; Medical Devices & Supplies

May 2006 (Revised November 2006)
Case

Willa Seldon at Tides Center (A)

By: Linda A. Hill and Emily Stecker

Willa Seldon, an African-American woman with 16 years of for-profit experience, was hired as executive director of Tides Center, a nonprofit in San Francisco, CA. Tides Center was a fiscal sponsor dedicated to supporting individuals and groups working toward social... View Details

Keywords: For-Profit Firms; Nonprofit Organizations; Transition; Change Management; Leadership Style; Performance; Customer Satisfaction; San Francisco

March 1991 (Revised July 1993)
Case

Kyocera Corp.

By: John P. Kotter

Examines the three factors critical to this company's remarkable success in the high tech field. The first factor is the founder, Dr. Inamori's powerful leadership. The second is the strong corporate culture or philosophy of the firm. The third element in Kyocera's... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Information Infrastructure; Leadership Style; Management Systems; Management Style; Organizational Culture; Practice; Profit; Planning; Technology Industry; Electronics Industry

30 Apr 2008
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Brand Management

their customers' customers can capture a larger share of channel margins and build loyalty that can protect them against lower-priced competitors. Can Individuals Create Their Own Brand? The Case of the Mystery Writer's Brand A look... View Details

Keywords: by Staff; Sports; Publishing; Auto

01 Sep 2016
News

Clay Christensen on Competing Against Luck

outlines—the “theory of jobs to be done”—and how that concept might play out in the auto industry. —Dan Morrell Your theory essentially reframes how managers think about their products or services—as a sort of job that the customer is... View Details

September 6, 2022
Article

Creating a Platform for Costless Personalization in Clothing

By: Shane Greenstein

This study analyzes the role of co-invention in the creation of a platform for print-on-demand-clothing, or PODC. Co-invention is the invention of a new business process to complement new technology, and turn it into a valuable commercial service. PODC copies a design... View Details

Keywords: Print-on-demand-clothing; Customization and Personalization; Digital Platforms; Apparel and Accessories Industry

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2006
Chapter

A 'Customer-Centric' View of Global Economic Development

By: V. K. Rangan and Arthur McCaffrey

Keywords: Globalization; Customers; Perspective; Development Economics

Find at Harvard

2006
Book

Consumer Capitalism: Politics, Product Markets, and Firm Strategy in France and Germany

By: Gunnar Trumbull

Keywords: Customers; Economic Systems; Product; Markets; Strategy; France; Germany

Find at Harvard

24 Apr 2014
News

Using storytelling to transform the retail experience

stories about the exceptional artisans who craft the jewelry, accessories, items for babies and children, paper goods, and home decor. “The world isn’t about just selling stuff anymore, it’s about knowing your customer really well and... View Details

Web

IFC India 2025: From Gray to Green: A Glimpse of the Future of Green Hydrogen in India - Blog - Business & Environment

Blog Blog Filter Results Arrow Down Arrow Up Read posts from Author Alumni Author HBS Faculty Author HBS Staff Author Staff Author Students Topics Topics Accelerating Climate Solutions Conference 2023 Alumni Alumni Programs Alumni in Climate Networking Series Business... View Details

January 1991 (Revised March 2010)
Supplement

Westchester Distributing, Inc. (B)

By: Robert L. Simons and Robert Boxwell

Describes the actions taken by the owner/president to resolve the dilemma. View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Customers; Problems and Challenges; Governance Controls; Compensation and Benefits; Behavior; Distribution Industry