Publications

August 1990 (Revised February 1991)
Case

Whirlpool Corp.

By: Michael Y. Yoshino and Sarah D. Hall

Examines the company's global strategy and potential acquisition of Philips' major domestic appliance operations in Europe in light of increasing trends toward globilization in the major appliance industry. Allows discussions weighing the advantages and risks of... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Joint Ventures; Global Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Risk and Uncertainty; Opportunities; Competitive Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Europe

02 May 2005
What Do You Think?

Where is Consumer Generated Marketing Taking Us?

the high cost of replacing iPod batteries (since corrected). The newsgroups, discussion boards, and blogs may contain the seeds of ideas and notions about cutting-edge behaviors suggestive of everything from... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

January 2010 (Revised February 2011)
Case

The Random House Response to the Kindle

By: Bharat N. Anand and Peter Olson

In early 2010, e-readers, like Amazon's Kindle and Apple's impending iPad, threatened to disrupt the book publishing industry. The case provides an overview of the industry, describes the broader trends regarding e-readers, and asks: how should major publishers like... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Trends; Disruptive Innovation; Technological Innovation; Consumer Behavior; Industry Structures; Corporate Strategy; Hardware; Publishing Industry

11 Mar 2021
Blog Post

A Year as Co-Presidents: Q+A with AASU's Bukie Adebo (MBA 2021) and Alexis Jackson (MBA 2021)

in racism. It's difficult work and we don't want to understate it. It's also an opportunity for leadership and growth. This story was originally published on the HBS Newsroom... View Details

12 Nov 2014
News

Who Makes a Better Boss? Engineers or MBAs

June 2001
Background Note

IT Asset: the "Legacy" System Problem

By: Richard L. Nolan

Describes the legacy system problem facing traditional companies as they strive to build strategic I-Nets. Identifies the key trends amplifying legacy system problems that cause IT assets to become IT liabilities. View Details

Keywords: Trends; Management Systems; Problems and Challenges; Business Strategy; Information Technology

03 May 2004
Research & Ideas

Business History around the World

perspectives and make it accessible, in English, to a broader audience. Additionally, we felt that the moment was opportune for such a survey because the discipline of business history is at a crossroads.... View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia Churchwell

2013
Report

The Brink of Renewal: A Business Leader's Guide to Progress in America's Schools

By: Jan Rivkin, Meg Sommerfeld, Linda Jacobson, Lisa Rosenthal, David Ruenzel, Sara Allan, Tyce Henry and Allen Grossman

This report focuses on the current state of U.S. PK-12 education. It highlights the converging trends that make this a special, promising moment in education reform. View Details

Keywords: U.S. Competitiveness; PK - 12 Education; Competition; Education; United States

11 Apr 2023
Research & Ideas

Is Amazon a Retailer, a Tech Firm, or a Media Company? How AI Can Help Investors Decide

Traditional investing classifications consider Walmart a consumer staples retailer, but the company owns more than 6,000 retail and distribution properties around the world—the portfolio dwarfs those of many commercial real estate firms.... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost; Consumer Products; Real Estate; Financial Services; Retail

08 Dec 2021
Blog Post

The Drive to Succeed: Silvio Memme (MBA 2020) of OMERS Ventures and His Career Switch into Venture Capital

lifestyle for a really long time, five days a week in Detroit and then coming back to Toronto on the weekends and I just got exhausted,” Memme shared. “I needed to make a change because I was starting to... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital

April 2013
Case

Managing with Analytics at Procter & Gamble

By: Thomas H. Davenport, Marco Iansiti and Alain Serels

Senior management at P&G has put a strong emphasis on using data to make "better, smarter, real-time business decisions." The Global Business Services (GBS) organization has developed tools, systems and processes to provide managers throughout P&G with direct access to... View Details

Keywords: Analytics; Data Management; Forecasting; Shared Services; Procter ＆ Gamble; Laundry Detergent; Information Management; Forecasting and Prediction; Information Technology; Mathematical Methods; Consumer Products Industry; North America

06 Mar 2025
Blog Post

IFC India 2025: Sustainability in Action: Inside Hindustan Unilever’s Public Sanitation and Plastic Recycling Facilities

Professor Vikram Gandhi’s Immersive Field Course (IFC) “Development while Decarbonizing: India’s Path to Net-Zero" delved into the critical aspect of decarbonization and sustainability goals amid India's rapid development. The course... View Details

18 Jun 2024
Blog Post

Alumni Career Journey: Ben Schutzman (MBA 2016) - Driving Positive Impact on Community and Climate

services, non-profits, or a business, so I took advantage of the HBS Leadership Fellows Program. The program offered me the unique opportunity to work in government through the MBTA at a time when they were looking to try something new... View Details

2008
Working Paper

The Agglomeration of U.S. Ethnic Inventors

By: William R. Kerr

The ethnic composition of US inventors is undergoing a significant transformation—with deep impacts for the overall agglomeration of US innovation. This study applies an ethnic-name database to individual US patent records to explore these trends with greater detail.... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Geographic Location; Patents; Ethnicity; City; Innovation and Invention; United States

SSRN

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September 2002 (Revised December 2005)
Case

DaimlerChrysler Post-Merger Integration (A)

By: Richard F. Meyer, Michael G. Rukstad, Peter J. Coughlan and Stephan A. Jansen

Describes the background, process, and aftermath of the merger between Daimler-Benz of Germany and Chrysler Corp. of America. Describes the economic structure and trends of the world automobile industry at the turn of the century as well as the individual histories and... View Details

Keywords: Integration; Negotiation Process; Corporate Strategy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Auto Industry; Germany; United States

Web

IT Strategy: HBS IT Website Provides Easier Access to News and Support | Information Technology

IT Strategy: HBS IT Website Provides Easier Access to News and Support 1.03 IT Rebrand & Public Site Launch By Kellyn Eaddy on February 18, 2025 Share via Facebook Share via LinkedIn Print Share via email The View Details

April 1998 (Revised July 2005)
Case

Acquisition of Consolidated Rail Corporation (A), The

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Lori A. Flees and Mathew M Millett

On October 15, 1996, Virginia-based CSX and Pennsylvania-based Consolidated Rail (Conrail), the first and third largest railroads in the eastern United States, announced their intent to merge in a friendly deal worth $8.3 billion. This deal was part of an industry-wide... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Decisions; Contracts; Rail Industry; United States