Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(2,157)
- Faculty Publications (506)
- June 1991 (Revised April 1995)
- Background Note
Corporate Strategy: A Conceptual Framework
By: David J. Collis
Provides a conceptual framework for the study of corporate strategy. First describes previous perspectives on corporate strategy and then develops a framework of four elements: resources, tasks, structure, and industries. This framework can be used to explain the value... View Details
- June 1991 (Revised April 1997)
- Background Note
Managing the Multibusiness Corporation
By: David J. Collis
Lays out some ideas on how to restructure a multibusiness corporation. Identifies sixteen elements of organization design, and then applies contingency theory to argue that these elements need to be aligned with the tasks the corporation uses to create value across its... View Details
- May 1991
- Article
Presidential Commitment and the Veto
By: Daniel E. Ingberman and Dennis Yao
A president's power to veto is widely recognized as an important weapon in the struggle with Congress over legislation. In this paper we investigate the effectiveness of the veto weapon with a simple model of presidential powers that incorporates informal institutional... View Details
- May 1990 (Revised July 1996)
- Case
Ingvar Kamprad and IKEA
By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Ashish Nanda
Traces the development of a Swedish furniture retailer under the leadership of an innovative and unconventional entrepreneur whose approaches redefine the nature and structure of the industry. Traces IKEA's growth from a tiny mail order business to the world's largest... View Details
- August 1989 (Revised October 2003)
- Case
Fan Pier
By: William J. Poorvu and Katherine Sweetman
The owner of the Fan Pier site in South Boston has been found legally responsible for blocking the efforts of his development partner in attaining the approval necessary to build the $800 million megaproject they had planned together. It was believed that the owner... View Details
- June 1989 (Revised May 1993)
- Supplement
Rossin Greenberg Seronick & Hill, Inc. (C)
By: John A. Quelch
Teaching objectives: 1) to consider legal and other obligations advertising agencies owe to their clients, 2) to show how aggressive marketing can lead to allegations of misconduct, 3) to explore conflicts of interest which may arise for professional service companies... View Details
- February 1989 (Revised October 1994)
- Case
Asahi Breweries Ltd.
Focuses on competitive repositioning, organizational renewal, and personal leadership. Describes how Asahi Breweries was faced with a major capacity expansion decision after succeeding in increasing market share dramatically in the traditionally stable Japanese beer... View Details
- November 1988 (Revised September 1991)
- Case
Simmons Japan Ltd.
By: W. Carl Kester and Richard P. Melnick
Concerns the first leveraged buyout to occur in Japan. Analytic tasks include a valuation of the company and an assessment of its debt capacity. Also provides opportunities to discuss agency costs associated with alternative capital and equity ownership structures,... View Details
Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Restructuring; Borrowing and Debt; Capital Structure; Cost; Equity; Production; Valuation; Japan; United States
- August 1988 (Revised April 1998)
- Case
IBM 360: Giant as Entrepreneur
By: Joseph L. Bower
Presents the ingredients that went into a major entrepreneurial shift by IBM--investing $5 billion into a new product line that would obsolete any existing computer product line offered by the competition, or by IBM itself. The economic and technical challenges of this... View Details
- April 1988 (Revised May 1992)
- Case
Gaz de France
By: W. Carl Kester
The treasurer of Gaz de France is an aggressive, proactive manager of his company's liability structure, running one of the largest swap books of any non-financial corporation in the world. Currency futures, interbank forwards, and currency options are also frequently... View Details
- October 1987
- Case
Philips Group--1987, The
By: Francis Aguilar and Michael Y. Yoshino
Discusses how Philips, a major Dutch-based multinational company, attempts to bring about a fundamental change in its strategy, organization, and culture in response to a rapidly changing market and competitive environment. View Details
- August 1986 (Revised May 2005)
- Case
Mike Finkelstein (B)
By: Carliss Y. Baldwin, Charles Bryan and Ken Leet
Following his successful turnaround of WTXX, Waterbury, Mike Finkelstein joined Odyssey Partners with a mandate to build a communications company. From 1982-1985, he acquired three more stations, financing each as an independent partnership. However, increasing... View Details
- January 1986 (Revised March 1997)
- Case
Horizon Group
Contains a description of a situation confronting the co-founder of a company planning to produce software for microcomputers. The company has just completed raising money from some wealthy investors by forming an R&D Limited Partnership. Development of the program (an... View Details
- May 1985 (Revised October 2001)
- Case
Comdisco, Inc.
By: Carliss Y. Baldwin and Rita J. Seymour
Comdisco, the largest independent dealer and lessor of computers and peripheral equipment, needs financing in order to match its market's growth of 20-30% per year. The company has access to two types of risk capital, but there are substantial costs and risks... View Details
- January 1985 (Revised February 1997)
- Case
Lotus Development Corp.
Contains a description of the history and venture capital financing of Lotus Development. Focuses on issues related to the possible terms of investment in Lotus by a major venture capital firm. The pedagogic objectives in the case are: to explore the elements of the... View Details
- March 1979 (Revised June 1985)
- Case
Chain Saw Industry in 1974
Describes the structure of the chain saw industry in 1974, when it is on the threshold of a major period of growth. Data are provided on each significant competitor. The discussion should center around strategies in a growing market for differently situated... View Details
- February 1979 (Revised December 1983)
- Case
Allied Chemical Corp. (A)
Describes Allied, the chemical industry, and the effects of the Kepone problem (a toxic pesticide dumped into the James River) as of 1976. The executive in the case must decide whether the company should support the passage of the Toxic Substances Control Act and an... View Details
- October 1976
- Background Note
Industry Structural Change
Presents a framework for understanding and predicting industry structural change. Examines 1) the important underlying forces causing structural change, 2) the key relationships among industry elements in the process of change, and 3) some implications of change for... View Details
- Article
On the Optimal Structure of Liability Laws
By: Jerry R. Green
We consider the control of tvo-party accidents through the use of liability rules that assign damages according to whether or not predetermined standards for care have been met. Particular emphasis is given to how the differential in the costs of accident avoidance... View Details