Publications

December 1995 (Revised January 2008)
Case

Lenzing AG: Expanding in Indonesia

By: Debora L. Spar

In 1994, Lenzing AG, the world's largest rayon manufacturer, is deciding whether to expand production in South Pacific Viscose, its Indonesian subsidiary. Indonesia is a booming market for rayon, but management still has some concerns about the expansion. First, for... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Production; Expansion; Logistics; Manufacturing Industry; Indonesia

11 Dec 2023
Blog Post

Building Iconic Brands and Brighter Futures: Interview with Glossier CEO, Kyle Leahy

exposed me to so many fascinating, smart, kind, humble, incredible people with so many different diverse backgrounds.” It was also at HBS that Leahy learned she could utilize her skillset in strategy... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products / Retail

27 Dec 2010
Research & Ideas

HBS Faculty on 2010’s Biggest Business Developments

Business School professors—former Medtronic chairman and CEO Bill George, economist and entrepreneurship expert Bill Sahlman, and innovation and strategy authority Rosabeth Moss Kanter—to offer their thoughts on some of the year's most... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

21 Mar 2018
Research & Ideas

Why Artificial Intelligence Isn't a Sure Thing to Increase Productivity

Will Machine Learning Make You a Better Manager? Companies Love Big Data But Lack the Strategy To Use It Effectively Is There Still a Role for Judgment in Decision-Making? What do you think? Is machine... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Technology; Information

May 1999 (Revised August 1999)
Case

Westfield America

By: William J. Poorvu, Richard S. Tedlow and Daniel J. Rudd

The company is attempting to duplicate its Australian formula for successful mall ownership in the U.S. market. It must deal with rapidly evolving financial markets while recognizing and capitalizing on emerging trends in retailing. View Details

Keywords: Market Entry and Exit; Adaptation; Financial Markets; Property; Trends; Retail Industry; Real Estate Industry; Australia; United States

Find at Harvard

April 1978 (Revised January 1985)
Case

Searle Medical Instruments Group (Abridged)

By: Steven C. Wheelwright

SMIG, a division of G.D. Searle, was a fast growing high market-share company in the field of nuclear medical instruments. It manufactured two basically different product lines, one very successful and the other less so. Although marketing was separate for these... View Details

Keywords: Change; Brands and Branding; Market Participation; Production; Success; Performance Capacity; Expansion; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

April 1999 (Revised May 2000)
Case

Compaq Computer: Intel Inside?

By: David E. Bell and Ann Leamon

Presents the results of quantitative and qualitative market research on the possible acceptance of a non-Intel processor in Compaq Computer's consumer notebook line. If the low-priced, non-Intel notebook is a success, the company will maintain or increase its 45% share... View Details

Keywords: Distribution; Production; Success; Performance Evaluation; Mathematical Methods; Competition; Computer Industry

31 May 2011
First Look

First Look: May 31

respond to adverse shocks and how voters react to these responses. The data show that voters punish the incumbent party for weather events beyond its control. However, fewer voters punish the ruling party when View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Feb 2014
Case

Finding the Money: An Overview of Infrastructure Finance Challenges and Opportunities

This overview describes how the United States funds and finances infrastructure investment to maintain its economic competitiveness. It considers the roles of taxpayers, users, government allocators and... View Details

04 Jun 2020
Book

It’s Not About You: Why Leaders Need to Look Outward

the employees’ understanding of the strategy—and the culture. We see so many organizations work so hard on strategy and then put it on a shelf, or they keep it in the minds of... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz

April 2005 (Revised August 2008)
Case

Crisis at Japan Communications, Inc.

In 2001, Seiji Frank Sanda is facing his worst crisis since founding Japan Communications Inc. (JCI) in 1996. His planned IPO was stopped, leaving JCI with a large organization and strong revenues, but losses and a dwindling balance sheet. He is seriously considering... View Details

Keywords: Diversification; Entrepreneurship; Crisis Management; Communications Industry; Japan

June 2007
Case

AARP Foundation (A)

By: Srikant M. Datar, Herman B. Leonard, Marc J. Epstein and Thomas Goodwin

AARP Foundation--a leading non-profit corporation--must create a new "Dashboard" performance measurement tool to track the effectiveness of its new strategic plan. View Details

Keywords: Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Performance Effectiveness; Performance Evaluation; Strategic Planning; Nonprofit Organizations; Welfare; Business Strategy

01 Sep 2023
News

Hands-on Learning About Global Markets

A certificate of appreciation was presented to Ellie Care representatives Francisco Garcia Zavaleta (COO) and Gervasio Videla Dorna (cofounder and CEO), at left, and to Patricio Alba (cofounder and CIO), far right, by HBS students Maxwell Nii Laryea, third from left,... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Gillespie

March 2003 (Revised December 2003)
Exercise

Organizational Alignment Exercise

By: Michael Beer and John J. Gabarro

Presents an overview of a method for diagnosing and developing an organization's capability to achieve its goals and implement its strategy, with exercises for application. A rewritten version of an earlier exercise. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Structure; Alignment

28 Nov 2005
Research & Ideas

Unilever: Transformation and Tradition

possessed, first, strong capabilities in branding and marketing. It understood local markets, and it knew how to market to them. It was at the frontier of market segmentation... View Details

Keywords: by Geoffrey Jones; Consumer Products

12 Dec 2005
Research & Ideas

Using the Law to Strategic Advantage

competition. PepsiCo used litigation to protect its marketing strategy by successfully asserting that a former marketing manager who left to work for a competitor would inevitably use trade secrets for... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Legal Services

Research Summary

Papers in progress

“The ‘Carbon Club’: Oil Companies, Climate Change & the Shaping of Public Policy”. Conspiracy theories abound, but the roles of the major oil companies in influencing public policy on climate change remain largely obscure. This... View Details

27 Oct 2015
Blog Post

Alumni: Where Are They Now? Featuring Claire Friedman...

resident, it was a big transition to move out west, but once I learned how to drive, it was smooth sailing. I spent some time at Warner Bros., working on strategy projects for... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment / Media / Sports

April 1995 (Revised December 1997)
Case

Silicon Graphics, Inc. (A)

By: Marco Iansiti and Ellen Stein

Based on a Silicon Valley company that has developed the capability to compete in a rapidly growing, highly turbulent environment. This capability hinges on its flexible and rapid development process, which the case characterizes in detail. Focuses on the development... View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Information Infrastructure; Product Launch; Managerial Roles; Expansion; Design; Applications and Software; Computer Industry; Electronics Industry; California