Publications

25 Sep 2000
Research & Ideas

More Than the Sum of Its Parts: The Impact of Modularity on the Computer Industry

was a seminal event in the growth of Silicon Valley. CB: The effects of the ensuing competition on modules were better designs and lower prices. Customers were eager to buy the new plug-compatible, non-IBM components. This demand, in... View Details

Keywords: by Staff; Computer; Consumer Products; Technology

May 2007
Article

Location Strategies and Knowledge Spillovers

By: Juan Alcacer and Wilbur Chung

Given the importance of proximity for knowledge spillovers, we examine firms' location choices expecting differences in firms' strategies. Firms will locate to maximize their net spillovers as a function of locations' knowledge activity, their own capabilities, and... View Details

Keywords: Business Strategy; Corporate Strategy; For-Profit Firms; Knowledge Management; Research and Development; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Disruptive Innovation; Five Forces Framework; Cost Management; Technology; Competition; United States

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Program

Changing the Game

skills needed to bargain more effectively, make better decisions on the spot, and consistently deliver results. You may also be interested in the related program: Changing the Game: Negotiation and Competitive Decision-Making—Virtual.... View Details

February 2024
Case

Horizon Quantum Computing

By: Paul A. Gompers and Billy Chan

In 2023, the Singapore-based startup company Horizon Quantum Computing was on the cusp of fast expansion and the founder faced the challenge to decide where to open the second office outside Singapore. To make a choice from the list of 10 countries, the founder had to... View Details

Keywords: Business Plan; Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurial Finance; Disruptive Innovation; Business Offices; Business Startups; Talent and Talent Management; Decision Choices and Conditions; Partners and Partnerships; Expansion; Information Technology Industry; Telecommunications Industry; Singapore; Asia

02 Jul 2024
Book

Five Essential Elements to Build the Capital You Need to Lead

To aspiring entrepreneurs and other business practitioners looking to advance their careers, the path to a leadership role may seem daunting. Yet anyone with a dream to open a business, start a nonprofit, or simply move up the ranks at... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

March 1999 (Revised May 1999)
Case

Apple Computer--1999

By: David B. Yoffie and Mary Kwak

In 1980, Apple was the leader of the PC industry, but by 1999, it had suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Wintel camp. This case examines Apple's efforts to create sustainable competitive advantage as the PC industry evolves. After discussing Apple's history and... View Details

Keywords: Competitive Advantage; Competitive Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Technological Innovation; Information Technology; Business or Company Management; Management Practices and Processes; Corporate Strategy; Information Technology Industry

29 Jan 2015
Op-Ed

The Fall of Greece

the liability side of the economy by pressuring to restructure the debt etc.. I am incredibly worried that it will cause significant damage on the asset side of the economy by destroying any emerging effort to create a competitive... View Details

Keywords: by George Serafeim

31 Mar 2016
News

A Map for Economic Renewal Begins in Maine

18 Oct 2006
Research & Ideas

New at the Helm: A Talk with HBS Dean Light

for business schools more broadly. At HBS, we seek out faculty candidates with a strong commitment to teaching and research who also show a deep interest and respect for the practice of business. This is a rare blend of characteristics, and View Details

Keywords: by Roger Thompson; Education

Program

Risk Management for Corporate Leaders—Virtual

innovative strategies by better identification and mitigation of the attendant risks. This program is eligible for the Certificate of Management Excellence. Learn More Key Benefits In this live online course, you will examine the latest... View Details

12 Feb 2007
Lessons from the Classroom

‘UpTick’ Brings Wall Street Pressure to Students

there. —Erik Stafford "Competition is at the heart of many of the concepts in finance," says Coval. "The problem you face in the classroom is that the setting is very static. You have a case and a blackboard to show how the View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Financial Services; Education

Web

Employment | Harvard Business School

classics to documentaries. These are open to the entire community. Food Trucks In the warmer months, food trucks come to campus with a variety of lunch options, and sometimes even an ice-cream truck to enjoy a sweet treat. Milestone... View Details

02 Jan 2024
Research & Ideas

10 Trends to Watch in 2024

The lightning-fast ascent of generative AI isn’t the only sea change on the horizon for businesses in the new year. The global economy is in flux as war, climate change, trade issues, and infrastructure problems demand attention. Many companies continue to struggle to... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

25 Jun 2014
Lessons from the Classroom

FIELD Trip: Conquering the Gap Between Knowing and Doing

benefit from a fresh and open perspective. For students, meanwhile, the experience of generating insights that could have real-world repercussions in a foreign country is empowering, says MacCormack, even if they never plan to work... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Education

August 2006 (Revised July 2008)
Case

The Progressive Corporation

By: John R. Wells, Marina Lutova and Ilan Sender

For decades, Progressive has proven to be one of the most innovative players in the US auto insurance industry, but can it maintain its lead? Progressive has moved up to the number three position in the industry in 2006, but competitors are finally waking up to the... View Details

Keywords: Competitive Advantage; Competitive Strategy; Innovation and Invention; Insurance Industry; Auto Industry; United States

24 Oct 2023
HBS Case

From P.T. Barnum to Mary Kay: Lessons From 5 Leaders Who Changed the World

bare-breasted blond women. Barnum bought a rival museum but concealed his ownership to drum up competition between the sites. Leadership Lesson 4: “We know a lot of the stuff we read in the news or on the internet is biased, inflated, or... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman

March 2017 (Revised November 2017)
Case

BlackRock (A): Selling the Systems? (with video links)

By: Ranjay Gulati, Jan W. Rivkin and Kelly McNamara

As the case opens in 1999, several key leaders at BlackRock, Inc., then a relatively small asset management firm, are trying to convince CEO Larry Fink and others that the firm should begin to offer Aladdin—its proprietary analytics and trading platform—to other asset... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Competition; Information Technology; Asset Management; Competitive Strategy; Financial Services Industry; United States