Customer Centric Initiative - Publications - Faculty & Research

01 Apr 2014
First Look

First Look: April 1

914-014 Ford Asia Pacific & Africa: The E-coating Facility Decision in Gujarat, India (A) In April 2013, Ford Asia Pacific & Africa (FAPA) was examining its options for e-coating service metal parts for the Ford Customer Service... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

08 Mar 2012
Research & Ideas

Unplugged: What Happened to the Smart Grid?

run? “It's a question of who will make money and which business models are effective” "There's a huge opportunity to make money here," Henderson, codirector of the Business & Environment Initiative at HBS, told students who... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Energy; Utilities

29 Apr 2008
First Look

First Look: April 29, 2008

http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=508049 Avaya (C): Implementing Demand Generation in Brazil Harvard Business School Supplement 508-050 Supplements the (A) case. Purchase this supplement:... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

05 Jun 2006
Research & Ideas

Using Competition to Reform Healthcare

The ills of the U.S. healthcare system are well chronicled—soaring costs, low customer satisfaction, increasing problems with quality, and restricted coverage lead the list. But do we really understand the underlying issues well enough to... View Details

Keywords: by Michael E. Porter; Health

28 Apr 2008
HBS Case

Negotiating with Wal-Mart

pricing issues that had defined their interactions previously. From 1987, when Muccio initiated the changes, to 2003, shortly before his retirement, P&G's sales to Wal-Mart grew from $350 million to $7.8 billion. "There are... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Retail

23 Dec 2002
Research & Ideas

Partnering and the Balanced Scorecard

diverse units, employees, and constituencies. In this chapter, we describe how effective leaders customize their organization's measurement and management system to partner with their employees for strategy implementation. We also discuss... View Details

Keywords: by Robert S. Kaplan & David P. Norton

28 Aug 2017
Research & Ideas

Should Industry Competitors Cooperate More to Solve World Problems?

Source: Cecilie_Arcurs George Serafeim has a startling suggestion to fix the world’s biggest environmental, social, and governance (ESG) problems such as water pollution, deforestation, and wealth inequality: encourage companies within industries to do less competing... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Financial Services; Manufacturing; Agriculture & Agribusiness; Mining

02 Feb 2004
Research & Ideas

Mapping Your Corporate Strategy

more powerful than 1,000 words (or even twenty-five ad hoc performance measures). The financial and customer objectives describe the outcomes the organization wants to achieve; objectives in the internal and learning and growth... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

02 Mar 2015
Research & Ideas

‘Retail Revolution’ Excerpt: The Scale of the Ecommerce Threat

arrived at this point in part due to the recession when many retailers reduced headcounts as customers focused more on price and less on service, but also as a result of long-term initiatives like self... View Details

Keywords: Re: Rajiv Lal; Retail

06 Feb 2006
What Do You Think?

Should CEOs of Public Companies Offer Earnings Guidance?

amounts of internal energy go to 'making the quarter return' rather than serving the customer and building the future. Why did quarter returns develop in the first place?" Bill Hubbell added, "The market has many mechanisms to... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Financial Services

11 Jul 2006
First Look

First Look: July 11, 2006

King 806-166 Edison Schools, Inc., a pioneer in the for-profit management of public schools, demonstrates the challenges and opportunities related to private-sector involvement in the delivery of a public good. The case follows the organization from its start-up... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

28 Oct 2013
Research & Ideas

Book Excerpt: The Good Struggle: Responsible Leadership in an Unforgiving World

initial choice, for themselves and their organizations, among broad, flexible, open-ended directions. This initial direction will evolve, sometimes dramatically, in response to what is learned from first... View Details

Keywords: by Joseph L. Badaracco

11 Feb 2008
Research & Ideas

Does Democracy Need a Marketing Manager?

A: The federal government and local governments can market themselves more effectively to constituents. First of all, they have to view their organization from a customer viewpoint and ask: Who are our View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

06 Mar 2006
What Do You Think?

The China Dilemma for U.S. Firms: Comply, Resist, or Leave?

position is necessary." Michael Peng concurred: "If U.S. firms choose to leave, they not only lose China's market, but also the chance to make an impact in China." Linda Sun added, "Having worked in China . . . , I know the best course is to comply... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Technology

September 2023 (Revised May 2025)
Teaching Note

On

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Karolin Frankenberger, Sascha Mader, Jordan Mitchell and Karen Elterman

Teaching Note for "On," HBS Case No. 723-430. On is a premium performance running shoe company founded in Switzerland in 2010. The company rapidly gained traction through its unique CloudTec cushioning technology, its innovative midsole plate called the Speedboard, and... View Details

Citation

Purchase

September 2023 (Revised September 2023)
Supplement

On

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Karolin Frankenberger, Sascha Mader, Jordan Mitchell and Karen Elterman

Slides to support the teaching of the On case, 723-430. On is a premium performance running shoe company founded in Switzerland in 2010. The company rapidly gained traction through its unique CloudTec cushioning technology, its innovative midsole plate called the... View Details

Citation

Purchase

29 May 2001
Research & Ideas

Howard Stevenson on the Lessons of the Internet Era

yes/no decision making; Web-conditioned users who believe "free" is an entitlement; rapid mood swings in markets; and a lack of loyalty among customers and employees. New World, New Expertise In this topsy-turvy environment, a... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

21 May 2014
Lessons from the Classroom

CORe: HBS Powers Up Online Program on Business Fundamentals

time. While today the software is able to respond to wrong answers with a second layer of customized follow-up questions, he hopes eventually it will include three or four layers of customized questions and... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Education

19 Jul 2004
Research & Ideas

Why Innovations Sit on the Shelf

leadership has the courage to initiate the measures necessary to do so. We've discovered that standard initiatives such as employee surveys, interviews by external consultants, and even relatively... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Beer, Russell Eisenstat & Derek Schrader

15 Apr 2002
Research & Ideas

In the Virtual Dressing Room Returns Are A Real Problem

products that are difficult for consumers to find locally. The ability to customize clothing for fit, fabric, or style should also provide an impetus to increase online sales of fashionable garments. Several View Details

Keywords: by Jan Hammond & Kristin Kohler; Apparel & Accessories; Fashion; Consumer Products; Manufacturing; Retail

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