Publications

March 1996 (Revised January 2002)
Case

CIBA Vision: The Daily Disposable Lens Project (A)

By: Gary P. Pisano

Examines CIBA Vision's decision on whether to launch a major new R&D initiative to develop a low-cost, daily disposable contact lens, and how to organize such a project should it proceed. One group of executives favors setting up a small, autonomous project team... View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Operations; Research and Development; Decision Making; Production; Strategy; Management; Organizational Design; Globalization; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

March 1994 (Revised April 1994)
Case

Eli Lilly and Co.: The Flexible Facility Decision--1993

By: Gary P. Pisano

In 1993, Eli Lilly is preparing to build manufacturing capacity for three new pharmaceutical products that it expects to launch in 1996. Management wrestles with a decision of whether to add specialized manufacturing capacity or flexible capacity. This question touches... View Details

Keywords: Debates; Cost vs Benefits; Decisions; Investment; Goals and Objectives; Product Launch; Production; Corporate Strategy; Pharmaceutical Industry

November 2003 (Revised June 2004)
Background Note

China's Telecommunications Sector

By: Richard L. Nolan and Stephen P. Bradley

In mid-2003, China was the fastest-growing telecom market. Telecom subscribers are estimated at 472 million. With the size and growth of telecom, China is a hot spot for new telecom and IT technologies. Furthermore, China's sheer market power provides a strong position... View Details

Keywords: Globalized Markets and Industries; Technological Innovation; Policy; Decision Choices and Conditions; Competition; Telecommunications Industry; China

December 1992 (Revised September 1996)
Case

ImmuLogic Pharmaceutical Corporation (Abridged)

By: Josh Lerner

ImmuLogic Pharmaceutical Corp., a development-stage biotechnology company, is considering making an initial offering of common stock. The rationales for and problems of high-technology start-ups are explored. The challenges posed by "windows" for public offerings are... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Initial Public Offering; Entrepreneurship; Going Public; Business Startups; Biotechnology Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; United States

26 Aug 2008
First Look

First Look: August 26, 2008

United States, Europe, or Japan, or any combination. He is also faced with the immediate decision if to make offers to U.S. and European regional managers. Cash resources are scarce, and GI hopes to raise... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March–April 2020
Article

Building A Culture of Experimentation

By: Stefan Thomke

Why don’t organizations test more? After examining this question for several years, I can tell you that the central reason is culture. As companies try to scale up their experimentation capacity, they often find that the obstacles are not tools and technology but... View Details

Keywords: Experimentation; Culture; Innovation; Online; Customer Experience; Organizational Culture; Innovation and Invention; Internet and the Web; Attitudes; Decision Making; Change; Leadership

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Program

Strategy: Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage

activating them, making advantage durable, outmaneuvering competitors, driving innovation, identifying and tackling needs for strategy change, and leveraging multi-business and global opportunities. Details Design and evolve effective... View Details

August 2011
Supplement

InnoCentive.com (C)

By: Karim R. Lakhani and Eric Lonstein

InnoCentive.com enables clients to tap into internal and external solver networks to address various business issues. This case focuses on the outcome of InnoCentive's decision to post challenges related to environmental issues created by the Gulf Oil Spill. It reviews... View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Networks; Decisions; Outcome or Result; Pollutants; Natural Disasters; Natural Environment; Japan

09 Nov 2020
News

The New M.B.A.: Flexible, Cheaper, and Lifelong

27 Sep 2011
First Look

First Look: September 27

in their attempts. A set of interrelated choices of organization design and senior team process determines which attempts to build ambidextrous organizations are successful. How Much to Make and How Much to Buy? Explaining Plural Sourcing... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

July 2021 (Revised January 2024)
Case

Fynd

By: Ranjay Gulati, Kairavi Dey and Rachna Tahilyani

Fynd is a fast-growing venture that in 7 years since its founding has become India's largest omnichannel retail company with real-time access to over 9,000 stores' offline inventory. It started as a B2B business supporting retailers who didn’t have an online business,... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Business Model; Acquisition; Decision Making; Cost vs Benefits; Growth and Development Strategy; Web Services Industry; Technology Industry; Communications Industry; India; Mumbai

17 Jul 2023
Research & Ideas

Money Isn’t Everything: The Dos and Don’ts of Motivating Employees

Noncents.” It will be a practical examination of the way money—and nonmonetary rewards—trickle down to create that special magic that makes employees believe in the mission and work harder to further its success. Getting these incentive... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman

17 Aug 2020
Research & Ideas

What the Stockdale Paradox Tells Us About Crisis Leadership

that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.” Collins asked him about the personal characteristics of prisoners who did not View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

March 2001 (Revised December 2007)
Case

Katharine Graham

By: Kathleen L. McGinn, Lisa M. Gunther and Dina R. Pradel

Details the career of Katharine Graham of the Washington Post Co., a pioneer in her field and one of the first high-profile women to lead a major public company. Her story is a unique example of how power and expertise are built over time, and differs from those of... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Values and Beliefs; Leadership; Personal Development and Career; Power and Influence; Social and Collaborative Networks; Journalism and News Industry

02 Sep 2020
News

Putting Common Sense Back in the Driver’s Seat

20 Jun 2023
Research & Ideas

Looking to Leave a Mark? Memorable Leaders Don't Just Spout Statistics, They Tell Stories

Might Also Like: Effective Leaders Share the Spotlight with Their Teams It’s Time to Reset Decision-Making in Your Organization Swiping Right: How Data Helped This Online Dating Site Make More Matches Feedback or ideas to share? Email the... View Details

Keywords: by Scott Van Voorhis

November 2022 (Revised December 2022)
Case

Ava Labs: Navigating the Next Blockchain

By: Marco Di Maggio and Wenyao Sha

John Wu, President of Ava Labs, the primary developer of the Avalanche blockchain, and Emin Gün Sirer, the software company’s Founder and CEO, team up to develop a lending and borrowing protocol that would jumpstart the Decentralized finance (DeFi) economy on... View Details

Keywords: Blockchain; Decentralized Finance; Alternative Assets; Financial Instruments; Assets; Decisions; Financing and Loans; Technology Industry; Financial Services Industry