Publications

George Serafeim is the Charles M. Williams Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He co-leads a Lab, within Harvard's Digital, Data, Design Institute, and serves on the faculty steering commitee of Harvard University's Salata Institute. He... View Details

Keywords: asset management; insurance industry; automobiles; industrial goods; fashion; food; green technology

13 Jul 2021
News

El ADN de Las Noticias: The Power of Trust. How Companies Build It, Lose It, And Regain It.

12 PM – 1 PM EDT, 16 Oct 2014
Webinars: Trending@HBS

Can China Lead?

Can China sustain its remarkable emergence of the past 35 years? Surely No, for multiple reasons. China will be a leader, but not the leader. Professor McFarlan will talk about both the challenges and opportunities for those seeking to do business with and within China... View Details

Feng Zhu

Feng Zhu is the MBA Class of 1958 Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, where he leads the Platform Lab within the Digital, Data, and Design Institute, co-chairs the Harvard Business Analytics Program, and serves as the course head for the... View Details

06 Dec 2017
News

Future Thinking

24 Sep 2013
First Look

First Look: September 24

helps explain why the owner of a proprietary platform such as Microsoft has chosen to contribute to the development of Linux. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=45560 August 2013 Journal of Applied Corporate Finance A Tale of Two Stories:... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

27 Sep 2019
News

WeWork Should Never Have Been a Unicorn

November 2022 (Revised March 2024)
Case

Northvolt: Building Batteries to Fight Climate Change

By: George Serafeim, Debora L. Spar, P. Tufano and Julia M. Comeau

In 2016, Swedish entrepreneurs Carl-Erik Lagercrantz and Peter Carlsson founded an electric battery company called Northvolt with the dual goals of creating a company to address climate change and bringing battery manufacture to Europe. Northvolt, which succeeded in... View Details

Keywords: Batteries; Climate Change; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Green Technology; Mission and Purpose; Goals and Objectives; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Green Technology Industry; Battery Industry; Sweden; Europe

September 2003 (Revised February 2004)
Case

Electronic Arts: The Blockbuster Strategy

Describes the process that the firm employs to allocate resources to new product development projects. Examines whether the firm can sustain its competitive advantage given its existing game design process. View Details

Keywords: Resource Allocation; Competitive Advantage; Decision Making; Product Development; Video Game Industry

January 2020 (Revised October 2021)
Case

Zara: An Integrated Store and Online Model (A)

By: Antonio Moreno

In 2010, amidst the growth of ecommerce and the emergence of new, purely online, fashion players, Zara launched its first online store, Zara.com. Since then, Zara’s online business had grown at a fast pace. By 2018, 12% of Inditex Group’s total sales came from the... View Details

Keywords: Stores; Integration; Operations; Business Model; Strategy; E-commerce; Retail Industry; Fashion Industry; Europe

01 Nov 2019
Video

Francis Okomo-Okello

Francis Okomo-Okello, Chair of the leading Kenyan luxury hotel group Serena and of the subsidiary of a major foreign bank, discusses how the Serena Group functions within the Aga Khan Development Network, which... View Details

January 2023 (Revised January 2024)
Case

Digital Transformation at Tata Steel

By: Krishna Palepu, Das Narayandas, Radhika Kak and Rachna Tahilyani

T.V. Narendran, CEO of Tata Steel, India’s oldest steel manufacturing firm, had taken concrete business and cultural transformation steps to future-ready the firm since taking over in 2013. He had deleveraged and instilled financial discipline, acquired new businesses,... View Details

Keywords: Digital Transformation; Digital Strategy; Change Management; Growth and Development Strategy; E-commerce; Steel Industry; Asia; India

05 Jul 2012
News

Unilever Wants Short, Soapy Showers and Long-Term Investors

Video

Vimal Shah

Vimal Shah, Co-Founder and Chairman of Kenya-based Bidco Africa, outlines his focus on fast-moving consumer goods, emphasizing the importance of adapting to consumer demands and a growing population, while leveraging technologies such as fintech to support sustainable... View Details

December 2020
Case

Urban Company

By: Krishna G. Palepu

Urban Company is an India-based market platform that helps customers book home services and at home beauty services. The company differentiated itself by investing heavily in building customer trust. Rather than merely positioning itself as a lead generating... View Details

Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Entrepreneurship; Digital Platforms; Emerging Markets; Strategy; Service Delivery; Trust; Technology Industry; Service Industry; India

December 2018
Supplement

Formula E Championship Racing (B)

By: Robert F. Higgins, Susie Ma and James Weber

Formula E's season three is nearly complete. CEO Alejandro Agag needs to examine his business model to ensure the racing series is positioned to grow sustainably in the years to come. View Details

Keywords: Electric Car Racing; Entrepreneurship; Business Model; Growth and Development Strategy

February 1999 (Revised August 1999)
Case

Michael Brown: Negotiating Slots at Foxwoods (B)

By: James K. Sebenius

The approach taken by Michael Brown and Governor Lowell Weicker and the means by which the agreement's sustainability was enhanced in the face of attacks by other gaming operators are detailed. View Details

Keywords: Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Agreements and Arrangements; Government and Politics; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Connecticut