Publications

June 2004 (Revised November 2004)
Case

Birth of the Swatch, The

By: Youngme E. Moon

In 1993, the Swatch is the best-selling watch in history. Traces the history of the watch industry up to the early 1980s, when the Swatch was introduced. Describes the various elements that made the Swatch different from any watch the industry had ever seen. Also... View Details

Keywords: History; Management; Product Positioning; Marketing Strategy; Business Startups; Brands and Branding; Manufacturing Industry

May 1998 (Revised August 2017)
Case

DuPont Kevlar: Commercializing a Miracle Fiber

By: Clayton Christensen and Rory McDonald

Describes Dupont's efforts to build commercial markets for its miracle fiber, Kevlar. Initially, it sought to create a market for Kevlar tire cord, primarily because its existing tire cord business was languishing. This market never developed, even after Dupont spent... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Crisis Management; Product Launch; Emerging Markets; Research and Development; Technology

March 1998 (Revised March 1999)
Case

NIKE, Inc. in the 1990s (C)

By: John A. Quelch

In 1998, Nike's earnings and sales growth slowed. Management faced new competition from Adidas. This case asks students to review the various strategies (including diversification into sports equipment) pursued by Nike to resuscitate corporate growth. View Details

Keywords: Diversification; Competition; Product Launch; Brands and Branding; Growth and Development Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Sports Industry

12 Jul 2010
Research & Ideas

Rocket Science Retailing: A Practical Guide

understand customers and their needs deeply. Develop the ability to respond to this understanding with better-tailored assortments, replenishment of the hits, and timely markdowns on what is left over. Execute well, especially at the stores. Attend to data inaccuracy... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Retail; Auto

Web

Boston Manufacturing Company Records | Baker Library

be known as the Waltham system. The Boston Manufacturing Company records contain administrative material, financial records, correspondence, and labor and production records of the Waltham-based textile firm founded in Waltham,... View Details

Web

Tulsi Patel | MBA

to create a positive impact in the world. Tech areas of interest: Social Impact Tech & Startups, Product Management, Education, AI/ML, Consumer Technology Formative experience at the intersection of technology and business: As one of the... View Details

August 2010 (Revised July 2012)
Case

Cork'd: Building a Social Network for Wine Lovers

Lindsay Ronga and Gary Vaynerchuk are launching Cork'd, an online social network for wine lovers. Despite Gary's status as a celebrity wine connoisseur, the team faces a significant challenge: several other wine social networks are well established and already have... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Product Launch; Network Effects; Market Entry and Exit; Social and Collaborative Networks; Competitive Strategy; Food and Beverage Industry

February 2000 (Revised May 2001)
Case

BET.com

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Pauline M Fischer

Black Entertainment Television, a leading cable programmer, is launching BET.com, an Internet portal targeted toward African-Americans. This case examines the challenges facing BET management as it defines its service offerings and target customer segments in a... View Details

Keywords: Product Positioning; Ethnicity; Internet and the Web; Age; Race; Decision Choices and Conditions; Business Startups; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

Becherer rebuilt Deere & Company, following the financial farm crisis of the 1980s, into a diverse, global competitor. In 1998, revenues from outside the United States accounted for approximately 25% of Deere & Company sales. Becherer so successfully... View Details

Keywords: Agriculture & Mining

Camille Dreyfus

Celanese Corporation showed a profit every year after 1925 with its breakthrough year coming in 1939. The company grew by 700% from 1929-1939. By 1940, Dreyfus held 233 patents in the U.S., most of which were concerned with the production... View Details

Keywords: Chemicals & Industrial

17 Oct 2019
Blog Post

Being a Mom at Business School

Alice Liu (MBA 2021) is originally from Beijing, China and moved to Canada when she was 11. She went to WashU in St.Louis, and worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan where she covered technology companies from SF and NYC offices. Alice is starting her own female... View Details

Adolph Zukor

these investments, produced dozens of highly successful films. In 1949, Paramount was forced to divest itself of the theatre chain business, but an undaunted Zukor moved on to his next challenge, capitalizing on the growing television industry, and building Paramount... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment & Broadcast Media

01 Dec 2008
News

Green Talk at HBS

Nyquist reported that such emissions could be cut by a third through greater efficiencies. He also noted, however, that meeting the lowered emission goals set for 2050 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will require a larger increase in View Details

Keywords: Oil and Gas Extraction; Mining; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services; Electric Power Generation, Transmission, Distribution; Utilities

01 Mar 2006
News

MD/MBA Program Launched

will produce “a new generation of leaders in health care.” Graduates of the program, whose enrollment will increase over time, will be encouraged to practice medicine before becoming senior executives in hospitals, health-care organizations, and private-sector firms... View Details

Keywords: MD/MBA joint-degree program; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

15 Apr 2014
First Look

First Look: April 15

Publications August 2013 American Economic Review Private Equity, Jobs, and Productivity By: Davis, Steven J., John Haltiwanger, Kyle Handley, Ron Jarmin, Josh Lerner, and Javier Miranda Abstract—Private equity critics claim that... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

fall 1994
Article

Costs, Institutional Mobility Barriers, and Market Structure: Advertising Agencies as Multiproduct Firms

By: A. J. Silk and E. R. Berndt

Keywords: Cost; Markets; Advertising; Product; Advertising Industry

Find at Harvard

July 1998
Article

Price Promotions and Trade Deals with Multiproduct Retailers

By: R. Lal and Miguel Villas-Boas

Keywords: Price; Trade; Product; Sales

Find at Harvard

July–August 1999
Article

Bringing the Environment Down to Earth

By: F. L. Reinhardt