A number of EC classes these days have been quite memorable. Memorable in that they’ve been asking students to recall significant events from their pasts. For example, in Managing Service Operations, “Where were you when you first got MTV?” In Supply Chain, it was, “Tell us about buying your first sofa purchase.” The request that… Continue reading Case Rip Cord: Disney Remembers Crashing the 80s World
Tag: Case Rip Cord
Case Rip Cord:
“Globalization of Markets”: In his seminal 1983 Harvard Business Review article, retired HBS Marketing Professor Theodore Levitt argues that consumers in markets worldwide crave premium products that mulitnational corporations produce in their home countries. When these mulitnationals expand globally, Levitt says they should avoid the push by marketing departments to customize their products for the… Continue reading Case Rip Cord:
Case Rip Cord:
Barilla, SpA: Given his experience growing up in Italy, Sisto Merolla (OJ) was asked to open this case and explain the significance of the Barilla pasta brand in his homeland. After a thorough explanation, Sisto concluded, “And one final thing. Barilla is known for being hard to overcook, so it’s always al dente. Which for… Continue reading Case Rip Cord:
Course Selection Advice from the Case Rip Cord
Well, it’s that time of year again, when first years fret about their EC class registration. The Case Rip Cord, which judges such course selection matters entirely on the basis of the entertainment value of the cases in the course, has to cast its vote for Professor Susan Fournier’s Half Course on Branding. In addition… Continue reading Course Selection Advice from the Case Rip Cord
One MAC Daddy of a Case Rip Cord
Congratulations to Colleen McCaffrey (OE), who appears to be the first member of the Class of 2002 to be a case protagonist! She is the primary author of MAC Development Corporation, where she appears as a major player in her family’s Chicago commercial real estate firm. This case was taught in first year Entrepreneurial Management… Continue reading One MAC Daddy of a Case Rip Cord
Case Rip Cord: Down and Dirty on the Farm
A woman calling herself Grandma Judy called in from Flahrida this week and said she didn’t understand all the acronyms here at Harvard Business School. So, just for her, the Case Rip Cord is going to spell everything out this week. In addition, most of the cases deal this week deal with agriculture, where everyone… Continue reading Case Rip Cord: Down and Dirty on the Farm
At the End of the Day, It's Just the Case Rip Cord
H-E-B Own Brands: South Texas grocery giant H-E-B is looking for answers regarding its use of private label products, and they introduce a bottled water to compete with Evian. The label has a red maple leaf, and it says “Natural Canadian Spring Water.” H-E-B customer research finds that only 19 percent of unaided customers who… Continue reading At the End of the Day, It's Just the Case Rip Cord
Case Rip Cord
Today’s Special comes from the Finance 2 Course Platform: “Due to anticipated weather conditions, the time window for doing on-line Exercise 2 has been extended… To avoid weather-related remote connection problems you are advised to take the exercise on campus.” They forgot to add, “Yes, Off-Campus Students, the slim chances your electronic umbilical cord will… Continue reading Case Rip Cord
Case Rip Cord
Aravind Eye Hospital: This may be the first case we’ve seen written in the first person, and it’s actually a refreshing change of pace. In a couple instances the text actually reads “I (the casewriter).” Who would “I” be besides “the casewriter?” The case states that the protagonist wants to franchise eye hospitals like McDonald’s… Continue reading Case Rip Cord
Case Rip Cord
Debt Policy at UST Inc: Smokeless tobacco is a great subject for a case. It’s also great to see that Professor Mark Mitchell got some help from Janet T. Mitchell writing the case, proving once again that chewing is a family affair. “[Smokeless tobacco] producers face no potential `second hand’ smoke litigation.” Now I lived… Continue reading Case Rip Cord
Case Rip Cord
Leadership Online: Barnes & Noble vs. Amazon.com: The case says Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ graduated summa cum laude from Princeton, but he seems to have some serious issues understanding scale. Some questions for him: If his statement that “There aren’t any 800-pound gorillas in bookselling” is true, where are the profits? And where does he… Continue reading Case Rip Cord
Case Rip Cord
We bring to you, Dear Reader, some interesting quotes from the cases seen by September cohort this semester, in alphabetical order. Apple Computer: Steve Jobs named the new Apple computer “Lisa” after his daughter. Apparently the lesson of the Ford Edsel was lost on him. Could CEO John Sculley save Apple like he had Pepsi?… Continue reading Case Rip Cord
New Look Humor and Social
The Humor and Social Section will see a few changes in the New Look Harbus. At least we hope so. These changes all depend on YOU, as we need your contributions to make them work. We hear most second years a lot of free time on their hands, and we know the “ultimate” Januaries have… Continue reading New Look Humor and Social
