Publications

April 1990 (Revised April 1993)
Case

Bridgeton Industries: Automotive Component & Fabrication Plant

Bridgeton Industries was experiencing reduced sales. To become more competitive it introduced a classification procedure for products based upon their productivity and other factors. Products were classified into three groups: world class, potentially world class, and... View Details

Keywords: Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Competition; Cost Management; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry

January 1998 (Revised May 1999)
Case

General Scanning, Inc. (A)

By: H. Kent Bowen, Sean McClenaghan and Charles Tillen

General Scanning, Inc. was founded by Jean Montagu and Pierre Brosens, two MIT mechanical engineers with an interest in developing innovative products based on the early application of lasers. They invented proprietary technology for laser beam positioning and scanning... View Details

Keywords: Transition; Entrepreneurship; Management Practices and Processes; Product Development; Strategic Planning; Research and Development; Risk and Uncertainty; Commercialization; Manufacturing Industry

Find at Harvard

Web

Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Edwin H. Land & Polaroid | Harvard Business School

Clubs Faculty & Research Business & Environment Business History Christensen Center for Teaching & Learning Entrepreneurship Faculty & Research Global Healthcare HBS Working Knowledge Institute for Strategy & Competitiveness Leadership... View Details

21 Nov 2019
Blog Post

The Power of Business in the Energy Transition

can play critical roles in the energy transformation. Keynotes from business leaders such as Michael Skelly (MBA 1991), Advisor at Lazard, and Patricia DiOrio, VP of National Grid US Strategy outlined the continued development needed for... View Details

Keywords: Manufacturing; Manufacturing

August 1991 (Revised September 1994)
Background Note

What Is Industrial Marketing?

By: V. Kasturi Rangan

Discusses the key distinguishing aspects of industrial as compared to consumer marketing. These differences are highlighted for organizational as well as marketing mix aspects. View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Innovation Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Marketing Channels; Marketing Strategy; Marketplace Matching; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Core Relationships; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry

26 Feb 2014
News

The First Five Years: Morgan Hermand-Waiche (MBA 2010)

HERMAND-WAICHE What's the story behind Adore Me? "I had always wanted to start a company in the United States and after three years at McKinsey & Company, and following my graduation from HBS, I felt ready to take the plunge. Prior to launching Adore Me, I partnered... View Details

Keywords: online shopping; fashion; Apparel Manufacturing; Apparel Manufacturing; Apparel Manufacturing; Apparel Manufacturing

06 Dec 2021
News

What's the Word?

says. “And that was overly optimistic; it worked only when everything clicked.” The subsequent national conversation about minimizing risk through reshoring—that is, bringing American manufacturing facilities back to the United... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; illustrations by Martha Rich; Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Manufacturing

23 Aug 2016
First Look

August 23, 2016

authors discuss how these new digital disruptors allow consumers to benefit from one activity (e.g., watching shows) without incurring the cost of the other (e.g., watching ads) and offer strategies for established businesses to respond... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Dec 2018
News

Competencies and Credentials

educators, policymakers, and labor leaders to spark a revival of middle-skills jobs.” Jay Rogers (MBA 2007) set out to build a car manufacturer from scratch, no holds barred. The result is Arizona-based Local Motors, a decentralized tech... View Details

01 Jun 2024
News

Case Study: Ready for an Upgrade

encountered at a subsequent role in Raytheon’s missile defense program. Highly technical specifications were often tracked in low-tech Excel spreadsheets, which meant engineers lost considerable time to paperwork. That was frustrating, but even more alarming was the... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; Computer Systems Design and Related Services; Professional Services

01 Mar 2008
News

Reimagining China and India

it’s not really clear what you bring to the table, and that’s a much more difficult sell. The benefits to the host country are far more palatable if you set up manufacturing operations from there because that immediately generates... View Details

Keywords: Roger Thompson; Business Schools & Computer & Management Training; Educational Services; Management; Retail Trade

22 Dec 2009
First Look

First Look: Dec. 22

supplement: http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/310047-PDF-ENG VF Brands: Global Supply Chain Strategy Gary P. Pisano and Pamela AdamsHarvard Business School Case 610-022 This case examines VF Brands global supply chain strategy.... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

23 Jul 2021
Blog Post

Trends in Consumer Products

ahead of the previous year! During the pandemic, 5.7 million new homes bought the Betty Crocker brand, which was the highest penetration growth across all General Mills brands. That kind of consumer demand required radical action. We quickly engaged with several new... View Details

03 May 2004
Research & Ideas

Business History around the World

and Spain, on many Latin American countries, especially Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico, and on Chinese-speaking communities. Much of the best research is only available in local languages. Business historians have also widened their research agendas. Understanding the... View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia Churchwell

October 2019
Supplement

Airbus vs. Boeing (L): Discontinuing the A380 (February 2019)

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Karen Elterman

This case describes Airbus’ February 2019 announcement that it was ending production of the A380, with the last delivery scheduled for 2021. The announcement followed an order cancellation by Emirates, a major customer of the A380. The A380 had faced significant... View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Air Transportation; Projects; Competition; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States; Europe

16 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

Making the Most of Government Upheaval

preliminary findings suggest that the profound economic metamorphoses taking place in Latin America's emerging economies have imposed dramatic changes on the competitive environment, compelling firms to develop new strategies and... View Details

Keywords: by Nancy O. Perry

14 Nov 2007
First Look

First Look: November 14, 2007

define a proper strategy for the design language of their products. An empirical analysis was conducted on the product language strategies in the Italian furniture industry; in particular, the present... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

January 2025
Case

Constitutional Fiction: John Miller & the Legitimacy of Family Constitutions

By: Lauren Cohen, Octavian Graf Pilati and Sophia Pan

John Miller sat reviewing his family’s Constitution, grappling with how best to implement and enforce its provisions. Designed to prevent ambiguity in governance, the Family Constitution set out core values and guidelines to promote harmony and cohesion among family... View Details