Publications

August 1995 (Revised July 1997)
Case

H.E. Butt Grocery Company: A Leader in ECR Implementation (A) (Abridged)

By: F. Warren McFarlan

Describes the industry context that has resulted in the development of efficient consumer response (ECR) within the grocery industry and its adoption by H.E. Butt Grocery Co. View Details

Keywords: Demand and Consumers; Customer Focus and Relationships; Adoption; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

October 2009 (Revised October 2010)
Supplement

Sara Campbell Ltd. (C)

By: Romana L. Autrey, V.G. Narayanan and Julia Rozovsky

Supplements the Sara Campbell Ltd. (A) and (B) cases by revealing the aftermath of issues presented in the (B) case. The students are given context to discuss how this situation could have been prevented. View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Employee Relationship Management; Outcome or Result; Situation or Environment; Conflict Management; Apparel and Accessories Industry

February 1994 (Revised November 1994)
Case

Brinkerhoff International, Inc. (A)

Presents a study of two oil rigs and their team relationships within a context of dissension in lower management ranks and a president who is trying to expand the business in a changing economy. View Details

Keywords: Groups and Teams; Conflict and Resolution; Energy Sources; Mining Industry; Energy Industry

January 1997
Background Note

Simulation as a Decision Aid

By: Roy D. Shapiro

A brief introduction to simulation--what it is, why it's used, etc. Meant to set context for a first class on simulation. A rewritten version of an earlier note. View Details

Keywords: Mathematical Methods; Decision Making

September 2014 (Revised November 2017)
Case

Sustainability at IKEA Group

By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Michael W. Toffel, Vincent Dessain and Jerome Lenhardt

By 2014, IKEA Group was the largest home furnishing company, with EUR28.5 billion of sales, and planned to reach EUR50 billion by 2020, mainly from emerging markets. At the same time, IKEA Group had adopted in 2012 a new sustainability strategy that focused the... View Details

Keywords: Furnishing; Sustainability; Supply Chain; Wood; Customer Value and Value Chain; Supply Chain Management; Environmental Sustainability; Growth and Development Strategy; Consumer Products Industry

December 2011 (Revised May 2014)
Background Note

Col. Joshua Chamberlain: Background to a Challenging Negotiation from the Civil War

By: James K. Sebenius

This note provides historical context and background for a challenging negotiation by Col. Joshua Chamberlain of the 20th Maine Regiment of the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War. View Details

Keywords: History; Negotiation; United States

May 2005 (Revised October 2022)
Case

The Octopus and the Generals: The United Fruit Company in Guatemala

By: Geoffrey Jones and Marcelo Bucheli

Examines the overthrow of President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala in 1954 in a U.S.-backed coup in support of the United Fruit Co. Over the previous half century, United Fruit had built a large vertically integrated tropical fruit business that owned large banana... View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Multinational Firms and Management; Policy; International Relations; Business History; Business and Government Relations; Central America; Guatemala; United States

April 1998
Case

Venture Capital in Ireland: Getting Their ACT Together

By: Paul A. Gompers and Catherine M. Conneely

Analyzes the decisions of Niall Carroll, an Irish banker, to start a venture capital fund focused on Ireland. The context of the Irish markets and the nature of Irish opportunities are explored. View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Venture Capital; Markets; Market Entry and Exit; Financial Services Industry; Republic of Ireland

January 2007 (Revised January 2007)
Background Note

Note on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

By: Robert F. Higgins, Richard G. Hamermesh and Virginia Fuller

Describes the U.S. FDA with particular emphasis on its role in the development of new drugs, biologic products, and medical devices today. Provides context for the drug approval process by describing the FDA's history and organizational structure. View Details

Keywords: Health; Governance Compliance; Policy; Product Development; Government and Politics; Pharmaceutical Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Biotechnology Industry; Public Administration Industry; United States

July 2008
Supplement

The Politics and Economics of Accounting for Goodwill at Cisco Systems (B)

By: Karthik Ramanna

Studies the role of Cisco in setting current US accounting standards for acquisitions and goodwill. Students are asked to analyze an acquisition in the context of an ongoing political debate on mergers accounting. View Details

Keywords: Goodwill Accounting; Standards; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business and Government Relations; United States

July 2008
Case

The Politics and Economics of Accounting for Goodwill at Cisco Systems (A)

By: Karthik Ramanna

Studies the role of Cisco in setting current U.S. accounting standards for acquisitions and goodwill. Students are asked to analyze an acquisition in the context of an ongoing political debate on mergers accounting. View Details

Keywords: Goodwill Accounting; Mergers and Acquisitions; Standards; Business and Government Relations; United States

August 2000 (Revised July 2002)
Background Note

Economic Evidence on the Globalization of Markets

Presents the systematic evidence in the context of the microeconomic model of market integration. Market integration is just one (economic) aspect of globalization; this is one of the particular interests to business managers. View Details

Keywords: Globalized Markets and Industries

May 1990 (Revised December 1998)
Case

Technology Transfer at a Defense Contractor (Abridged)

By: Linda A. Hill

Covers the same material concerning the specific transfer of technology as described in the longer version but summarizes the environmental and organizational context of the transfer. Most appropriate when the instructor wishes to focus on the action questions. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Conflict Management; Managerial Roles; Management Teams; Employees; Competitive Strategy; Projects

August 1996 (Revised October 1996)
Case

Howard, Shea & Chan Asset Management (D): Sales Presentation

By: Benson P. Shapiro

Provides the context and hard copy material to accompany a video sales presentation. Participants are asked to develop criteria for evaluating a sales presentation and then to apply the criteria to the video presentation. View Details

Keywords: Sales; Presentations; Performance Evaluation

October 2020 (Revised August 2022)
Case

Epic Games: Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite

By: Andy Wu, Miaomiao Zhang and Christopher Zhang

In the midst of intensifying public and political attention towards the market power of big technology, Epic Games in 2020 challenged the status quo that has existed for years in the Apple iOS and Google Android mobile application marketplaces and payment systems.... View Details

Keywords: Mobile Platforms; Mobile App Industry; Mobile Payment Systems; Antitrust; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Lawsuits and Litigation; Entrepreneurship; Competitive Strategy; Digital Platforms; United States

September 1983
Case

Harley-Davidson: Marketing Strategy for Motorcycles--1977

Incorporates material on AMF, Harley-Davidson's parent company. This information is designed to permit analysis of Harley-Davidson in the context of AMF's corporate strategy and overall business portfolio. A rewritten version of two earlier cases. View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Motorcycle Industry

March–April 2024
Article

How Fast Should Your Company Really Grow?

By: Gary P. Pisano

Growth—in revenues and profits—is the yardstick by which the competitive fitness and health of organizations is measured. Consistent profitable growth is thus a near universal goal for leaders—and an elusive one.

To achieve that goal, companies need a growth... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Strategy; Organizational Culture

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February 2023 (Revised February 2024)
Case

Doing Business in Seoul, South Korea

By: Sara Fleiss, Leonard A. Schlesinger, Bonnie Yining Cao and Dawn H. Lau

This case examines the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Seoul, South Korea. It highlights South Korea's economic development in the decades leading up to 2024 in the context of its history, culture, and politics. View Details

Keywords: Emerging Markets; Strategy; Management; Social Enterprise; Technology Industry; Consulting Industry; South Korea; United States

Article

The Strategy in Competitive Interactions

By: Eric J. Van den Steen

This paper reviews, discusses, and expands the “core guidance” definition of strategy as “the smallest set of choices to optimally guide (or force) other choices.” It first discusses what this definition contributes to the existing proposed definitions. It then... View Details

Keywords: Strategy Formulation; Strategy Definition; Strategy; Competition; Analysis; Competitive Strategy; Decision Making