Publications

July 2000 (Revised May 2001)
Case

WebMD (A)

Discusses the emerging role of the Internet in the health care industry and describes the strategy of WebMD in this new "ehealth" space. Issues include technology strategy, industry transformation, competition in turbulent environments, and strategic alliances. View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Alliances; Competitive Advantage; Industry Structures; Health Care and Treatment; Health Industry

14 Jun 2007
Working Paper Summaries

Evolution Analysis of Large-Scale Software Systems Using Design Structure Matrices and Design Rule Theory

Keywords: by Matthew J. LaMantia, Yuanfang Cai, Alan D. MacCormack & John Rusnak; Web Services; Web Services

26 Aug 2013
Lessons from the Classroom

Built for Global Competition from the Start

venture, such as long-haul ships for Columbus or the Internet and telecom infrastructure for Skype. During his research and course development,... View Details

Keywords: by Kim Girard; Education

October 2011
Case

CSN Stores

By: William A. Sahlman and Neil Tolaney

In March 2011, CSN Stores is a collection of nearly 200 Internet retail websites, including Cookware.com, Strollers.com, and Luggage.com. Co-founders Niraj Shah and Steve Conine were considering making a major investment to build brand equity at the corporate level. View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Distribution Channels; Investment; Brands and Branding; Equity; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Information Technology Industry; Retail Industry

29 Feb 2016
HBS Case

Bigbelly's Big Bet on the Digital Trash Can

strategy is selling cities on something citizens need. In Bigbelly’s case, the company aims to leverage the power and connectivity already embedded in View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Energy

21 Feb 2005
Research & Ideas

The VC Quandary: Too Much Money

billion a year in 1999 and 2000. Like many of those who invested in emerging high tech companies just before the bursting of the Internet bubble,... View Details

Keywords: by Julie Jette; Financial Services

05 Sep 2018
Research & Ideas

The Hidden Benefit of Giving Back to Open Source Software

and everybody can use the same types of technology, gaining these kinds of edges and increasing your competitive advantage is pretty important,” Nagle says. Examples of other... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Computer

15 Apr 2002
Research & Ideas

In the Virtual Dressing Room Returns Are A Real Problem

choices.— Jan Hammond & Kristin Kohler The accuracy of color on the Web is of particular concern to consumers. A Web-based survey conducted by InfoTrends Research Group... View Details

Keywords: by Jan Hammond & Kristin Kohler; Apparel & Accessories; Fashion; Consumer Products; Manufacturing; Retail

May 2010
Article

Bye Bye Bundles: The Unbundling of Music in Digital Channels

By: Anita Elberse

Fueled by digital distribution, unbundling is prevalent in many information industries. What is the effect of this unbundling on sales? And what bundle characteristics drive this effect? I empirically examine these questions in the context of the music industry, using... View Details

Keywords: Unbundling; Bundling; Digital Distribution; System-of-equations Modeling; Sales; Distribution Channels; Framework; Mathematical Methods; Revenue; Reputation; Internet and the Web; System; E-commerce; Information Industry; Music Industry

21 Aug 2017
Blog Post

A Summer Internship with the City of Boston

Kiernan Schmitt (MBA 2018) is a 2017 Social Enterprise Summer Fellow working with the City of Boston Department of Innovation and Technology this summer. Imagine if, when it came to delivering city services... View Details

Keywords: Consulting

09 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

The Manager’s Guide to Communicating with Customers Collection

Are you reaching your customers? The key is knowing who they are and what they want To appeal to retail customers you need to understand what makes them tick. What better way to do that than by studying... View Details

Keywords: by Richard Bierck; Retail

01 Sep 2009
News

Make the Most of HBS Alumni Resources

any of the other board members if you have a particular area of interest or concern. Nominate someone you think would bring a particularly vital perspective to the board. You can find links to a list of... View Details

Keywords: Educational Support Services; Educational Services

January 2000 (Revised May 2000)
Case

Patagon.com: Building (and Defending) the First Financial Destination in Latin America

By: William A. Sahlman, Ramiro Montealegre and Luis Pereiro

Describes Patagon.com, a company trying to build a financial portal in Latin America. The company's founders, Wenceslao Casares and Constancio Larguia, must deal with complex financial and strategic challenges as they guide the company in a difficult context. View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Internet and the Web; Entrepreneurship; Problems and Challenges; Business Startups; Finance; Financial Services Industry; Latin America

Find at Harvard

June 2000
Case

Hollydazzle.com

This case describes the unique underlying economics of a start-up Internet retailing company. It highlights the fact that costs in that setting have a component that varies with volume and thus seriously impacts profitability. View Details

Keywords: Cost Accounting; Internet and the Web; Business Startups; Retail Industry

01 Apr 2000
News

Deep in the Heart of Texas

leadership, according to Winslow, include being able to put into action "ideas of what the club could be doing." His "near-term tactics" include creating a club Web site (Houston's site was recently... View Details

Keywords: Amy E. Dean

Web

Meet the Team | Information Technology

web development, UI design, and product innovation. When not at his workstation, Ivan enjoys (somewhat) competitive golfing with a league west of Boston and playing blues... View Details

01 Jun 2018
News

The Evolution of Modern Pricing Models

models—we need to go back to when consumers started paying attention to pricing online. The internet becomes widespread starting in 1994, and suddenly you can know View Details

December 2001 (Revised January 2002)
Case

COSCO

By: F. Warren McFarlan and David Lane

Focuses on the IT challenges facing COSCO, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, as it deals with the Internet and modern information technology. The challenge is to understand what they are trying to do and understand the complexity of the task. View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Information Technology; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Technological Innovation; Complexity; Problems and Challenges; Shipping Industry; China