Strategic Substitutes - Publications - Faculty & Research

April 2025
Supplement

Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion PowerPoint Supplement

By: Michael W. Toffel, Ken Pucker and Stacy Straaberg

The Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A) case introduces Allbirds as a footwear startup not only focused on simple design, comfort, and sustainable natural materials but on decarbonizing the wider fashion industry. Background material highlights the growing... View Details

Keywords: Decarbonization; Climate Impact; Environmental Strategy; Innovation; Product Design; Supply Chain Management; Innovation Strategy; Innovation and Management; Product Development; Climate Change; Environmental Management; Environmental Sustainability; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Fashion Industry; United States; California

Citation

Purchase

23 Feb 2009
Research & Ideas

Creative Entrepreneurship in a Downturn

products. Invariably, this creates the need for substitutes (in the example with Frederick, repaired older cars are a substitute for new car purchases)—at least for some of the most essential products. “In... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

Web

The Five Forces - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

HBS ISC Strategy Strategy Strategy Explained Business Strategy Creating a Successful Strategy Corporate Strategy The Role of Leaders Related Topics Business Strategy Business Strategy The Five Forces Strategic Positioning The Value Chain... View Details

Research Summary

Managing Marketspace Service Interfaces

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport

Jeffrey F. Rayport is focusing on the strategic challenges that face businesses selling information-intensive products and services. A key strategic issue in such businesses is the dematerialization of information-intensive products and services as a consequence of... View Details

13 Jan 2012
Working Paper Summaries

The Impact of Modularity on Intellectual Property and Value Appropriation

Keywords: by Carliss Y. Baldwin & Joachim Henkel

17 May 2017
Research & Ideas

Minorities Who 'Whiten' Job Resumes Get More Interviews

professor of organizational behavior and human resource management at the University of Toronto Mississauga; András Tilcsik, assistant professor of strategic management at the University of Toronto; and Sora Jun, a doctoral candidate at... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

07 Aug 2007
First Look

First Look: August 7, 2007

non-profit corporation—must create a new "Dashboard" performance measurement tool to track the effectiveness of its new strategic plan. Purchase this case: http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=107051... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

31 Jan 2022
Research & Ideas

Where Can Digital Transformation Take You? Insights from 1,700 Leaders

but also themselves. Everything is changing and technology is a key driver When we asked executives to join our roundtable conversations about “digital leadership,” they warned us that the term was too narrow: “leadership in the digital age” better describes the View Details

Keywords: by Linda A. Hill, Ann Le Cam, Sunand Menon, and Emily Tedards

Web

Podcast - Business & Environment

Mike Toffel to discuss the company’s strategic approach to sustainability and how it supports creators looking to tell sustainability stories. Stewart shares insights into the challenges and opportunities of incorporating climate... View Details

Web

Online Business Strategy Course | HBS Online

key strategic decisions that companies face today Master the language and tools of business strategy to contribute meaningfully to strategic conversations and your team’s success Create value for customers,... View Details

24 Oct 2018
Sharpening Your Skills

Startup or Established Company? Which Is Best for You?

experts to level up the team, and they know what’s “normal” for a hypergrowth company. It’s the best of both worlds: you get the rollercoaster startup experience with some of the more measured leadership and strategic characteristics of a... View Details

Keywords: by Julia B. Austin

26 Jul 2011
First Look

First Look: July 26

suppliers selling substitutable products to a customer that engages in supplier reliability tracking. Using this analytical model, we observe how a supplier's service level performance molds a customer's beliefs as well as how a... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

11 Aug 2009
First Look

First Look: August 11, 2009

insiders strategically sell shares prior to the disclosure of goodwill impairment losses. We provide evidence that insiders of goodwill impairment firms engage in abnormal selling of their shares quarters prior to the announcement of such... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

02 Apr 2020
What Do You Think?

What Are Lessons for Leaders from This Black Swan Crisis?

leaders in this one. It leads to a syndrome of always preparing for the last Black Swan, a somewhat chimerical chase in search of the nonexistent. But stick with me while I throw some candidate lessons into the pot. For example, think of all the wasted time spent in... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

18 Jun 2024
Research & Ideas

Industrial Decarbonization: Confronting the Hard Challenges of Cement

Cities like Cairo; Chongqing, China; Delhi; and Kinshasa, Congo are experiencing population explosions accompanied by unprecedented demand for homes, offices, factories, and infrastructure. In the United States, the Biden Administration’s policy-driven infrastructure... View Details

Keywords: by by Janelle Conaway; Green Technology; Energy; Industrial Products; Manufacturing

30 May 2005
Research & Ideas

Six Steps for Making Your Threat Credible

would love to bid but only if your competitor stays out of the game. Rumors suggest that your competitor is willing to counter your bid, but you believe these are strategic leaks designed to scare you off. You know that your competitor... View Details

Keywords: by Deepak Malhotra

Web

Globalization - Faculty & Research

democracy being a substitute for economic IGOs, but a complement for social and cultural IGOs. July 2013 Article Ethnic Innovation and U.S. Multinational Firm Activity By: C. Fritz Foley and William R. Kerr This paper studies the impact... View Details

02 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

Not All M&As Are Alike—and That Matters

however. The thousands of deals that academics, consultants, and businesspeople lump together as mergers and acquisitions actually represent very different strategic activities. Acquisitions occur for five reasons: to deal with... View Details

Keywords: by Joseph L. Bower

Web

Curriculum - Business & Environment

opportunities. Harvard University and Urban Mining Industries: Decarbonizing the Supply Chain The case describes Harvard University's consideration to decarbonize its supply chain by replacing cement with a low-carbon substitute called... View Details

29 Apr 2014
First Look

First Look: April 29

provides material for students to stage skits in front of the class to illustrate how and why the cheating occurred.) Purchase this case: http://hbr.org/product/atlanta-schools-measures-to-improve-performance/an/114001-PDF-ENG Harvard Business School Case 713-542 View Details