Publications

15 Jul 2002
Research & Ideas

Going Green Makes Good Business Sense

where you stand. You also need to prevent competitors from imitating your methods. A second strategy is to up the ante on a competitive level within your industry by raising your own costs in order to provide an environmental good, but... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

March 1990 (Revised October 1990)
Case

Liz Claiborne, Inc. and Ruentex Industries Ltd.

Describes Liz Claiborne, Inc.'s manufacturing and marketing strategy and details the significance of its supplier selection strategy. It begins to describe the company's relationship with Ruentex Industries Ltd., its largest supplier of piece goods. When used with... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Supply Chain Management; Relationships; Cooperation; Apparel and Accessories Industry

July 2023
Article

Deep Responsibility and Irresponsibility in the Beauty Industry

By: Geoffrey Jones

This article employs the concept of deep responsibility to assess the social responsibility of the beauty industry over time. It shows that many of today’s problems with the industry have deep historical roots. Products have too many ingredients that are potential... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

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12 Feb 2014
Research & Ideas

Private Sector, Public Good

this is not what business does or should do, Henderson said. “If managers can support public institutions and provide public goods and make money, why aren't they?” "They say the answer is regulation or the answer is taxation,"... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

March 1990 (Revised October 1990)
Case

Ruentex Industries Ltd. and Liz Claiborne, Inc.

Describes Ruentex's operations and the piece goods production process and begins to describe the company's relationship with Liz Claiborne, Inc., its largest customer. When used with Liz Claiborne, Inc. and Ruentex Industries Ltd. and Liz Claiborne, Inc. and Ruentex... View Details

Keywords: Supply Chain Management; Relationships; Cooperation; Apparel and Accessories Industry

2021
Working Paper

Accounting for Product Impact in the Consumer-Packaged Foods Industry

By: Amanda Rischbieth, George Serafeim and Katie Trinh

We apply the product impact measurement framework of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) in two competitor companies within the consumer-packaged goods industry. We design a methodology that allows us to calculate monetary impact estimates on customer... View Details

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01 Jun 2012
News

Good as Our Word

uses ratings, and how they are used. The case concerns the strategic options facing a new entrant hoping to exploit the potential crack in the dominance of Moody’s, Fitch, and S&P. Becker was spurred to write it when he realized the bond ratings View Details

Keywords: Maggie Starvish; Bond rating; Securities, Commodities, and Other Financial Investments; Finance

May 2017 (Revised November 2017)
Case

Cotopaxi: Managing Growth for Good

By: Andy Wu and Laura Huang

Cotopaxi, an innovative outdoor gear business targeting millennials, focuses on profit and social impact. This registered benefit corporation was formed by Davis Smith who coalesced his experiences as a Wharton MBA student along with professional knowledge from an... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Social Venture; Benefit Corporation; B-Corp; Retail; Consumer Products; Apparel; Social Impact; Social Entrepreneurship; Business Model; Product Positioning; Social Enterprise; Mission and Purpose; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry

June 2005 (Revised January 2008)
Case

Good Technology: Empowering Mobility Around the Globe (A)

By: Geoffrey G. Jones and Adam Minnick

Describes the global growth of Good Technology, a Silicon Valley start-up in wireless handheld computing software and service. Reviews the evaluation of wireless standards, the emergence of the world wireless market for voice and data, and the growth of the major firms... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Globalized Firms and Management; Partners and Partnerships; Expansion; Wireless Technology; Communications Industry; Communications Industry; California

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01 Feb 2001
News

What Makes a Good Leader

authority on leadership — sees this phenomenon as a sign of the times. "The transition from the industrial age to the information age is a huge shift," he notes. "In all of human history, there have only been two other socioeconomic... View Details

Keywords: Management

July 2020
Case

Kathy Fish at Procter & Gamble: Navigating Industry Disruption by Disrupting from Within

By: Emily Truelove, Linda A. Hill and Emily Tedards

When Kathy Fish, Procter & Gamble’s Chief Research, Development & Innovation Officer, and a 40-year company veteran, stepped into her role in 2014, she was concerned that the world’s leading consumer packaged goods company had lost its capability to produce a steady... View Details

Keywords: Female Protagonist; Organizational Change; Organizational Behavior; Culture Change; Digital; Innovation; Lean Startup; Experimentation; Metrics; Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG); Leadership; Leading Change; Change Management; Organizational Culture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Disruption; Innovation and Invention; Digital Transformation

01 Feb 1999
News

Too Much of a Good Thing?

down; that's good for the consumer's pocketbook as well as for those industries benefiting from low-priced materials or commodities. In addition, overcapacity often springs from innovation - an improved... View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons

01 Jun 2012
News

What Industrial Policy?

"Taxation, meet Representation." Following up on his pledge to provide greater support for manufacturing, President Obama has announced a proposal to cut the effective tax rate for manufacturers to 25 percent. A number of economists howled against this so-called View Details

Keywords: Gary P. Pisano; Agriculture; Construction of Buildings; Construction; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services; Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles; Finance; Health, Social Assistance; Manufacturing

17 Sep 2007
Research & Ideas

Broadband: Remaking the Advertising Industry

business, and the difficulties writing about such a moving target. Julia Hanna: What is the subject of your book in progress? Stephen P. Bradley: We are looking at industries that are being transformed by broadband such as the news and... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Advertising; Media & Broadcasting; Publishing

September 1983 (Revised February 1989)
Background Note

The Oil Tanker Shipping Industry in 1983

By: Michael E. Porter

Describes the international oil tanker shipping industry both historically and in 1983. Designed to provide a vehicle for practicing industry analysis in a volatile commodity business, and for formulating strategy in such an environment. Also can be used to examine... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Globalized Markets and Industries; Goods and Commodities; Volatility; Vertical Integration; Supply and Industry; Shipping Industry

01 Dec 2008
News

A Force for Good

had done well for themselves and enjoyed sharing their good fortune. Recognizing McArthur’s potential, the Koerners offered to help finance his college education — an unusual next step for members of his high-school class. He and Natty... View Details

Web

Industry Information - Alumni

and news on emerging designers, disruptive technologies and global brands in the fashion and luxury goods industries. United States Census Bureau: Retail Trade Provides the industry monthly sales and... View Details

June 1986 (Revised May 1989)
Case

Good Time Toy Co.

By: Thomas R. Piper

Keywords: Entertainment and Recreation Industry

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January 2017 (Revised October 2021)
Case

Delivering the Goods at Shippo

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Jeffrey F. Rayport and Olivia Hull

Laura Behrens Wu, CEO of software start-up Shippo, prepares her pitch for a Series A funding round following a successful seed round. Customer adoption of Shippo’s e-commerce dashboard application, which allows small and medium retailers to compare delivery rates... View Details