Publications

Program

Senior Executive Leadership Program—Middle East

performance. You will emerge prepared to contribute to your company's success on a more strategic and senior level. Read More Think strategically, seize growth opportunities, and compete successfully, regionally and globally Foster the... View Details

March 2008 (Revised March 2009)
Case

Purolator Courier Ltd.

By: Rajiv Lal and Catherine Ross

On a fall day in September 2003, Robert Swanborough made his way down a thickly carpeted hallway in Purolator's headquarters in Toronto, Canada, toward a meeting with his two deputies. Several months earlier, Swanborough, then vice-president of Marketing, had been... View Details

Keywords: Conferences; Customer Focus and Relationships; Leading Change; Marketing Strategy; Performance Effectiveness; Strategic Planning; Research; Segmentation; Canada

February 2003 (Revised January 2004)
Case

International Steel Group

By: Paul W. Marshall and Todd H Thedinga

Profiles veteran investor Wilbur L. Ross, Jr.'s plan to turn around the aging steel assets of LTV, formerly America's second largest integrated steel producer. Purchasing several key assets from LTV under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code, Ross is able to acquire the... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Strategic Planning; Lawfulness; Labor Unions; Organizational Culture; Agreements and Arrangements; Global Strategy; Assets; Steel Industry; United States

October 2020
Case

Genomics in the Family Office

By: Lauren Cohen, Ronnie Stangler and Spencer C. N. Hagist

Alice Anane is the member of a large, wealthy family that collectively operates a multi-pronged family business in Israel. Upon discovering partway into her pregnancy that the rapidly degenerative brain disease her father succumbed to now threatens her and potentially... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Health Disorders; Strategic Planning; Corporate Governance

Program

Preparing to Be a Corporate Director

board committees, especially those related to audit, compensation, and nomination Engage in collaborative decision-making with colleagues who may have differing perspectives Expand your leadership capabilities Add value to an organization by overseeing its leadership... View Details

Program

Strategy: Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage

geography Distinguish between short-run gains and lasting competitive advantage Adapt your strategy to market shifts and your organization's changing ambitions Transform ideas into successful action plans Know when to initiate a strategy... View Details

Graphic Packaging: Project Cowboy

In July 2019, Graphic Packaging CEO Michael Doss was proposing a $600 million investment in a new machine to produce coated recycled board (CRB), a type of paper packaging used for consumer products (cups, cereal boxes, beverage boxes, etc.) that utilized recycled... View Details

January 2019
Case

Arrow Electronics—The Apollo Integration

By: Stephen P. Kaufman

Having already made 10 acquisitions of competitors in the last decade, the CEO and Senior Vice President of Arrow are evaluating the acquisition of another small competitor to boost sales, become #1 in a niche market segment, and achieve economies of scale. They are... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Integration; Valuation; Performance Evaluation; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Strategic Planning; Growth and Development Strategy; Electronics Industry; United States

August 2006 (Revised September 2012)
Case

Arrow Electronics--The Apollo Acquisition

By: Stephen P. Kaufman

Having already made 10 acquisitions of competitors in the last decade, the CEO of Arrow is evaluating the acquisition of another small competitor to boost sales, become #1 in a niche market segment, and achieve economies of scale. He is struggling with whether the deal... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Integration; Valuation; Performance Evaluation; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Strategic Planning; Growth and Development Strategy; Electronics Industry; United States

12 Mar 2013
First Look

First Look: March 12

Chief Executive Officer, Thorsten Heins, must decide how to position the company for the future. The case allows students to understand the strategic dynamics in platform-based industries in general and to explore more specifically how a... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

September 2023 (Revised January 2024)
Case

AB InBev: Brewing Up Forecasts during COVID-19

By: Mark Egan, C. Fritz Foley, Esel Cekin and Emilie Billaud

In July 2021, the CEO of AB InBev's European operations and his team strategized to position the company for success post-pandemic. As the world's largest beer company, boasting over 500 brands, revenue of $46 billion, and a workforce of 160,000 in 2020, AB InBev... View Details

17 Jul 2012
First Look

First Look: July 17

increases that would solve these problems are not expected in the near- or medium-term. The paper outlines first a number of directions for effecting improvement through marginal capacity increases and better management of demand and available capacity. It then... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Program

Designing and Executing Corporate Revitalization

major corporate challenges proactively, make the right strategic moves, and lead a revitalization effort that establishes a firm foundation for growth. This program is eligible for the Certificate of Management Excellence. Learn More Key... View Details

August 2018 (Revised April 2019)
Case

Jackie Taylor: The Black Ensemble Theater

By: Steven Rogers and Dan Perkins

Jackie Taylor, an African American social entrepreneur, founded the Black Ensemble Theater in 1976. Since the ensemble’s inception, she has rented spaces where her group performed original musicals about black entertainers including Nina Simone, Etta James, and Marvin... View Details

Keywords: Theatre-company; Theatre Expansion; Theatre And Community; Black Theatre; Theater Entertainment; Buildings and Facilities; Strategic Planning; Decision Choices and Conditions; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Chicago

2015
Chapter

What Is Regional Strategy? Lessons from Business Strategy

By: Christian H.M. Ketels

Regional policy, especially in Europe, makes increasing reference to the notion of strategy, a conceptual tool developed in the area of business studies. This chapter reviews some key aspects of strategy as defined by the so-called "positioning school" and discusses... View Details

Keywords: Competitiveness; Regional Policy; Strategic Planning; Globalized Economies and Regions; Competition; Policy

Find at Harvard

January 1992 (Revised March 2006)
Case

The DAG Group

Chris Hackett and Val Rayzman have spent six months after graduating from business school exploring the possibility of building a chain of upscale drycleaners. This fragmented industry looked ripe for an innovative new entrant. Chris and Val have researched the... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Market Entry and Exit; Entrepreneurship; Acquisition; Service Industry

June 2013 (Revised March 2014)
Case

Inditex: 2012

By: John R. Wells and Galen Danskin

In the 11 years since its public offering, Inditex and its flagship brand, Zara, had expanded into 86 countries, achieved $21.6 billion in revenue, and become the largest specialty apparel retailer in the world. In marked contrast to the general malaise of the Bolsa de... View Details

Keywords: Fashion; Strategy; Strategic Planning; Competitive Strategy; Fashion Industry; Spain

November 2019
Supplement

Hapag-Lloyd AG: Complying with IMO 2020

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Mette Fuglsang Hjortshoej and Emer Moloney

A new environmental regulation known as IMO 2020 was creating what one industry analyst called “the biggest shakeup for the oil and shipping industries in decades.” According to the new regulation, all ocean-going ships would have to limit their sulfur emissions by... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Ship Transportation; Strategic Planning; Game Theory; Pollutants; Supply Chain; Corporate Accountability; Capital Budgeting; Environmental Sustainability; Shipping Industry; Transportation Industry; Germany