Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(771)
- Faculty Publications (89)
- November 2006 (Revised July 2007)
- Case
CNN and the Cable News Wars
Set in 1996, when ABC, NBC and Microsoft, and Fox all announced that they will challenge Cable News Network's near monopoly position in the 24-hour cable news channel market. The focus is on the interaction of the strategies likely to be adopted by each player given... View Details
Keywords: Leadership; Resource Allocation; Monopoly; Rank and Position; Reputation; Adoption; Competition
- October 2006 (Revised February 2010)
- Case
Linux vs. Windows
By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Jordan Mitchell
As of 2006, Microsoft is finding that its dominant position in client and server operating systems is under attack from Linux. While Linux has only 3% of the worldwide installed base of PC operating systems, it had captured 20% of the server market by the end of 2005... View Details
- July 2006
- Article
Dynamic Mixed Duopoly: A Model Motivated by Linux vs. Windows
By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Pankaj Ghemawat
This paper analyzes a dynamic mixed duopoly in which a profit-maximizing competitor interacts with a competitor that prices at zero (or marginal cost), with the cumulation of output affecting their relative positions over time. The modeling effort is motivated by... View Details
Keywords: Open Source Software; Demand-side Learning; Network Effects; Linux; Mixed Duopoly; Competitive Dynamics; Business Models; Duopoly and Oligopoly; Information Technology; Applications and Software; Business Model; Mathematical Methods; Digital Platforms; Profit; Balance and Stability; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; SWOT Analysis; Competition; Price; Information Technology Industry
- January 2006 (Revised March 2010)
- Case
Peer-to-Peer File Sharing and the Market for Digital Information Goods
By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Andres Hervas and Jordan Mitchell
We study competitive interaction between two alternative models of digital content distribution over the Internet: peer-to-peer (p2p) file sharing and centralized client-server distribution. We present microfoundations for a stylized model of p2p file sharing where all... View Details
Keywords: Price; Profit; Distribution; Competition; Internet and the Web; Information Infrastructure
- January 2005 (Revised December 2006)
- Background Note
Midway's Entry into Milwaukee: An Interactive Game
By: Dennis A. Yao
Provides background and instructions to the Airline Pricing Game courseware (9-705-802), an interactive simulation of a new entry by a lower cost airline. The courseware allows students to make round-by-round competitive pricing decisions and react to changing market... View Details
- 2003
- Working Paper
Dynamic Mixed Duopoly: A Model Motivated by Linux vs. Windows
By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Pankaj Ghemawat
This paper analyzes a dynamic mixed duopoly in which a profit-maximizing competitor interacts with a competitor that prices at zero (or marginal cost), with the cumulation of output affecting their relative positions over time. The modeling effort is motivated by... View Details
- July 2002
- Supplement
Discount & Hawkins Openings: Video Highlights
This case shows the interactions between two quite different pairs of negotiators, both engaged in working through the final leasing clause between a mall developer and its anchor tenant. It highlights the importance of openings to frame and shape the entire course of... View Details
- July 2001 (Revised December 2001)
- Case
American Express Interactive
Follows the protagonist, Sonia Sharpe, as she and her American Express Interactive Team attempt to develop and market an interactive, on-line, corporate travel service in a highly competitive environment. Looks at the possible resources and partnerships a company needs... View Details
Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Partners and Partnerships; Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Marketing Strategy; Product Positioning; Applications and Software; Technological Innovation; Global Strategy; Expansion; Information Technology; Vertical Integration; Financial Services Industry; Travel Industry
- 2001
- Working Paper
Contextuality Within Activity Systems
By: Michael E. Porter and Nicolaj Siggelkow
Research on the interactions among activities in firms and the extent to which these interactions help create and sustain competitive advantage has rapidly expanded in recent years. In this research, the two most common approaches have been the complementarity... View Details
- November 2000 (Revised May 2002)
- Case
FleetBoston Financial: Online Banking
By: Frances X. Frei and Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar
As the ninth largest bank holding company in the United States in 2000, FleetBoston Financial Corp. provided a myriad of financial services, including retail banking, loan origination, and brokerage accounts. This case explores how FleetBoston responded to the Internet... View Details
- July 1999 (Revised January 2000)
- Case
Yahoo!: Business on Internet Time
By: Jan W. Rivkin and Jay R. Girotto
In the wake of major competitive moves, CEO Tim Koogle and his senior team at Yahoo!, an Internet portal, must decide whether and how to adjust their strategy. Following deals between AOL and Netscape, Excite and @Home, Infoseek and Disney, and Snap and NBS, Yahoo!... View Details
- March 1999 (Revised January 2000)
- Background Note
A Note on Microeconomics for Strategists
By: Kenneth S. Corts and Jan W. Rivkin
Summarizes the core ideas about the microeconomics of markets that are most relevant to business strategy. Sections I and II develop two basic building blocks of any market, demand and supply. Section II discusses how demand and supply interact to determine the... View Details
- September 1998 (Revised February 1999)
- Case
Interactive Insurance Services: Redefining Insurance Distribution
By: Lynda M. Applegate and Marla Malcom-Nagler
Founded in July 1995, Interactive Insurance Services provided personal lines of insurance over the World Wide Web. In June 1996, the company was acquired by Intuit for $7.5 million. The case details the competitive and organizational issues faced by this rapidly... View Details
- Article
The Interactions of Organizational and Competitive Influences on Strategy and Performance
By: Rebecca M. Henderson and Will Mitchell
- October 1994 (Revised November 1994)
- Case
British Airways: Using Information Systems to Better Serve the Customer
By: W. Earl Sasser and Norman Klein
Explores the uses of scanning technology, interactive software, and powerful data bases to assist customer relations representatives in resolving customer complaints. Competitive alliances in international markets are noted, but the focus is on the evolving commitment... View Details
- February 1992 (Revised March 1993)
- Case
Intel Corp.--1992
By: Kenneth A. Froot
Intel Corp., the world's dominant designer and manufacturer of microprocessors (the "brains" of the personal computer), has accumulated a large amount of cash (net of debt). Furthermore, it expects to continue to accumulate cash at an unprecedented rate. Has the... View Details
- April 1991 (Revised October 1993)
- Supplement
Cat Fight in the Pet Food Industry (C)
By: David J. Collis
Describes significant developments in the pet food industry in 1987 and 1988, focusing on the competitive interactions among the industry's major players. View Details
- January 1991 (Revised March 1992)
- Case
USA Today
By: Robert L. Simons
USA Today is a national newspaper struggling to achieve profitability. This case focuses on the use of management control systems to identify emerging opportunities and the formulation of new strategies. The interactive system used by top managers--the Friday... View Details
Keywords: Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Managerial Roles; Forecasting and Prediction; Growth and Development Strategy; Risk Management; Labor and Management Relations; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Risk and Uncertainty; Journalism and News Industry; United States
- February 1989 (Revised October 1994)
- Case
Asahi Breweries Ltd.
Focuses on competitive repositioning, organizational renewal, and personal leadership. Describes how Asahi Breweries was faced with a major capacity expansion decision after succeeding in increasing market share dramatically in the traditionally stable Japanese beer... View Details
- November 1987 (Revised March 1993)
- Background Note
Global Semiconductor Industry--1987
By: David B. Yoffie
In 1987, the global semiconductor industry was coming out of the deepest recession in its 40 year history. The note examines the competitive dynamics of this industry over time, the nature of its technology, and the sources of competitive advantage. The role of buyer... View Details