Publications

26 Jan 2024
Blog Post

Hiring at HBS: How Summer Interns Make an Impact at Emerson Collective

market map focus area, as long as it is aligned to Emerson’s mission and objectives,” Lichter said. “Examples include the intersection of A.I. and climate tech and sustainable construction.” Past interns... View Details

Keywords: Nonprofit / Government

16 Sep 2013
Research & Ideas

Earnings Calls That Get Lost in Translation

chose to host conference calls in English, placing themselves on shaky linguistic ground. The recent working paper Capital Market Consequences of Non-Plain English in Conference Calls of Foreign Firms... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

October 1999 (Revised July 2000)
Case

MasterCard International: World Championship Soccer Sponsorship

By: David J. Arnold and David Lane

MasterCard must decide whether to renew the sponsorship of the World Cup and other soccer events in light of a 100% increase in the sponsorship fee and a strategic realignment by MasterCard. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details

Keywords: Credit Cards; Marketing Strategy; Sports; Financial Services Industry; Sports Industry

2021
Working Paper

Assessing the Strength of Network Effects in Social Network Platforms

By: Marco Iansiti

Network effects have risen to the forefront of platform competition discussions (e.g. the House Judiciary investigation of competition in digital markets, claiming that Facebook, for example, is entrenched due to strong network effects and high switching costs). While... View Details

Keywords: Social Networks; Platform Competition; Network Effects; Competition; Social Media; Digital Platforms

Read Now

August 2021
Supplement

Coats: Supply Chain Challenges: Spreadsheet Supplement

By: Willy C. Shih

Coats, the largest thread maker in the world, transformed its business to digital colour measurement so that it could respond better to customer demand in the garment industry for rapid product cycles and more fragmented colour choices. Its embrace of digital colour... View Details

Keywords: Inventory Management; Supply Chain; Inventory; Supply Chain Management; Operations; Growth and Development Strategy; Forecasting and Prediction; Demand and Consumers; Consolidation; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Asia

November 2000 (Revised April 2001)
Case

CMR Enterprises

By: Das Narayandas and Mary N. Caravella

Sam Marcus recently purchased a small cabinet-making company, and is looking for dramatic growth. The company competes in commercial and residential construction markets; shortly after the acquisition, the company gains a large new residential customer. The case traces... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Customer Relationship Management; Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Marketing Strategy; Performance Evaluation; Relationships; Segmentation; Construction Industry

12 Aug 2014
First Look

First Look: August 12

km of roads in India. We use a difference-in-difference estimation strategy to compare non-nodal districts based upon their distance from the highway system. We find several positive effects for non-nodal... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

13 May 2013
Blog Post

3 Projects, 1 Priceless Picture

the company. The 100,000 Foot View: My first project with the Corporate Strategy & Development group was in support of the annual corporate strategic planning meeting for Nike’s CEO and executive team. View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products / Retail

October 1984
Case

NIKE (D): Leisure Shoes

Focusing on middle manager Harry Leidboldt, this case presents a clear-cut strategic issue--should Nike move into the leisure shoe business? The teaching objective is to first view the decision as a business problem--can Nike succeed in this business? and secondly, to... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Expansion; Marketing Strategy; Management Practices and Processes; Management Teams; Product Development; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Sports Industry

2007
Working Paper

Why Do Intermediaries Divert Search?

By: Andrei Hagiu and Bruno Jullien

We analyze the incentives to divert search for an information intermediary who enables buyers (consumers) to search affiliated sellers (stores). We identify two original motives for diverting search (i.e. inducing consumers to search more than they would like): i)... View Details

Keywords: Demand and Consumers; Motivation and Incentives; Internet and the Web; Digital Platforms; Distribution Channels; Business Strategy; Retail Industry

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August 1996 (Revised May 1997)
Case

Delta & Pine Land: Measuring the Value of Transgenic Cotton

By: Ray A. Goldberg and Charlotte A. Tasker

Discusses the joint venture between two companies with different capabilities: 1) technology provider and 2) transportation agent. Discusses how to capture value from joint venture and biotechnology: 1) who are winners and who are losers; 2) how much value can/should... View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Joint Ventures; Marketing Strategy; Supply Chain Management; Performance Consistency; Information Technology; Transportation; Valuation; Biotechnology Industry

03 Apr 2006
What Do You Think?

Has Globalization Reached Its Peak?

that globalization has led corporations to outsource too much of their work and, more important, their intellectual capital. This has created a worldwide level of interdependency that increasingly threatens View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

03 Nov 2009
First Look

First Look: Nov. 3

regulations and to capture the financial benefit of public goodwill arising from green initiatives. But how valuable are Verne's green benefits, and are they sufficient to compel customers View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

13 Dec 2016
First Look

December 13, 2016

exception. Yet providers and payers continue to try to stymie competition. Many are actively pursuing consolidation, buying up market share, and increasing their bargaining... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

01 Dec 2003
Research & Ideas

Sometimes Success Begins at Failure

that eventually resulted in a historic windfall for the drug maker soon after it began marketing UK-92,480 under the brand name Viagra. Pfizer was able to develop and launch a wildly successful and... View Details

Keywords: by Henry Chesbrough; Health; Pharmaceutical

June 2020
Case

MOD Pizza: A Winning Recipe? (Abridged)

By: Boris Groysberg, John D. Vaughan and Matthew Preble

This is an abridged version of “MOD Pizza: A Winning Recipe?” HBS Case No. 416-004. Scott and Ally Svenson, the founders of MOD Pizza, had to make a number of decisions in planning how to scale their small company. They wanted to grow MOD from 45 stores as of May 2015... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Employees; Employee Relationship Management; Selection and Staffing; Leadership; Growth and Development Strategy; Marketing; Service Delivery; Organizational Culture; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Service Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

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