Publications

June 2023
Supplement

Applied Intuition (A)

By: Andy Wu

Applied Intuition CEO Qasar Younis provides an overview of the automotive industry and the role of simulation software in the development of autonomous vehicles. View Details

Keywords: Autonomous Vehicles; Software; Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Valuation; Auto Industry; Technology Industry; California; Detroit

February 2019 (Revised September 2019)
Case

Amazon in Fashion

By: John R. Wells, Benjamin Weinstock and Gabriel Ellsworth

According to many analysts and industry observers, in 2018 Amazon became the largest retailer of apparel in the United States and the second largest in the world, behind Alibaba. Much of Amazon’s apparel was made by third-party retailers on its platform, but Amazon had... View Details

January 2017
Case

Bayer AG: Bidding to Win Merck's OTC Business

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Marc Baaij and Arjen Mulder

Shortly after submitting their best and final offer to acquire Merck's Consumer Care Division (a collection of "over-the-counter" (OTC) products with sales totaling $2 billion), the Bayer M&A team was given a chance to revise their bid because another potential... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Bidding Strategy; Valuing Synergies; Negotiations; Corporate Strategy; Business Unit Strategy; Bidding Process; Discounted Cash Flow; Cross-border M＆A; Tax Shields; Valuation; Competitive Strategy; Auctions; Bids and Bidding; Germany; United States; United Kingdom

March 2016 (Revised October 2017)
Case

Salesforce.com vs. Siebel (Abridged)

By: David B. Yoffie

Explores the phenomenon of software becoming a service. Salesforce.com has catapulted into the lead for offering a customer relationship management (CRM) solution as a Web-based service. Siebel, the leader in CRM packaged software sales, has to devise a strategy to... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Competitive Strategy; Software

July 2005 (Revised April 2008)
Case

The Rise of Kmart Corporation 1962-1987

By: John R. Wells and Travis Haglock

Tracks the development of the Kmart discount store chain from its inception in 1961 to its peak in 1990 and examines the contribution of each Kmart chief executive to the chain's success. In, parallel, compares the performance of Wal-Mart over the same period along a... View Details

Keywords: History; Strategic Planning; Leadership; Competitive Strategy; Performance Evaluation; Retail Industry; United States

June 2020
Supplement

TransDigm in 2017: Congressional Hearing on the DoD Inspector General’s Report (5/15/19)

By: Benjamin C. Esty

This video accompanies the case, “TransDigm in 2017: The Beginning of the End or the End of the Beginning?” View Details

August 1986
Article

Global High-tech Sangyou: Kawaritsutsu aru Kyousou no Gensoku (Global High-tech Industries: Changing Paradigms of Competition)

By: Hirotaka Takeuchi

Keywords: Business Ventures; Competition

Find at Harvard

April 1995 (Revised July 1995)
Case

Power Play (B): Sega in 16-bit Video Games

Home video-game systems were pioneered by the U.S. company Atari in the mid-1970s. After going through boom and bust in the early 1980s, the industry was resurrected in the mid-1980s by the Japanese company Nintendo. With its 8-bit video-game system, Nintendo... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Competition; Video Game Industry; Japan; United States

2000
Book

Can Japan Compete?

By: Michael E. Porter, Hirotaka Takeuchi and M. Sakakibara

The result of a major piece of research, this book reveals that there have long been two Japans, the familiar one that was highly competitive, and another Japan, almost invisible, that was highly uncompetitive. The authors unravel this puzzle, and provide a solution... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Economy; Japan

29 Sep 2015
News

Harvard Study Highlights Business, Education 'Game Changer'

28 Sep 2015
News

Harvard Researchers Envison Better Business, Nonprofit Cooperation in K-12

June 2024
Module Note

Value Creation Potential of New Business Models

By: David J. Collis

A business model is composed of three elements. These describe a generic way of creating value and identify the maximum potential value of that model for customers. The elements of a business model are the “job to be done” for the customer, the asset configuration, or... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Corporate Strategy; Mission and Purpose; Competitive Strategy; Value Creation

September 2007 (Revised April 2013)
Case

Peter Welz: When a Marquee Prospect Plays Hardball (A)

By: James K. Sebenius and Ellen Knebel

Describes the hardball tactics facing Peter Welz, who seeks to negotiate a make-or-break contract with a vastly larger potential client. Welz's counterpart team is led by Preston Spitzer, a notoriously tough player who fully understands his side's massive advantages in... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Process; Negotiation Tactics; Behavior; Conflict and Resolution; Competitive Advantage

December 2003
Case

Fox Bids for the NFL-1993

By: Bharat N. Anand and Catherine M. Conneely

The Fox television network, launched in 1987 by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. was in a precarious position in 1993. Although it had met its business plan targets, its ratings in the recently concluded November "sweeps" were indifferent, several of its newly launched... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Competitive Strategy; Financial Reporting; Bids and Bidding; Revenue; Television Entertainment; Media and Broadcasting Industry

March 2002 (Revised October 2005)
Case

Apple Computer 2002

By: David B. Yoffie and Yusi Wang

In 1980, Apple was the leader of the personal computer industry, but by 2002 it had suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Wintel camp. This case examines Apple's strategic moves as the PC industry evolves in the 21st century and poses the question: Can Steve Jobs... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Leadership Style; Information Technology; Supply and Industry; Competitive Advantage; Computer Industry; Retail Industry; California

November 2022 (Revised April 2023)
Supplement

HTC and Virtual Reality (B)

By: Andy Wu and Matt Higgins

In April 2023, Cher Wang, CEO and Chairwoman of HTC, reflected on her time as a leader in the virtual reality industry from her office high above Taoyuan City, Taiwan. It had been a roller coaster ride of new product introductions and unexpected challenges for HTC and... View Details

Keywords: VR; Virtual Reality; Strategy; Metaverse; Market Entry and Exit; Competition; Technology Industry; Taiwan; China; United States

November 2002 (Revised May 2003)
Case

DaChan Great Wall Group

By: Ray A. Goldberg and Cate Reavis

Describes the challenges facing a leading Taiwanese agribusiness concern as it competes in an increasingly complex business environment in China. View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Brands and Branding; Competition; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Taiwan; China

Find at Harvard

June 1989 (Revised September 1992)
Case

Dominion Motors & Controls Ltd.

The leading manufacturer of motors in Canada is threatened by a loss of market share in oilfield pumping motors because a major customer, having tested several competing motor brands, finds a competitor's motor to be superior. A central issue is whether to make a... View Details

Keywords: Product; Competition; Product Marketing; Manufacturing Industry; Canada