Publications

Research Summary

Formulating technology commercialization strategies

Even if young organizations succeed in acquiring the specialized talent necessary to further develop a recently-discovered technology, they may face an uncertain path in commercializing the original invention. Initial conceptions of what might constitute a useful... View Details

April 2020 (Revised January 2021)
Module Note

Crafting Strategy

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Ashish Nanda and Jan Rivkin

This note provides an introduction to crafting strategy following an options-led approach. It provides an overview of scenario planning, and it prepares students to describe firm strategy with succinct strategy statements. The note also briefly outlines other... View Details

Keywords: Strategy Formulation; Options; Scenario Planning; Scenarios; Strategy Definition; Strategy; Strategic Planning

February 2003 (Revised December 2005)
Case

Susan Griffin: Formulation of a Long-Term Investment Strategy

By: Dwight B. Crane and Julia Stevens

Susan Griffin, owner and cofounder of a small manufacturing company, is formulating a long-term investment strategy. Griffin plans to sell her $10 million company and invest the revenue. She must decide how to allocate her investment so that she can rely entirely on... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Business Exit or Shutdown; Investment

June 2012 (Revised December 2017)
Technical Note

Strategy and Strategic Decisions

By: Eric Van den Steen

This note introduces a framework for formulating strategy that helps a manager identify which decisions are strategic—and thus which decisions to focus on (both when developing strategy and when executing it)—and that provides a practical test for whether a particular... View Details

Keywords: Formulating Strategy; Strategic Theory; Strategy Test; Strategic Analysis; Strategy; Theory; Strategic Planning

Article

The Strategy in Competitive Interactions

By: Eric J. Van den Steen

This paper reviews, discusses, and expands the “core guidance” definition of strategy as “the smallest set of choices to optimally guide (or force) other choices.” It first discusses what this definition contributes to the existing proposed definitions. It then... View Details

Keywords: Strategy Formulation; Strategy Definition; Strategy; Competition; Analysis; Competitive Strategy; Decision Making

04 Jun 2024
Cold Call Podcast

How One Insurtech Firm Formulated a Strategy for Climate Change

Keywords: Re: Lauren H. Cohen; Insurance

February 2008 (Revised February 2015)
Exercise

Your Strategy—A Strategy Formulation Exercise for the General Management Program (GMP)

By: Tarun Khanna, Robyn C. Davis and Stephanie R. Khurana

This exercise is meant to help students take strategy concepts learned and adapt/apply them to their organizations. View Details

Keywords: Learning; Business or Company Management; Practice; Strategy

March 1992
Article

The Strategy of Control: How Accounting Information Helps to Formulate and Implement Business Strategy

By: Robert L. Simons

Keywords: Accounting; Business Strategy

1983
Chapter

Analyzing Competitors: Predicting Competitor Behavior and Formulating Offensive and Defensive Strategy

By: M. E. Porter

Keywords: Competitive Strategy; Forecasting and Prediction; Behavior

Article

Formulating Channel Strategy in a Rapidly Changing Market: A Case Study and Recommendations

By: Frank V. Cespedes

Keywords: Strategy; Change; Markets; Information

January 2025
Case

Olive Young: Formulating Beauty Innovation

By: Rebecca Karp and Shu Lin

Sun-jung Lee, CEO of Olive Young, South Korea's largest beauty and health retailer, saw significant potential in the U.S. market and considered three pathways: replicating Korea's omnichannel model, adopting a digital-native approach with curated products, or relying... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Market Entry and Exit; Business Strategy; Distribution Channels; Retail Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; South Korea; East Asia; United States

October 2018
Article

Strategy and the Strategist: How it Matters Who Develops the Strategy

By: Eric J. Van den Steen

This paper addresses primarily two questions. First, when (and why) should a company’s strategy be developed by its CEO versus by some outside analyst or other insider? Second, how does strategy interact with vision (in the sense of a strong belief about the right... View Details

Keywords: Strategy And Leadership; Strategy And Execution; Strategy; Leadership

Teaching Interest

Strategy and Technology

Overview

This course explores the unique aspects of creating effective management and investment strategies for technology-intensive businesses. What are effective strategies for winning in markets with strong network effects? How should... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Technology

August 2017
Article

A Formal Theory of Strategy

By: Eric J. Van den Steen

What makes a decision strategic? When is strategy most important? This paper formally studies these questions, starting from a (functional) definition of strategy as “the smallest set of choices to optimally guide (or force) other choices.” The paper shows that this... View Details

Keywords: Strategy Development; Strategy; Decisions

26 Mar 2006
Research & Ideas

The Office of Strategy Management

formulation and strategy execution. . . . [But] it doesn't have to be like this." Successful companies, they write, are establishing a new corporate-level unit called the office of View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

Teaching Interest

Strategy

By: Jan W. Rivkin

The objective of this course is to help students develop the skills for formulating strategy, and provides an understanding of:

A firm's operative environment and how to sustain competitive advantage.
How to generate superior value for... View Details

November 1983 (Revised October 1988)
Case

Canon Inc.: Worldwide Copier Strategy

By: Michael E. Porter

Describes Canon's worldwide strategy in the copier business. Designed to be used to explore strategy formulation in a worldwide industry, and the principles of international competition. View Details

Keywords: Values and Beliefs; Global Strategy; Marketing Strategy; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Manufacturing Industry

May 1994 (Revised May 1995)
Case

Laura Ashley (B): Defining a Strategy

By: Richard L. Nolan

A turnaround CEO engineers a business transformation and formulates short-term and long-term strategy after assessing the business situation. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Management Teams; Business Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry