Publications

May 1991 (Revised October 1998)
Case

NIKE (A) (Condensed)

Describes the history of Nike, its strategy, and the industry in which it competes. The teaching objective is to ask the student to identify and evaluate Nike's economic/technical strategy. View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Economics; Consumer Products Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

May 2006 (Revised April 2009)
Case

Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in 2006

By: David B. Yoffie and Michael Slind

Examines the industry structure and competitive strategy of Coca-Cola and Pepsi over 100 years of rivalry. New challenges in 2006 include boosting flagging carbonated soft drink (CSD) sales and finding new revenue streams. Both firms also began to modify their... View Details

Keywords: History; Competitive Strategy; Industry Structures; Growth and Development Strategy; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

July 1986 (Revised April 1989)
Background Note

Note on Sources of Comparative Advantage

By: David B. Yoffie and John J. Coleman

After Eli Heckscher and Bertil Ohlin's propositions about the sources of comparative advantage were empirically challenged by Wassily Leontief, scholars set out to explain the "Leontief paradox" by developing alternative theories on the sources of comparative... View Details

Keywords: Competitive Advantage

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May 2012 (Revised August 2012)
Case

Apple Inc. in 2012

By: David B. Yoffie and Penelope Rossano

On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs tragically died of cancer. The recently retired CEO of Apple Inc. was a legend: he had changed Apple from a company near bankruptcy to one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world. Moreover, he had revolutionized several... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Market Positioning; Strategic Planning; Technology; Computer Industry; Strategy Implementation; Consumer Electronics; Telecommunications; Information Infrastructure; Innovation and Invention; Competitive Strategy; Leadership; Product Positioning; Telecommunications Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Electronics Industry

March 1991
Supplement

Zenith and High-Definition Television--1990, Video

By: Benjamin Gomes-Casseres and David B. Yoffie

Records a visit by Jerry Pearlman, Zenith CEO, to an MBA classroom. He is shown commenting on Zenith strategy and industrial policy issues and fielding student questions. View Details

Keywords: Management Teams; Business Strategy; Policy; Trade; Competition; Electronics Industry

Web

Resources - Christensen Center for Teaching & Learning

Practical Guide by E. Anderson & B. Schiano This book gives practical advice on how to teach with cases at institutions where it is not the primary pedagogy. 2003 McGraw-Hill/Irwin Socrates' Muse:... View Details

May 2019
Case

Mobileye Update, 2019

By: David B. Yoffie and Daniel Fisher

Mobileye was an Israeli company, officially headquartered in The Netherlands, which was a Tier 2 supplier to the global automobile industry. This short case updates Mobileye's business performance and strategy, following the acquisition by Intel in 2017. View Details

Keywords: Driverless Car; Competitive Advantage; Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Technology; Auto Industry; Semiconductor Industry; Technology Industry; Israel

May 2018 (Revised December 2019)
Case

Apple Inc. in 2018

By: David B. Yoffie and Eric Baldwin

Many observers worried about what would happen to Apple when Steve Jobs died in 2011. But Apple had performed above everyone's expectations in Cook's six years as CEO. Apple's core business—the iPhone—continued to deliver spectacular results. In addition, Cook was... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Information Technology; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Technological Innovation; Competitive Advantage; Computer Industry; Telecommunications Industry; Technology Industry

Web

HBS - The year in Review

Management Seth Neel Technology & Operations Management Charlotte L. Robertson Business, Government & the International Economy Marco Sammon Finance Lumumba B. Seegars Organizational Behavior Faculty Promotions Two faculty members were... View Details

September 2024
Background Note

Copyright and Fair Use

The U.S. Copyright Office defines a copyright as “a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression.” Two core principles of copyright are originality and fixation. A work is... View Details

Keywords: AI and Machine Learning; Copyright; Lawsuits and Litigation; United States

Web

HBR Classics - Alumni

William Torbert Social Intelligence and the Biology of Leadership , Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis Persuasive Presentations Harnessing the Science of Persuasion , Robert B. Cialdini HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations , View Details

Web

Technology & Innovation - Faculty & Research

Karim R. Lakhani Willy C. Shih David B. Yoffie Lynda M. Applegate Rosabeth M. Kanter Marco Iansiti Tom Nicholas Josh Lerner Michael L. Tushman William R. Kerr Alan D.... View Details

Web

2023 Reunion Presentations - Alumni

in the Age of Digital Competition, Innovation and Power Professor David Yoffie + More Info – Less Info Digital platforms have become the most successful business model of the 21st century, as well as the... View Details

December 2019 (Revised February 2024)
Teaching Note

Ripple: The Business of Crypto and Ripple 2023

The case explores Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse’s mission to disrupt the global payments industry by leveraging the cryptocurrency XRP. Students will learn about Bitcoin and the blockchain industry, as well as Ripple’s unique crypto business model. The case provides an... View Details

Keywords: Payment Systems; Cryptocurrency; Bitcoin; Blockchain; Fintech; Business Startups; Business Model; Disruption; Strategy

October 2017 (Revised August 2018)
Case

HTC and Virtual Reality

By: David B. Yoffie, Andy Wu and Allison M. Ciechanover

In fall 2017, HTC CEO and Chairperson Cher Wang was driving the company to focus on virtual reality (VR). HTC's first VR product, VIVE, released in spring 2016, was applauded for its superior immersive room-scale capabilities. However, early adoption of VR beyond... View Details

Keywords: Virtual Reality; Strategy; Competition; Information Technology; Innovation and Management; Consumer Behavior; Customer Relationship Management; Technology Industry

June 1998 (Revised January 2001)
Case

Browser Wars, 1994-1998, The

By: David B. Yoffie and Mary Kwak

Analyzes the competition between Netscape and Microsoft in the market for Web browsers and related products. Despite its first mover advantage, Netscape sees its market share fall once Microsoft becomes "hard-core" about the Internet. By the spring of 1998, the future... View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Internet and the Web; Innovation and Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Competition; Supply and Industry; Information Technology Industry

April 1983 (Revised October 1990)
Background Note

Textiles and the Multi-Fiber Arrangement

What happens to an industry with millions of employees that loses its comparative advantage? This note examines this question by looking at the global textile and apparel industry. With the Multi-Fiber Arrangement coming up for renewal in December 1981, the United... View Details

Keywords: Trade; Cost vs Benefits; Developing Countries and Economies; Manufacturing Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States; Europe