Publications

December 2023
Case

Davivienda Bank's Upskilling and Reskilling Strategy in Colombia

By: Jorge Tamayo, Raffaella Sadun and Jenyfeer Martinez Buitrago

Set in 2022, this case describes the digital transformation strategy of Davivienda— a leading player in Colombia’s commercial banking and one of the companies belonging to Grupo Bolívar, a major Colombian financial conglomerate—and the bank’s upskilling and reskilling... View Details

12 Jul 2004
Research & Ideas

Enron’s Lessons for Managers

Some events mark a generation. If a marker is a source of deep learning about ourselves, as Malcolm Salter believes it is, then the Enron crisis is exactly that for business people. Political scientists have the Bay of Pigs; engineers have the Challenger disaster. And... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

March 2021
Supplement

Artea (A), (B), (C), and (D): Designing Targeting Strategies

By: Eva Ascarza and Ayelet Israeli

Power Point Supplement to Teaching Note for HBS No. 521-021,521-022,521-037,521-043. This collection of exercises aims to teach students about 1)Targeting Policies; and 2)Algorithmic bias in marketing—implications, causes, and possible solutions. Part (A) focuses on... View Details

Keywords: Targeted Advertising; Targeting; Algorithmic Data; Bias; A/B Testing; Experiment; Advertising; Gender; Race; Diversity; Marketing; Customer Relationship Management; Prejudice and Bias; Analytics and Data Science; Retail Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Technology Industry; United States

February 1997 (Revised September 1998)
Case

American Management Systems, Inc.: The Knowledge Centers

By: Dorothy A. Leonard and Sylvia Sensiper

Senior management at AMS, a business and information technology consulting company, is growing at 28% annually and assimilating 1,800 new hires a year. AMS has recently instituted a new knowledge management strategy, a group of six knowledge centers (virtual... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Innovation and Management; Technological Innovation; Knowledge Management; Management Teams; Business Strategy; Consulting Industry; United States

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March 1992 (Revised April 1995)
Case

Saatchi & Saatchi Co. PLC: Corporate Strategy

By: David J. Collis

Saatchi & Saatchi, founded in 1970, became the world's largest advertising agency in 1986. It then diversified into consulting and other managerial areas before crashing in 1989. Under a new CEO, the company restructured and refocused on its advertising agencies. View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Globalized Firms and Management; Corporate Strategy; Diversification; Advertising Industry

Web

Sustainable Business Strategy Course | HBS Online

to influence management and other key stakeholders on the competitive advantages of being a purpose-driven firm, and how to make a difference by integrating values into strategy without sacrificing profit.... View Details

13 Oct 2003
Research & Ideas

How to Pick Managers for Disruptive Growth

We suspect that the mistakes happen when firms choose managers at any level—from CEO to business unit head to project manager—based on what we call "right stuff" thinking, borrowing the term from Tom Wolfe's famous book and the... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Raynor

February 2001
Case

Mavesa (B): International Strategy and Valuation Concerns

Examines Mavesa's response to economic liberalization. Looks at Mavesa's efforts to expand into neighboring countries. Also looks at efforts to support the firm's stock price. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details

Keywords: Multinational Firms and Management; Emerging Markets; Global Strategy

October 1977 (Revised April 1998)
Case

Japan (D1): A Strategy for Economic Growth

By: Bruce R. Scott and Audrey T. Sproat

Data on Japan's unparalleled economic growth in the post-war era: How was it achieved and what future risks might be foreseen in 1971? View Details

Keywords: Economic Growth; Growth and Development Strategy; Risk and Uncertainty; Japan

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Web

Faculty & Staff - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

Email: mkramer@hbs.edu Faculty Profile Christian Ketels Principal Associate Email: cketels@hbs.edu Jorge Ramirez-Vallejo Principal Associate Phone: 617-496-3429 Fax: 617-384-7268 Email: jramirez@hbs.edu Institute Staff Katelyn Ahern Senior Program View Details

09 Jun 2009
Research Event

Business Summit: Enterprise Risk Management

management are structure and culture, incentives, risk strategy and analytics, and "plumbing." Read the in-depth summary For more coverage and video:... View Details

Keywords: Re: Robert S. Kaplan

February 2007 (Revised November 2011)
Case

Esquel Group: Integrating Business Strategy and Corporate Social Responsibility

By: F. Warren McFarlan, William C. Kirby and Tracy Manty

Focuses on the experience of China's largest shirt manufacturer in managing various aspects of government relations in China. Identifies a wide variety of social initiatives it has undertaken. View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Government Relations; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Manufacturing Industry; China

2012
Comment

The Balanced Scorecard: Comments on Balanced Scorecard Commentaries

By: Robert S. Kaplan

This paper provides the author's insights about five papers written in this volume about his published work on the balanced scorecard (BSC). The author finds that academic commentary on the BSC often ignores its role in strategy execution. The paper discusses how the... View Details

Keywords: Strategy Execution; Performance Management; Strategy; Public Sector; Balanced Scorecard; Performance

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October 2013 (Revised January 2016)
Case

J.C. Penney's 'Fair and Square' Strategy (Abridged)

By: Elie Ofek and Jill Avery

As he gets ready to release 2nd quarter 2012 results, Ron Johnson, the new CEO of department store J.C. Penney, is reconsidering the dramatic changes he initiated for the business model and brand image of his company. A new pricing scheme he put in place in February,... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Change Management; Marketing Strategy; Price; Consumer Behavior; Decision Making; Management Teams; Brands and Branding; Retail Industry; United States

May 1996 (Revised May 1997)
Case

Colliers International Property Consultants, Inc.: Managing a Virtual Organization

By: Lynda M. Applegate and Carin-Isabel Knoop

In less than 20 years, the real estate firm Colliers International expanded into a federation of 180 offices with close to 4,500 professionals in over 30 countries. Because Colliers expanded by signing up existing firms strong in their local markets, its leaders had to... View Details

Keywords: Demand and Consumers; Globalized Firms and Management; Management Practices and Processes; Service Operations; Information Technology; Organizational Structure; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Strategy; Budgets and Budgeting; Real Estate Industry

February 2010
Teaching Note

The Cleveland Clinic: Growth Strategy 2008 (TN)

By: Michael E. Porter, Elizabeth O. Teisberg, Jennifer F Baron and Carolyn Daly

Teaching Note for 709473. View Details

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Value; Restructuring; Groups and Teams; System; Transformation; Expansion; Integration; Alignment; Goals and Objectives; Leading Change; Customer Focus and Relationships; Health Industry; Cleveland; United States; Abu Dhabi; Canada