Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(2,433)
- Faculty Publications (486)
- April 1989 (Revised August 1989)
- Case
Burlington Northern (A)
Describes the forces that led to the development of a logistics analysis program by the Burlington Northern Railroad. The first half of the case describes changes in industrial structure, technology, demographics, shipper practices, and government regulation that led... View Details
- April 1989
- Case
Norton Auto Supply
Describes a multiechelon distribution system for the distribution of automobile spare parts. An analyst has been hired by the Norton Auto Supply Co. to improve the company's inventory planning and control techniques. Includes demand, cost, weight, and supplier lead... View Details
- December 1988 (Revised March 1990)
- Case
Karen Vincent and Zodiac Corp.
- May 1988 (Revised June 2023)
- Case
National Cranberry Cooperative, 1996
By: Roy D. Shapiro
Describes the continuous flow process used to process cranberries into juice and/or sauce. Requires student to analyze process flows to determine where the bottlenecks are and to decide how, and whether, to expand capacity. Original version written by J.G. Miller and... View Details
- July 1987 (Revised May 1993)
- Case
Atlas Copco (A): Gaining and Building Distribution Channels
Atlas Copco, a Swedish company, holds the highest market share for air compressors worldwide. However, its attempts to enter U.S. markets have been unsuccessful. The case describes a series of strategic distribution maneuvers implemented by the company which enable it... View Details
- March 1987 (Revised October 1993)
- Case
Au Bon Pain: The French Bakery Cafe, The Partner/Manager Program
By: W. Earl Sasser
In recent years, Au Bon Pain (ABP), a chain of upscale French bakeries/sandwich cafes based in Boston, confronted a set of human resource problems endemic to the fast food industry (i.e., a labor shortage which made it difficult to attract and maintain quality crew... View Details
- September 1986 (Revised February 2007)
- Case
Solagen: Process Improvement in the Manufacture of Gelatin at Kodak
By: Dorothy A. Leonard and Brian DeLacey
Kodak must decide whether to make a major investment in a production facility designed around a new technique for producing the gelatin critical to so many film and paper products. Currently, gelatin making is an arcane art, unchanged in 150 years and heavily dependent... View Details
- April 1985 (Revised October 1988)
- Case
Everest Computer (A): The Development of the SuperMOS Process
By: Kim B. Clark
The research and development lab at the semiconductor development and manufacturing facility of a computer systems manufacturer has embarked on a radically improved semiconductor manufacturing process for application in a new computer system. The case offers a detailed... View Details
- Article
Do Supervisors Thrive in Participative Work Systems?
By: Leonard A. Schlesinger and Richard E. Walton
This article presents the findings regarding the nature of the difficulties surrounding the supervisory role in participative work systems, a conceptualization of the supervisor/work group interface, and some action implications for the management of organizations.... View Details
- June 1977 (Revised September 1992)
- Case
Sorenson Research Co. (Abridged)
Presents the issues facing a high volume, high margin (but lightweight) medical products business. The company is trying to improve its inventory control to reduce inventory investment and improve service. The present multi-site inventory system is described and major... View Details
- Forthcoming
- Article
Achieving Epilepsy Care for All: Ecosystem-Based Transformation
By: Susanna Gallani, Bernice Martin Lee and Lidia M. V. R. Moura
Epilepsy exemplifies many of the systemic challenges of modern health care— fragmented care delivery, inequitable access, financial strain, and so on. The current “system of systems” (SoS) structure of U.S. health care fosters siloed operations among its member systems... View Details
- Research Summary
Customer-Centricity as a Vehicle for Organic Growth
By: Ranjay Gulati
This body of work examines the mechanics of how firms grow profitably in commoditizing markets. Underlying the "customer-centricity" that many firms embrace today is a factor that will determine their success with this effort: enabling collaboration across... View Details
- Research Summary
Environmental Management
Forest L. Reinhardt is exploring the strategic and operational problems of firms in environmentally significant industries. His book, Down to Earth: Applying Business Principles to Environmental Management (published in 2000 by Harvard Business School Press),... View Details
- Research Summary
Globalization & Corporate Transformation in India
By: Nitin Nohria
Political and economic reforms in India, which started in 1992, have led to a dramatic transformation of Indian companies. The first decade of this transformation focused on improving operational efficiency to rival world class competitors. Having proved to themselves... View Details
- Research Summary
Innovation and Performance Improvement in Health Care
This stream of Professor Huckman's work examines how organizations delivering health care can structure and manage their activities to improve operational performance. It addresses issues including the impact of various forms of familiarity on performance, the impact... View Details
- Teaching Interest
Managing Service Operations - MBA Elective Curriculum
By: Ryan W. Buell
World-class service organizations deeply understand the needs and behaviors of their customers, and design, manage, and improve their operating models accordingly. This course investigates the distinct challenges inherent in leading service operations, which make up... View Details
- Research Summary
Managing sustainability in supply chains
I am examining codes of conduct, management process standards, and government voluntary programs that address environmental and labor issues, seeking to understand what enables some of these programs to actually deliver on their promise of distinguishing organizations... View Details
- Research Summary
Mastering Strategy Execution
By: Robert Simons
Professor Robert Simons’ research encompasses three areas of management accountability that are the foundation for successful strategy execution: organization design, performance measurement and control, and risk management. In addition, Simons is interested in the... View Details
- Teaching Interest
MBA Elective Curriculum-- Competing Through Business Models
The words “business model” are inescapable in our daily fare of business news. These two ubiquitous words seemed to effortlessly rise up to prominence during the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. When businesspeople, journalists, academics, and other... View Details
- Forthcoming
- Article
Mitigating the Negative Effects of Customer Anxiety Through Access to Human Contact
By: Michelle A. Kinch and Ryan W. Buell
Prior research in social psychology has shown that when people feel anxious, they seek advice from others. However, companies that operate in high-anxiety settings (like financial services, health care, and education) are increasingly deploying self-service... View Details