Publications

December 2013 (Revised July 2015)
Case

VP Group: Vegpro Grows Beyond Kenya

By: Jose Alvarez and Natalie Kindred

In 2013, Kenyan horticulture producer and exporter VP Group is weighing potential expansion opportunities against the growing risks in its production and export markets. With $121 million in 2012 revenues, VP Group has grown rapidly in recent years by expanding its... View Details

October 1996
Teaching Note

International Sourcing at Intercon TN

By: Roy D. Shapiro and Marie-Therese M. Flaherty

Teaching Note for (9-688-055). View Details

Keywords: Multinational Firms and Management; Supply Chain; Selection and Staffing; Business Subsidiaries; Production; Manufacturing Industry; Japan

01 Mar 2014
News

Cutting Edge

and bolts: exiting underperforming adjunct businesses (e.g., pickles and fresh poultry); shaking up the management team; improving the supply chain (thereby increasing plant productivity by 50 percent); and... View Details

Keywords: Manufacturing; Food and Beverage Stores; Retail Trade

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

04 Aug 2006
What Do You Think?

What Happens When the Economics of Scarcity Meets the Economics of Abundance?

terms of where value is added in the supply chain . The value is created through the service of helping customers find what they want within the sea of choice . It is ironic that the Internet, which is... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

November 2010 (Revised July 2011)
Case

FreshTec: Revolutionizing Fresh Produce

By: Jose B. Alvarez and Ryan Johnson

Entrepreneurial produce packaging firm, which has developed a disruptive technology that keeps fresh produce and flowers fresh for significantly longer, faces strategic growth decisions. CEO Bob Wright must decide how best to bring his company's unique packaging... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Disruptive Innovation; Leadership; Growth and Development Strategy; Product Launch; Supply Chain; Value Creation; Service Industry

November 2009 (Revised May 2010)
Case

Red Tomato: Keeping It Local

By: Jose B. Alvarez, Mary Louise Shelman and Laura Winig

This case describes the operating model and history of Red Tomato, a non-profit organization dedicated to branding and logistical support for locally grown produce farmers in the northeast U.S. The case highlights the challenges involved in making locally grown produce... View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Trends; Food; Local Range; Consumer Behavior; Logistics; Supply Chain; Nonprofit Organizations; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Northeastern United States

25 Jun 2020
News

Covering All Corners

affected by the significant disruptions in global supply chains. Unfortunately, being on the developing side of the world means your shipments get deprioritized first. Your supply View Details

30 Jun 2015
First Look

First Look: June 30, 2015

Management Journal Monitoring Global Supply Chains By: Short, Jodi L., Michael W. Toffel, and Andrea R. Hugill Abstract—Firms reliant on supply View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

11 Dec 2018
Research & Ideas

Free Trade Needs Nurturing—and Other Lessons from History

anymore, but it is a useful reminder of how high the stakes can be. Roscini: Normally the parties reach an agreement, ideally under the auspices and rules of the WTO. The problem is that nowadays trade wars may have unintended consequences that complicate their... View Details

Keywords: by Staff; Auto; Aerospace; Chemical; Consumer Products; Electronics; Energy; Industrial Products; Manufacturing; Shipping; Transportation

March 2018
Teaching Note

Sandlands Vineyards

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Greg Saldutte

Teaching Note for HBS No.718-438. View Details

01 Dec 2018
News

Trade Off

ideally under the auspices and rules of the WTO. The problem is that nowadays trade wars may have unintended consequences that complicate their resolution. Global supply chains are incredibly complex. When a... View Details

11 Jun 2020
In Practice

Are Digital Organizations Better at Overcoming COVID?

Government leaders rushing to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in March gave companies little time to shift to an all-virtual workforce. Ready or not, many businesses had to become more digital. But true digital transformation takes far more than a Zoom account. Using... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

24 Sep 2014
Op-Ed

Take a Trim Tab Approach to Climate Change

The "bully pulpit"—a term coined by Theodore Roosevelt back when the word "bully" meant terrific—originally referred to the US presidency and its tremendous potential for speaking out and influencing public opinion. Nowadays, the term describes any position with the... View Details

Keywords: by Amy C. Edmondson; Energy; Utilities

Web

Doing Business with China 2035: Navigating Uncertainty - Course Catalog

expansion of Chinese firms. Key issues include: The nature of China’s political, economic, and of its regional markets The central role of politics in business: How well do you know your Party Secretary? The interconnectedness of global View Details

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