Publications

December 2002 (Revised October 2006)
Case

Tesco Plc.

By: David E. Bell

Tesco, a supermarket chain, has been transformed from a third-rate retailer to a global leader in the past ten years. This case describes how that was accomplished. Interviews with Tesco employees explain the company's approach to understanding customers, motivating... View Details

Keywords: History; Motivation and Incentives; Leadership; Internet and the Web; Supply Chain Management; Global Strategy; Globalization; Customer Focus and Relationships; Business Strategy; Retail Industry

12 Jan 2015
News

Good Investments

booth is a differentiator—something to keep the slow creep of the chain stores at bay. She also earns money directly from the booth, collecting half of the 30-cent user fee. (The other half goes to Barared.) All told, Reyes says the booth... View Details

Keywords: Dan Morrell; impact investing; ideas; Finance; Finance

May 2011
Teaching Note

The Dutch Flower Cluster (TN)

By: Jorge Ramirez-Vallejo and Michael E. Porter

Teaching Note for 711507. View Details

Keywords: Customer Value and Value Chain; Auctions; Industry Clusters; Competition; Plant-Based Agribusiness; Netherlands; China; Colombia; Ecuador; Kenya

December 1983 (Revised July 1988)
Case

General Electric--Thermocouple Manufacturing (A)

By: David A. Garvin

GE is considering introducing a "just-in-time" production system to reduce inventory in its thermocouple manufacturing area. The case presents students with a description of the present inventory management system, the production process, and the perspectives of... View Details

Keywords: Factories, Labs, and Plants; Time Management; Production; Supply Chain; Perspective; Energy Industry; Technology Industry

June 1992 (Revised March 2006)
Case

Concordia Casting Company

By: F. Warren McFarlan

Describes five years of development in a centralized data processing activity serving a highly decentralized corporation. Data processing manager discovers that a major software system conversion is a full year behind schedule, and subsequently makes several managerial... View Details

Keywords: Analytics and Data Science; Applications and Software; System; Information Technology; Change Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Human Resources; Conflict and Resolution; Supply Chain Management; Accounting; Auto Industry

September 2020 (Revised March 2022)
Case

JOANN: Joannalytics Inventory Allocation Tool

By: Kris Ferreira and Srikanth Jagabathula

Michael Joyce, Vice President of Inventory Management at JOANN, championed an effort to develop and implement an inventory allocation analytics tool that used advanced analytics to predict in-season demand of seasonal items for each of JOANN’s nearly 900 stores and... View Details

Keywords: Analytics; Machine Learning; Optimization; Inventory Management; Mathematical Methods; Decision Making; Operations; Supply Chain Management; Resource Allocation; Distribution; Technology Adoption; Applications and Software; Change Management; Fashion Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Retail Industry; United States; Ohio

November 1992
Background Note

The Mutual Fund Industry 1992

By: Jay O. Light

Keywords: Investment Funds; Supply and Industry; Financial Services Industry

Find at Harvard

January 2007 (Revised May 2008)
Case

National Logistics Management: Founder Decisions

By: Lynda M. Applegate and Elizabeth Collins

Scott Taylor, CEO & founder of NLM, is a serial entrepreneur faced with an important decision. As his industry consolidates, he knows that his company must grow quickly, yet he believes he has reached the limit of what organic growth can achieve. Should he accept the... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Startups; Decision Choices and Conditions; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Supply and Industry; Supply Chain

Find at Harvard

24 Sep 2013
First Look

First Look: September 24

now facing its board as it encounters investor pressure to improve performance. Purchase this case: http://hbr.org/search/114021 Harvard Business School Case 614-009 VF Brands: Global Supply Chain Strategy... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

20 Dec 2018
Blog Post

A Time For Opportunity In Food and Agriculture

noise and figuring out what consumers want and how we can pull that through the supply chain is challenging and really exciting.” How can MBAs launch their careers in this sector, keep up with what’s new,... View Details

13 Apr 2023
Blog Post

Grolsch Brewing Company: Drink Sustainably

in the region, they confirmed that collaboration on sustainable technology was a norm in the industry and region, and that they saw sustainable technology sharing as a crucial component of driving necessary change. Our Remaining Questions View Details

20 Mar 2020
Research & Ideas

How Small Businesses Can Survive the Coronavirus Outbreak

National Small Business Association survey. Almost half of the 950 people surveyed said that customer demand was down, and one-third of respondents were experiencing supply chain disruptions. More than half... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost; Service; Food & Beverage

10 Apr 2025
Blog Post

IFC India 2025: SELCO - Decentralized Renewable Energy to Develop While Decarbonizing

energy supply with sufficient backup for critical services like primary and maternal care. Reliable power access also supports telehealth services, enabling real-time diagnostics and reducing the need for multiple visits - a significant... View Details

30 Jul 2024
Blog Post

Alumni Career Journey: Rob Self (MBA 2021) – Integrating Climate into Consulting

there has been a corporate shift away from an immediate focus on these topics, at least to some extent because supply chains have been so constrained, and inflation has been high. But if you look at the... View Details

Fast Answer

Sustainable investing and ESG resources

provided to CDP by companies responding publicly to an information request sent by CDP on behalf of its signatory investors. Datasets include Climate Change Data, Supply Chain Data, Water Data, Forests Data,... View Details

23 Sep 2024
Blog Post

2024 Summer Internships in Business & Environment

and far less power and fresh water than other methods of extraction, Lithios is unlocking a responsible, domestic supply chain of one of the most critical raw materials for the energy transition. Brett's... View Details

29 Aug 2024
Blog Post

Leni Peterson R. (MS/MBA 2023): Solving Big Problems Through Entrepreneurship

Without water, companies cannot operate. Water is not only a key indicator of climate change, but also a major factor behind supply chain disruptions. Poor water access can exacerbate health and political... View Details

23 Feb 2011
First Look

First Look: Feb. 23

to promote financial development. The evidence here includes country fixed effect regressions and an instrumental model inspired by Engerman and Sokoloff's (2002) work, which to our knowledge has not yet been used in finance and which... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

July 2009 (Revised January 2014)
Case

Sustainability at Millipore

By: Michael W. Toffel and Katharine Lee

This case describes Millipore Corporation's approach to becoming a more environmentally sustainable company. As he prepared for his quarterly meeting with the CEO, the Director of Sustainability needed to develop positions on several issues. Tactically, he needed to... View Details

Keywords: Investment; Corporate Disclosure; Operations; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Organizational Structure; Natural Environment; Environmental Sustainability; Pollutants