Publications

January 2013 (Revised April 2013)
Technical Note

Relational Contracts and the Roots of Sustained Competitive Advantage

By: Rebecca M. Henderson

This note focuses on organizational "competencies" or "capabilities" as a potential source of sustained competitive advantage. Research in this area hypothesizes that some firms outperform their competition because they can do things that their rivals cannot. View Details

Keywords: Competitive Advantage; Performance

May 2010
Supplement

Tim Westergren of Pandora Radio

By: Willy C. Shih and Halle Alicia Tecco

Pandora Radio is at a crossroads. Founder Tim Westergren has just been told by a well known VC to get rid of his unprofitable customers in order to get his costs down, but Westergren is not sure that such actions are consistent with his company's business model.... View Details

Keywords: History; Business Model; Customers; Venture Capital; Internet and the Web; Cost Management; Outcome or Result; Customization and Personalization; Growth and Development Strategy; Music Industry

14 Jan 2019
News

At LVMH’s Watch Division, Experience of a Different Kind

October 2005 (Revised February 2006)
Case

Reactivity: A Case of Re-Invention

By: Myra M. Hart and Sylvia Sensiper

By the time Glenn Osaka joined Reactivity as its new CEO in January 2001, the Internet bubble had burst, the financial markets had turned, and the company's core businesses were drying up. He was not hired to lead a turnaround, but Osaka found that the firm's future... View Details

Keywords: Management Style; Venture Capital; Organizational Culture; Applications and Software; Leadership Style; Product; Transformation; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Information Technology Industry; Consulting Industry

17 Oct 2018
Video

Unlocking the Potential of Precision Medicine

January 2023 (Revised August 2023)
Case

Nick Saban: Embracing 'The Process' of Sustaining Success

By: Ranjay Gulati and Eppa Rixey

Nick Saban, head coach of the University of Alabama football team from 2007-2022, fielded teams that won 183 of 208 games (88%), including a record-tying six national championships. Saban’s approach to coaching, known to many as “The Process,” and the consistent... View Details

Keywords: Purpose; Leadership And Managing People; Football; Recruiting; Talent Acquisition; Talent And Talent Management; Talent Development And Retention; Organization Change And Adaptation; Organizational Behavior; Sports; Leadership; Leadership Development; Organizational Culture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Sports Industry; United States

January 2019 (Revised October 2019)
Case

Glossier: Co-Creating a Cult Brand with a Digital Community

By: Jill Avery

Glossier’s proclaimed strategy was “born from content; fueled by community.” The digital-first, direct-to-consumer beauty brand had experienced rapid growth, with sales up 600% in 2017 and a customer portfolio that grew by threefold. But, its founder, Emily Weiss, was... View Details

30 Dec 2014
News

The Future Of Air Travel Is 'Hell On Wings'

10 Aug 2016
News

Prospective Students Steer Clear of Schools Rocked by Scandal

06 May 2021
News

"Hybrid" Return-to-Office Models Could Create Subcaste of Workers

28 Jul 2020
News

Reimagining Capitalism in the Shadow of the Pandemic

Article

Rethinking the Profession Formerly Known as Advertising: How Data Science Is Disrupting the Work of Agencies

By: John A. Deighton

The article discusses the notion of advertising as a profession in relation to the impact of digital analytics and data-driven marketing. Topics include the history of internet marketing, the investments of the content-driven internet firms Facebook Inc. and Google... View Details

Keywords: Data Science; Digital Marketing; Marketing; Internet and the Web; Analytics and Data Science; Disruption

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October 2002 (Revised December 2003)
Case

Collabrys, Inc. (A)-The Evolution of a Startup

By: Dorothy A. Leonard and Brian DeLacey

The CEO of a two-year-old start-up must now decide whether to become a technology provider or a service agency. In a time of enormous uncertainty about the viability of various business models for Internet-delivered services and products, Collabrys has survived the... View Details

Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Internet and the Web; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Corporate Strategy; Technological Innovation; Cost vs Benefits; Partners and Partnerships; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Startups; Corporate Finance; United States

12 Feb 2015
Video

Stayin’ Alive: Technology and the End of Institutions

07 Jul 2022
News

JPMorgan’s ‘Big Hitters’ of Gold Market Face Trial Over Spoofing

25 Jan 2015
News

Catalogs, After Years of Decline, Are Revamped for Changing Times

November 17, 2009
Article

The Dark Underbelly of Online Advertising

By: Benjamin Edelman

The Internet is sold to advertisers as a highly measurable medium that is the most efficient way to target exactly the right customers. But online advertising is also easily subverted—letting fraudsters claim advertising fees for work they did not actually do. The... View Details

Keywords: Safety; Misleading and Fraudulent Advertising; Online Advertising; Advertising Industry