Publications

November 1995 (Revised February 1996)
Case

Monsanto Company: The Coming of Age of Bio-Technology

By: Ray A. Goldberg and Thomas N. Urban Jr

Monsanto has one product, Roundup, accounting for 30% of company net income and is going off patent. How should the company position itself and its products in the future? View Details

Keywords: Patents; Product Positioning; Strategic Planning; System Shocks; Biotechnology Industry

May 2005 (Revised February 2007)
Case

HNA Group: "A Miracle in Civil Aviation"

By: Cynthia A. Montgomery and Carole Winkler

Chen Feng and three others started Hainan Airlines in China during a historic transformation and privatization of the civil aviation industry. From a small loan from the local province in 1992, Chairman Chen built the company into a conglomerate that, by 2003, owned... View Details

Keywords: Growth Management; Air Transportation; Business Growth and Maturation; Competitive Advantage; Emerging Markets; Business Startups; Air Transportation Industry; China

28 Apr 2015
First Look

First Look: April 28

high-tech entrepreneurship from three path-breaking entrepreneurs who emerged as CEOs of huge global companies. Their approaches to formulating strategy and building organizations offer unique insights for... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

February 2006 (Revised January 2007)
Case

MercadoLibre.com

By: Francisco de Asis Martinez-Jerez, Joshua Bellin and James Robert Dillon

MercadoLibre.com, eBay's Latin-American partner, needed to decide how far it was going to follow eBay's practice of offering "free listing days" and discounted special-feature days. Was this type of promotion prudent, given MercadoLibre.com's customer base, revenue... View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Auctions; Service Industry; Latin America

14 Oct 2013
Research & Ideas

Blockbuster! Why Star Power Works

makes huge investments to acquire, develop, and market concepts with strong hit potential, and then banks on the sales of those titles to make up for the middling performance... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Entertainment & Recreation

21 May 2013
First Look

First Look: May 21

http://hbr.org/product/keeping-up-with-the-quants-your-guide-to-understan/an/11177-HBK-ENG 2006 Strategic Management Journal Location Strategies for Agglomeration Economies By: Alcácer, Juan, and Wilbur Chung Abstract—Geographically... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

July 2010 (Revised March 2015)
Teaching Note

1366 Technologies

By: Ramana Nanda and Joseph B. Lassiter III

Teaching Note for 810005. View Details

Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Production; Supply and Industry; Corporate Strategy; Capital; Manufacturing Industry

06 Jun 2005
Research & Ideas

Microsoft vs. Open Source: Who Will Win?

market leadership position? "We believe that there is still a great deal of confusion and puzzlement on how this competitive battle will develop," say the authors of the academic paper Dynamic... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Technology

03 Jan 2007
First Look

First Look: January 3, 2007

http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=207077 Framedia Harvard Business School Case 207-057 Examines an acquisition in the highly competitive new media advertising industry in China in late 2005. The transaction... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

03 Jan 2017
First Look

January 3, 2017

relocation of resources in affected fund families and in the asset management industry in general, as well as decline in capital of issuers borrowing from money funds. Publisher's link:... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

07 Jan 2025
Blog Post

Revolutionizing Wellness: Kate Twist (MBA 2008) Shapes the Future of Consumer Health Brands

consumer research around the world to understand what people hoped their skincare products could do,” Twist explained. “I was also fortunate to learn from and be developed by several HBS alums (every leader on the Clinique View Details

September 1994 (Revised October 2002)
Case

Citibank: Launching the Credit Card in Asia Pacific (A)

By: V. Kasturi Rangan

Consumer Bank pondered the possibilities of launching a credit card in the Asia Pacific region. The bank's New York headquarters, and several of its country managers in the region, were not enthusiastic. But others were supportive because of the opportunity to expand... View Details

Keywords: Product Launch; Service Operations; Value Creation; Customer Focus and Relationships; Trade; Business Strategy; Expansion; Laws and Statutes; Banking Industry; Asia; New York (city, NY)

February 2003 (Revised April 2003)
Case

Brioni

By: David E. Bell

Should Brioni, an internationally known, exclusive men's suit manufacturer and retailer extend its line to include women's apparel? The opportunity is to enter a much larger and profitable market. The dangers are: 1) compromising the existing image, and 2) failing to... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Segmentation; Expansion; Profit; Risk Management; Demand and Consumers; Fashion Industry

March 2007
Teaching Note

Latvia: Economic Strategy after EU Accession (TN)

By: Michael E. Porter and Christian H.M. Ketels

Teaching note to 707515. View Details

Keywords: Multinational Firms and Management; Emerging Markets; Market Entry and Exit; Perspective; Opportunities; Retail Industry; Latvia; Russia; China; Germany; India

August 2008 (Revised May 2009)
Background Note

Note on Generic Drugs in the European Union

By: Robert C. Pozen and Elizabeth M. Leonard

Rules governing the introduction of generic drugs in U.S. and EU have some similarities but significant differences because of the Hatch-Waxman Act in the U.S. View Details

Keywords: Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Government Legislation; Health Care and Treatment; Trademarks; Brands and Branding; Pharmaceutical Industry; European Union; United States

Find at Harvard

September 1983 (Revised October 1984)
Case

Boston Whaler, Inc.: Managing the Dealer Network

Mr. Joseph Lawler, newly-appointed president of Boston Whaler, Inc. (BWI), believes that better dealer management is the key to his company's continued growth. BWI manufactured a high-price, high performance line of power and other boats for the recreational,... View Details

Keywords: Distribution Channels; Product Marketing; Consumer Products Industry

December 2004 (Revised May 2005)
Case

Levenger Company

By: Myra M. Hart, Kristin Lieb and Victoria Winston

The Leveens started a high-end catalog business as a small home-based venture in 1987. It grew into a nationally recognized, $60 million company, offering products that ranged from unique pens and pencils to leather briefcases and fully furnished offices. In 1999, it... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Financial Liquidity; Business Exit or Shutdown; Expansion; Business Growth and Maturation; Value; Entrepreneurship; Financing and Loans; Globalization; Business Startups; Growth and Development Strategy; Retail Industry; United States

November 2003 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Drilling South: Petrobras Evaluates Pecom

By: Mihir A. Desai and Ricardo Reisen de Pinho

The Brazilian oil company, Petrobras, is evaluating the acquisition of an Argentine oil company, the Perez Companc Group (Pecom). The acquisition would increase Petrobras' oil reserves and expand its interests outside Brazil, a significant step for the largest company... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Forecasting and Prediction; Financial Crisis; Non-Renewable Energy; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Corporate Governance; Risk Management; Emerging Markets; State Ownership; Performance Evaluation; Risk and Uncertainty; Valuation; Energy Industry; Argentina; Brazil

December 2007 (Revised April 2008)
Case

Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners

Selling an intangible like advertising services is a difficult task. The first step is to understand how brands buy these services. What are they looking for? What do they need to learn? How do they go about assessing things like creativity, trust, and loyalty? This... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Advertising; Sales; Advertising Industry