Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(7,216)
- Faculty Publications (1,746)
- August 1988
- Background Note
Close Encounters of the Four Kinds: Managing Customers in a Rapidly Changing Environment
Describes four kinds of selling: 1) transaction, 2) systems, 3) major account management, and 4) strategic account relationships. Explains the advantages, disadvantages, and risks of each. The second half is devoted to a discussion of strategic account relationships... View Details
- November 1987
- Background Note
The Magic Matrix: Products and Accounts
Describes an interfunctional approach to product mix management and account selection. The approach uses a matrix of products and accounts. Also describes the concepts and implementation of the approach. View Details
- October 1987 (Revised November 1994)
- Case
Boston Fights Drugs (A): Designing Communications Research
Describes in detail the research mounted by five individuals with a $20,000 budget to combat drug abuse among Boston's school-going population. Using the focus group methodology they discover that most of the current anti-drug advertising is useless. They create their... View Details
- September 1987 (Revised December 1996)
- Case
Patten Corp.
Forbes Magazine criticized the revenue recognition policy of Patten Corp. As a result, the company's stock price dropped by a significant amount. The students are asked to discuss if the criticism by Forbes is justified, and if not, what the company should do. View Details
- July 1987 (Revised August 1997)
- Course Overview Note
Entrepreneurial Finance: Course Introduction
Designed to introduce students in Entrepreneurial Finance to the subject matter and modus operandi of the course. Also included is an annotated bibliography. View Details
- June 1987 (Revised August 1988)
- Case
American Bank
By: Robert S. Kaplan
American Bank is developing a new system to compute product costs. The deregulated, more competitive environment for commercial banks has created both problems and opportunities for banking operations. In order to price existing products and assess the desirability of... View Details
- May 1987 (Revised November 1998)
- Case
John Deere Component Works (A)
By: Robert S. Kaplan
The division has recognized the inadequacies of its existing, traditional cost system for estimating product costs. Describes the innovative activity-based system that was developed to more accurately trace overhead costs to individual products. Provides students with... View Details
- May 1987 (Revised October 1996)
- Case
Murray Ohio Manufacturing Co.
After a record year in 1983, Murray Ohio's earnings declined in 1984. The company was faced with competition from cheap imports and was experiencing declining margins. Students are asked to analyze the company's 1984 financial statements and predict whether there is... View Details
- April 1987 (Revised October 1989)
- Case
Winchell Lighting, Inc. (A)
By: Robin Cooper and Robert S. Kaplan
Designed to teach students how to trace marketing costs to products. View Details
- March 1987
- Background Note
Introduction to Computer and Communications Technology
- March 1987 (Revised July 1996)
- Case
Kansas City Zephyrs Baseball Club, Inc.
By: Kenneth A. Merchant, Krishna G. Palepu and Joseph P. Mulloy
Describes a dispute between the owners of the major league baseball teams and the players' union about the profitability of the baseball teams. The issue is important because of the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations. A consultant is brought in to decide... View Details
- November 1986 (Revised June 1987)
- Case
Fieldcrest Division of Fieldcrest Mills, Inc.: Compensation System for Field Sales Representatives
Focuses on the compensation plan for Fieldcrest sales representatives. Management is reviewing the structure of the plan and must decide how to establish compensation goals and guidelines for the following year so that sales efforts are allocated among products and/or... View Details
- October 1986 (Revised July 2010)
- Case
Karen Leary (A)
By: Linda A. Hill
Describes the evolution of the working relationship of Karen Leary, a new manager of a Merrill Lynch retail branch, and Ted Chung, a new financial consultant in the branch. Leary has some concerns about her working relationship with Chung and with his performance.... View Details
- June 1986 (Revised July 1990)
- Case
OTISLINE (A)
By: F. Warren McFarlan and Donna B. Stoddard
Describes the company's use of information technology to strengthen its position in the elevator sales and service market. Also demonstrates how information technology can be used to better manage and control a large geographically dispersed service organization. View Details
- March 1985 (Revised November 1985)
- Case
Wilmington Tap and Die
By: Robert S. Kaplan
The general manager of a division manufacturing taps and dies must decide whether to continue a major capital investment program. The program was designed to replace aging mechanical machines with modern, electronically controlled equipment. A post-audit, after an... View Details
- 1985
- Working Paper
Sequential Innovation and Market Structure
By: Jerry R. Green and Jean-Jacques Laffont
This paper concerns the introduction of a sequence of new, higher-quality durable products in a market in which there already exists a lower-quality substitute. The product has the further attribute that a real resource cost is incurred at the time a higher-quality... View Details
- January 1985 (Revised June 1993)
- Case
Turner Construction Co.
In June, 1984, a vice president at Turner Construction Co. must decide whether to approve a construction project being considered by one of Turner's territorial offices and how to manage that territory general manager's apparent reluctance to pursue another account... View Details
- October 1984 (Revised February 2007)
- Background Note
Introduction to Portfolio Theory
By: Andre F. Perold
Introductory note describing the basic building blocks of Markowitz's mean-variance portfolio theory. View Details
- June 1984 (Revised September 1986)
- Background Note
Introduction to Marketing
A brief introduction to the nature and scope of marketing. View Details
Keywords: Marketing
- June 1984 (Revised October 1988)
- Background Note
Introduction to Cases
Introduces students and executives to the case method and provides a generalized approach to cases. View Details
Keywords: Cases