Publications

December 2006 (Revised September 2007)
Case

Ponsse: From Finland to Global

By: David E. Bell and Mary L. Shelman

Finland-based Ponsse Oyj, with 2005 turnover of $250 million, is the only dedicated forest equipment company of size that remained in a consolidating industry. Competitors included global giants such as John Deere and Komatsu. Since his arrival at Ponsse in 2004, CEO... View Details

Keywords: Globalized Firms and Management; Globalized Markets and Industries; Growth and Development Strategy; Performance Capacity; Expansion; Forest Products Industry; Forestry Industry; Russia; Finland; United States; Brazil

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February 2003 (Revised March 2006)
Case

Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM)

By: Michael E. Porter, Willis M. Emmons III and Christian Fenner

Le Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique S.A. (CSEM)--the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology--was a major nonprofit research institution located in Neuchatel, Switzerland, with roots in the Swiss watch industry. CSEM maintained close links to... View Details

Keywords: Cooperation; Information Technology; Alliances; Research and Development; Performance Productivity; Innovation and Invention; Nonprofit Organizations; Electronics Industry; Switzerland

Web

IT Strategy: Improving Service to Support Innovation | Information Technology

levels, lack of shared knowledge, and outdated technology. These issues were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, spurring action from the team. Though TSS is a team of well-trained and knowledgeable professionals, they lacked some of the resources necessary to View Details

Web

Managing Customers for Growth - Course Catalog

Customer-Driven Growth Focuses on valuing customers, assessing customer-base dynamics, and measuring growth strategies. Students will analyze customer data and perform a Customer-Base Audit exercise to evaluate business health. Topics... View Details

01 Jun 2005
News

Full Circle

Anderson: Solicit help from a support network when making a significant career change. Monday can be a madhouse, says C. Collins (“Andy”) Anderson III (MBA ’85), DVM, Diplomate ACVS. He set a humeral fracture that a pointer incurred while bird hunting, View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; veterinary; MBA applicable; Health, Social Assistance

March 2014
Teaching Note

Oral Rehydration Therapy

By: Nava Ashraf and Natalie Kindred

This Teaching Note accompanies the case "Oral Rehydration Therapy" (911-035). The case highlights the puzzlingly high rate of diarrhea-related child mortality in developing countries despite the existence of a simple, effective treatment: oral rehydration therapy... View Details

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Innovation Strategy; Problems and Challenges; Developing Countries and Economies; Technological Innovation; Distribution Channels; Emerging Markets; Consumer Behavior; Performance Consistency; Performance Evaluation; Health Industry; Africa; Asia

Web

Corporate Finance: Corporate Financial Operations (CFO) - Course Catalog

reasonable set of assumptions and projections. More generally, raising and allocating capital effectively requires strong collaboration across many roles. This course aims to prepare students to bridge the finance divide. It focuses on the core finance activities View Details

01 Feb 1998
News

New Releases

American and European MNCs. Writing for managers who seek to boost firm performance and for academics interested in organizational design, the authors detail how MNCs can fully tap the value creation potential of their globally... View Details

Keywords: Judith A. Ross

08 May 2014
News

The Sky's the Limit

performance resulted in more opportunity—this time at Harvard—in the Program for Management Development (PMD). It was an experience that opened her eyes to the world. "Seventy percent of the class was international. They spoke multiple... View Details

Keywords: Jill Radsken; women's issues; avaition; Air Transportation; Transportation

01 Sep 2004
News

HBS Clubs and Associations

concepts to improve organizational effectiveness. Richardson attended a more targeted program titled Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations, which is designed to boost organizational accountability and... View Details

Keywords: Margie Kelley; Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations; Personal Services

January 2025
Supplement

A Winning Strategy (B): Innovation in Olympic Speed Skating

By: Rebecca Karp, Maria Roche, Maisie Wiltshire-Gordon and Tom Quinn

This case describes the aftermath of decisions made by two innovators in the Olympic sport of speed skating: the U.S. Men’s team, which devised a new approach to the team pursuit event; and Nils van der Poel, a Swedish skater who created a new training plan that defied... View Details

Keywords: Sports; Disruptive Innovation; Innovation Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Knowledge Sharing; Performance Improvement; Sports Industry; United States; Sweden; Netherlands; Norway

August 2012
Article

Consumer Response to Versioning: How Brands' Production Methods Affect Perceptions of Unfairness

By: Andrew Gershoff, Ran Kivetz and Anat Keinan

Marketers often extend product lines by offering limited-capability models that are created by removing or degrading features in existing models. This production method, called versioning, has been lauded because of its ability to increase both consumer and firm... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Production; Competency and Skills; Welfare or Wellbeing; Cost vs Benefits; Perception; Customers; Performance Evaluation; Fairness; Business Ventures

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February 2009 (Revised February 2012)
Case

Exeter Group, Inc. (A)

By: Robert G. Eccles, Das Narayandas and Kerry Herman

Jonathan Kutchins and Mark Cullen, managing partners of IT consulting firm Exeter Group, Inc., are considering four potential client engagements. Three of them involve prominent universities, an area of market strength for the firm, and one involves a top-tier strategy... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Resource Allocation; Market Entry and Exit; Service Operations; Performance Capacity; Business Strategy; Information Technology; Consulting Industry

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

July 2007
Teaching Note

Rwanda: National Economic Transformation (TN)

By: Michael E. Porter and Michael Patrick McCreless

Teaching Note to 706491. View Details

Keywords: Economy; Problems and Challenges; Development Economics; Policy; Poverty; Transformation; Performance Evaluation; Political Elections; Rwanda

October 1989 (Revised June 1993)
Case

RKO Warner Video, Inc.: Incentive Compensation Plan

By: George P. Baker III

Details the design and implementation of an incentive bonus plan for video store managers. The problem for top management of the chain is to induce the store managers to "sweat the details," to keep the stores neat and well organized, and to deal courteously and... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Change; Strategic Planning; Performance Improvement; Sales; Management; Employee Relationship Management; Situation or Environment; Success; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

November 2006
Background Note

Technical Game Theory Note #1: Solving Bi-matrix Games

By: Dennis A. Yao

Explains how to solve bi-matrix games and introduces the Nash Equilibrium concept. View Details

Keywords: Game Theory; Mathematical Methods; Learning; Balance and Stability; Planning; Strategic Planning; Performance Improvement; Strategy; Games, Gaming, and Gambling

February 2006 (Revised September 2006)
Case

Tad O'Malley: June 2005

By: G. Felda Hardymon, Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon

Tad O'Malley, a new associate at Empire Investment Group, a top-tier leveraged buyout firm, must evaluate three different deals and recommend which should receive additional resources for further investigation. He must consider the specifics of each company and each... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Deal; Resource Allocation; Private Equity; Projects; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Performance Evaluation; Leveraged Buyouts