Publications

June 1992 (Revised May 1996)
Case

Xerox Corp.: Leadership Through Quality (C)

Reveals the course of action that Xerox took after discovering that its Leadership Through Quality program had not met all expectations. Reinforces the message that change is an ongoing and continuous effort, and that companies never achieve all of their change goals. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Quality; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry

March 1991 (Revised July 1993)
Case

Kyocera Corp.

By: John P. Kotter

Examines the three factors critical to this company's remarkable success in the high tech field. The first factor is the founder, Dr. Inamori's powerful leadership. The second is the strong corporate culture or philosophy of the firm. The third element in Kyocera's... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Information Infrastructure; Leadership Style; Management Systems; Management Style; Organizational Culture; Practice; Profit; Planning; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry

April 1987
Case

Bob Galvin and Motorola, Inc. (C)

Describes the implementation of the "organization effectiveness" process which was designed to make major changes in two major divisions at Motorola. The reactions and actions of each division are described in some detail, as well as the initial results. View Details

Keywords: Business Divisions; Business Processes; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry

June 1991 (Revised December 1995)
Teaching Note

Cooper Industries' Corporate Strategy (A) and (B), Teaching Note

By: David J. Collis

Teaching Note for (9-391-095) and (9-795-154). View Details

Keywords: Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry

02 Apr 2008
Research & Ideas

Four Companies that Conquered America

maker earned a break when it managed to get a Best Buy buyer to take one of its vacuum cleaners home to test. The buyer was impressed. Fortunately for Dyson, Best Buy became the first U.S. retailer to stock Dyson vacuum cleaners—other U.S. retailers invariably follow... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch

02 Feb 2004
Research & Ideas

Where Does Apple Go From Here?

has Apple had such a difficult job growing beyond the Mac? A: Apple is a computer company, and Jobs has always understood that his core franchise was very closely connected to the core computer franchise. Consumer electronics products,... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

October 1982
Supplement

Fiber-Optics Industry (F)

By: Michael E. Porter and John R. Wells

Keywords: Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry

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January 1992
Teaching Note

Science Technology Company (1985) TN

By: Thomas R. Piper

Teaching Note for (9-289-040). View Details

Keywords: Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; United States

January 1992
Teaching Note

Cooper Industries, Inc. TN

By: Thomas R. Piper

Teaching Note for (9-274-116). View Details

Keywords: Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry

September 2022
Case

AllSpice: GitHub for Hardware Engineers

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Mel Martin

AllSpice, a software-as-a-service company that built a GitHub-like revision control tool for hardware engineers, was in the midst of preparing for rapid scale when the 2022 market downturn left them with big decisions to make. Cofounder and CEO Valentina Ratner had to... View Details

Keywords: Scaling; SaaS; Strategy; Marketing; Growth and Development Strategy; Resource Allocation; Customer Focus and Relationships; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; United States

February 2018
Case

Amazon, Google, and Apple: Smart Speakers and the Battle for the Connected Home

By: Rajiv Lal and Scott Johnson

Amazon, Google, and Apple all offer their own smart speaker. The devices represent each firm's entry point into the connected home market. All three companies come into the space with their own strengths and weaknesses. Who will win? View Details

February 2013 (Revised February 2013)
Case

Wayne Ferrari: iAutomation at a Crossroads

By: Jim Sharpe and Michael Norris

Wayne Ferrari has bridged the gap between being an independent entrepreneur and a "professional manager." After selling his business to a Private Equity (PE) firm, Ferrari takes on the role of CEO and with their support implements a roll-up strategy to attain growth... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Management; Entrepreneurial Organizations; Leveraged Buyouts; Roll-up; Career Planning; Acquisitions; Pricing; Pricing Policies; Pricing Strategy; Pricing Structure; Acquisition; Entrepreneurship; Private Equity; Distribution; Integration; System; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; United States

October 2012
Supplement

Olympus (B)

By: Jay W. Lorsch, Suraj Srinivasan and Kathleen Durante

This case outlines Michael Woodford's awards and honors, after having been fired from Olympus in October 2011. It discusses the repercussions following an investigation into the fraud and the report that was released thereafter. It also discusses the lawsuit that... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Corporate Governance; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; Japan

October 2010
Teaching Note

Gome Electronics: Evolving the Business Model (TN)

By: F. Warren McFarlan

Teaching Note for 308026. View Details

Keywords: Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; China

February 2010 (Revised December 2011)
Case

Ricoh Company, Ltd.

By: Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson, Marco Iansiti and Akiko Kanno

Ricoh, the Japanese copier manufacturer, is committed to reducing its environmental impact to one-eighth of its 2000 levels by 2050. It has already introduced three stages of environmental awareness to its operations, and its recycled copier business broke even in... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Accounting; Financial Reporting; Integrated Corporate Reporting; Investment; Operations; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; Japan

April 2001 (Revised June 2001)
Case

Competition Policy in the European Union and the Power of Microsoft

By: Julio J. Rotemberg and Michelle Kalka

Focuses on a decision by the European Competition Commissioner Mario Monti about U.S.-based Microsoft Corp. Sun has complained to the commission that Microsoft has installed components in its desktop operating system that only "talk" to Microsoft operating systems for... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Law; Emerging Markets; Information Technology; Policy; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; European Union; United States

April 1995 (Revised December 1997)
Case

Silicon Graphics, Inc. (A)

By: Marco Iansiti and Ellen Stein

Based on a Silicon Valley company that has developed the capability to compete in a rapidly growing, highly turbulent environment. This capability hinges on its flexible and rapid development process, which the case characterizes in detail. Focuses on the development... View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Information Infrastructure; Product Launch; Managerial Roles; Expansion; Design; Applications and Software; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; California

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March 1994
Case

Materials Technology Corp.

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Materials Technology Corp. (MTC) is an MIT-based start-up company that identified an initial product market for its advanced materials-processing technology using conventional market research techniques. While pursuing that market--advanced microelectronic... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Technology; Markets; Product Development; Innovation and Management; Electronics Industry; Electronics Industry; United States