Publications

February 2010 (Revised September 2011)
Case

Lehman Brothers

By: Tom Nicholas and David Chen

In 2008, the U.S. financial system was in a state of crisis and Lehman Brothers went from a major Wall Street investment bank to an insolvent institution. It was a swift end for a firm that had its beginnings over 150 years prior. What would be the firm's legacy? And... View Details

Keywords: History; Business History; Development Economics; Business Exit or Shutdown; Investment Banking; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Economic Growth; Financial Crisis; Financial Services Industry; United States

02 Jul 2014
Blog Post

Connecting Fashion & Technology at Kate Spade

were in the tech and fashion space and getting to know the industry on a deeper level. So far, this has been the perfect experience to work on some of the day-to-day decisions needed within the Product View Details

Keywords: Technology; Consumer Products / Retail

March 2012
Case

Schuberg Philis

By: Thomas J. DeLong and Daniela Beyersdorfer

The Dutch professional service firm Schuberg Philis has within a few years grown into a well-known player in the Dutch IT outsourcing market and regularly wins high customer- satisfaction marks. The growing workload and 100% promise to customers have increased the... View Details

Keywords: Growth Management; Organizational Culture; Management Style; Alignment; Information Technology Industry; Netherlands

February 2010 (Revised September 2011)
Case

Local Motors: Designed by the Crowd, Built by the Customer

By: Michael I. Norton and Jeremy Dann

In the wake of the meltdown among U.S. auto manufacturers in 2009, Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors, has a new approach for the automotive industry: decide which models are produced through online design competitions, and then allow customers to "build their own cars"... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Customer Focus and Relationships; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Product Design; Product Development; Creativity; Social and Collaborative Networks; Customization and Personalization; Auto Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States

03 Nov 2003
Research & Ideas

Making Money Making Movies

there is excess screen capacity. Many exhibitors are or have been in financial difficulties, and have had to close theaters or screens, resulting in a decline in the total number of screens since 2000. Internationally, there is some room... View Details

Keywords: by Manda Salls; Entertainment & Recreation; Motion Pictures & Video

January 2014 (Revised January 2017)
Supplement

Nivea (B)

By: Karim R. Lakhani, Johann Fuller, Volker Bilgram and Greta Friar

This supplementary case follows up on an innovative R&D approach by Beiersdorf,a skin care and cosmetics company. The case relates what happened to the product launched by Beiersdorf, to its Nivea line, following the events of the A case, and how the commercial success... View Details

Keywords: Innovation; Innovation Management; Marketing; Innovation Strategy; Innovation and Management; Research and Development; Product Design; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

April 2005
Case

Handleman Company

By: Janice H. Hammond and Kevin Dolan

Describes the organization and operations of the Handleman Co., an intermediary in the music industry that buys recorded music and resells it to mass retailers such as Wal-Mart. The company provides distribution, inventory management, retail merchandising, and category... View Details

Keywords: Business Organization; Music Entertainment; Cost Management; Growth and Development; Business or Company Management; Distribution Channels; Problems and Challenges; Risk and Uncertainty; Online Technology; Value Creation; Music Industry

01 Sep 2003
News

Books

scenarios early on in the product development process, while the financial and organizational costs of changing course are still relatively low. In Experimentation Matters, Thomke defines six principles that... View Details

Keywords: Deborah E. Blagg; Margie Kelley; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools

24 Feb 2015
First Look

First Look: February 24

resistance to their lobbying activities from the general public. These areas are known as "thin political markets" to distinguish them from more vibrant and competitive "thick" political processes (e.g., healthcare... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

November 2019 (Revised January 2025)
Case

Russia: A Drama In Three Acts

By: Rawi Abdelal, Rafael Di Tella, Galit Goldstein, Sogomon Tarontsi and Lavinia Teodorescu

The collapse of central authority in the Soviet Union in 1991 ushered in a period of revolutionary transformations for the states that emerged in its wake. The leaders of Russia, the USSR's successor, struggled to reestablish central authority while also seeking to... View Details

Career Coach

Alan Braly

included launching a startup to commercialize an interventional oncology medical device. He was previously at Health Advances, a boutique healthcare strategy consulting firm, where he led engagements in diagnostics, therapeutics, medical... View Details

26 Jan 2010
First Look

First Look: Jan. 26

traffic are sufficiently improved relative to the offerings of the ad auctions when separate. When there is an insufficient improvement, such mergers can harm advertisers. Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/10-055.pdf Investing in Improvement: View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

January 2013
Supplement

Cabot Corporation: The Fuel Cell Decision (B)

By: Willy Shih and Ying Zhou

Managers at Cabot Corporation are faced with deciding the future of its fuel cell program. The (A) case recounts the view of the business manager and the technical project lead, and the (B) case describes the perspective of a senior manager who is the head of the New... View Details

16 Mar 2017
News

Making Rapid Progress in the Fight Against Cancer

in 2 chance of developing cancer in their lifetimes. That’s pretty similar to the figures here in the US and in most of the western world. But actually the largest growth in... View Details

June 2005 (Revised August 2006)
Case

Ducati Corse

By: Francesca Gino and Andrew P. McAfee

Ducati Corse, the racing arm of Ducati Motorcycles, has entered the Moto GP circuit with a completely new bike. This bike was designed and tested using a great deal of information technology. After a very successful initial season, the Ducati Moto GP team sees... View Details

Keywords: Design; Business Strategy; Product Marketing; Information Technology; Performance Improvement; Change Management; Research and Development; Motorcycle Industry; Italy