Publications

April 1998
Teaching Note

WESCO Distribution, Inc. TN

By: Das Narayandas

Teaching Note for (9-598-021). View Details

Keywords: Distribution Industry; Distribution Industry

27 May 2020
Research & Ideas

What South Korea Teaches the World About Fighting COVID

distribution of face masks and the promotion of their use, are winning strategies in this battle. As other countries begin to reopen their economies, how can they apply these lessons to combat COVID-19? Proactive testing and tracing As... View Details

Keywords: by Doug J. Chung; Health

2018
Working Paper

The State of Open Source Server Software

By: Shane Greenstein and Klaus Ackermann

The study assembles new data to construct a census of worldwide web server use across the globe. We document a large concentration of investment in the United States, and a wide dispersion across scores of countries. We find tens of billions of dollars of unmeasured... View Details

Keywords: Internet; Open Source; Internet and the Web; Policy; Open Source Distribution; Internet and the Web; Global Range

Read Now

January 2017
Case

Flatiron School

By: Thomas Eisenmann and Halah AlQahtani

In late 2016, the founders of Flatiron School, a startup offering 12-week coding bootcamps, are formulating their growth strategy. Their new online-only program has matched the excellent job placement results for their in-person bootcamps. Should Flatiron shift... View Details

Keywords: Scaling Start-ups; Growth Strategy; Entrepreneurship; Distribution Channels; Growth and Development Strategy; Internet and the Web; Business Startups; Diversification; Expansion; Education Industry; United States

January 1991 (Revised March 2010)
Case

Westchester Distributing, Inc. (A)

By: Robert L. Simons and Robert Boxwell

Focuses on the three-way interaction among internal controls, employee behavior, and incentives. Salesmen are illegally providing kickbacks to customers of this beer-distribution firm. In turn, salesmen are reimbursing themselves by filing fraudulent expense reports.... View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Crime and Corruption; Corporate Governance; Governance Controls; Salesforce Management; Behavior; Motivation and Incentives; Distribution Industry; Distribution Industry

June 2004 (Revised September 2006)
Case

Business Intelligence Software at SYSCO

The large food service company SYSCO has decided to purchase business intelligence (BI) software, a technology intended to provide superior monitoring and analysis capabilities. Twila Day, assistant vice president of technology and applications, is in charge of the BI... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Information Technology; Applications and Software; Decision Making; Management Systems; Distribution Industry; Distribution Industry

March 2003
Teaching Note

Andina Bottling Co. (TN)

By: V.G. Narayanan

Teaching Note for (9-102-040). View Details

Keywords: Distribution Industry; Distribution Industry

December 1999 (Revised June 2000)
Teaching Note

SUPERVALU, Inc.: Professional Development Program TN

By: Francis Aguilar

Teaching Note for (9-900-019). View Details

Keywords: Distribution Industry; Distribution Industry

March 1999 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Georgian Glass and Mineral Water

Georgian Glass and Mineral Water (GGMW), was created in 1995 by a Georgian entrepreneur and Western investors in Georgia (former Soviet Union) to bottle and market the famous mineral water from the Borjomi valley. At the height of the Soviet Union's power, Borjomi was... View Details

Keywords: Privatization; Emerging Markets; Financing and Loans; Distribution Industry; Distribution Industry

01 Mar 2013
News

HBS alumnus Philip Rettger on partnering with the Harvard endowment

Philip Rettger (MBA 1985) has focused his career on renewable and sustainable energy. "While none of us knows what the future will offer for investment returns, I am pleased that the charitable remainder trust that I established several years ago is being invested by... View Details

Keywords: Trusts; Electric Power Generation, Transmission, Distribution; Electric Power Generation, Transmission, Distribution

July 2004 (Revised September 2005)
Case

Novell: Open Source Software Strategy

Describes Novell's open source software strategy and the business environment in which it has arisen. Introduces open source software and strategies based on open source and offers opportunities to discuss IT strategy, IT management, and organizational change. One key... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Value Creation; Strategy; Open Source Distribution; Information Technology; Applications and Software; Intellectual Property; Information Technology Industry

July 2004 (Revised September 2004)
Case

Novell: CEO-led Turnaround and Growth Strategy

By: Richard L. Nolan and Robert D. Austin

Novell CEO Jack Messman tried to return the company to its leadership position in the software industry through a strategy that embraces Linux and other open source software. This case serves as an introduction to open source software and strategies based on open... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Value Creation; Open Source Distribution; Applications and Software; Intellectual Property; Business Strategy; Information Technology Industry

Find at Harvard

Article

Exploring the Duality Between Product and Organizational Architectures: A Test of the 'Mirroring' Hypothesis

By: Alan MacCormack, Carliss Y. Baldwin and John Rusnak

A variety of academic studies argue that a relationship exists between the structure of an organization and the design of the products that the organization produces. Specifically, products tend to "mirror" the architectures of the organizations in which they are... View Details

Keywords: Organization Design; Architecture; Modularity; Open Source Software; Communication; Design; Governance; Management Practices and Processes; Open Source Distribution; Product Design; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Structure; Performance; Problems and Challenges; Behavior; Software

September 2004 (Revised January 2005)
Case

IBM: Ordering Midrange Computers in Europe

IBM Europe is trying to expand business-to-business (B2B) efforts with its large distributors of midrange systems. These efforts aim to automate many transactions and business processes, removing the need for human involvement. IBM has completed an initial project with... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Information Technology; Information Infrastructure; Marketing Channels; Distribution Channels; Information Technology Industry; Computer Industry; Germany; United States

April 1989 (Revised March 1990)
Case

Burlington Northern (B)

By: Janice H. Hammond

Describes the experiences of a seasoned Burlington Northern (BN) sales representative after the introduction of ShipSmart, a decision support system developed by the BN to help its employees and customers analyze logistics problems. After a brief description of a... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Expansion; Rail Transportation; Logistics; Distribution Channels; Truck Transportation; Innovation and Invention; Sales; Rail Industry; United States

09 Jun 2020
News

How Leaders Are Fighting Food Insecurity on Three Continents

manage a food distribution company and an agricultural investment fund. “Many global experts have underscored that this pandemic is a 12-18 month battle and that we can expect future pandemics and shocks related to climate change and... View Details

Keywords: Agriculture

06 Feb 2020
News

HBS Alumni Join Forces on Virus Outbreak in China

items to hospital and response personnel, while another seeks to raise funds from HBS alumni to support the families of victims of the virus. The Wuhan Task Force, aims to quickly source and distribute medical protection items, including... View Details

December 2007
Background Note

The Music Recording Industry: Digital Rocks

By: Stephen P. Bradley and Nancy Bartlett

Digital and mobile technologies profoundly and forever changed the long-held value proposition for the recorded music industry--the 12-song physical CD selling at $15. By 2007, it was apparent that the music recording business had become a digital business, and... View Details

Keywords: Arts; Disruption; Music Entertainment; Distribution; Practice; Technology Adoption; Value; Music Industry

2009
Working Paper

Industry Equilibrium with Open Source and Proprietary Firms

By: Gaston Llanes and Ramiro de Elejalde

We present a model of industry equilibrium to study the coexistence of Open Source (OS) and Proprietary (P) firms. Two novel aspects of the model are: (1) participation in OS arises as the optimal decision of profit-maximizing firms, and (2) OS and P firms may (or may... View Details

Keywords: Investment; Technological Innovation; Knowledge Sharing; Industry Structures; Open Source Distribution; Research and Development