Publications

21 Feb 2018
Research & Ideas

When a Competitor Abandons the Market, Should You Advance or Retreat?

test results, changing market conditions, deteriorating financials of the host company, or escalating project costs. Krieger chose to focus on drug development, in part, because in the United States companies follow a well-defined, three-phase approval process governed... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Pharmaceutical; Health

Web

Adding a Social Dimension to Strategy - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

their value proposition, they tap into the potential for a competitive advantage that is more sustainable versus competitors than conventional cost and quality advantages. Whole Foods, the most economically successful food retailer in... View Details

07 Feb 2023
Research & Ideas

Supervisor of Sandwiches? More Companies Inflate Titles to Avoid Extra Pay

If it seems like everyone is a manager these days, you may be onto something. Not only is there a profusion of assistant managers, there are also now carpet shampoo and food cart managers, directors of first impressions, assistant bingo... View Details

Keywords: by Scott Van Voorhis

January 2022
Case

SpartanNash Company: The Amazon Warrants (A)

By: Benjamin C. Esty, E. Scott Mayfield and Daniel Fisher

As of 12/31/21, Amazon held $22 billion of equity and warrants in related companies. In fact, it often requests a free grant of warrants when it enters into a new commercial agreement with a supplier. Over the past 20 years, Amazon has gotten warrants in almost 20... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Value Creation; Consumer Behavior; Negotiation; Distribution; Ownership; Partners and Partnerships; Business Strategy; Equity; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

03 Jun 2013
Research & Ideas

The Power of Rituals in Life, Death, and Business

food—including food as mundane as a carrot. Future experiments will delve into whether rituals affect productivity and morale in the workplace. A Sense Of Control Norton and Gino teamed up to conduct a series of grief experiments, which... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

2017
Working Paper

Creating the Market for Organic Wine: Sulfites, Certification, and Green Values

By: Geoffrey Jones and Emily Grandjean

This working paper examines the history of organic wine, which provides a case study of failed category creation. The modern organic wine industry emerged during the 1970s in the United States and Western Europe, but it struggled to gain traction compared to other... View Details

Keywords: Product Launch; Failure; Problems and Challenges; Complexity; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

SSRN

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September 2024
Case

Topaz: Navigating Governance, Legacy, and Change

By: Christina R. Wing and Carla Larangeira

Since its founding in 2011, the Garza Sada brothers and their father positioned Topaz among leading family offices in Monterrey, Mexico, with several assets under management. Topaz aspired to have a transformative impact across multiple Mexican industries. An industry... View Details

Keywords: Business Conglomerates; Family Business; Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Managerial Roles; Management Succession; Family Ownership; Financial Services Industry; Real Estate Industry; Education Industry; Energy Industry; Latin America; Mexico

September 2021 (Revised March 2024)
Case

Bühler: Mobilizing Industry around a Common Purpose

By: Ranjay Gulati, Franz Wohlgezogen and Malini Sen

Bühler Group, a Swiss multinational processing technology provider, started by selling machines for processing grains and later transitioned into selling food processing solutions. A family-owned business in the fifth generation, Bühler’s high-end milling, grinding,... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Customer Focus and Relationships; Machinery and Machining; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Innovation Leadership; Switzerland

Web

Sample Student Projects - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

Cluster (2010) The North Carolina Furniture Cluster (2009) Automotive Cluster in Michigan USA (2009) Washington D.C. Information Technology and Services Cluster (2008) The Chicago Processed Food Cluster (2006) The Los Angeles Motion... View Details

18 May 2011
Working Paper Summaries

Embracing Paradox

Keywords: Re: Michael L. Tushman

February 2018 (Revised March 2019)
Case

Sandlands Vineyards

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Gregory Saldutte

Approximately 80% of the wineries in the U.S. break even or lose money. An even greater percentage lose money on an economic basis (i.e., after a charge for the cost of equity). Tegan Passalacqua is a successful, young, Californian winemaker who specializes in making... View Details

09 Feb 2023
Blog Post

The Sixth Year of Short Intensive Programs (SIPs) at HBS

began with a brief grounding in climate science and policy, before digging into the major verticals responsible for emissions: energy, buildings, transportation, food & agriculture, and materials & industrials. For each vertical,... View Details

Article

Cybersecurity Features of Digital Medical Devices: An Analysis of FDA Product Summaries

By: Ariel Dora Stern, William J. Gordon, Adam B. Landman and Daniel B. Kramer

Objectives:
To more clearly define the landscape of digital medical devices subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight, this analysis leverages publicly available regulatory documents to characterise the prevalence and trends of software and... View Details

Keywords: Digital; Medicine; FDA; Health Care and Treatment; Applications and Software; Safety; Cybersecurity; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

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Web

Topics - HBS Working Knowledge

Financial Markets (22) Financial Reporting (7) Financial Statements (1) Financial Strategy (11) Financing and Loans (22) Food (12) For-Profit Firms (1) Forecasting and Prediction (26) Foreign Direct Investment (5) Forms of Communication... View Details

Web

Investing for Impact | Social Enterprise | Harvard Business School

Brumme, MBA 2012 CEO, MassChallenge; Vice Chair - Board of Directors, Excel Academy Charter Schools; Fellowship Advisory Committee, Visible Hands Gerardo Espinoza, MBA 1997 Executive Director, LEAF; Advisory member, annual Federal Reserve's Financial Innovations... View Details

Web

Confronting Climate Change - Business & Environment

largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and the largest contributor to climate change. Food & Agriculture Focusing on regenerative agriculture Food and agriculture is the second largest contributor to... View Details

15 Nov 2022
Book

Stop Ignoring Bad Behavior: 6 Tips for Better Ethics at Work

also advising the government—the drug-regulation division of the US Food and Drug Administration—on how to strengthen its oversight of pharma. In addition to this alleged conflict of interest, McKinsey recommended questionable sales... View Details

Keywords: by Pamela Reynolds

July 2013
Case

Montreaux Chocolate USA: Are Americans Ready for Healthy Dark Chocolate?

By: John A. Quelch and Diane Badame

Andrea Torres, director of new product development at a high-end chocolate confectionery company, leads her team through a carefully sequenced program of market research to support the development and launch of a new product, healthy dark chocolate with fruit. This is... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Food; Consumer Behavior; Nutrition; Product Launch; Product Development; Food and Beverage Industry; Switzerland; United States