Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(571)
- Faculty Publications (162)
- December 2005 (Revised April 2011)
- Case
General Electric's 20th Century CEOs
By: Nitin Nohria, Anthony Mayo and Mark Benson
General Electric thrived in every decade of the 20th century. Since its founding in 1892, GE has placed a high value on picking and training the best people. Staff members worked with other scientists in the company's research lab to design and manufacture new and... View Details
- October 2005 (Revised March 2006)
- Case
Strategic Inflection: TiVo in 2005
By: David B. Yoffie, Pai-Ling Yin and Barbara Mack
In the late 1990s, TiVo pioneered the digital video recorder (DVR), a new consumer electronics category. By 2005, the company was the clear leader in technology and installed base. It had also built extraordinary loyalty among its customers. However, TiVo lost a half... View Details
- September 2005 (Revised February 2007)
- Case
Angels and Devils: Best Buy's New Customer Approach (A)
In November 2004, The Wall Street Journal reported that consumer electronics retailer Best Buy's new customer approach was to shun the "devils" among its customers. The "customer centricity" initiative, which was led by Best Buy's CEO Brad Anderson, was based on an... View Details
- June 2005 (Revised March 2006)
- Case
E Ink in 2005
By: David B. Yoffie and Barbara Mack
Explores the challenges of commercializing a bleeding-edge technology. After seven years, E Ink has spent more than $100 million to commercialize electronic ink. With business momentum picking up, but resources running out, the case examines the key trade-offs in... View Details
- June 2005
- Background Note
Overview of the Japanese Apparel Market
By: Rajiv Lal and Arar Han
Provides an overview of the Japanese apparel market, which was a 13.1 trillion yen industry in 2003, reflecting 5.5% year-over-year shrinkage since 1997, when retailers logged 17.5 trillion yen in sales. Compared to their global counterparts, Japanese apparel shoppers... View Details
- November 2004
- Case
The Electronic Product Code: Future Impact on the Global Food System
By: Ray A. Goldberg and James Weber
The Electronic Product Code (EPC) is a successor to the Uniform Product Code and will improve the efficiency and traceability of the global food system. This case focuses on how best to implement this new system and respect the privacy of the ultimate consumer, and the... View Details
- March 2004 (Revised September 2005)
- Case
RealNetworks Rhapsody
By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Steven Carpenter
Examines RealNetwork's (Real's) strategy for the rapidly emerging online music market. In contrast to rivals who sell individual copies of songs, Real offers online music on a subscription basis. For a $10 monthly fee, subscribers to Real's Rhapsody service have... View Details
- February 2004
- Case
Bradman and Tendulkar, LLC
By: Ananth Raman and Vishal Gaur
An investment firm is trying to project inventory turns for Radio Shack, a chain of consumer electronics stores. The investment firm has access to public financial data but not to internal operational metrics. It needs to project inventory turns because inventory... View Details
- January 2004 (Revised October 2006)
- Case
Electronic Arts in Online Gaming
By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Justin Wong
Electronic Arts (EA), the world's largest independent video-game publisher, must decide whether to support Microsoft's initiatives in online gaming. Historically, EA has been platform-agnostic, releasing versions of its titles for all major console platforms. However,... View Details
- June 2002
- Case
Vans: Skating on Air
By: Youngme E. Moon and David Kiron
Vans is best known for selling footwear and apparel to skateboarders, surfers, and other alternative sports athletes. In April 2002, Gary Schoenfeld, the CEO, is facing a number of challenges. With respect to footwear, he must decide what to do about two product lines... View Details
- 2002
- Chapter
Strategic Uncertainty and the Future of Electronic Consumer Interaction: Developing Scenarios, Adapting Strategies
By: Stephen P. Bradley and Eric K. Clemons
- June 2000
- Case
Rebirth of the Swiss Watch Industry, 1980-1992 (A)
By: Michael L. Tushman and Daniel Radov
The Swiss watch industry has been devastated by new entrants from Asia in the low- and mid-priced watch segments. Japanese and Hong Kong firms have used quartz technology to lower costs dramatically. Nicolas Hayek, president of a Swiss consulting firm, is asked to help... View Details
- April 1999
- Case
Steve Perlman and WebTV (A)
By: James K. Sebenius and Ron Fortgang
The dynamics of a linked series of internal and external negotiations involved in launching, growing, and selling a high-tech, Internet start-up are explored. Steve Perlman unfurled an impressive new technology, recruited a top technical and management team, secured... View Details
- April 1999
- Case
Steve Perlman and WebTV (B)
By: James K. Sebenius and Ron Fortgang
The dynamics of a linked series of internal and external negotiations involved in launching, growing, and selling a high-tech, Internet start-up are explored. Steve Perlman unfurled an impressive new technology, recruited a top technical and management team, secured... View Details
- February 1999 (Revised May 1999)
- Case
Onsale, Inc.
By: Youngme E. Moon
Onsale has been a pioneer in electronic commerce, offering excess and refurbished goods using an online auction format. The company is now planning to become a player in the highly competitive world of first-run computer merchandise as well. However, unlike other... View Details
- December 1997 (Revised April 1998)
- Case
www.springs.com
By: F. Warren McFarlan and Melissa Dailey
Business Week's June 1997 "Rising Star" profile of Springs Industries' president and COO, Crandall Bowles, reported that she was poised to become one of the top two or three women executives in the country. In November 1997, the company announced Bowles' appointment to... View Details
- October 1997 (Revised July 1999)
- Case
Best Buy
By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Balaji Chakravarthy
Documents the evolution of Best Buy, an electronics retailer, from its founding in 1966 to its very successful "Concept 2" strategy in 1996, boosting its sales ($7.2 billion) past industry #1 Circuit City. Its CEO Richard Schulze offers a new vision (Concept 3) to... View Details
- October 1996 (Revised April 1997)
- Case
Tweeter etc.
By: John T. Gourville and George Wu
In the early 1990s, Tweeter etc., a small regional retailer of higher-end audio and video equipment, faced increasing competitive pricing pressures from several large regional and national consumer electronics chains. In response, in 1993, they introduced "Automatic... View Details
- October 1996 (Revised April 1997)
- Case
Northco (A)
By: Ananth Raman and Bowon Kim
A small school-uniform manufacturer wrestles with seasonal demand. The company is saddled with excess inventory when it is bought by a leveraged buyout firm. Students are required to identify ways to analyze and solve the problem. View Details