Publications

September 1995 (Revised May 2002)
Supplement

Intel Pentium Chip Controversy (B), The

By: V.G. Narayanan and James D Evans

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Information Infrastructure; Conflict and Resolution; Computer Industry

Other Unpublished Work

Risk Aversion, Risk Premium and the Choice of Capital Projects

By: S. Datar, R. Banker and B. Gopi

Keywords: Risk Management; Cost vs Benefits; Infrastructure

November 2015 (Revised April 2017)
Case

Streaming Over Broadband: Why Doesn't My Netflix Work?

By: Shane Greenstein and Michael Norris

In late 2013 and early 2014, Netflix service over the major U.S. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) suffered major slowdowns. What were the causes of these problems? What could Netflix do to solve them? View Details

Keywords: Digital Innovation; Internet; Broadband Service; Internet and the Web; Information Technology; Infrastructure; Utilities Industry; United States

October 1981 (Revised June 1985)
Case

Walton Instruments Manufacturing--1980

Provides an opportunity for students to examine the impact of different manufacturing control methods on the manufacturing infrastructure. Information flow, inventory control, quality control and process flows interact and different trade-offs are examined. Introduces... View Details

Keywords: Quality; Production; Management Practices and Processes; Infrastructure

Find at Harvard

06 Nov 2012
Op-Ed

Stop Talking About the Weather and Do Something: Three Ways to Finance Sustainable Cities

The wrath of Hurricane Sandy has illuminated a fundamental question: How do we ensure that our cities are resilient in the face of inevitable future disasters? A destroyed city is not a sustainable city. I'm making the case that it's time to stop complaining about... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber; Construction; Real Estate; Energy; Utilities

April 2000 (Revised June 2000)
Case

Everdream

Silicon Valley start-up Everdream wants to turn the provision of PCs to small business into a turnkey service including excellent 24/7 support. This case explores what this will take by focusing on the question of what, if anything, Everdream can guarantee. View Details

Keywords: Service Delivery; Information Infrastructure; Business Startups; Computer Industry; Service Industry; California

01 Oct 2013
Working Paper Summaries

Organizational Factors that Contribute to Operational Failures in Hospitals

Keywords: by Anita L. Tucker, W. Scott Heisler & Laura D. Janisse; Health

21 Jan 2020
Working Paper Summaries

The Impact of the General Data Protection Regulation on Internet Interconnection

Keywords: by Ran Zhuo, Bradley Huffaker, KC Claffy, and Shane Greenstein

January 2003 (Revised August 2005)
Case

CareGroup

By: F. Warren McFarlan and Robert D. Austin

Describes the circumstances leading to the three-and-a-half-day collapse of a major hospital group's IS capabilities. Identifies the technical reasons for the failure, management steps in dealing with the problem short term, and the long-term lessons they believe they... View Details

Keywords: Information Management; Information Technology; Safety; Crisis Management; Infrastructure; Health Industry

24 Jul 2013
Op-Ed

Detroit Files for Bankruptcy: HBS Faculty Weigh In

are steps that major players working together in metropolitan areas can do to save their cities: When it comes to the elements of soft infrastructure such as education and healthcare, it's essential to create an environment for capital,... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber, Robert C. Pozen, Eric D. Werker & Benjamin Kennedy; Auto

April 1996
Case

Southern Pulp and Paper

A paper mill's paper machines are a bottleneck in the operation. The causes include poor scheduling, lack of investment, and ineffective process control. The plant manager is charged with improving this situation fairly rapidly and has a number of proposals for change... View Details

Keywords: Information Infrastructure; Performance Improvement; Infrastructure; Pulp and Paper Industry

August 2019
Case

Creating Accountability in Afghanistan

By: Jonas Heese, Gerardo Pérez Cavazos, Eugene F. Soltes and Grace Liu

By early 2019, the United States had contributed $132 billion to the Afghan reconstruction. John Sopko, in his role as the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR), was in charge of providing accountability for U.S. aid funding. Sopko’s oversight... View Details

Keywords: Auditing; Fraud; Accountability; Crime and Corruption; Law Enforcement; Governance; Infrastructure; Information; Networks; Strategy; Afghanistan

2014
Article

An Analysis of the Competitive Advantage of the United States of America in Commercial Human Orbital Spaceflight Markets

By: Greg Autry, Laura Huang and Jeff Foust

The “Public/Private Human Access to Space” / Human Orbital Markets (HOM) study group of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) has established a framework for the identification and analysis of relevant factors and structures that support a global human... View Details

Keywords: Air Transportation; Infrastructure; Emerging Markets; Analysis; Competitive Advantage; Aerospace Industry; United States