Publications

09 Jun 2003
Research & Ideas

Around the World of Entrepreneurial Ventures

doesn't have a global perspective on access to resources. Its customers include Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Target; it has 60 percent market share in the U.S. But, like many Korean firms, Jinwoong financed itself with lots of debt from Korean... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

01 Dec 2015
Research & Ideas

What to Do When Your Organization Has Dueling Missions

social enterprise (WISE), a type of organization that helps people transition back into the labor market after long-term unemployment. It also exemplifies what organization theorists call a hybrid: Rather than depending on charitable... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

17 Feb 2014
Research & Ideas

Companies Detangle from Legacy Pensions

difficult question, How are we going to make good on those promises? Pensions are a costly legacy for many companies. Photo: iStockPhoto The question is particularly urgent now, says Viceira, who teaches in the area of investment management and capital markets. For... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Aerospace; 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

10 Jun 2002
Research & Ideas

How to Look at Globalization Now

HBS professor Pankaj Ghemawat, a specialist in strategy and the dynamics of globalization, says that while market integration has made deep inroads in the last few decades, according to the evidence, it's still far short of what economic... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

03 Apr 2012
First Look

First Look: April 3

512-004 Domino's Pizza is the world's second largest pizza company with 9,436 stores globally, 95% of which are franchised. Domino's franchisees in the U.S. market were able to purchase fresh dough, cheese, pizza toppings, and other menu... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

22 Aug 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, August 23

determinants underlying the global economic geography of multinational firms. In particular, we run a horserace between two distinct economic forces: location fundamentals and agglomeration economies. We find that location fundamentals, including View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

22 Apr 2015
Op-Ed

Reforming Greece: Myths and Truths

firms-partly thanks to changes in labor regulations that made labor markets more flexible. Reforms were also effective at cutting red tape that prevented entrepreneurs from starting businesses. The number of days to start a business... View Details

Keywords: by George Serafeim

14 Sep 2010
First Look

First Look: September 14, 2010

of lighter labor market regulations and more human capital specialize relatively more in people management. There is evidence for complementarities between information and communication technology, decentralization, and management, but... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

07 Jul 2010
First Look

First Look: July 7

This note briefly reviews the financial crisis in central Europe in late 2008 and summarizes how four central European countries—Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia—have coped with the economic downturn. Purchase this... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

March 2010
Case

Target: Responding to the Recession

By: Ranjay Gulati, Rajiv Lal and Cathy Ross

Within 10 months of Gregg Steinhafel's taking over as CEO at Target, the U.S. was mired in the most significant economic downturn in 50 years. Top competitor Wal-Mart had positioned itself well for the crisis, while Target's same store sales began to slide. While... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Strategy; Operations; Brands and Branding; Product Launch; Product Positioning; Competition; Retail Industry; United States

15 Apr 2008
First Look

First Look: April 15, 2008

Working PapersOrganizational Design and Control across Multiple Markets: The Case of Franchising in the Convenience Store Industry Authors:Dennis Campbell, Srikant M. Datar, and Tatiana Sandino Abstract Many companies operate units which are dispersed across... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

30 Nov 2016
Op-Ed

Where Could More Regulation Help Small Businesses? Online Lending.

addressable market of $280 billion. That’s music to the ears of small businesses. Indeed, our research shows a sizeable credit gap exists for small businesses, particularly for loans under $100,000, which is the size that over 60 percent... View Details

Keywords: by Karen Mills and Brayden McCarthy; Financial Services

January 2010 (Revised April 2010)
Case

Google in China (A)

By: John A. Quelch

In January 2010, Google threatened in a public statement to stop censoring its search results on its google.cn website, as required by Chinese authorities. Should Google exit China? Or attempt a compromise with the Chinese government? View Details

Keywords: Crisis Management; Market Entry and Exit; Business and Government Relations; Internet and the Web; Information Technology Industry; China

06 Mar 2007
First Look

First Look: March 6, 2007

understand why some of the other top firms in the business, such as KKR and Apollo, have been tapping the public equity markets for their own funds, and whether they should do the same. They are also pondering how to monetize their own... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

October 2014 (Revised June 2015)
Case

Quiet Logistics (A)

By: Robert Simons and Natalie Kindred

This two-part case focuses on how to identify and manage strategic uncertainties in an innovative, entrepreneurial start-up company. In the (A) case, students learn about Quiet Logistics, an e-commerce fulfillment company working with high-end apparel retailers such as... View Details