Browse abstracts and ordering information for case studies written and published by faculty at Stanford GSB.
For publicly available cases in this collection, Harvard Business Impact and Ivey Publishing distribute in North America, and The Case Centre and IESE Publishing in Europe.
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SI35
Lutherwood-CODA (Community Opportunities Development Association)
Daniel Kalafatas, James Phills
2003
In early 2003, Reverend Doctor Dieter Kays, the CEO of Lutherwood-CODA, was by his own account “worried and spending a lot of time in prayer.” The subject of Kays’ spiritual reflection was Luther Village, the Canadian nonprofit’s bold, three-phase, 12…
SI16A
American Repertory Theatre In The 1990s (A)
James Phills, Gregory Scott
2003
In early January 1993, American Repertory Theatre’s (ART) Artistic Director Robert Brustein and Managing Director Robert Orchard were concerned about ART’s financial situation. Major government funders had communicated plans to cut sharply, and possibly…
SI51
Belize's Community Baboon Sanctuary
William Barnett, William Durham, Nathaniel Fisher
2003
The Community Baboon Sanctuary, located in north-central Belize, was founded in 1985. Primatologist Robert Horwich and a few local villagers worked with local landowners to develop a voluntary sanctuary to protect and grow the local Howler Monkey…
SI47
Abercrombie & Kent, Pioneering Global Ecotourism
William Barnett, Terry Cumes, William Durham, Roderick Morris
2003
In 1962, Abercrombie & Kent began as a safari company in Kenya. The company has grown to offer environmentally friendly travel opportunities worldwide to primarily affluent Western travelers. This case explores how Abercrombie & Kent developed its…
SI16B
American Repertory Theatre In The 1990s (B)
James Phills, Gregory Scott
2003
In early January 1993, American Repertory Theatre’s (ART) Artistic Director Robert Brustein and Managing Director Robert Orchard were concerned about ART’s financial situation. Major government funders had communicated plans to cut sharply, and possibly…
SI37
The Seattle Theatre Industry
Lesley Koenig, James Phills, Greg Powell
2003
Seattle’s theatre industry had a rich, 38-year history of producing top-quality plays and musicals. In a typical year, the theatres collectively sold over 1 million tickets and pumped over $8 million into the local economy. Historically, the five major…
E55D
Network Appliance (D)
William Barnett, Charles Holloway, Jamie Earle
2003
The case picks up where the C case leaves off in 1998 and describes the company’s transition from being a tool for development departments to being an enterprise solution. It offers an overview of the transition the salesforce, customer service…
E55C
Network Appliance (C), The Growth of Network Appliance
William Barnett, Charles Holloway, Jamie Earle
2003
Network Appliance faces challenges amid the rapid growth of the server and storage technology sector.
E153
Cocoa Pete's Chocolate Adventures
Glenn Carroll, Greg Powell
2003
On Labor Day, 2002, Cocoa Pete’s Chocolate Adventures launched their small selection of gourmet chocolates at high-end supermarkets in the San Francisco Bay Area. The company’s founder, Pete Slosberg, had carved a niche out of the stagnant chocolate…
E55B
Network Appliance (B)
William Barnett, Jamie Earle
2003
The case picks up where the A case leaves off and describes the company’s leadership transition from Mike Malcolm to Dan Warmenhoven. It also describes the decision process the company makes to distribute through channels versus directly.
L1A
Tank in the Bog (A)
David Bradford, Doug Crandall
2003
On November 16, 1996, Doug Crandall, Second Lieutenant and platoon leader of the Army’s 1st Platoon, Delta Company, consisting of four tanks and sixteen men, was tasked with establishing a mobile defense. Their mission was to block enemy scout vehicles’…
L1B
Tank in the Bog (B)
David Bradford, Doug Crandall
2003
On November 16, 1996, Doug Crandall, Second Lieutenant and platoon leader of the Army’s 1st Platoon, Delta Company, consisting of four tanks and sixteen men, was tasked with establishing a mobile defense. Their mission was to block enemy scout vehicles’…
E137
Valley Fire Protection
H. Grousbeck, Alicia Seiger
2003
The case puts the reader in the position of Scott Bekemeyer, whose search fund just acquired Valley Fire Protection Company. Immediately upon taking over the company, Scott faces a serious of difficult issues, including a deviant branch manager, a non…
E162
Search Funds 2003 What Has Changed Since 2001?
H. Grousbeck, Mu Li
2003
A search fund is an investment vehicle in which investors financially support an entrepreneur’s efforts to locate and acquire a privately held company. This study, as part of an on-going effort at the Stanford GSB to monitor the performance and evolution…
M301B
Edison and the Electric Light (B)
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2002
This case study explores how Thomas Edison developed a strategy for widespread acceptance of electric lighting and electricity more broadly. Indeed, gaining acceptance of electric lighting was not an easy feat. Major U.S. cities, including New York City…
M301A
Edison and the Electric Light (A)
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2002
This case study explores how Thomas Edison developed a strategy for widespread acceptance of electric lighting and electricity more broadly. Indeed, gaining acceptance of electric lighting was not an easy feat. Major U.S. cities, including New York City…
M300B
Lexicon Branding, Procter & Gamble's Swiffer (B)
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2002
This case explores Lexicon Branding’s unique branding and naming strategy and its naming of a Procter & Gamble (P&G) dry mop device. Since 1982, the firm had named over 1,800 companies, products, and services, and had developed and honed a naming…
M300A
Lexicon Branding (A)
Victoria Chang, Chip Heath
2002
This case explores Lexicon Branding’s unique branding and naming strategy and its naming of a Procter & Gamble (P&G) dry mop device. Since 1982, the firm had named over 1,800 companies, products, and services, and had developed and honed a naming…
M298C
AT&T/MCI, The Long-Distance Phone Wars (C), Subsequent Developments
Chip Heath, David Hoyt
2002
In March 1991, MCI, a distant second to AT&T in the long-distance telephone market, introduced “Friends and Family,” a new approach to long-distance service. Under this plan, subscribers could set up “calling circles” in which calls within the circle were…
M298B
AT&T/MCI, The Long-Distance Phone Wars (B), Responses to MCI's Friend and Family
Chip Heath, David Hoyt
2002
In March 1991, MCI, a distant second to AT&T in the long-distance telephone market, introduced “Friends and Family,” a new approach to long-distance service. Under this plan, subscribers could set up “calling circles” in which calls within the circle were…
M298A
AT&T/MCI, The Long-Distance Phone Wars (A), MCI Introduces \"Friends and Family\"
Chip Heath, David Hoyt
2002
In March 1991, MCI, a distant second to AT&T in the long-distance telephone market, introduced “Friends and Family,” a new approach to long-distance service. Under this plan, subscribers could set up “calling circles” in which calls within the circle were…
E74
eBay
H. Grousbeck
2002
The eBay case describes three management situations in the context of company growth and organizational change. The first is deterioration of customer service as a result of rapid customer and transaction growth early on. The second is the announcement…
E132
Spa West, Inc.
H. Grousbeck, Andrea Higuera
2002
This case begins by providing an overview of the founding and building of Spa West, Inc. In 1998, Christina Clifford, a Stanford business school graduate with years of experience, returned to her hometown of Seattle, Washington and started to develop the…
E121
Gordon Biersch Vignettes
H. Grousbeck, Andrea Higuera
2002
This case offers students a view into some of the day-to-day management issues faced by entrepreneurs managing a growing business. The case starts by providing background information on the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, which was founded by Dan Gordon…
Podcases: Case Studies, Reimagined
Idea Stories Opensearch
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A deeper look at how Facebook’s content played a role in elections and the dissemination of hate speech around the globe.
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Case study: Reconciling an enormous public health crisis with intellectual property concerns
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