Publications

December 2009 (Revised May 2010)
Case

Codevasf

By: David E. Bell, Marcos Fava Neves, Luciano Thome e Castro and Natalie Kindred

With many countries facing scarcity of freshwater and farmable land, Brazil decided to leverage its wealth of both resources to attract global agribusiness players to the historically poor Sao Francisco Valley (SFV) in the country's northeast. To do so, Brazil was... View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Resource Allocation; Bids and Bidding; Infrastructure; Supply Chain; Business and Government Relations; Natural Environment; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Brazil

April 1991 (Revised July 1992)
Case

Koito Manufacturing Ltd.

By: W. Carl Kester and Robert W. Lightfoot

Having acquired a 26% stake in Koito Manufacturing, a Japanese automotive parts supplier in the Toyota Group, T. Boone Pickens seeks a seat on Koito's board of directors. Koito's management resists, claiming Pickens is an unhelpful greenmailer, not a true long-term... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Debates; Corporate Governance; Production; Supply Chain; Performance Efficiency; Welfare; Auto Industry; Japan; United States

Web

Leadership with purpose: Redefining success and impact with Satpal Singh (SELP—India 4, 2019) - Recruiting

challenges with renewed confidence. Complex issues felt more manageable, and I found myself approaching problems with a more strategic and holistic lens. My career has continued to evolve since SELP—India. As Country Head of Supply View Details

01 Oct 2001
News

Industry-Related Clubs Offer Alumni a New Resource

Association, a number of other HBS alumni associations exist. These include the African-American Alumni Association, the Association of Gay and Lesbian Alumni, the Christian Fellowship Alumni Association, the Supply View Details

Keywords: Health, Social Assistance; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

26 Aug 2014
First Look

First Look: August 26

NPEs', and that NPEs typically target firms that are busy with other (non-IP related) lawsuits or are likely to settle. Lastly, we show that NPE litigation has a negative real impact on the future innovative activity of targeted firms. Download working paper:... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

31 Mar 2022
Blog Post

Setting Interns Up for Success at a Startup

used to create the food that ends up in our stomachs (land, water, energy, etc.) is wasted.” Sani’s enthusiasm for Mori grew after speaking with Belsito when he learned more about the company’s focus on integrating within supply View Details

June 2023
Supplement

Graphic Packaging: Project Cowboy (D)

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Scott Mayfield and Philipp Chvanov

Analyzes the company's decision on Project Cowboy following the events described in the C Case View Details

Keywords: Capital Budgeting; Growth Management; Demand and Consumers; Duopoly and Oligopoly; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Expansion; Value Creation; Supply and Industry; Pulp and Paper Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States; North America

28 May 2012
Research & Ideas

A Pragmatic Alternative for Creating a Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy

dangerous working conditions in overseas factories. So the company launched an initiative to reduce the negative environmental impact of its entire supply chain and established a code of conduct focused on... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

01 Jun 2022
News

Case Study: Glass Half Full

and customer acquisition. If you are building a brand, my advice is to keep Amazon while you build out your Shopify ecosystem, and then make the move. It may not be relevant in your business but buying inventory can keep the supply View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; Nonstore Retailers; Retail Trade

01 Dec 2017
News

Global Perspectives

members across disciplines, noting the dynamic discussions that took place on topics ranging from supply chain management to social enterprises. Opportunities for faculty members to take a deep dive into the... View Details

August 2024
Case

Quickmart: Sustaining Growth in a Challenging Economic Environment

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Kuria Kamau

In July 2023, Peter Kang’iri, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Quickmart, Kenya’s second-largest retail chain, sat in his Nairobi office reviewing the company’s first half financial results before the weekly executive committee (EXCO) meeting. The company was in... View Details

Keywords: Distribution; Supply Chain; Logistics; Business Strategy; Expansion; Business Earnings; Growth and Development Strategy; Strategic Planning; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Africa; Kenya; Nairobi

February 2008
Article

Where Do Transactions Come From? Modularity, Transactions, and the Boundaries of Firms

By: Carliss Y. Baldwin

This article constructs a theory of the location of transactions and the boundaries of firms in a productive system. It proposes that systems of production can be viewed as networks, in which tasks-cum-agents are the nodes and transfers—of material, energy and... View Details

Keywords: Boundaries; Production; Market Transactions; Supply Chain; Management; Cost; Theory; Performance Productivity; Information Management; Complexity

Find at Harvard

Read Now

22 Dec 2009
First Look

First Look: Dec. 22

supplement: http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/310047-PDF-ENG VF Brands: Global Supply Chain Strategy Gary P. Pisano and Pamela AdamsHarvard Business School Case 610-022 This case examines VF Brands... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

December 2015 (Revised February 2016)
Case

Ocado

By: José Alvarez, David E. Bell and Damien McLoughlin

In 2015, U.K.-based Ocado was the world's largest pure player in the online home-delivery grocery business and was gaining a growing share of the highly competitive U.K. grocery market. Ocado had made heavy investments in technology, including a highly automated... View Details

February 2003
Supplement

Silvio Napoli at Schindler India

By: Christopher A. Bartlett

Presents an interview with Silvio Napoli on topics relating to his fit in the new job, his strategic plan for the new subsidiary, and the decision on sourcing and standardization. View Details

Keywords: Managerial Roles; Strategic Planning; Business Subsidiaries; Supply Chain; Decisions; Personal Development and Career; India

Web

Industrial Production & Materials - Business & Environment

committed to slowing climate change by helping businesses and governments consume and dispose of resources responsibly through better supply chain design and waste management. I’ll be looking for that sweet... View Details

February 2023 (Revised March 2025)
Case

Graphic Packaging: Project Cowboy (A)

By: Benjamin C. Esty and E. Scott Mayfield

In July 2019, Graphic Packaging CEO Michael Doss was proposing a $600 million investment in a new machine to produce coated recycled board (CRB), a type of paper packaging used for consumer products (cups, cereal boxes, beverage boxes, etc.) that utilized recycled... View Details

Keywords: Capital Budgeting; Growth Management; Demand and Consumers; Duopoly and Oligopoly; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Expansion; Value Creation; Supply and Industry; Pulp and Paper Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States; North America

2003
Chapter

Designing Sustainability at BMW Group: The Designworks/USA Experience

By: Michael W. Toffel, Natalie Hill and Kellie McElhaney

This case study describes how an industrial design company developed a Sustainability Management System (SMS) standard, designed and implemented an SMS throughout its business, and then became the first company in the world to achieve third-party SMS certification. The... View Details

Keywords: Design; Governance Compliance; Management Practices and Processes; Standards; Environmental Sustainability; United States