Publications

17 Sep 2013
First Look

First Look: September 17

to Operational Failures in Hospitals By: Tucker, Anita L., W. Scott Heisler, and Laura D. Janisse Abstract—The performance gap between hospital spending and outcomes is indicative of inefficient care delivery. Operational failures-breakdowns in internal View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Oct 2002
News

What's Cookin'

Diego–based chain of more than ninety buffet-style restaurants serving fresh salads, soups, pastas, and breads, CEO Michael Mack has implemented a flexible system that allows hourly employees to change their schedule with as little as one... View Details

Keywords: Hanna, Julia

Web

Global Trade, Capital and National Institutions - Course Catalog

foster growing concern against globalization in certain segments of the population in various countries. After decades of increasing global economic integration, the world faces the risk of fragmentation. The reevaluation of global value View Details

01 Mar 2004
News

New Horizons for Iraq

supply chain and its parallels to the business world. It was a long deployment; the fact that we didn’t experience a single loss of life is an awesome testament to the training and stamina of the crew. The... View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons; James E. Aisner; Julia Hanna; National Security and International Affairs; Government

April 2019
Case

Afterpay U.S.: The Omnichannel Dilemma

By: Antonio Moreno, Donald Ngwe and George Gonzalez

In 2018, Nick Molnar, the founder of the Australia-based online payment service Afterpay began its expansion to the U.S. market. The service had gained a loyal following in Australia by enabling customers to pay for online purchases through four interest-free... View Details

February 2000 (Revised November 2002)
Case

QuickenInsurance: The Race to Click and Close (A)

By: Lynda M. Applegate

ES Technologies started in 1976 as a storefront in Tempe, Arizona selling personal computer kits to hobbyists. Twenty years later, revenues exceeded $3.5 billion, and the business had evolved from a computer store to a master reseller and full-line integrator of... View Details

Keywords: Customer Value and Value Chain; Entrepreneurship; Technological Innovation; Growth and Development Strategy; Industry Structures; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Information Technology; Information Technology Industry; Arizona

Find at Harvard

28 Aug 2017
Research & Ideas

Should Industry Competitors Cooperate More to Solve World Problems?

horizon and a significant common ownership of companies within the same industry or supply chain. Two types of investors satisfy both criteria. First, large, mostly passive asset managers such as BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard.... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Financial Services; Manufacturing; Agriculture & Agribusiness; Mining

19 Jun 2007
First Look

First Look: June 19, 2007

http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/07-051.pdf Alignment in Cross-Functional and Cross-Firm Supply Chain Planning Authors:Santiago Kraiselburd and Noel Watson Abstract In this paper, we seek to use quantitative... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

01 Sep 2012
News

On a Sound Track

that is relevant in Shanghai, Panama, South Africa, Europe, or wherever. The United States is one big market. Contrast that with Europe, where we have a central office, but where there are lots of different markets that require different strategies and investments. Our... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg; audio accessories; Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, and Book Stores; Retail Trade

October 2022
Supplement

The SAH Group: The Time is Right, Spreadsheet Supplement

By: Juan Alcacer and Alpana Thapar

In January 2021, Jalila Mezni, CEO of the SAH Group, was preparing to present the company’s future growth plans to its board of directors. The Tunisian company was a leading producer and distributor of personal care and packaged hygiene products. In 2019, it expanded... View Details

Keywords: Growth Strategy; Entrepreneurship; Investment Decisions; Growth Management; Vertical Integration; Distribution; Competition; Strategy; Supply Chain; Presentations; Market Entry and Exit; Product Positioning; Consumer Products Industry; Pulp and Paper Industry; Health Industry; Tunisia

04 Jun 2001
Research & Ideas

Why dot.coms Will Rise Again

& Fung is a publicly traded family company that McFarlan reckoned would clock $5 billion in US sales by the end of 2001. The company operates a supply chain network involving "thousands" of... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

12 Mar 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, March 12, 2019

traditionally faced the decision to make the input themselves or buy it through the market. However, rapidly decreasing information costs allow firms to harness external communities that are neither employees of the firm hierarchy, nor traditional contracted market... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

08 Jan 2001
What Do You Think?

Have We Extended the Boundaries of the Firm Too Far?

Summing Up "What we are looking at is a fundamental challenge to our assumptions about which corporate structures work," commented Daniel Hayes in response to the recent piece on the future bounds of the organization. Raman Julka was just as dramatic:... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

September 2011 (Revised February 2013)
Case

Trucost: Valuing Corporate Environmental Impacts

By: Michael W. Toffel and Stephanie van Sice

Trucost provided corporate environmental performance data and analysis to institutional investors and corporate managers, but after operating for a decade had yet to achieve profitability. Trucost was struggling to effectively differentiate its high quality products... View Details

Keywords: Competitive Strategy; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Distribution Channels; Investment; Measurement and Metrics; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Information; Value; Environmental Sustainability; Financial Services Industry

June 2008 (Revised May 2017)
Case

Cook Composites and Polymers Co.

By: Deishin Lee, Michael W. Toffel and Rachel Gordon

This case describes how a company improves resource efficiency and process quality in its manufacturing process by developing a waste by-product into a new product. The case describes how CCP cleans production equipment between batches using styrene, which becomes a... View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Product Development; Business Processes; Performance Efficiency; Natural Environment; Wastes and Waste Processing; Pollutants; Environmental Sustainability; Chemical Industry; Manufacturing Industry