Publications

March 2005 (Revised May 2009)
Case

Columbia's Final Mission

By: Michael Roberto, Amy C. Edmondson, Richard M.J. Bohmer, Laura Feldman and Erika Ferlins

On February 1, 2003, the Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, and the seven astronauts onboard lost their lives. Explores Columbia's final mission from the perspective of six key managers and engineers associated with NASA's Space... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Leadership; Crisis Management; Management Teams; Organizational Culture; Aerospace Industry

February 2003
Case

Irene Rodakis

Traces the career decision-making process of Irene Rodakis, an MBA student, from her second year of graduate school through five (plus) years post-graduation. Rodakis faces numerous career-decision choices that involve careful consideration of myriad work, family, and... View Details

Keywords: Work-Life Balance; Decision Choices and Conditions

24 Jan 2008
Working Paper Summaries

The Impact of Component Modularity on Design Evolution: Evidence from the Software Industry

Keywords: by Alan MacCormack, John Rusnak & Carliss Y. Baldwin; Video Game; Web Services

November 1990 (Revised June 1991)
Case

Final Voyage of the Challenger

Provides a summary of technical and organizational details that led to the decision to launch the Challenger Space Shuttle, and to the ensuing accident. Details of design and testing milestones of the Space Shuttle, with a focus on the Solid Rocket Booster, offer... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Risk Management; Ethics; Decision Choices and Conditions; Business Processes; Aerospace Industry; United States

15 Dec 2009
First Look

First Look: Dec. 15, 2009

Norton Publication:Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, no. 110 (2009): 152-159 Abstract The present investigation explores the neural mechanisms underlying the impact of social influence on... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

March 2018 (Revised September 2019)
Case

Chewy.com (A)

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport and Matthew G. Preble

In late 2013, Ryan Cohen, cofounder and CEO of online pet products retailer Chewy.com, faces a “bet the company decision”—whether to stay with a third-party logistics provider (3PL) for all of its e-commerce fulfillment or to take the function in house. Cohen worries... View Details

Keywords: Pet Food; Pet Products; Retail; Growth and Development Strategy; Service Operations; Decision Choices and Conditions; E-commerce; Retail Industry; Service Industry; Florida; United States

September 2008 (Revised May 2010)
Supplement

GE's Imagination Breakthrough: The EVO Project

By: Christopher A. Bartlett, Brian J. Hall and Nicole Bennett

This video features interviews with case protagonists John Dineen, Brett Begole, and Pierre Compte expressing their views on the decision framed by the case. In a second part of the tape the protagonists describe what they decided to do. A third segment features John... View Details

Keywords: Communication Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions; Innovation and Management; Leading Change; Growth and Development Strategy; Outcome or Result; Green Technology Industry

May 1997 (Revised July 1997)
Case

Vermeer Technologies (C): Negotiating the Future

By: Ashish Nanda

The success of the Vermeer software offering suddenly transforms the start-up into a sought after company. After arduous negotiations, Vermeer management is faced with the choice of continuing as an independent company or being acquired by Microsoft or Netscape. View Details

Keywords: Negotiation; Applications and Software; Decision Making; Acquisition; Business Startups; Business Strategy; Information Technology Industry

May 2017 (Revised August 2021)
Case

Mavi: Fashioning a Path to Brand Growth

By: Jill Avery and Gamze Yucaoglu

This case examines the strategic choices and business model with regards to branding at Mavi, a leading Turkish apparel retailer. The case is presented from the perspective of the company CEO and its global brand director who is also part owner. In 2015, Mavi had sales... View Details

September 1997 (Revised March 2000)
Case

Adelphia Communications Corporation

By: Paul M. Healy

A bank officer must make a loan application decision for a large but financially troubled cable broadcaster. View Details

Keywords: Financial Condition; Financing and Loans; Decision Choices and Conditions; Contracts; Telecommunications Industry

November 2017 (Revised December 2019)
Case

Redfin: Redefine Real Estate

By: Hong Luo and Huafeng Yu

Founded in 2004, Redfin envisioned a light-touch model in which clients self-served using the digital platform in exchange for a significantly lower fee than traditional agents. Realizing the narrow appeal of its initial model, Redfin had made significant changes to... View Details

Keywords: Adaptation; Growth and Development Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions; Real Estate Industry; North America

16 Dec 2015
Research & Ideas

Why ‘Sleep on It’ No Longer Sounds Like Great Advice

they were with the choice, and how easy the decision was to make, those who had slept tended to be less certain with their choice in the first study, View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Retail

Producing Prosperity: Why America Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance

Companies compete on the decisions they make. For years—even decades—in response to intensifying global competition, companies decided to outsource their manufacturing operations in order to reduce costs. But we are now seeing the alarming long-term effect of those... View Details

November 2013
Teaching Note

8 Spruce Street

By: Arthur I Segel

The case begins in March 2009 during the depths of the recession with Forest City Ratner (FCR) Companies, a New York City based developer, facing the decision to halt construction half-way on 8 Spruce Street, the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere, or... View Details

Keywords: Real Estate; Investment; Real Estate Industry; Japan

April 2017 (Revised July 2017)
Case

ISRO: Explore Space or Exploit CubeSats?

By: Prithwiraj Choudhury, Tarun Khanna, Karim Lakhani and Rachna Tahilyani

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) achieved global acclaim by launching successful missions to the moon and Mars at a fraction of the cost of prior Western missions. It is now faced with an important strategic dilemma—whether to continue exploring deep space... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Decision Choices and Conditions; Aerospace Industry; India

October 2008
Article

Evaluating the CEO

By: Stephen P. Kaufman

This article includes a one-page preview that quickly summarizes the key ideas and provides an overview of how the concepts work in practice along with suggestions for further reading. After Kaufman became a CEO, he was struck by how perfunctory the board was in its... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Governing and Advisory Boards; Leadership; Managerial Roles; Performance Evaluation; Motivation and Incentives