Publications

11 Jan 2011
First Look

First Look: Jan. 11

ability ought to be taxed. In an environment where commodity taxes are allowed to be nonlinear functions of income and consumption, we derive an analytical expression that reveals the forces determining optimal View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Oct 1999
News

The Class of 1974: Timed for a Change

would take a German commodity chemical business to a major position in detergents and perfumes, that Eileen Friars would trade in her jeans and long tresses and take charge of a $20-billion credit-card operation, or that Jeff Seder would,... View Details

Keywords: Charles B. ("Chuck") Mercer

30 May 2000
Research & Ideas

Market Makers Bid for Success

two-minute version is that after I left HBS I worked at McKinsey down in Texas. I learned two major things while I was there. First, the way to make money in commodities markets is to have superior information, to make better trades, and... View Details

Keywords: by Staff; Web Services; Technology

01 Jan 2005
News

Rahul Bajaj, MBA 1964

production of a commodity that most Indians needed, I didn't mind." Bajaj's antiestablishment views prevailed, and by the beginning of the 1980s, Bajaj Auto had increased its annual production to 172,000 vehicles. Today, with revenues of... View Details

01 Dec 2010
News

Additional alumni books for your consideration.

tracking global market trends and finding investment opportunities — such as gold, interest rates, currency, and commodities — that match those trends. Balance Is a Crock, Sleep Is for the Weak: An Indispensable Guide to Surviving Working... View Details

Keywords: Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles; Finance

01 Apr 1997
News

Critical Information: MIS Monitors the Ever-Changing World of IT

"Multimedia and the Boundaryless Organization." With the creation of services such as online newspapers and television home shopping, information has become a commodity itself, replacing physical products and services. Associate Professor... View Details

Keywords: Elaine Gottlieb

September 2010
Article

Do Inventory and Gross Margin Data Improve Sales Forecasts for U.S. Public Retailers?

By: Saravanan Kesavan, Vishal Gaur and Ananth Raman

Firm-level sales forecasts for retailers can be improved if we incorporate cost of goods sold, inventory, and gross margin (defined here as the ratio of sales to cost of goods sold) as three endogenous variables. We construct a simultaneous equations model, estimated... View Details

Keywords: Sales; Forecasting and Prediction; Distribution; Goods and Commodities; Cost; Public Sector; Profit; Mathematical Methods; Analytics and Data Science; Retail Industry; United States

Find at Harvard

18 Apr 2005
Research & Ideas

Tips to Reinvent the Department Store

a designer's line and pick from it the point of view we want to represent," while a vendor's own store will typically offer an entire line of products. "[But] there are certain commodity items. A Prada handbag is a Prada... View Details

Keywords: by Julie Jette; Retail

October 1991 (Revised November 1993)
Case

Play Time Toy Co.

By: Thomas R. Piper

The president of a toy company is considering the adoption of level production in a business characterized by highly seasonal sales. The issues include balancing the cost savings and the inventory risk, estimating the seasonal financing need, and determining the... View Details

Keywords: Production; Cost Management; Banks and Banking; Sales; Goods and Commodities; Financial Management; Risk Management; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

17 Mar 2011
Research & Ideas

Harvard Business School Faculty Comment on Crisis in Japan

this is temporary, but imagine taking 22% of the global supply of a vital commodity offline. Toshiba is a Japanese company that makes 35% of the flash memory in the world, consumed by devices like Apple's iPad and smartphones. It has not... View Details

Keywords: Re: Multiple Faculty

May 2020
Teaching Note

Danone: Changing the Food System

By: David E. Bell, Federica Gabrieli, Daniela Beyersdorfer, Amy Klopfenstein and Aldo Sesia

Teaching Note for HBS No. 520-053.
This is a teaching note for the case “Danone: Changing the Food System?” The case examines the efforts of one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies to resolve the social, environmental, and economic issues within... View Details

Keywords: Food; Goods and Commodities; Agribusiness; Animal-Based Agribusiness; Plant-Based Agribusiness; Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Environmental Management; Environmental Sustainability; Climate Change; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Europe; France; Paris

December 2004 (Revised February 2005)
Case

Exporting Spanish Olive Oil to the U.S. Market

By: Ray A. Goldberg, Hal Hogan and Miguel Angel Llano Irusta

Spain is the largest olive oil producer, yet it sells much of its product to Italy, where it is repackaged as Italian olive oil. The decision maker in the case wants to develop Spain as the olive oil leader not just in production but in quality and value added. He... View Details

Keywords: Plant-Based Agribusiness; Trade; Goods and Commodities; Demand and Consumers; Supply and Industry; Brands and Branding; Decisions; Customization and Personalization; Product Design; Product Development; Marketing Strategy; Product Marketing; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Spain; United States; Italy

01 Jun 1999
News

Conference Brings Global Perspective to Cape Town

several of the key issues that were discussed over the next two days. Sachs stressed that "Africa's development challenge is the world's greatest economic challenge." After touching on some of the region's persistent problems - AIDS and malaria, intense poverty, and... View Details

Keywords: Susan Young

December 1999 (Revised January 2000)
Case

Agrochemicals at Ciba-Geigy AG (B)

By: Michael L. Tushman, Wendy Smith and Daniel Radov

Focuses on Pierre Urech's efforts to change the division structure at Ciba-Geigy to facilitate the marketing of the new product. Details the relationships Urech cultivates and the strategy he pursues as "product champion." Also describes the restructuring of the... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Innovation Strategy; Innovation and Management; Leadership Development; Leadership Style; Research and Development; Marketing Strategy; Goods and Commodities; Product Development; Pharmaceutical Industry; Switzerland