Publications

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November 1996 (Revised March 1998)
Case

Vallourec's Venture into Metal Injection Molding

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Vallourec, a leading maker of seamless tubing, developed a radically new technology that used steel powders to create the tubes. To ensure a supply source, Vallourec ultimately had to acquire its supplier of metal powder, and then, to build the volume required to... View Details

Keywords: Technology; Business Model; Diversification; Innovation and Management; Manufacturing Industry

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14 Jan 2015
Research & Ideas

Thriving in the Turbulence of Emerging Markets

business in India during the decades of the 1970s and 1980s. Bajaj Auto, the leading two-wheeler manufacturer in India, for a long period could do little to fight a slow-moving bureaucracy in a highly regulated country deeply suspicious... View Details

Keywords: by Geoffrey Jones; Manufacturing; Manufacturing

December 2001 (Revised April 2002)
Case

Synthes

By: John T. Gourville

Synthes is the recognized leader in the U.S. orthopedic implant market, with a 50% market share in the metallic plates, rods, and screws used to fix severe bone fractures. Synthes' marketplace strength lies in the strength of its sales force and in the quality and... View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Risk Management; Marketing Strategy; Product Launch; Market Entry and Exit; Product Development; Problems and Challenges; Competition; Manufacturing Industry; United States

20 Aug 2001
Research & Ideas

Making an Ally of Uncle Sam

to transform relationships in the value net in advantageous ways. Ford carefully fosters competition among its suppliers and manufacturers critical components in-house to ensure that the company does not become too reliant on a single... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Watkins, Mickey Edwards & Usha Thakrar

05 Aug 2015
News

What A Fashion Entrepreneur Learned When Her Startup Flamed Out Early

Keywords: failure; Apparel Manufacturing; Apparel Manufacturing

September 1994
Case

Otis Elevator Company: China Joint Venture (D)

By: Michael Y. Yoshino

Describes a set of challenges facing Otis Elevator's joint venture in China as it seeks to expand to other regions of the country. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details

Keywords: Joint Ventures; Expansion; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Strategy; Globalization; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; China

April 1979 (Revised June 1988)
Case

Chain Saw Industry in 1978

By: Michael E. Porter and David J. Collis

For use on the second day of a two-day sequence on the U.S. chain saw industry. Describes the evolution of the industry since 1974. Illustrates issues in industry evolution, the forces causing evolution, and the strategic issues raised by evolution. The discussion can... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Industry Growth; Manufacturing Industry; United States

September 2011
Case

Vibco Industrial Vibrators

By: Das Narayandas, Kerry Herman and Matthew Preble

Karl Wadensten, president of Vibco Vibrators, was deciding whether to grow his small company through a marketing push for one of two technologies that he believed could launch his company to the next level of sales, or if he should continue to grow his company through... View Details

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Customer Relationship Management; Decision Choices and Conditions; Marketing; Product Launch; Customization and Personalization; Expansion; Manufacturing Industry

October 1988 (Revised May 1990)
Case

Ford Motor Co.: The Product Warranty Program (A)

Raises powerful issues concerning product warranty policy as a strategic marketing variable. Also raises several exciting issues concerning the role of product policy in competitive battles, product line issues, interfunctional coordination issues, and some ethical... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Marketing Strategy; Insurance; Product; Policy; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States

16 May 2018
Research & Ideas

How Companies Managed Risk (and Even Benefitted) in World War Internment Camps

Bayer (later part of IG Farben); and steel producer Krupp. Managing the internment risk World War I brought the first wave of civilian internment, creating a turning point for companies and triggering them to develop strategies for... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Manufacturing

15 Mar 2013
News

New Japan Commerce Chief to Help Smaller Firms Move into Overseas Markets

Keywords: Primary Metal Manufacturing; Primary Metal Manufacturing

13 Apr 2015
Research & Ideas

3 Ways Firms Can Profit From Environmental Investments

revenue for their companies. "For many firms, it's possible to act sustainably and make money at the same time," says Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University who has a joint appointment in the General Management and View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Energy; Utilities

18 Jun 2013
First Look

First Look: June 18

http://hbr.org/search/913041-PDF-ENG Harvard Business School Case 913-034 Distribution at American Airlines (C) Presents 2011-2012 updates to American's distribution strategy including new challenges and disputes. Purchase this case:... View Details

Keywords: Anna Secino

01 Jun 2017
News

Supercharged

planning and strategy at Ford’s Asia Pacific operations in Shanghai and a panelist at HBS’s “Moving the Future” transportation conference this past February. Just as significantly, charging infrastructure is set to get a boost. According... View Details

Keywords: Alexander Gelfand; illustrations by Tavis Coburn

June 1998 (Revised November 2010)
Teaching Note

M-TRONICS (TN) (A) and (B)

By: Joseph L. Bower and Lynda M. Applegate

Teaching Note for 807156 and 807157. View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Business Subsidiaries; Problems and Challenges; Integration; Manufacturing Industry

March 2003
Background Note

Managing a Customer Relationship Over Time

By: Das Narayandas

Describes the different ways in which vendors can sell a portfolio of products to industrial customers. View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Management; Marketing Strategy; Product Marketing; Networks; Sales; Manufacturing Industry