Publications

Read Now

May 1988 (Revised March 1990)
Case

Matsushita Electric Industrial (MEI) in 1987

By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Sumantra Ghoshal

Describes the development of Matsushita's international operations and the building of its dominant competitive position in the consumer electronics industry. Picks up the major challenges facing the company in 1987 as both its product focus and geographic posture are... View Details

Keywords: Global Strategy; Goods and Commodities; Product Positioning; Problems and Challenges; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Value; Electronics Industry

2017
Other Book

Good Work: The Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices

By: Matthew Taylor, Greg Marsh, Diane Nicol and Paul Broadbent

I was not the only person appointed to the Review. My fellow Review team members, Greg Marsh, Diane Nicol and Paul Broadbent have not only been an important source of ideas and wisdom throughout the process but have led in engaging with key groups of... View Details

Keywords: Future Of Work; Labor Relations; Marketplaces; Employment; Labor and Management Relations; Labor; Markets

Read Now

24 Jul 2006
Research & Ideas

How Kayak Users Built a New Industry

kayak a good illustration of your model? A: There were three things that made rodeo kayaking an ideal test case for our model. First, it was a new sport, but not brand new, so we had a history of how the sport and the View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Entertainment & Recreation

26 Jun 2020
Research & Ideas

Why Japanese Businesses Are So Good at Surviving Crises

soon after the earthquake hit: “If help is needed, then help. Don’t worry about profits.” Kigawa, who believed it was Yamato’s social mission to restore services as quickly as possible, managed to resume deliveries 10 days after the earth shook. Inspired by his drivers... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

January 2012
Teaching Note

Best Practice in Consumer Packaged Goods Management

By: Rebecca M. Henderson and Ryan Johnson

Keywords: Consumer Products Industry

22 Jul 2009
Working Paper Summaries

Reputation and Competition: Evidence from the Credit Rating Industry

Keywords: by Bo Becker & Todd Milbourn; Financial Services

September 2010
Case

Aaron's: Household Goods for the U.S. Base of the Pyramid

By: Michael Chu and Charles Augustus Smithgall IV

With $2.5 billion system-wide revenues, Aaron's, a major rent-to-own supplier to the U.S. base of the pyramid, continues to grow in the recession, but CEO R.C. Loudermilk, Jr. wonders how long the company can sustain the fast growth rate of its past. Founded in 1955,... View Details

Keywords: Fairness; For-Profit Firms; Renting or Rental; Financial Crisis; Demand and Consumers; Social Enterprise; Income; Goods and Commodities; Competitive Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; United States

07 Jul 2021
Book

Good News for Disgraced Companies: You Can Regain Trust

neither of us would have liked to be in his shoes), he answered a difficult question deftly by pointing out that because his industry had had such a large impact, it was in a prime position to lead the charge for reversing the damage. A... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert

21 Sep 2016
Research & Ideas

Shabana Azmi: Leveraging Bollywood Fame into Social Good

Deshpandé: It’s been 40 years since I lived in India, so I’d seen some of her earlier movies, when she was just becoming a star. She was very, very good. Then I heard about her work over the years. One has this stereotype about actors being very View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Motion Pictures & Video

24 Oct 2011
Research & Ideas

The Yelp Factor: Are Consumer Reviews Good for Business?

restaurants of gaming the system by stacking reviews by friends and family, or simply falling prey to a popularity contest by uninformed palates. "Given the evidence, I don't think many people would dispute Yelp's influence," says Luca. "The question is,... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Food & Beverage

28 Aug 2017
Research & Ideas

Should Industry Competitors Cooperate More to Solve World Problems?

will you attract top talent graduating from universities if your company is considered to destroy the environment? Second, competitors are interested in avoiding new regulations that might end up significantly increasing the burden for the industry. The financial View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Financial Services; Manufacturing; Agriculture & Agribusiness; Mining

03 Dec 2001
Research & Ideas

Healthcare Conference Looks At Ailing Industry

Conference, led by the HBS Health Industry Alumni Association, presented two days of provocative lectures, panel discussions, and case studies surrounding questions like: What's next for healthcare? And how should smart businesses... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Health

13 Jun 2017
Research & Ideas

Why Global Investments Are Still a Good Bet

more similar with time. So, while industries within a country might move separately, all that variability comes out in the wash when you average across a broad array of industries on a countrywide scale.... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Financial Services

June 2010 (Revised July 2011)
Case

China Environment Fund: Doing Well by Doing Good

By: Christopher Marquis and Nancy Dai

In early 2010, cleantech investment pioneer Tsing Capital was planning for the China Environment Fund IV and considering how to maintain its commitment to social and environmental practices. Tsing Capital embraced its philosophy of "Doing Well by Doing Good" and... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business Strategy; Balance and Stability; Environmental Sustainability; Climate Change; Energy Conservation; Business Organization; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Venture Capital; Financial Services Industry; China

December 2024
Case

Core Innovation Capital: Investing in Fintech for Good

By: Ray Kluender, Natalia Rigol, Benjamin Roth and Nicole Tempest Keller

In 2017, Arjan Schütte, founder of Core Innovation Capital, faced a decision on whether to invest in Hugo Insurance, an auto insurance startup. Core, an early-stage social impact VC firm, focused on “fintech for good,” by investing in financial services for low- to... View Details

Keywords: Fintech; Venture Capital; Social Entrepreneurship; Insurance; Measurement and Metrics; Investment; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Product Positioning; Financial Services Industry; Financial Services Industry; Financial Services Industry; United States

September 2021 (Revised June 2023)
Case

Mission edX: Balancing Social Good and Financial Sustainability

By: John J-H Kim, David J. Collis and James Barnett

In March 2021, online education platform edX considers how to achieve financial sustainability without compromising its mission to provide universal access to high-quality education. View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Education; Values and Beliefs; Internet and the Web; Financial Strategy; Mission and Purpose; Education Industry; United States

09 Apr 2007
Research & Ideas

Industry Self-Regulation: What’s Working (and What’s Not)?

trillion hedge fund industry to police itself with voluntary standards and codes. Codes of conduct and self-regulation programs are growing in popularity, but are these initiatives just window dressing to appease critics and deter... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

24 Jun 2009
Working Paper Summaries

Don’t Just Survive—Thrive: Leading Innovation in Good Times and Bad

Keywords: by Lynda M. Applegate & J. Bruce Harreld

April 2008
Case

Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant: Motivating in Good Times and Bad

By: Michael Beer and Elizabeth Collins

In May 2007, the Engstrom Auto Mirrors plant, a relatively small supplier based in Indiana, faces a crisis. The business was in the second year of a downturn. Sales had started to decline in 2005; a year later, plant manager Ron Bent had been forced to lay off more... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Behavior; Human Resource Management; Incentives; Motivation; Manufacturing; Leadership; Change Management; Employees; Motivation and Incentives; Goals and Objectives; Manufacturing Industry; Indiana