Publications

April 1984
Supplement

Johnson & Johnson (A): Philosophy & Culture, James Burke, Video

By: Francis Aguilar

James Burke, chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson, discusses the company's philosophy and culture, with particular emphasis on the significance of the Credo. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Culture; Values and Beliefs; Mission and Purpose; Management Teams; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

February 2023 (Revised June 2023)
Supplement

Graphic Packaging: Project Cowboy (C)

By: Benjamin C. Esty and E. Scott Mayfield

Analyzes the company’s decision on Project Cowboy following the events described in the B Case. View Details

Keywords: Capital Budgeting; Growth Management; Demand and Consumers; Duopoly and Oligopoly; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Expansion; Value Creation; Supply and Industry; Pulp and Paper Industry; Pulp and Paper Industry; United States; North America

01 Oct 2013
First Look

First Look: October 1

recessions, it is not clear if this is due to demand or supply. We address this question by studying firms' substitution between bank debt and non-bank debt (public bonds) using firm-level data. Any firm... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Mar 2016
News

Faculty Q&A: Price Check

Many products are sold for just one selling season. It’s extremely difficult to predict demand—sometimes demand actually increases as the price goes up due to perceived quality and popularity. These factors... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Nonstore Retailers; Retail Trade

March 21, 2022
Article

Are the Risks of Global Supply Chains Starting to Outweigh the Rewards?

By: Willy C. Shih

The conflict in Ukraine is only the latest jolt to global supply chains. Disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, climate-related events, and geopolitical tensions were already undermining their rationale. As companies rethink sourcing, they will have to consider... View Details

Keywords: Supply Chain Management; Supply Chain; Distribution; Globalization; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; United States; Asia; Europe

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13 Oct 2010
First Look

First Look: October 13, 2010

http://hbr.org/2010/10/the-power-of-alumni-networks/ar/1 Prices or Knowledge? What Drives Demand for Financial Services in Emerging Markets? Authors:Shawn A.Cole, Thomas Sampson, and Bilal Zia... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

23 Jul 2014
Lessons from the Classroom

Innovation Is Magic. Really

When business executives create innovative products or services, they often look to impress their customers by delivering an experience more meaningful, more delightful, than possibly expected. A true "wow!" moment. And Harvard Business... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Consumer Products

07 Jan 2008
Research & Ideas

Pursuing a Deadly Opportunity

There is a market for everything—even dead bodies. Medical students use cadavers to gain experience, and their future patients are better off for it. Traditionally, cadavers have been obtained through university programs, but now... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Health

September 1984 (Revised December 1992)
Case

Federated Industries (A)

By: Robert J. Dolan

The market leader in an overcapacity industry with a commodity product is trying to restore industry price levels. Price cutting has hurt overall industry price levels and the leader must determine whether (and how) to bring up price levels or exit the market. View Details

Keywords: Supply and Industry; Market Entry and Exit; Price; Goods and Commodities; Competition; Consumer Products Industry; United States

January 2000 (Revised June 2000)
Case

Alloy.com: Marketing to Generation Y

By: John A. Deighton and Gil McWilliams

A profitable dot com company? Alloy.com retails clothing to teens by catalog. Alloy uses a Web site to convert prospects and build community. The result is a business with the economics of a direct marketer and the market capitalization of an Internet start-up. The... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Internet and the Web; Business and Community Relations; Partners and Partnerships; Customer Relationship Management; Decision Choices and Conditions; Business Startups; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry

2002
Case

Dell Computer Corporation

By: Vijay Govindarajan and Julie Lang

The world's largest direct-selling computer company grew from its philosophy that customers know what they want and Dell can deliver it through custom assembly of outsourced components. Through a combination of financial and non-financial measures, Dell turned itself... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Hardware; Customization and Personalization; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry

August 2024
Case

Coca Cola İçecek—Managing a Sudden Turbulence

By: Felix Oberholzer-Gee, Namrata Arora and Gizem Cihan Dincsoy

In November 2021, Kerem Kerimoğlu, Coca Cola İçecek (CCI) Group Supply Chain Development Director, is alarmed by a news headline revealing a shortage of Turkish truck drivers impacting Europe. This crisis quickly affects CCI's distribution as third-party logistics... View Details

Keywords: Business Strategy; Logistics; Supply Chain Management; Crisis Management; Distribution; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Turkey; Central Asia; Middle East

June 1991 (Revised June 1993)
Background Note

The Decline of the British Cotton Industry (Abridged)

Supplements the general argument concerning the decline of the British economy by showing how vertical specialization, horizontal competition, and entrenched job control combined to create incentives for management to adapt to changing international conditions by... View Details

Keywords: Technology; Business Cycles; Organizational Structure; Consumer Products Industry; Great Britain

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21 May 2019
Cold Call Podcast

If the Key to Business Success Is Focus, Why Does Amazon Work?

Keywords: Re: Sunil Gupta; Retail

Peter Vundla

Keywords: Advertising; Marketing

November 1992 (Revised June 1994)
Case

Packaged Products Company: Handy-Pak Introduction

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Laura Goode

The product manager and the market research director for a new line of snacking nuts are reviewing options concerning the upcoming roll-out of the product. These options include changes in pricing, promotional plans, and salesforce incentives intended to build support... View Details

Keywords: Price; Marketing; Marketing Channels; Product Launch; Distribution; Planning; Research and Development; Sales; Salesforce Management; Alignment; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry

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September 2001 (Revised January 2002)
Case

The American Medical Association-Sunbeam Deal (C): Denouement

By: Ashish Nanda and Kimberly A. Haddad

On September 5, 1997, the American Medical Association(AMA) withdrew from a contract with Sunbeam Corporation, the maker of small home appliances. Sunbeam sued the AMA to pay for the damages or to comply with the contract. The fracas led to the dismissal of three top... View Details

Keywords: Medical Services; Appliances; Lawsuit; Litigation; Professionalism; Contracts; Corporate Accountability; Organizations; Lawsuits and Litigation; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; United States