Publications

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December 2008 (Revised February 2017)
Case

Olam International

By: David E. Bell and Mary Shelman

In 20 years, Sunny Verghese had built Singapore-based Olam International from a small Nigerian export company into a $5 billion global leader in agricultural commodities with a core competence in Africa. Olam's growth had come by pursuing product and geographic... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Trade; Growth and Development Strategy; Supply Chain; Expansion; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Africa; Singapore

November 1999 (Revised June 2002)
Case

Debate Over Unbundling General Motors: The Delphi Divestiture and Other Possible Transactions, The

By: Malcolm S. Salter

Ever since General Motors (GM) announced in February 1997 its intention to divest Delphi Automotive Systems--its upstream parts manufacturing operations--Wall Street had called for further unbundling, and various stakeholders competed for their claim of value... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Supply Chain; Vertical Integration; Corporate Strategy; Corporate Governance; Auto Industry; United States

13 Apr 2023
Blog Post

Grolsch Brewing Company: Drink Sustainably

in the region, they confirmed that collaboration on sustainable technology was a norm in the industry and region, and that they saw sustainable technology sharing as a crucial component of driving necessary change. Our Remaining Questions View Details

2003
Article

Developing a Management Systems Approach to Sustainability at BMW Group

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

This article describes how Designworks/USA, a subsidiary of BMW Group, developed a Sustainability Management System (SMS) by integrating the management of environmental, social, and traditional business issues. After several months of deploying the SMS throughout its... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Management Systems; Standards; Operations; Auto Industry

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22 Feb 2016
Research & Ideas

The ‘Mother of Fair Trade’ was an Unabashed Price Protectionist

California pharmacist and drugstore owner who balked at the price-slashing practices of chain store competitors and spearheaded a local price-control movement to protect her own bottom line—a crusade that would ultimately gain such... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Retail; Health; Legal Services

01 Dec 2017
News

Ask the Expert: Human Intelligence

think so, but I don’t know when that will happen. The phase we are in now is “augmentation.” AI is not replacing the need for human labor; it is automating certain lower-level tasks and freeing up humans to take on more challenging or more strategic activities in many... View Details

Keywords: April White

29 Aug 2024
Blog Post

Leni Peterson R. (MS/MBA 2023): Solving Big Problems Through Entrepreneurship

Without water, companies cannot operate. Water is not only a key indicator of climate change, but also a major factor behind supply chain disruptions. Poor water access can exacerbate health and political... View Details

01 Jun 2022
News

'Rooted' In Innovation

and iron out supply chain and regulatory issues at the United States Embassy in Cameroon. “Establishing a stable supply chain is a huge challenge... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg

April 2025
Teaching Note

Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A) and (B)

By: Michael W. Toffel, Ken Pucker and Stacy Straaberg

Teaching Note for HBS Case Nos. 622-024, 625-004, 625-005, and 625-702. The Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A) case introduces Allbirds as a footwear startup not only focused on simple design, comfort, and sustainable natural materials but on decarbonizing the wider... View Details

10 Oct 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, October 10, 2017

C. Stein Abstract—Small business lending by the four largest banks fell sharply relative to others in 2008 and remained depressed through 2014. We explore the dynamic adjustment process following this credit supply shock. In counties... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Dec 2004
News

The Future of Stem Cells

intense, markets tend to form, with supply responding to demand, in spite of controversy. Thus, with the potentially huge, lucrative, and beneficial industry that could emerge from embryonic stem-cell research, the question seemingly... View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons

26 Mar 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, March 26, 2019

long-term innovation output rather than for private benefits. Code Contingencies: Designing Monitoring Regimes to Promote Improvement in Supply Chain Working Conditions By: Short, Jodi L., Michael W. Toffel,... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

August 2012 (Revised September 2013)
Case

EnerNOC: DemandSMART

By: Michael W. Toffel, Kira Fabrizio and Stephanie van Sice

EnerNOC is an energy company with an innovative business model: it serves as an intermediary between electric utilities and electricity users. It contracts with electricity users willing to reduce demand during periods of peak energy demand, and sells this as excess... View Details

Keywords: Production Planning; Productivity; Environmental Protection; Energy; Environment; Business Government Relations; Laws And Regulation; Business Model; Environmental Sustainability; Innovation and Invention; Opportunities; Risk and Uncertainty; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Supply Chain Management; Production; Energy Conservation; Energy Industry

22 Jan 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, January 22, 2019

experimentation that is required for the initial commercialization and diffusion of technologies. A New Categorization of the U.S. Economy: The Role of Supply Chain Industries in Innovation and Economic... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

July 2008 (Revised April 2009)
Background Note

Horizontal Specialization and Modularity in the Semiconductor Industry

By: Willy C. Shih, Chintay Shih and Chen-Fu Chien

Well-codified interfaces have enabled horizontal specialization in the global semiconductor industry. This Technical Note describes the modern integrated circuit value chain, and the motivation for the reuse of blocks of intellectual property in modern IC designs. It... View Details

Keywords: Customer Value and Value Chain; Intellectual Property; Industry Structures; Horizontal Integration; Semiconductor Industry

Article

Local Industrial Conditions and Entrepreneurship: How Much of the Spatial Distribution Can We Explain?

By: Edward L. Glaeser and William R. Kerr

Why are some places more entrepreneurial than others? We use Census Bureau data to study local determinants of manufacturing startups across cities and industries. Demographics have limited explanatory power. Overall levels of local customers and suppliers are only... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Geographic Location; Employment; Market Entry and Exit; Supply Chain; Manufacturing Industry

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01 Jun 2012
News

Inspiration Is Not Enough

animated screen stars for decades of royalty income. IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad developed a rigorous vendor-screening process that, though not sexy, provided the furniture retailer with “an impressive supply View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

June 2007
Article

Efficient Kidney Exchange: Coincidence of Wants in a Structured Market

By: A. E. Roth, Tayfun Sonmez and M. Utku Unver

Patients needing kidney transplants may have donors who cannot donate to them because of blood or tissue incompatibility. Incompatible patient-donor pairs can exchange donor kidneys with other pairs only when there is a "double coincidence of wants." Developing... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Structure; Size; Emotions; Human Needs; Health Care and Treatment; Health Testing and Trials; Infrastructure; Supply Chain Management; Fairness; Performance Improvement; Health Industry