Publications

August 26, 2009
Comment

Where Cash for Clunkers Ran Off the Road

By: John A. Quelch

Today, let us celebrate the end of an unjustifiable drain on the U.S. taxpayer: the Cash for Clunkers (C4C) program.

True, C4C greatly boosted the number of consumers visiting car dealers. Doubtless, some new cars were sold to consumers who thought they... View Details

Keywords: Government Programs; Environmental Impact; Government Waste; Customer Behavior; Economic Growth; Economy; Financial Crisis; Government and Politics; Leadership; Marketing; Programs; Value; Auto Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Public Administration Industry; United States

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November 2006 (Revised March 2007)
Case

Lifan Group - Automobile Production in China

By: Felix Oberholzer-Gee, Tarun Khanna and Elizabeth Raabe

Lifan Group, one of China's premier motorcycle companies, considers entering automobile production. The company plans to assemble a midsize sedan, hoping it will be able to sell this car to affluent families in China and to export it. Domestic demand for cars is... View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Decision Making; Demand and Consumers; Price; Auto Industry; Manufacturing Industry; China

December 24, 2019
Article

Why It's So Hard to Change People's Commuting Behavior

By: Ariella S. Kristal and A. V. Whillans

Car commuters report higher levels of stress and lower job satisfaction compared to train commuters—in large part because car commuting can involve driving in traffic and navigating tense road situations. Some employers are trying to get involved and reduce car... View Details

Keywords: Sustainability; Motivating People; Time And Wellbeing; Time Stress; Commuting; Behavior; Change; Motivation and Incentives

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20 May 2020
News

We spend 90% of our time inside—why don’t we care that indoor air is so polluted?

Profile

Juan Camargo

car—which is due in showrooms next month—for the American market. (Though that was nice, too.) The moment also represented a high point in a love affair with cars that began with childhood kart racing and included a few HBS-to-Montreal... View Details

Keywords: Manufacturing; Technology; Consumer Products

12 Jun 2020
News

Businesses Must Reclaim Prudent Accounting Principles

December 24, 2019
Editorial

Why It’s So Hard to Change People’s Commuting Behavior

By: Ariella Kristal and Ashley Whillans

Car commuters report higher levels of stress and lower job satisfaction compared to train commuters—in large part because car commuting can involve driving in traffic and navigating tense road situations. Some employers are trying to get involved and reduce car... View Details

Keywords: Satisfaction; Behavior; Employees

12 Dec 2023
Cold Call Podcast

Can Sustainability Drive Innovation at Ferrari?

Keywords: Re: Raffaella Sadun; Auto

24 Dec 2019
News

Why It’s So Hard to Change People’s Commuting Behavior

January 2018
Case

Mary Barra, CEO, General Motors

By: Nitin Nohria, Kerry Herman and Sarah Gulick

Library case detailing the career of Mary Barra, GM’s CEO from January 2014, and her handling of the GM ignitions scandal, GM’s move into electric and autonomous car development, and activist investors. View Details

Keywords: CEO; Female Ceo; Automobiles; Leadership; Crisis Management; Auto Industry; Michigan

August 2000 (Revised December 2014)
Background Note

Negotiation Analysis: An Introduction

By: Michael A. Wheeler

Provides an overview of the seven elements of negotiation analysis. These elements include BATNAs (nonagreement walk-aways), parties, interests, value-creation, barriers to agreements, power, and ethics. Illustrations are drawn from a range of contexts (from buying a... View Details

Keywords: Framework; Negotiation Tactics; Negotiation Preparation

05 May 2016
News

Fumigating the Criminal Bug: New Research on the Insulation of Volkswagen’s Middle Management

20 Mar 2014
News

Fixing a Weak Safety Culture at General Motors

March 2014
Teaching Note

Tesla Motors

By: Eric Van den Steen

In mid-2013, Tesla Motors was riding a wave of success: It had launched its first really mass-produced car—the model S—to rave reviews, had recently raised first-year production targets, and had started taking orders for its next car, the Model X. Tesla seemed to be on... View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Production; Product Launch; Business Strategy; Auto Industry; United States

February 2022 (Revised March 2022)
Case

National Electric Vehicles Sweden (NEVS): Materializing a Vision

By: Shane Greenstein and Elena Corsi

In 2021, the car manufacturer National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) faced the challenge of securing funding from its investor to launch an innovative mobility solution based on fleets of shared autonomous driving (AD) cars. The system was complex as it required the... View Details

Keywords: Autonomous Vehicles; Product Design; Sustainable Cities; Transportation Networks; Auto Industry; Sweden; Europe

October 2008 (Revised March 2010)
Case

PlanetTran

By: Lauren H. Cohen and Christopher J. Malloy

PlanetTran is an environmentally-friendly car service that utilizes a fleet of hybrid cars in providing livery service to corporations and individuals. The founder, Seth Riney, is evaluating outside funding options in order to expand the company, and has met several... View Details

Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation; Venture Capital; Investment; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Expansion; Value