Publications

February 2005
Article

Managing the Ecosystem

By: Marco Iansiti

The days of the corporate lone wolf are over. In our increasingly interconnected world, standing alone is no longer a viable business model. Instead, smart companies rely heavily on networks of partners, suppliers, and customers to achieve market success and sustain... View Details

Keywords: Integrated Corporate Reporting; Partners and Partnerships; Industry Clusters; Customers; Markets; Situation or Environment; Banks and Banking; Insurance; Software

Web

The Canton Trade and The Hong Merchants System - A Chronicle of the China Trade

issued by the Chinese government, the hong merchants enjoyed considerable power. All foreign trade was required to be channeled through them. They purchased most of the imports, arranged for exports back to America, and made sure... View Details

December 1999 (Revised March 2002)
Case

Hunter Business Group: TeamTBA

By: Das Narayandas and Elizabeth R. Caputo

The Hunter Business Group (HBG), a direct marketing consulting firm specializing in reorganizing the sales and marketing efforts of industrial firms, uses integrated customer contact technologies (including field sales, telephone, and mail) as a means of... View Details

Keywords: Communication Technology; Marketing Communications; Marketing Reference Programs; Marketing Strategy; Market Participation; Sales; Value Creation; Consulting Industry

16 Jul 2024
Research & Ideas

Weighing Digital Tradeoffs in Private Equity

[portfolio] firms more efficient.” “The growing success of digital transformation over the past decade has allowed PE firms to develop newer approaches to value creation. Digital technologies allow PE portfolio companies to gain both from... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Financial Services

April 2014
Article

The Limits of Scale: Companies That Get Big Fast Are Often Left Behind. Here's Why.

By: Hanna Halaburda and Felix Oberholzer-Gee

The value of many products and services rises or falls with the number of customers using them; the fewer fax machines in use, the less important it is to have one. These network effects influence consumer decisions and affect companies' ability to compete. Strategists... View Details

May 2017 (Revised September 2018)
Case

Hilti Fleet Management (A): Turning a Successful Business Model on Its Head

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Oliver Gassmann and Roman Sauer

This case explores the introduction of fleet management in the construction industry by the premium power tools manufacturer Hilti in 2000. Following its customers’ needs, Hilti moved from selling power tools to leasing them as a service. The introduction of the new... View Details

13 Oct 2010
News

Turning Business Owners Into Stars of Their Own Stories

January 2008
Article

The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy

By: Michael E. Porter

This article includes a one-page preview that quickly summarizes the key ideas and provides an overview of how the concepts work in practice along with suggestions for further reading. In 1979, a young associate professor at Harvard Business School published his first... View Details

Keywords: Profit; Five Forces Framework; Industry Growth; Industry Structures; Business and Government Relations; Competitive Strategy

September 2004 (Revised December 2004)
Case

Metso Paper: Globalization of Finnish Metal Workshops

By: Lynda M. Applegate, Marikka Heikkila and Kalle Lyytinen

Metso Paper, the world's largest producer of paper machines, aims to transform itself into a knowledge- and information-based service and solution provider for the paper industry by aggressively exploiting information technologies. In the fall of 2002, Jorma Hujala, a... View Details

Keywords: Production; Customer Value and Value Chain; Information Technology; Corporate Strategy; Knowledge Management; Machinery and Machining; Expansion; Service Delivery; Pulp and Paper Industry; Pulp and Paper Industry; Finland

19 Sep 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, September 19

positioning of the brand to move upmarket or down market? Which value proposition offered the most future promise: functional differentiation, lifestyle differentiation, or celebrity endorsement? Should the company continue to serve both... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

03 Oct 2017
First Look

First Look at Research and Ideas, October 3, 2017

Tatiana Sandino Abstract—Using retail chain data, we study the effects of a tournament incentive plan incorporating objective and subjective criteria. In principle, such plans could motivate employees to... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

December 2000
Background Note

Internet Access Providers

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Daniel Green

Describes the Internet access provider business model. First, it defines the model and presents different ways to categorize access providers. Second, it offers a summary of the various ways that Internet access providers create value for their customers. Next, it... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Internet; Web Services Industry

21 Apr 2021
Research & Ideas

The Pandemic Conversations That Leaders Need to Have Now

means closeness, and while social distancing remains important to mitigating the spread of COVID-19, psychological proximity—interpersonal trust, alignment on values and... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg, Robin Abrahams, and Katherine Connolly Baden

27 Dec 2015
Research & Ideas

The Most Popular Stories and Research Papers of 2015

and innovation, says Jim Heskett. What changes will allow managers to add value to the creative process? What do YOU think? What Makes a Good Leader? (25,360) Leadership comes in many shapes View Details

29 Sep 2015
Research & Ideas

Work 3.0: Redefining Jobs and Companies in the Uber Age

as Lyft, Postmates, Upwork, TaskRabbit, and scores of others like them—connect large numbers of independent contractors providing services with customers seeking those services. The companies profit by... View Details

Keywords: by Andrei Hagiu; Transportation; Web Services

02 Jun 2010
What Do You Think?

How Do You Weigh Strategy, Execution, and Culture in an Organization’s Success?

sustainable without a framework of cultural values and rules." Drew Williamson pictured the relationship as "a virtuous circle that can break at any of the three points. It starts with a happy,... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

05 Dec 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, December 5, 2017

that we can thrive. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=53562 forthcoming Customer Needs and Solutions In Pursuit of Enhanced Customer Retention... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

June 1998 (Revised January 2000)
Case

Egghead.com

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport

Egghead Software, an entrenched traditional chain retailer specializing in computer software and peripherals, had established a nationwide chain of mall and shopping center stores and a well-organized national brand. In early 1998, management made a highly unusual, and... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Information Technology Industry; Retail Industry