Publications

March 1993
Case

Liz Claiborne, Inc. and Ruentex Industries, Ltd. (Abridged)

By: Roy D. Shapiro and Marie-Therese M. Flaherty

Details the evolution of a value-creating supplier-buyer partnership. Describes the buyer's (Liz Claiborne) manufacturing and marketing strategy, and details the workings of the firm's relationship with an important Taiwanese supplier of piece goods (Ruentex Industries... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Production; Supply Chain Management; Alliances; Value Creation; Manufacturing Industry

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

Keywords: Advertising; Customer Focus and Relationships; Price; Market Entry and Exit; Supply Chain Management; Competition; Electronics Industry; Retail Industry

28 Jul 2014
Research & Ideas

Eyes Shut: The Consequences of Not Noticing

Editor's note: Behavioral economist Max H. Bazerman decided to pursue the subject of noticing after realizing that he wasn't very good at it himself. "The truth is that I was truly terrible at noticing," says Bazerman, the Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of... View Details

Keywords: by Max H. Bazerman; Retail

01 Mar 2009
News

Damon Silvers

policymaker in Europe last week, and he confirmed the Japanese auto industry’s belief that its supply chain in the United States would be disrupted should the three automakers fail. That’s because key... View Details

Keywords: Roger Thompson; Administration of Economic Programs; Government; Transportation Equipment Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Transportation

April 2005 (Revised October 2006)
Case

David Berman

By: Ananth Raman, Vishal Gaur and Saravanan Kesavan

Examines the decision of a hedge fund manager who is considering investing in a retail stock. The protagonist is concerned about the retailer's inventory level. Explores the relationship between the retailer's inventory and future earnings--and, hence, the relationship... View Details

Keywords: Business Earnings; Stocks; Price; Supply Chain Management; Investment

27 Aug 2012
Research & Ideas

Employee-Suggestion Programs That Work

policy at the Harvard School of Public Health. Trained as an industrial engineer, Tucker is interested in the perspective of frontline workers in productivity and process improvement, including how internal supply View Details

Keywords: by Paul Guttry

05 Dec 2005
What Do You Think?

Is Growth Good?

actually enable the kind of economic growth that we generally measure and read about. It's reasonably obvious, for example, that growth in such things as the rule of law, so-called transparency, and ethical behavior foster trust in business that is essential to a... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

01 Jun 2017
News

Case Study: Something New

expertise in various parts of a complex supply chain and high efficiency (to keep lead times down and costs manageable). But that is valuable precisely because it is difficult and thus very hard to... View Details

Keywords: April White

03 Oct 2011
Research & Ideas

Transforming Manufacturing Waste into Profit

It's been said that "one man's trash is another man's treasure." HBS Assistant Professor Deishin Lee, however, has taken that old adage a step further in her recent working paper Turning Waste into By-Product by showing how it's possible for companies to turn... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Manufacturing

06 Dec 2021
News

What's the Word?

because the fourth aftershock of an earthquake rarely does,” he explains, “and yet it can still be devastating.” Back to top Re·shor·ing (verb) There were visible cracks in the global supply View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; illustrations by Martha Rich; Manufacturing; Finance; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information

02 Sep 2015
Research & Ideas

Explaining China's Crash

the Harvard Gazette about China’s economic woes and how they may affect global markets and investors going forward. Christina Pazzanese: Why were so many caught off-guard by this crash? Weren’t there warning signs that this might happen?... View Details

Keywords: by Christina Pazzanese; Financial Services

01 Apr 1998
News

Deals For Sale

FairMarket is an online auction house that allows companies with surplus computers and computer components to sell to the highest bidder. "We make the distribution chain more efficient by acting as a centralized market for such... View Details

Keywords: Judith A. Ross

01 Jun 2022
News

'Rooted' In Innovation

and iron out supply chain and regulatory issues at the United States Embassy in Cameroon. “Establishing a stable supply chain is a huge challenge... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg

February 2002 (Revised May 2002)
Background Note

That's a Wrap: The Dynamics of the Video Rental Industry

By: V.G. Narayanan and Lisa Brem

The history, current dynamics, and future trends of the $10 billion home video rental industry provides a platform to discuss revenue-sharing contracts between suppliers of home videocassettes and retailers. View Details

Keywords: Contracts; Motivation and Incentives; Supply Chain Management; Revenue; Financial Strategy; Motion Pictures and Video Industry

August 2013 (Revised January 2016)
Case

Sustainability at Siemens

By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Amy C. Edmondson, Daniela Beyersdorfer and Emer Moloney

Describes sustainability efforts at Siemens since arrival of Chief Sustainability Officer, Barbara Kux, in 2008. Asks students to evaluate success of those efforts and outline what the company should do going forward. View Details

Keywords: Corporate Sustainability; Energy Efficiency; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Supply Chain Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Energy Conservation; Environmental Sustainability; Gender; Electronics Industry

September 2010 (Revised February 2013)
Background Note

The Cage-Free Egg Movement

By: Michael W. Toffel and Stephanie van Sice

Describes the social movement confronting conventional egg production techniques (battery cages) based on animal welfare concerns, and some merits and drawbacks of cage-free alternatives. Highlights animal rights activist campaigns, political and regulatory responses,... View Details

Keywords: Animal-Based Agribusiness; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Rights; Supply Chain Management; Natural Environment; Social Issues; Competitive Strategy; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

01 Jun 2001
News

Virtual Plant Tours and Beer Game Dysfunction

exercise, administered in the computer lab. A software program simulates a supply chain from retailer through wholesaler and distributor up to the beer factory. Students take roles as a participant in the... View Details

Keywords: Business Schools & Computer & Management Training; Educational Services

Alumni Changing the World

James Reinhart

James Reinhart, MBA/MPA-ID 2009, is on a mission to keep clothing out of landfills. Co-founder and CEO of thredUP, Reinhart thought of his secondhand clothing business while at HBS and has since built a colossal logistics and supply View Details

May 2003
Background Note

How to Induce Retailers to Reduce Stockouts?

By: V.G. Narayanan

Describes how the lack of incentive alignment between retailers and their vendors can lead to stockouts. Also describes various means to reduce incentive misalignment and hence stockouts. View Details

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Supply Chain Management; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Distribution; Alignment; Business Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Industrial Products Industry; Retail Industry