Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(5,017)
- Faculty Publications (1,843)
- January 1989 (Revised March 1995)
- Case
Du Pont Freon Products Division (A)
In 1988, the Du Pont Co. is abruptly confronted with solid scientific evidence that chlorofluorocarbons are destroying the earth's ozone shield. Du Pont, with its Freon brand product line serving markets for foam insulation, electronics solvents, and especially... View Details
- October 1988 (Revised December 1994)
- Case
Maytag in 1984
By: David J. Collis and Nancy Donohue
Highlights Maytag's unique position in the industry in 1984. Maytag, a much smaller player than its competitors has prior to 1984 been successful in producing high quality merchandise and charging a premium for it. By 1984 Maytag is also attempting expansion.... View Details
- September 1988 (Revised June 1993)
- Case
Ring Medical
Describes the progress of a new product launch (HCS-100, a hospital communication system). Ring Medical has sold only five systems in six months against an annual target of 30. There is a lack of agreement internally on how the new product effort should be organized.... View Details
- August 1988 (Revised February 1992)
- Case
Norton Group PLC: To Be or Not to Be in the Motorcycle Business (A)
By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Jon Skofic
Norton, a once famous motorcycle manufacturer, soundly beaten by Japanese competition, turns its attention to developing rotary engines. The company is acquired by Norton Group PLC, which is headed by a dashing entrepreneur. The new management must decide what... View Details
- Article
Beyond the Reach of the Invisible Hand: Impediments to Economic Activity, Market Failures, and Profitability
By: Dennis Yao
In this paper it is argued that failures of the competitive market are necessary conditions for supranormal profitability. Three fundamental causes of these market failures-production economies and sunk costs, transactions costs, and imperfect information-are developed... View Details
Keywords: Economics; Markets; Failure; Profit; Cost; Information; Market Transactions; Competition; Strategy; Production
- May 1988 (Revised March 1990)
- Case
Matsushita Electric Industrial (MEI) in 1987
By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Sumantra Ghoshal
Describes the development of Matsushita's international operations and the building of its dominant competitive position in the consumer electronics industry. Picks up the major challenges facing the company in 1987 as both its product focus and geographic posture are... View Details
- April 1988 (Revised September 1992)
- Case
Frito-Lay, Inc.: The Backhaul Decision
Prior to the Motor Carrier Act of 1980, companies with private trucking fleets were generally prohibited from selling transportation services to other companies. The deregulation of the trucking industry in 1980 allowed private carriers to offer for-hire transportation... View Details
- spring 1988
- Article
Product Market Competition and Managerial Slack
- November 1987 (Revised March 1988)
- Case
Searching for Trade Remedies: The U.S. Machine Tool Industry--1983
By: David B. Yoffie
In 1983 the National Machine Tools Builder Association was predicting a declining market for the United States and rising imports. Machine tool manufacturers had to decide if they should ask the U.S. government for help, and if they did, which administrative channels... View Details
- December 1986 (Revised December 1987)
- Case
Hewlett-Packard: Manufacturing Productivity Division (B)
By: Benson P. Shapiro and Lawrence B. Levine
Asks where in the Hewlett-Packard (HP) network of groups and sectors the Manufacturing Productivity Division should be placed. Provides a great deal of background regarding marketing, sales, and engineering at HP. It is thus possible to expand and broaden the... View Details
Keywords: Business Divisions; Marketing; Production; Networks; Sales; Expansion; Manufacturing Industry
- December 1986 (Revised January 1988)
- Case
Hewlett-Packard: Manufacturing Productivity Division (C)
By: Benson P. Shapiro and Lawrence B. Levine
Focuses on the development of a "market driven" culture at Hewlett-Packard (HP); the conflict between autonomous, well integrated divisions making products responsive to their own markets and a greater degree of systems integration at the corporate level; and the... View Details
- August 1986 (Revised May 1993)
- Case
Rohm and Haas (A): New Product Marketing Strategy
By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Lesley Susan
Joan Macey, Rohm and Haas' market manager for Metalworking Fluid Biocides, found that sales of a new biocide, Kathon MWX, was utterly disappointing. This was all the more puzzling since sales of her other product--Kathon 886 MW, a liquid biocide used only in... View Details
- July 1986 (Revised July 1991)
- Case
Nippon-WTI Ltd.
By: W. Carl Kester and Glynn Ferguson
A Japanese joint venture between a U.S. parent and a Japanese parent has proposed that 100% of the U.S. parent's product be produced in Japan rather than the 40% currently being manufactured there. This would require the U.S. parent to give up a dollar profit earned on... View Details
Keywords: Joint Ventures; Currency Exchange Rate; Profit; Product; Production; Strategy; Manufacturing Industry; Asia; Japan; United States
- April 1986 (Revised May 1989)
- Case
Alloy Rods Corp.
In July of 1985 the managers of Alloy Rods (who recently purchased the company through a leveraged buyout arrangement) find that their chief competitor (a company more than 6 times as large as Alloy Rods) has introduced a new product clearly aimed at Alloy's most... View Details
- April 1986 (Revised May 1988)
- Case
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (B)
By: Kim B. Clark
Dissects the manufacturing process and procedures of a high-end computer manufacturer. The main issue is how to introduce new products and ramp them up quickly in a competitive environment where time-to-market is crucial. Focuses on engineering change orders--how they... View Details
- April 1986 (Revised September 1993)
- Case
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (A)
Sun Microsystems managers must decide whether to launch a new product into manufacturing. Teaching objectives include: 1) an analysis of the competitive environment, 2) examination of technological choices, 3) understanding of the new product development process, and... View Details
- January 1986 (Revised November 2006)
- Case
Peripheral Products Company: The 'Gray Market' for Disk Drives
In mid-1985, the vice president of marketing for a large manufacturer of disk drives is considering how to deal with a growing "gray market" for his company's products. The case provides good background material on the evolution of gray markets throughout the disk... View Details
- September 1985 (Revised October 1988)
- Case
NIKE in China
By: James E. Austin and Francis Aguilar
Nike is reviewing its strategy for producing shoes in China for the U.S. market. Compares the experience in China with that in other countries. View Details
- August 1985
- Supplement
Benetton Factory Tour--Ponzano, Italy, Video
By: James L. Heskett
Shows the flow of products through Benetton's Ponzano factory, including its use of subcontractors. Includes information about Benetton's manufacturing, logistics, and retailing strategies. View Details