Publications

06 Sep 2018
Cold Call Podcast

Should US Companies Still Care About the Paris Climate Change Agreement?

Keywords: Re: Vincent Pons; Manufacturing; Mining

September 2001 (Revised April 2002)
Case

Ocean Carriers

By: Erik Stafford, Angela Chao and Kathleen Luchs

In January 2001, Mary Linn, vice president of finance for Ocean Carriers, a shipping company with offices in New York and Hong Kong, was evaluating a proposed lease of a ship for a three-year period, beginning in early 2003. The customer was eager to finalize the... View Details

Keywords: Cash Flow; Forecasting and Prediction; Cost of Capital; Leasing; Corporate Strategy; Valuation; Shipping Industry; New York (city, NY); Hong Kong

July 2002 (Revised January 2003)
Case

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc: Rewarding Our People

By: Thomas J. DeLong and Vineeta Vijayaraghavan

Marilyn Winn, head of human resources at Harrah's Entertainment, must make a recommendation to the company's president and CEO about whether the existing bonus payout program is effective at motivating employees or whether it should be revised and/or replaced. A recent... View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Compensation and Benefits; Employees; Human Capital; Management Style; Motivation and Incentives; Alignment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

February 2019 (Revised March 2022)
Case

Mexico: Shifting Left with AMLO

By: Richard H.K. Vietor

Andrés Manuel López Obrador became president of Mexico on December 1, 2018. His election, and the victory of his new Party, MORENA, represent a sharp shift to the left by Mexico’s political system. Previously, President Peña Nieto and his party, the PRI, had initiated... View Details

Keywords: Political Economy; Pacto; Institutional Reform; Nationalism; Energy Reform; Government and Politics; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Economic Growth; International Relations; Mexico

June 1997 (Revised October 2001)
Case

Elliot Lebowitz

By: Paul A. Gompers and Alexander Tsai

Elliot Lebowitz, president and CEO of BioTransplant, must decide on a strategy for this young biotechnology start-up. Among the issues to be resolved are focus of research and search for strategic alliance partners. View Details

Keywords: Alliances; Research; Business Startups; Management Teams; Business Strategy; Biotechnology Industry; United States

September 2008 (Revised September 2018)
Case

Traversing a Career Path: Pat Fili-Krushel (A)

By: Kathleen L. McGinn, Deborah M. Kolb and Cailin B. Hammer

Pat Fili-Krushel, CEO and president of WebMD and past president of ABC Network, contemplates accepting Richard Parson's offer to become the first executive vice president of administration at AOL Time Warner. Accepting this position would be a move back into mainstream... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Job Offer; Managerial Roles; Negotiation Tactics; Personal Development and Career; Power and Influence; Media and Broadcasting Industry

March 2016 (Revised May 2021)
Supplement

IBM and the Reinvention of High School (C): Toward P-TECH's Rapid National Expansion

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Kelsi Stine-Rowe

In early 2016, Stanley Litow, IBM's Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs and President of the IBM International Foundation, made his travel arrangements for still another flight from New York to discuss possibilities for application of a new... View Details

Keywords: IBM; P-TECH; Stanley Litow: Robin Willner; Cuomo; Scaling; Innovation; New York State; New York City; Business Model; Innovation Strategy; Innovation Leadership; Education; Business and Community Relations; Change; Growth and Development; Technology Industry; New York (state, US); New York (city, NY)

April 1985
Supplement

Cleveland Twist Drill: Jim Bartlett, Video

By: Richard G. Hamermesh and Daniel F. Muzyka

Presents a question and answer session with Jim Bartlett, president of Cleveland Twist Drill. Edited into three parts. Bartlett provides additional insights into the case situation and also describes subsequent events at the company. View Details

Keywords: Management Teams; Corporate Strategy; Policy; Construction Industry; Consumer Products Industry

May 1981 (Revised May 1985)
Case

MEM Co., Inc.

By: John A. Quelch

The President of MEM Co., Inc. is assessing the proposed introduction of a new line of men's toiletries. He also must determine the best distribution channels and the size of the product's advertising budget. View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Distribution Channels; Budgets and Budgeting; Product Development; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

November 1993
Supplement

Erik Peterson (C)

By: John J. Gabarro

Describes the outcome of Erik Peterson's one-day meeting with his superior and the events of the subsequent day's meeting with the president and vice president of operations of the parent company. Students should have read the (A) and (B) cases. The (C) case may be... View Details

Keywords: Conferences; Leadership; Management; Product Launch; Operations; Outcome or Result; Problems and Challenges

June 1982
Supplement

Hartmann Luggage, Video

By: John A. Quelch

The company president describes current strategy, and the decisions made in response to the problems. View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Business Strategy; Consumer Products Industry

March 1996 (Revised January 1997)
Case

America Online: Using Information Technology to Better Serve the Customer

By: James I. Cash Jr. and Judy E. Stahl

Mike Connors, president of AOL Technologies, examines several efforts to correct operational problems inhibiting the company's growth. What will need to be done to support growth and counter competition from Prodigy, Compuserv, and Internet-related services? View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Service Operations; Problems and Challenges; Competitive Strategy; Information Technology; Technology Industry

July 1989 (Revised November 1992)
Supplement

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.: MIS Reorganization (B)

Describes the vice president of Management Information Services (MIS) Division's response to the dilemma facing him. View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Decision Making

Find at Harvard

April 1987 (Revised April 1987)
Case

Tiberg Co.

By: Michael Beer and Daniel J. Isenberg

Describes the efforts of a vice president of purchasing to coordinate and centralize purchasing procedures in a multinational company. He encounters a lack of active cooperation. A rewritten version of an earlier case by G. Lombard. View Details

Keywords: Cost Management; Multinational Firms and Management; Governance Controls; Managerial Roles; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Design; Power and Influence

March 1994 (Revised March 1995)
Supplement

Craig Weatherup, Supplement

By: Linda A. Hill

A biographical information sheet about Craig Weatherup, president and CEO of Pepsi Cola, North America. View Details

Keywords: Personal Development and Career; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

April 1997 (Revised February 2001)
Case

Mexico in Debt

By: Richard H.K. Vietor and Eilene Zimmerman

Describes Mexico's political and economic system in the 1960s and 1970s. Focuses on: 1) the causes of the debt crisis in 1982; 2) elements of President de la Madrid's restructuring efforts between 1982-88; President Salinas's attempts to complete restructuring and... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Economic Systems; Financial Crisis; Inflation and Deflation; Macroeconomics; Borrowing and Debt; Government and Politics; Mexico