Publications

February 2009
Case

HP: The Computer is Personal Again

By: Rajiv Lal and Cathy Ross

In September 2008, Todd Bradley, executive vice president of Hewlett-Packard Company's Personal Systems Group (PSG), gathered his thoughts before a meeting with his top executives and managers for product design and marketing. On the agenda was a discussion of... View Details

Keywords: Revenue; Product Positioning; Corporate Strategy; Computer Industry; Computer Industry

October 1998 (Revised May 2004)
Teaching Note

Adventurous Computer Games, Inc. and Adventurous Computer Games, Inc.(Abridged)TN

By: William J. Bruns Jr.

Teaching Note for (9-199-020) and (9-193-088). View Details

Keywords: Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

30 Jun 2003
Research & Ideas

Computer Security is For Managers, Too

company computer systems is often left unclear. Managers need to ask, "Who should have remote access to the corporate network? What safeguards must be in place before employees can connect to the corporate network from a remote... View Details

Keywords: by Robert D. Austin & Christopher A.R. Darby

February 2012 (Revised July 2012)
Case

China Risk Finance: Riding the Wave of China's Financial Services Industry

By: Regina M. Abrami, Matthew Shaffer and Weiqi Zhang

With China shifting toward a consumer-led growth model, non-bank lending has a critical role to play, but how easy is it to do business in this sector? What are the promises and pitfalls of the industry, and how well is Zane Wang, the case protagonist, navigating them? View Details

Keywords: Financing and Loans; Business Startups; Financial Services Industry; China

March 2007 (Revised August 2007)
Supplement

Dell Computers (B): The Transition

By: Frances X. Frei and Christine van Keuren

The case presents the outcome of the (A) case and explores challenges in the PC industry up to early 2007. Michael Dell's return as CEO is also discussed. View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Managerial Roles; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Hardware; Technology Industry

03 Feb 2003
Research & Ideas

Web Services

will drive its adoption of Web services: the movement from proprietary to more commonly used technologies; a shift from mechanical systems to those driven by computer connections; and the development of cars that are always "on the... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Service

Fall 2016
Article

How Do Customers Respond to Increased Service Quality Competition?

By: Ryan W. Buell, Dennis Campbell and Frances X. Frei

When does increased service quality competition lead to customer defection, and which customers are most likely to defect? Our empirical analysis of 82,235 customers exploits the varying competitive dynamics in 644 geographically isolated markets in which a nationwide... View Details

Keywords: Service Quality Competition; Retail Banks; Empirical Operations; Retention; Service Operations; Quality; Competition; Banking Industry; United States

February 1987 (Revised July 1987)
Case

Sears, Roebuck and Co. and the Retail Financial Services Industry (A)

February 2021 (Revised May 2021)
Case

SafeGraph: Selling Data as a Service

By: Ramana Nanda, Abhishek Nagaraj and Allison Ciechanover

Set in January 2021, the CEO of SafeGraph, a four-year-old startup that sold Data as a Service, looked to the future. His aim was to become the most trusted source for data about a physical place. The company provided points of interest (POI) and foot traffic data on... View Details

Keywords: Data As A Service; Monetization; Pricing; Business Startups; Analytics and Data Science; Consumer Behavior; Analysis; Business Model; Health Pandemics; Information Industry; United States

September 2001
Background Note

Accounting for Computer Software Development Costs

By: Robert S. Kaplan and Tatiana Sandino

Summarizes the debate on accounting for computer software development costs. Provides a historical description of the development of standards on accounting of computer software development costs, both in the United States and internationally. Describes how, after much... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Information Technology Industry; Information Technology Industry; United States

August 1998 (Revised February 1999)
Case

Product Development at Dell Computer Corporation

By: Stefan H. Thomke, Vish V. Krishnan and Ashok Nimgade

Describes how Dell redesigned its new product development process after experiencing a major product setback and a significant decline in firm profits in 1993. Dell's new process is challenged during the development of a new line of portable computers when the incoming... View Details

Keywords: Cost vs Benefits; Profit; Managerial Roles; Risk Management; Product Development; Business Processes; Problems and Challenges; Risk and Uncertainty; Hardware; Computer Industry

April 1987 (Revised August 1987)
Case

Sears, Roebuck and Co. and the Retail Financial Services Industry (B)

March 2000
Case

Dell Computer Corporation: Share Repurchase Program

By: George C. Chacko and Luis M. Viceira

Dell Computer Corp. announced a share repurchase program shortly after a significant stock price drop. In this announcement, the company also states that it will use options contracts. This case looks at the options transactions and how they relate to Dell's employee... View Details

Keywords: Financial Strategy; Stock Options; Employee Stock Ownership Plan; Computer Industry

April 2014 (Revised March 2015)
Case

GE and the Industrial Internet

By: Karim R. Lakhani, Marco Iansiti and Kerry Herman

CEO Jeff Immelt considers whether GE is moving fast enough on its new Industrial Internet initiative. The undertaking includes building out an Industrial Internet, connecting machines and devices, collecting their data and operations, and providing services to clients... View Details

November 1999 (Revised June 2001)
Case

Compaq Computer Corporation: The DEC Acquisition

By: Carliss Y. Baldwin and Barbara Feinberg

Compaq's board of directors is faced with responsibility for setting the price range and terms for the proposed acquisition of Digital Equipment Corp. The transaction is described in the context of the rapidly evolving markets and business models of the computer... View Details

Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards; Situation or Environment; Negotiation Offer; Acquisition; Computer Industry

April 1993 (Revised May 1994)
Case

Prodigy Services Company (A)

By: Lynn S. Paine

Top executives of Prodigy Services Co. must decide how to respond when publicly accused of allowing anti-Semitic messages to be posted on the electronic bulletin boards of the company's interactive computer service. Can they defend free expression while at the same... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Values and Beliefs; Communication Intention and Meaning; Information Technology; Decision Making; Law; Management Teams; Information Technology Industry

September 1986 (Revised May 1987)
Case

Bowater Computer Forms, Inc.

By: Francis Aguilar, Paul R. Lawrence and Robert Massie

Keywords: Computer Industry

October 1998 (Revised December 1998)
Case

CompUSA The Computer Superstore

By: Ananth Raman and Anna Sheen McClelland

Examines the CompUSA organization, focusing especially on the operations and the company culture. Highlights the economics of PC retailing and the importance of a responsive supply chain for their product category. The description of company culture emphasizes the role... View Details

Keywords: Supply Chain; Organizational Culture; Motivation and Incentives; Supply Chain Management; Computer Industry; Computer Industry; United States