SM167A
Robert Burgelman, Lyn Denend
2008
Throughout its history, Corning Incorporated had maintained a strong dedication to technology and innovation, committing approximately four to six percent of its annual sales to research, development, and engineering (RD&E) until the late 1990s when this…
SM173
Robert Burgelman, Rob Holmes
2008
In December 2007, more than 75 percent of all U.S. Internet users streamed some form of video online, consuming over 10 billion videos in total. While devices such as Apple TV and TiVo allowed users to watch Internet video on their televisions, Internet…
P58
David Baron
2008
Reacting to the 1973-4 Arab oil embargo, Congress enacted a Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) system in 1975 that required an increase in automobile fuel economy from 14.2 miles per gallon in 1974 to 27.5 mpg in 1984. Since that time, Congress had…
P57
David Baron
2008
In 2006 Merck received FDA approval for Gardasil, the first vaccine for human papilloma virus (HPV) which had been identified as the cause of cervical cancer. Merck priced the vaccine at $360 for the three injections and was working on programs for the…
P56
David Baron
2008
In 2007 the House of Representatives passed legislation that would treat carried interest as ordinary income instead of a long-term gain. The move threatened to increase the tax rate from 15 percent to 35 percent on the income of partners in private…
SM172
Robert Burgelman, Philip Meza
2008
This case describes the work of the Innovation Program Office (IPO) within the Personal Systems Group (PSG) at technology company Hewlett-Packard (HP). It shows how this group solicits, qualifies and develops ideas for new products and services.
SM35C
Robert Burgelman, Philip Meza
2008
This case describes the difficult times Charles Schwab the company faced after the dot-com bust of the early 2000s. It also describes how Charles Schwab the man returned in July 2004 to take on the CEO position, and the strategic actions he took to fix…
P71
David Baron
2008
Banco Compartamos was formed in 1990 as a non-governmental organization to aid the poor in rural areas of Chiapas and Oaxaca, Mexico by providing microloans. In 2001 Carlos Danel and Carlos Labarthe took the organization private and then in 2007 took…
SI108
Glenn Carroll, Victoria Chang
2008
In 1999, the nonprofit Fair Labor Association (FLA) was launched to monitor factories around the world for sweatshop-related infractions. Another key nonprofit player, the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), was launched in 2000. The two organizations had…
OB71
Victoria Chang, Jesper Sorensen
2008
As Green As It Gets was a nonprofit “economic development organization supporting small, independent producers in disadvantaged Guatemalan communities.” The founder was an American named Franklin Voorhes. As Green As It Gets sponsored a collective of 18…
P59
David Baron
2008
In late 2006 and early 2007 a number of imports from China, including toys, were found to pose health risks. With safety concerns about Chinese imports on the minds of readers, on July 26, 2007 the New York Times carried a feature article on the…
SI88
James Phills, Lyn Denend
2008
In mid-2006, Overstock.com faced a daunting set of business challenges. Founded in 1999 as an online “closeout” retailer, the $800 million company had more than 15 million unique visitors a month, 10 million life-to-date customers, and greater than 500…
E302
Sean Harrington, Dennis Rohan
2008
This note gives a broad overview of the energy sector, highlighting trends and market dynamics in 2008. It is intended to be used as a basic primer for entrepreneurs and investors interested in the energy sector, not an exhaustive or definitive textbook…
E300
Bethany Coates, Andrew Rachleff
2008
Carl Russo, CEO of optical equipment maker Cerent Corporation, leaned back in his desk chair and reflected on the recent developments at his company. Cerent had just filed its S-1 registration document with the SEC on July 22, 1999, and was now less than…
E323
Jocelyn Hornblower, Dennis Rohan
2008
This note explores the idea identification stage of becoming an entrepreneur. It covers common sources of inspiration for ideas, such as career, education, hobbies and interests. It discusses the importance of team creation, execution and passion. It…
IB91
William Barnett, Jae-Gu Kim, Mooweon Rhee
2008
At the turn of the 21st century, Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) announced ambitious plans to become a global leader in the automotive industry. It established plants in Europe, India, and North America, and in 2002, turned its attention to China…
EM5
Victoria Chang, William Guttentag, Roderick Kramer
2008
Forty-one year old Andrea Wong, the president and CEO of Lifetime Entertainment Services, oversaw the Lifetime Networks which included the flagship women’s cable channel, Lifetime Television, as well as its sister networks, Lifetime Movie Network…
E301A
William Barnett, Gary Mekikian
2008
In 1991, former engineering professor Dr. Irwin Jacobs and his team of top-notch scientists and engineers were preparing to take public Qualcomm, their budding wireless communications company. They had proven that their technological approach to wireless…
HR31
David Hoyt, Hayagreeva Rao
2008
Intuit’s “Spotlight” employee recognition system had rapidly become an integral part of the company’s culture after it was introduced in late 2004. The program enabled any employee to recognize outstanding performance by any other employee by sending an…
E281
Katherine Bose, H. Grousbeck
2008
The protagonist is a Japanese national and the founder and Chairman of Satura Cakes. He is based in Honolulu, HI and his president is based in Palo Alto, CA. Together, they encounter several management challenges in the first 3 years of operating their…
E282
H. Grousbeck, Sean Harrington
2008
A search fund is a pool of capital raised to financially support the efforts of an entrepreneur, or a team of entrepreneurs, to locate a privately held company for acquisition. This study, as well as its predecessors in 1996, 1998, 2001,2003, and 2005…
SI81
Jennifer Lee, James Phills
2007
Set during the years surrounding the market crash of 2000, Entrepreneurs Foundation (EF) is a strategy case that discusses a number of challenges facing non-profit managers, including 1) establishing a sustainable and self-supporting operating model, 2)…
OB65
Hayagreeva Rao, Jennie Tung
2007
Eu Yan Sang International was an Asia-based traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) provider. The company was established in the late 1890s and had been in operations for over 100 years. By 2007, it was managed by a combination of fourth-generation descendants…
HR30
David Hoyt, Hayagreeva Rao
2007
In mid-2007, Infosys was an extremely successful business. Headquartered in India, it had played an important role in transforming global business. Revenues were growing rapidly, and the company was highly profitable. The company’s revenue growth was…
