Publications

June 2013 (Revised March 2014)
Case

Inditex: 2000

By: John R. Wells and Galen Danskin

In 2000, Inditex was one of the largest specialty apparel retailers in the world, with $2.4 billion in sales from 1,080 stores across 33 countries. Zara, Inditex's main brand, produced popular designer items at a fraction of design-house prices and could push an item... View Details

Keywords: Fashion; Fashion Industry; Succession; IPO; Competition; Initial Public Offering; Multinational Firms and Management; Management Succession; Growth and Development Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Retail Industry

February 2002 (Revised February 2002)
Case

Morgan Stanley Japan, 2002

By: Tarun Khanna and Louis P. DiLorenzo, Jr

Thierry Porte, president of Morgan Stanley Japan, had spent the brisk November day in Tokyo with Eric Best, Morgan Stanley's head of scenario planning, outlining the exercise that all of the managing directors in Japan would participate in shortly. Japan remained mired... View Details

Keywords: Planning; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Investment Banking; Multinational Firms and Management; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry; Japan; United States

13 Apr 2010
First Look

First Look: April 13

Institute/Taubman Center Policy Brief, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 2010. An abstract is unavailable at this time. Working PapersThe Global Agglomeration of Multinational Firms... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

August 2009
Teaching Note

Procter & Gamble in the 21st Century (A): Becoming Truly Global (TN)

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Matthew Bird

Teaching Note for [309030]. View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; Value; Multinational Firms and Management; Change Management; Mergers and Acquisitions; Problems and Challenges; Decision Making; Consumer Products Industry

September 1994
Case

Marks & Spencer: Sir Richard Greenbury's Quiet Revolution

By: Joseph L. Bower and John B. Matthews Jr.

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is one of the world's greatest companies. In 1994, its management was chosen the most admired in Europe by 637 peers. The case explores how Sir Richard Greenbury, appointed the new chairman of the company in 1991, transformed his inheritance into... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Business or Company Management; Business Strategy; Management Teams; Global Strategy; Multinational Firms and Management; Europe; United States

Find at Harvard

20 Sep 2011
News

A Taxing Question

The Obama administration reportedly is considering big changes in the broken system for taxing the foreign income of US corporations. US multinationals have piled up overseas cash holdings in excess of $1 trillion, according to some... View Details

Keywords: Roger Thompson; Accounting, Tax, Bookkeeping, Payroll Services; Professional Services

March 1997 (Revised April 2011)
Case

Gillette Singapore: Managing Global Business Integration on the Ground (A)

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Thomas Dretler

The general manager of Gillette Singapore faces issues of managing change during the company's global integration with Parker Pen. View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Change Management; Multinational Firms and Management; Integration; Retail Industry; Singapore

September 2009
Teaching Note

IBM in the 21st Century: The Coming of the Globally Integrated Enterprise (TN)

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Matthew Bird

Teaching Note for [308105]. View Details

Keywords: Opportunities; Value; Competition; System; Innovation and Invention; Multinational Firms and Management; Leadership Development; Information Technology Industry; Computer Industry

April 1993 (Revised June 1993)
Case

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW)

By: Robert J. Dolan

In 1992, BMW attempts to revive its position in the United States market. In 1991, unit sales had fallen to 53,000 from 88,000 in 1987. The new CEO of North America considers a multifaceted plan to turn around the situation. View Details

Keywords: Product Positioning; Marketing Strategy; Multinational Firms and Management; Market Entry and Exit; Sales; Manufacturing Industry; Auto Industry; Germany; North America

01 Jun 2000
News

Capturing Human Capital

Confronted with the fundamental changes that are transforming today's global business environment, a number of firms are finding it necessary to reevaluate their organizational priorities. "These are turbulent times for business as many... View Details

July 2011 (Revised August 2011)
Supplement

Renewing GE: The Africa Project (B)

By: David A. Thomas and Stephanie J. Creary

This case continues the story of the evolution of GE's business initiatives Africa. Between November 2010 and March 2011 several significant structural changes and leadership appointments were announced at GE, which reflected the company's commitment to global growth... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Restructuring; Multinational Firms and Management; Developing Countries and Economies; Consumer Products Industry; Hong Kong; Africa; Republic of Ireland

April 2010
Case

Globalization at Komatsu

By: Michael Y. Yoshino

The case captures the challenges Komatsu, the second largest manufacturer of the earth moving equipment faced during the past five decades as it sought to globalize its operations. By 2007, it had become the second largest manufacturer of the earth moving equipment... View Details

Keywords: Multinational Firms and Management; Distribution Channels; Production; Organizational Culture; Networks; Partners and Partnerships; Manufacturing Industry; Japan

March 2001 (Revised September 2002)
Case

Merck Latin America (C): Brazil

By: Michael Beer and James Weber

Examines Merck's change effort in Brazil from the perspective of the local employees. View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Multinational Firms and Management; Employees; Operations; Perspective; Pharmaceutical Industry; Brazil

July 2016
Case

The EC Rains on Oracle/Sun (A)

By: Lena G. Goldberg

Oracle's proposed acquisition of Sun was on a fast track until the EC's antitrust concerns about open-source MySQL ignited a transatlantic war of words delaying the deal. Sun's performance suffered and its customers were approached by competitors while regulatory... View Details

Keywords: Law; Antitrust; EC Regulation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Multinational Firms and Management; Laws and Statutes; Monopoly; Business and Government Relations

May 1993 (Revised June 2004)
Case

PepsiCo Bottling in Mexico

By: Kenneth A. Froot

This case describes Pepsico's program to restructure its Mexican bottling network. It wants to work with existing bottlers and find an organizational arrangement that will allow the bottlers to grow and change with the Mexican soft drink industry. View Details

Keywords: Bottling; Mergers and Acquisitions; Joint Ventures; Multinational Firms and Management; International Finance; Valuation; Programs; Organizational Design; Food and Beverage Industry; Mexico

01 Jun 2005
News

Ideas: Books

Leviathans Multinational Corporations and the New Global History edited by Alfred D. Chandler Jr. and Bruce Mazlish (Cambridge University Press) In this collection of articles gathered by HBS professor emeritus (and Pulitzer Prize-winner)... View Details

Keywords: Alfred D. Chandler Jr.; Chandler

01 Sep 2003
News

Globalization Revisited

preferences for such programming over alien, standardized content often manifest themselves. “There are many other dynamics that can also undercut the viability of globally standardized products over time,” Ghemawat said. He added that the proper strategy for View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

October 1996
Teaching Note

International Sourcing at Intercon TN

By: Roy D. Shapiro and Marie-Therese M. Flaherty

Teaching Note for (9-688-055). View Details

Keywords: Multinational Firms and Management; Supply Chain; Selection and Staffing; Business Subsidiaries; Production; Manufacturing Industry; Japan