Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(2,096)
- Faculty Publications (684)
- May – June 2006
- Article
Choose the Right Measures, Drive the Right Strategy
By: Dennis Campbell
Metrics overload is a common problem that can have serious consequences: Specifically, it can make it difficult for employees to see what actions they should take to execute strategic objectives. Having too many metrics dilutes the focus and invariably means many are... View Details
- April 2006 (Revised October 2006)
- Case
Best Buy Co., Inc.: Customer-Centricity
By: Rajiv Lal, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Irina Tarsis
With FY2005 sales of $27.3 billion, Richfield, Minn.-based Best Buy Co., Inc. was the leading retailer of consumer electronics, home-office products, and related services in North America. Its operations included the distinct store formats Best Buy, Future Shop in... View Details
- March 2006 (Revised September 2006)
- Case
Slots, Tables, and All That Jazz: Managing Customer Profitability at the MGM Grand Hotel
By: Dennis Campbell, Francisco de Asis Martinez-Jerez, Marc Epstein and Joshua Bellin
The MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas had detailed information on loyal gaming customers, but could its information systems also be tailored to nongaming customers? As the nongaming business sectors became increasingly profitable both at the MGM Grand and in Las Vegas... View Details
- March 2006 (Revised September 2006)
- Case
Irizar in 2005
By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Jordan Mitchell
In June 2005, Koldo Saratxaga, the leader of Basque-based luxury coach manufacturer Irizar, decided to leave after 14 years at the helm of the worker-owned cooperative. Under Saratxaga's stewardship, Irizar was saved from near bankruptcy in 1991 and has become a highly... View Details
- March 2006
- Case
Cabo San Viejo: Rewarding Loyalty
By: Youngme E. Moon, Gail J. McGovern and Seth Schulman
In 2005, Cabo San Viejo, a premier health and fitness spa resort located in Palm Springs, California, is debating whether to introduce a Customer Rewards Program. Describes the customer management challenges the firm is facing and outlines the various ways in which a... View Details
- March 2006 (Revised April 2006)
- Case
NOK (A)
By: Das Narayandas and Kate Attea
Highlights issues that a multidivision firm faces as it moves from managing products for profit to managing customers for profit. View Details
- December 2005 (Revised July 2006)
- Case
Bunge: Poised for Growth
By: David E. Bell and Mary L. Shelman
As CEO of the world's largest oilseed processor, Alberto Weisser of Bunge must not only decide how quickly to expand in fast-growing markets of Eastern Europe and Asia, but also how best to leverage the firm's global footprint and leadership position. The firm is... View Details
- November 2005 (Revised February 2006)
- Case
Oracle vs. PeopleSoft (A)
By: Lynn S. Paine, Guhan Subramanian and David Millstone
Focuses on the hotly contested takeover battle between software rivals Oracle and PeopleSoft in 2003 and 2004. Raises novel issues of takeover law under Delaware corporate law as well as issues of fair competition under California law. A central issue is whether the... View Details
- November 2005 (Revised August 2007)
- Case
ConAgra Foods: The Next Chapter
By: Ray A. Goldberg and Mary L. Shelman
In 2005, CEO Bruce Rohde has almost completed the integration of ConAgra Foods' collection of 90 independent operating companies into a focused, value-added firm and was beginning to think about his successor. ConAgra had become the second largest food company and No.... View Details
Keywords: Change Management; Corporate Strategy; Leading Change; Management Succession; Strategic Planning; Brands and Branding; Food; Agribusiness; Product Marketing; Management Teams; Transformation; Customer Focus and Relationships; Food and Beverage Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; United States
- October 2005 (Revised December 2006)
- Case
Magazine Luiza: Building a Retail Model of "Courting the Poor"
By: Frances X. Frei and Ricardo Reisen de Pinho
Describes the innovative retail model of the Brazilian firm Magazine Luiza. Magazine Luiza enables low-income consumer credit by applying a flexible and nuanced evaluation system. Additionally, its dedication to customer service, employee motivation, and progressive... View Details
- September 2005 (Revised February 2007)
- Case
Angels and Devils: Best Buy's New Customer Approach (A)
In November 2004, The Wall Street Journal reported that consumer electronics retailer Best Buy's new customer approach was to shun the "devils" among its customers. The "customer centricity" initiative, which was led by Best Buy's CEO Brad Anderson, was based on an... View Details
- September 2005 (Revised February 2007)
- Supplement
Angels and Devils: Best Buy's New Customer Approach (B)
- August 2005 (Revised April 2006)
- Case
Kemps LLC: Introducing Time-Driven ABC
By: Robert S. Kaplan
Kemps is making a strategy shift: from being focused on fulfilling customer requests to becoming the best cost dairy producer in the industry. Its existing manufacturing cost system, however, fails to capture the costs associated with handling special flavors, small... View Details
- July 2005 (Revised April 2006)
- Case
Carnival Cruise Lines
By: Lynda M. Applegate, Robert Kwortnik and Gabriele Piccoli
Highlights the potential value of customer data and the choices and challenges the firm faces when attempting to capture this value. Carnival collects a significant amount of individual-level behavioral and demographic customer data. Senior management must now decide... View Details
- June 2005 (Revised September 2006)
- Case
Oracle vs. salesforce.com
By: David B. Yoffie and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld
Explores the phenomenon of software becoming a service. Salesforce.com has catapulted into the lead for offering a customer relationship management (CRM) solution as a Web-based service. Siebel, the leader in CRM packaged software sales, has to devise a strategy to... View Details
- April 2005 (Revised November 2008)
- Case
Banco Real: Banking on Sustainability
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Ricardo Reisen de Pinho
ABN AMRO REAL made corporate social responsibility central to its brand, adding to customer focus and reflecting its values. Leaders developed the Bank of Value theme and implemented it through activities such as microfinance in poor communities, environmentally... View Details
- April 2005
- Article
The Quest for Customer Focus
By: Ranjay Gulati and James Oldroyd
Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships
- March 2005 (Revised April 2007)
- Case
Comergent Technologies Inc.: Enterprise E-Commerce
By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Marie Bell
Coming out of the 2001 high-tech industry recession, this venture capital start-up has to come up with a marketing plan to break even and grow. Its innovative e-commerce software provides unique customer relationship management solutions, but it has to convince... View Details
- February 2005 (Revised March 2013)
- Case
Phase Zero: Introducing New Services at IDEO (A)
By: Amy C. Edmondson and Laura Feldman
Focuses on whether world-renowned product design firm IDEO's new customer service fits with the firm's strategic position and organization capabilities. Over the course of IDEO's 13-year history, an increasing share of revenues are a result of "Phase 0"... View Details