Publications

Article

How Are U.S. Family Firms Controlled?

Keywords: Family Business; United States

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December 2000
Background Note

Online Retailers

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Alastair Brown

Describes online retailers, companies that use the Internet to sell physical goods. Defines online retailers and describes different ways to categorize them. Explores their economic model and value proposition for consumers in comparison with offline retailers. Next,... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Internet; Retail Industry

October 1982
Case

Boise Cascade Office Products Division (A)

By: Roy D. Shapiro

Keywords: Business Divisions

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April 1988 (Revised November 1990)
Supplement

Precista Tools AG (B)

The family holds a meeting to talk about the future of the business. Designed to be used with Precista Tools AG (A) and (C) in a one class period. View Details

Keywords: Family Business

01 Dec 2000
News

A Latin American Vision: New HBS Research Center Opens

freedom." A multifaceted research conference titled "Partnering for Knowledge Creation" was held to celebrate the center's opening last August 3-4. Prominent university academics and top business leaders from ten countries were among the... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace; Educational Support Services; Educational Services

24 Apr 2014
News

Addressing roadblocks to innovation in health care

Innovation in health care is a national and international priority driven by demand for quality and universal access, yet it has proved very difficult to achieve. Regina E. Herzlinger, the Nancy R. McPherson Professor of Business... View Details

01 Dec 2016
News

Managing Change

Harvard Business School’s Executive Director for University Affairs. James, previously executive director of External Relations, will be working with Senior Associate Dean Srikant Datar to lead efforts including HBS’s engagement in the... View Details

25 Feb 2020
News

@Soldiers Field

IT’S A WRAP Above: In December, Professor of Management Practice Willy Shih (with Harvard Business Publishing’s Dave Di Iulio) filmed a video on the topic of digital transformation at the Klarman Studio soundstage—one of three studios... View Details

05 Oct 2016
News

Harvard to Open Life Sciences Lab

and outcomes, and will reinforce President Drew Faust’s vision of One Harvard. All three labs benefit from their close proximity to Harvard Business School and upcoming the Science and Engineering Complex – which will be the new home of... View Details

Keywords: Educational Support Services; Educational Services; Scientific Research and Development Services

23 Jun 2017
News

A 'Pillar' of Entrepreneurship

Photo courtesy of Russ Wilcox Photo courtesy of Russ Wilcox Serial entrepreneur Russ Wilcox (MBA 1995), whose ventures have included E-Ink, Transatomic Power and new life sciences startup, Piper Therapeutics, has joined Pillar, the... View Details

Keywords: Management of Companies and Enterprises; Management

2020
Other Unpublished Work

An Operating Model for the Next Normal: Lessons from Agile Organizations in the Crisis

By: Christopher Handscomb, Deepak Mahadevan, Lars Schor, Marcus Sieberer, Euvin Naidoo and Suraj Srinivasan

Companies with agile practices embedded in their operating models have managed the impact of the COVID-19 crisis better than their peers. Here’s what helped them cope. View Details

Keywords: Operating Model; Agile Practices; Health Pandemics; Business Model; Crisis Management

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January 2017
Case

Medtronic: Making the Big Leap Forward (A)

By: William W. George and Monica Baraldi

In 2014, Medtronic was about to execute a $50 billion acquisition of Ireland-based Covidien. Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak was committed to building the largest medical technology company in the world while broadening its ability to fulfill its mission of “alleviating... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Medtronic; Covidien; Mission; Tax Inversion; Business Strategy; Leadership; Mergers and Acquisitions; Pharmaceutical Industry; Republic of Ireland; Europe; Minnesota; United States

December 1996 (Revised November 2006)
Background Note

General Mills, Inc.: Appendix of Comparable Company Data

By: William J. Bruns Jr.

Financial ratios for comparable companies to be used in conjunction with an analysis of the General Mills Annual Report. View Details

Keywords: Business Conglomerates; Analytics and Data Science; Food and Beverage Industry

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December 1998
Supplement

Vermeer Technologies (A): A Company Is Born

By: Ashish Nanda

The founding team of Vermeer Technologies, an entrepreneurial software start-up, discusses the opportunities and challenges confronting the company. View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Information Technology Industry

January 1990 (Revised May 1991)
Case

Hoechst and the German Chemical Industry

Describes the rise of the German chemical industry and the specific country-based factors that contributed to the rise. Focuses on the German firm Hoechst: its history, its position after World War II, and its subsequent internationalization. Set in 1986 when Hoechst... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Competitive Advantage; Acquisition; Chemical Industry; Germany; United States

September 1989 (Revised January 1990)
Case

Vinod Khosla and Sun Microsystems (A)

Describes how Vinod Khosla got Sun Microsystems started, and a critical marketing challenge the company faced at the end of the first year. Objective is to illustrate how bold creative thinking can make or break start-ups. View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Business Startups; Innovation and Invention; Information Technology Industry; Computer Industry

25 Jul 2012
News

Movie Magic

swipe of a credit card. “Automated retail sounds better,” suggests Gregg Kaplan (MBA 1997). Recruited by McDonald’s to help start new businesses within the fast-food giant, in 2002 Kaplan oversaw the installation of six kiosks in... View Details

Keywords: vending machines; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Arts, Entertainment; General Merchandise Stores; Retail Trade

February 2010
Teaching Note

Wanxiang Group: A Chinese Company's Global Strategy (TN)

By: Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan and Keith Chi-ho Wong

Teaching Note for [308058]. View Details

Keywords: Business History; Global Strategy; Business Conglomerates; Vertical Integration; Goals and Objectives; Mergers and Acquisitions; Auto Industry; China; United States