Transportation →
- 31 May 2023
- Research & Ideas
With Predictive Analytics, Companies Can Tap the Ultimate Opportunity: Customers’ Routines
Armed with more data than ever, many companies know what key customers need. But how many know exactly when they need it? An analysis of 2,000 ridesharing commuters by Eva Ascarza and colleagues shows what's possible for companies that can anticipate a customer's routine.
- 28 Mar 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
BMW’s Decarbonization Strategy: Sustainable for the Environment and the Bottom Line
In mid-2022, automakers, consumers, regulators, and investors were focusing on the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles (EV). While this would reduce tail-pipe emissions, it ignored the fact that the production of EVs—and especially their batteries—increases emissions in the supply chain. Many automakers were announcing deadlines by which they would stop selling ICE vehicles altogether, buoyed by investment analysts and favorable press. But BMW decided to focus on lifecycle emissions and pursued a flexible powertrain strategy by offering vehicles with several options: gasoline and diesel-fueled ICE, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and battery electric vehicles. That approach received a frostier reception in the stock market. Assistant Professor Shirley Lu discusses how BMW plans to convince stakeholders that its strategy is good for both the environment and the company’s financial performance in the case, “Driving Decarbonization at BMW.”
- 05 Jul 2022
- What Do You Think?
Have We Seen the Peak of Just-in-Time Inventory Management?
Toyota and other companies have harnessed just-in-time inventory management to cut logistics costs and boost service. That is, until COVID-19 roiled global supply chains. Will we ever get back to the days of tighter inventory control? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Jan 2021
- Working Paper Summaries
Accounting for Product Impact in the Airlines Industry
A systematic methodology for measuring product impact can be applied across a range of industries. Examining two competitor companies in the airlines industry, this study finds that analyzing each dimension of product impact allows for deeper understanding of each company’s business strategies.
- 08 Dec 2020
- Cold Call Podcast
Uber's Strategy for Global Success
As Uber entered unique regional markets around the world, it adapted its business model to comply with regulations and compete locally. As the transportation landscape evolves, how can Uber adapt its business model to stay competitive in the long term? Alexander MacKay describes Uber’s global market strategy and responses by regulators and local competitors in his case, “Uber: Competing Globally.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 20 Feb 2019
- Research & Ideas
Rocket-tunity: Can Private Firms Turn a Profit in Space?
Private rocket companies are competing to be the first to send paying tourists into space, perhaps even this year. Matthew Weinzierl lays out the strategic roadmap to the stars. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 07 Jan 2019
- Research & Ideas
The Better Way to Forecast the Future
We can forecast hurricane paths with great certainty, yet many businesses can't predict a supply chain snafu just around the corner. Yael Grushka-Cockayne says crowdsourcing can help. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Dec 2018
- Research & Ideas
Free Trade Needs Nurturing—and Other Lessons from History
Global free trade is not the natural order of things, so it needs to be carefully tended to and maintained. Sophus Reinert and Dante Roscini discuss trade over time and what history teaches. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 30 Oct 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
The Value Structure of Technologies, Part 2: Technical and Strategic Bottlenecks as Guides for Action
This paper presents analytic tools to formulate strategy in large, evolving technical systems. It explains how value-enhancing technical change comes from the effective management of technical and strategic bottlenecks in conjunction with module boundaries and property rights. The analytic tools are used to explain the evolution of three historic technologies: early aircraft, machine tools, and container shipping.
- 31 May 2018
- Cold Call Podcast
Careem: Riding the First Unicorn in the Middle East
Doubling in size every two-and-a-half months, ride-hailing service Careem was experiencing growing pains operationally and culturally. Shikhar Ghosh discusses how the founders struggled to keep its 4 million customers satisfied. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 24 May 2018
- Research & Ideas
Distance Still Matters in Business, Despite the Internet
The internet makes distance less a problem for conducting business, but geography still matters in the digital age. Shane Greenstein explains why. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 29 Jun 2017
- Research & Ideas
Why Uber Is Worth Saving and How To Do It
For many, Uber is a cautionary tale of corporate hubris gone crazy. But Rosabeth Moss Kanter argues the innovator deserves a second chance. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 16 Nov 2016
- Research & Ideas
Turning One Thousand Customers into One Million
In the second part of a series on growing startups, Thales S. Teixeira explains how Uber, Etsy, and Airbnb climbed from one thousand customers to one million. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 13 Jul 2016
- HBS Case
How Uber, Airbnb, and Etsy Attracted Their First 1,000 Customers
Thales Teixeira studies three of the most successful “platform” startups to understand the chicken-and-egg challenge of how companies can attract their first customers. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 20 Jan 2016
- Research & Ideas
Maybe Uber isn't God's Gift to Mankind
Benjamin G. Edelman discusses the potential negative effects of transportation network companies in the so-called sharing economy. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 07 Dec 2015
- Research & Ideas
Why Immigrant Workers Cluster in Particular Industries
Anyone who lives in an American city can see how immigrants tend to cluster in industries along ethnic lines. Professor William R. Kerr explains why, and what this means for the US economy. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 12 Nov 2015
- Working Paper Summaries
Social Networks, Ethnicity, and Entrepreneurship
This research looks at why entrepreneurs from certain ethnicities cluster in particular industries, such as Vietnamese nail care salons.
- 29 Sep 2015
- Research & Ideas
Work 3.0: Redefining Jobs and Companies in the Uber Age
Companies like HourlyNerd and Lyft are redefining the job marketplace—but government has not caught up to the shift. Mess this up and we’ll stifle a major driver of innovation, business creation, and jobs, argues Andrei Hagiu. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 May 2015
- Research & Ideas
A Road Map to Fix America’s Transportation Infrastructure
Why is America's transportation system so outdated, why should we care, and what can we do about it? Rosabeth Moss Kanter offers a road map to roadway recovery in her new book, Move: Putting America's Infrastructure Back in the Lead. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Why Boeing’s Problems with the 737 MAX Began More Than 25 Years Ago
Aggressive cost cutting and rocky leadership changes have eroded the culture at Boeing, a company once admired for its engineering rigor, says Bill George. What will it take to repair the reputational damage wrought by years of crises involving its 737 MAX?