Publications

February 2007 (Revised March 2007)
Case

Li Ning - Anything is Possible

A leading sporting goods company in China competes aggressively against global brands Nike and Adidas, with marketing strategies adapted to geographic segments. In the main cities, where competition takes place at a very conceptual level, Li Ning has chosen to adopt a... View Details

Keywords: Product Positioning; Competitive Strategy; Consumer Behavior; Global Strategy; City; Consumer Products Industry; Consumer Products Industry; China

November 1993 (Revised March 1995)
Case

Marsh Supermarkets, Inc. (A): The Marsh Super Study

In response to recent trends in grocery retailing, Marsh Supermarkets has completed an intensive 65-week study of the activity at 5 superstores in the midwest United States. The study tracked the sales, profits, space, and promotion dynamics of the entire store: dry... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Analysis; Consumer Behavior; Retail Industry

Person Page

Press / Media

By: Karim R. Lakhani

Can America Invent Its Way Back?

BusinessWeek, by Michael Mandel, 12 Sept. 2008

Today, researchers are focusing on ways to make those... View Details

28 Sep 2020
Working Paper Summaries

What Can Economics Say About Alzheimer's Disease?

Keywords: by Amitabh Chandra, Courtney Coile, and Corina Mommaerts; Health; Pharmaceutical

15 Aug 2011
Research & Ideas

A New Model for Business: The Museum

At first blush, the consumer appeal of a business like Groupon seems pretty obvious. The popular deal-of-the-day Internet start-up sells vouchers to restaurants, spas, and other local businesses at major... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

July 20, 2016
Article

To Increase Sales, Get Customers to Commit a Little at a Time

By: Frank V. Cespedes and David Hoffeld

This article discusses what behavioral research does and does not tell us about factors that aid the "closing" of a sales call. View Details

Keywords: Research; Consumer Behavior; Sales

Register to Read

November 2000
Exercise

Atlantis-Biovent Negotiation: Confidential Instructions for Biovent

By: Michael A. Wheeler

This two-party exercise illustrates bidding strategy in the context of settling a large insurance claim. Specifically, the claimant (Biovent) and the insurer (Atlantis) are asked to submit confidential offers to a dispute resolution website that will determine whether... View Details

Keywords: Insurance; Bids and Bidding; Emerging Markets; Agreements and Arrangements; Conflict of Interests; Strategy; Web Sites

March 1997 (Revised March 1998)
Case

Help the World See: Self-Sustaining Eye Care in Belize

In 1992, Help the World See (HTWS), a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to improving eye care in developing countries, established permanent, self-sustaining eye care clinics in Belize in conjunction with the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI). The... View Details

Keywords: Conflict of Interests; Nonprofit Organizations; Health Care and Treatment; Health Industry; Belize

17 Mar 2021
Research & Ideas

Beyond Pajamas: Sizing Up the Pandemic Shopper

new consumers bought different product categories compared to existing consumers. With the exception of pants, including jeans and trousers, there were no significant differences among the popular product... View Details

Keywords: by Ayelet Israeli, Eva Ascarza, and Laura Castrillo; Retail

12 Oct 2011
Research & Ideas

Creating Online Ads We Want to Watch

30-second consumer product advertisements. Out of 28 ads, 14 were chosen because they were decidedly provocative; the researchers expected them to evoke either joy or surprise in the viewers at different... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Consumer Products

02 Feb 2016
Blog Post

A Summer Internship in General Management

summer at a consumer packaged goods company that makes some of the country’s most well-known brands, I learned how to approach a problem from a marketing perspective. I feel that the additional granularity... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products / Retail

Profile

Omowale Casselle

What does your work involve? "My official title is director of product management, SAMPLEit, a new venture at redbox. In this role, I'm responsible for leveraging technology across our different product lines—kiosk, mobile, and... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products; Consumer Products

March 1997 (Revised October 1999)
Case

Stone Container in Honduras (A)

By: James K. Sebenius and Hannah Bowles

Chicago-based Stone Container Corp., a leading producer of cardboard containers and paper bags, proposes a large-scale pine forest management and utilization program in the La Mosquitia region of Honduras. A framework agreement with the government is strongly endorsed... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Preparation; Negotiation Types; Environmental Sustainability; Conflict of Interests; Globalized Firms and Management; Developing Countries and Economies; Government and Politics; Manufacturing Industry; Pulp and Paper Industry; Honduras; Chicago

January 2004 (Revised April 2005)
Background Note

Personal Values and Professional Responsibilities

By: Joseph L. Badaracco Jr.

Describes some of the classic conflicts managers face in trying to live and work by their personal values and uses Hirschman's "exit, loyalty, and voice" framework to suggest ways for resolving these conflicts. View Details

Keywords: Values and Beliefs; Personal Development and Career; Conflict of Interests; Conflict and Resolution

December 2014
Supplement

Aspen Skiing Company Video Supplement

By: Michael W. Toffel

Having begun improving the environmental performance of its own operations, Aspen Skiing Company is considering "greening" its supply chain and lobbying for greenhouse gas regulations. A world renowned ski resort vulnerable to global climate change, Aspen's activities... View Details

Keywords: Conflict of Interests; Climate Change; Supply Chain Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Tourism Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Aspen

12 Sep 2012
Research & Ideas

The Unexpected Link Between Cadavers and Careers

actually might drive behaviors like we're seeing here," Anteby says. "Occupations are powerful groups. And to me that's the most interesting implication of [this study]. Here's a weird... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Education; Health

March – April 2008
Article

Customer Preference Discontinuities: A Trigger for Radical Technological Change

By: Mary Tripsas

What factors cause a mature industry to re-enter a period of technological turbulence? This paper addresses this question by developing a model of technological evolution that incorporates both technological trajectories and a new concept: preference trajectories, ... View Details

Keywords: History; Technology; Transition; Consumer Behavior; Industry Structures; Product Development

Read Now

28 Apr 2011
Working Paper Summaries

When Smaller Menus are Better: Variability in Menu-Setting Ability and 401(k) Plans

Keywords: by David Goldreich & Hanna Halaburda

October 2018 (Revised July 2019)
Case

Sidewalk Labs: Privacy in a City Built from the Internet Up

By: Leslie K. John, Mitchell Weiss and Julia Kelley

Email mking@hbs.edu for a courtesy copy.

By the time Dan Doctoroff, CEO of Sidewalk Labs, began hosting a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session in January 2018, he had only nine months remaining to convince the people... View Details