Publications

November 2010 (Revised August 2012)
Case

The Indego Africa Project

By: Kathleen L. McGinn and Rachel Gordon

Two young attorneys found and begin to build the Indego Africa Project, an NGO partnering with women's cooperatives in Rwanda. Indego connects the cooperatives to the international retail market for handmade artisan products, helps the cooperatives build their business... View Details

Keywords: Cooperative Ownership; Nonprofit Organizations; Business Growth and Maturation; Corporate Finance; Non-Governmental Organizations; Growth and Development Strategy; Rwanda

20 Feb 2020
Blog Post

Know Your Audience – Recruiting HBS Students for Technology

Strategy, Marketing & Corporate Relations, Career & Professional Development Molly DeCastro – Recruiting Relations Manager, Career & Professional Development Cathy and Molly work closely with technology companies as they develop and execute their recruiting... View Details

Keywords: Technology

08 Aug 2017
First Look

First Look at Research and Ideas, August 8, 2017

characteristic-based portfolio strategy that requires relatively low annual turnover. This is a continuum, with small size (a very persistent characteristic) at one end of the spectrum and high frequency reversal at the other. Unlike... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 2017 (Revised April 2017)
Case

OXXO's Turf War Against Extra (A)

By: Tatiana Sandino, Gerardo Pérez Cavazos and Annelena Lobb

In 2006, Mexican convenience store chain OXXO faced a threat from a formidable competitor, the rival convenience chain Extra. OXXO had embarked on an initiative to fortify its corporate culture and operating system, but the threat of Extra raised the question of... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Culture; Organizational Design; Competitive Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Retail Industry; Mexico

August 2007 (Revised September 2007)
Case

Gome: Bidding for China Paradise

Gome, China's largest electronics retailer, has the opportunity to acquire China Paradise, the number three player in the Chinese electronic retailer industry. This happened in the general context of a great market development and potential consolidation of the... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Trade; Market Entry and Exit; Performance; Opportunities; Competition; Consolidation; Corporate Strategy; Electronics Industry; Retail Industry; China

December 2020 (Revised April 2021)
Case

Arcos Dorados: A QSR Recovery Plan

By: Forest Reinhardt, José B. Alvarez, Jenyfeer Martinez Buitrago and Mariana Cal

Arcos Dorados—McDonald’s largest independent franchisee, covering Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)—faced a pandemic that was disrupting the entire consumer foodservice business in 2020. With the exclusive right to own, operate, and sub-franchise McDonald’s... View Details

March 2012 (Revised September 2012)
Case

INRIX

By: Lynda M. Applegate and Ryan Johnson

Since its founding in 2004, INRIX, a leading global provider of traffic information and driver services, had received four rounds of financing from leading venture capital (VC) firms and by 2012 had been cash flow positive for the past six quarters. Its founder, Bryan... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Exit or Shutdown; Business Startups; Organizational Structure; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Competitive Strategy; Information Technology Industry; Service Industry; Washington (state, US)

Rosabeth Moss Kanter holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship at Harvard Business School, specializing in strategy, innovation, and leadership for change. Her strategic and practical insights guide leaders worldwide through teaching, writing, and direct... View Details

Keywords: accounting industry; advertising; airline; apparel; arts; automobiles; banking; beauty products; beverage; biotechnology; broadcasting; chemical; clothing; communications; computer; consulting; consumer products; e-commerce industry; education industry; electrical equipment; electronics; entertainment; fashion; fast food; federal government; financial services; food; food processing; grocery; health care; high technology; hotels ＆ motels; industrial goods; information; information technology industry; insurance industry; internet; legal services; management consulting; manufacturing; medical supplies; nonprofit industry; oil ＆ gas; petroleum; pharmaceuticals; professional services; publishing industry; real estate; recreation; restaurant; retail financial services; retailing; semiconductor; soft drink; software; sports; state government; telecommunications; textiles; tourism; toy; transportation; travel; utilities; wine

February 2015
Case

CLP: Powering Asia

By: George Serafeim, Rebecca Henderson and Dawn Lau

Richard Lancaster, taking over from Andrew Brandler, was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CLP Holdings Ltd., one of the leading power companies in Asia, with operations in China, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Australia, and India, and an energy portfolio spanning coal,... View Details

Keywords: Energy Generation; Environmental Sustainability; Goals and Objectives; Values and Beliefs; Growth and Development Strategy; Strategic Planning; Energy Industry; Asia; India

September 2010 (Revised April 2015)
Case

Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces

By: Rohit Deshpande and Mona Sinha

The Taj Hotels, Palaces, and Resorts introduced a new brand architecture to counter lack of differentiation and confused positioning of its mixed bag of brands. After launching an economy and an upscale brand, it dithered over the launch of its upper upscale and luxury... View Details

Keywords: Growth Management; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Product Positioning; Luxury; Accommodations Industry; India

13 Jun 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, June 13

Stanford Social Innovation Review Selecting the Right Growth Metrics: Fewer but Better By: Schlesinger, Leonard A. Abstract—No abstract available. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=52742 Minimizing Justified... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

03 Nov 2009
First Look

First Look: Nov. 3

self-report of the licensee. The self-reporting aspect of the environment gives rise to demand for auditing by the licensor or third-party attestation by the licensee. We characterize the optimal royalty contract, accounting system choice by the licensee, and audit... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

October 2010 (Revised November 2012)
Case

Shenzhen Capital Group

By: Paul A. Gompers, Shaohui Chen, Jessie Lin and Shelley Ling

Haitao Jin, chairman of Shenzhen Capital Group Co., Ltd. (SCGC), and Wanshou Li, president of SCGC, must decide how to continue to grow their venture capital/private equity firm in China. SCGC is a premier VC/PE fund in China and a pioneer of the Government Sponsored... View Details

Keywords: Government And Business; Venture Capital; Private Equity; Investment Funds; Growth and Development Strategy; Business and Government Relations; Financial Services Industry; China

12 Sep 2023
Research & Ideas

How Can Financial Advisors Thrive in Shifting Markets? Diversify, Diversify, Diversify

broadly for other industries looking to appeal to younger clients or adapt marketing strategies to a fluid business environment. Sizing up a changing investment world Historically speaking, financial advisory firms have focused on... View Details

Keywords: by Ben Rand; Financial Services

June 2015 (Revised August 2016)
Case

Qualcomm Inc., 2009-2015

By: David B. Yoffie

In the years after 2009, Qualcomm navigated the wireless industry's transition from 3G to 4G, retaining its technological leadership and experiencing dramatic growth in revenue and profit. In March 2014, Qualcomm appointed a new CEO, Steve Mollenkopf, who had to... View Details

Keywords: Communication Technologies; Technology; Wireless Technologies; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Strategy; Communication Technology; Competitive Strategy; Change Management; Electronics Industry; Telecommunications Industry; California

August 2008 (Revised December 2009)
Case

Absolute Return for Kids

By: Herman B. Leonard, Marc J. Epstein and Melissa Tritter

Absolute Return for Kids [ARK] is a charity with strong financial support-what are the constraints on its growth and impact? ARK seeks to transform the lives of children who are victims of abuse, disability, illness, and poverty. As one of the 50 largest fundraising... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Performance Capacity; Quality; Nonprofit Organizations; Expansion; South Africa; Europe; United Kingdom

04 Sep 2013
What Do You Think?

How Relevant is Long-Range Strategic Planning?

the pace of change it can also be cleverly leveraged to facilitate an iterative, evergreen process of strategy formulation and implementation." David Wittenberg added, "Strategic planning, especially long-term strategic... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

March 1992
Case

Amgen, Inc.: Planning the Unplannable

By: Nitin Nohria

By the early 1990s, Amgen--a pharmaceutical company started little over a decade ago as Applied Molecular Genetics--was within range of becoming a billion-dollar company. With two extremely successful biotechnology drugs on the market, Amgen stood as the largest and... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Strategic Planning; Success; Risk and Uncertainty; Pharmaceutical Industry