Allocation Problems - Publications - Faculty & Research

15 Jul 2019
Book

Many Executives Are Afraid of Finance. Here's How They Can Gain Confidence

have been the preferred method. Is this good or bad? Desai: Much as free cash flow was a little-used metric 30 years ago and is now dominant, the capital allocation problem is now the dominant financial... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

08 Apr 2014
First Look

First Look: April 8

among intermediaries intensifies these problems by increasing the magnitude of their effects and broadening the circumstances in which they arise. We show similar results arise when intermediaries provide matching benefits, namely... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 2016 (Revised May 2018)
Case

Reinventing Best Buy

By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth

On March 1, 2017, Best Buy Company, Inc., North America’s largest retailer of consumer electronics and appliances, announced a third year of comparable-store sales increases and a 20.8% increase in domestic comparable online sales. These results were in marked contrast... View Details

Keywords: Best Buy; Hubert Joly; Renew Blue; Showrooming; Webrooming; E-commerce; E-Commerce Strategy; Online Retail; Multichannel Retailing; Omnichannel; Marketplaces; Turnaround; Consumer Electronics; Consumer Electronics Accessories; Appliances; Stores-within-stores; Store Experience; Store Size; Store Pickup; Store Management; Delivery; Delivery Models; Amazon; Amazon.com; Pricing Strategy; Business Subsidiaries; Business Units; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Model; For-Profit Firms; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customer Satisfaction; Entertainment; Film Entertainment; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Music Entertainment; Television Entertainment; Theater Entertainment; Price; Profit; Revenue; Geographic Scope; Multinational Firms and Management; Business History; Cost; Selection and Staffing; Reports; Technological Innovation; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Human Capital; Leading Change; Business or Company Management; Goals and Objectives; Growth and Development; Growth and Development Strategy; Management Teams; Brands and Branding; Product Marketing; Consumer Behavior; Demand and Consumers; Media; Distribution; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Distribution Channels; Infrastructure; Product; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Public Ownership; Problems and Challenges; Programs; Groups and Teams; Sales; Salesforce Management; Strategy; Adaptation; Business Strategy; Competition; Competitive Advantage; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Expansion; Information Technology; Information Infrastructure; Information Technology; Internet and the Web; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Internet and the Web; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Resource Allocation; Computer Industry; Electronics Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Information Technology Industry; Retail Industry; Service Industry; Technology Industry; Telecommunications Industry; Video Game Industry; United States; Minnesota; Minneapolis; Saint Paul; St. Paul

Citation

Educators

Purchase

09 Mar 2003
Research & Ideas

Six Keys to Building New Markets by Unleashing Disruptive Innovation

Established companies historically have struggled when trying to create new markets. Success seems fleeting and unpredictable. Recent research indicates these problems are systemic. Most companies that are started fail. Of those that... View Details

Keywords: by Clayton M. Christensen, Michael E. Raynor & Scott D. Anthony

06 Oct 2010
Research & Ideas

John Kotter: Four Ways to Kill a Good Idea

were only logical creatures, this would not be a problem. But we are not. Far from it . We see this problem all the time when people are trying to help an organization deal with a changing environment or to exploit a new and significant... View Details

Keywords: by John Kotter & Lorne A. Whitehead

12 Dec 2005
Research & Ideas

Using the Law to Strategic Advantage

Constance Bagley: Yes, I'd be happy to. The law offers a variety of tools managers can use to manage the firm more effectively. They range from contracts, which can be used to strengthen business relationships, allocate risk and reward,... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Legal Services

14 Jul 2003
Research & Ideas

Understaffed and Overworked: What Now?

decide what has to give" when there is a loss of staff, says Parlance Training's Parlett. "So everyone plays corporate hot potato, passing the problem down the line until someone ends up as the scapegoat for not pulling off a... View Details

Keywords: by Paul Michelman

15 Dec 2003
Research & Ideas

The New Global Business Manager

companies to allocate and control financial capital, and now we've got to completely change them so they can develop and diffuse intellectual capital and manage human capital. That is what we're writing about now. I just interviewed Jack... View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia Churchwell

12 Mar 2006
Research & Ideas

New Research Explores Multi-Sided Markets

its cans, and Sony for its electronic devices. These suppliers are then responsible for supplying, displaying, pricing, and advertising their merchandise within the space allocated by Wal-Mart, and they receive the revenue from sales to... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Technology

28 Nov 2005
Research & Ideas

Unilever: Transformation and Tradition

products, but they became worldwide brands because of the capabilities of Unilever. Their success rested on the choices made on strategy and organization, on the recruitment and development of managers, on the allocation of spending... View Details

Keywords: by Geoffrey Jones; Consumer Products

01 Mar 2021
Research & Ideas

How Systemic Racism Can Threaten National Security

the social apparatus may not work well because of discrimination." “The government and the bureaucracy and the social apparatus may not work well because of discrimination,” he says. “The state might be in danger because the state itself is officially preventing... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

24 Feb 2022
Op-Ed

Want to Prevent the Next Hospital Bed Crisis? Enlist the SEC

During the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, many US hospitals could not provide enough beds to meet demand. Solving the problem of inadequate capacity is of utmost importance in the “new normal,” which requires recognizing the... View Details

Keywords: by Regina Herzlinger and Richard Boxer; Health

04 Jun 2012
Research & Ideas

The Business of Life

importance of allocating resources in such a way that they match the strategy, starting with tales of woe from giants like Unilever and Apple and segueing into stories of friends whose marriages fell apart due to neglect. "Watch where... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

28 Aug 2012
First Look

First Look: August 28

allocation would be relatively more beneficial in the presence of frictions in the external capital markets. In addition, the results show that diversification can be beneficial in the presence of frictions in the labor market. Download... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

13 Mar 2005
Research & Ideas

The Tricky Business of Nonprofit Brands

Starbucks. How important is it for NGOs to know what their brand valuation is, and how should they use this information? A: It is important for any organization, for-profit or nonprofit, to know the value of their brand so that they can View Details

Keywords: by Manda Salls

27 Nov 2000
Research & Ideas

The Dynamics of Standing Still: Firestone Tire & Rubber and the Radial Revolution

company's flagship Firestone 500 Steel Belt was the most recognized brand in the industry.17 While the decision to leverage existing manufacturing processes allowed rapid market penetration, it also contributed to quality problems with... View Details

Keywords: by Donald N. Sull; Manufacturing; Transportation

18 Jul 2011
Research & Ideas

Looking in the Mirror: Questions Every Leader Must Ask

leader needs to master the use of inquiry and reflection as well as advocacy in order to build his or her organization and career." Have You Developed A Clear Vision And Key Priorities For Your Enterprise? "When I see a problem... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

10 Sep 2020
Research & Ideas

The COVID Two-Step for Leaders: Protect and Pivot

improvement and innovation. Below are three suggestions for enabling continuous improvement in your company: Call on cross-functional teams to help solve problems In order to achieve greater efficiency, one best practice is to build a... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly Baden

10 Oct 2011
Research & Ideas

Retailing Revolution: Category Killers on the Brink

2000. At current growth rates, 2015 purchases via the Internet will likely exceed $250 billion. Online sales tend to be highly concentrated in several categories, and are so significant that it is increasingly difficult for physical stores to justify View Details

Keywords: by Rajiv Lal & Jose B. Alvarez; Retail

January 2017
Case

Danaher Corporation, 2007–2017

By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth

On July 2, 2016, Danaher Corporation completed the spinoff of Fortive Corporation. The previous day, Danaher’s stock price had reached an all-time high. In 2015, Danaher had decided to split off its test and measurement, fuel and fleet management, and automation... View Details