Research & Ideas →

Confronting the Challenges that Face Bricks-and-Mortar Stores

How dramatically have the Internet and other new technologies changed the retail landscape? Do the old fundamentals of the industry no longer apply? Harvard Business Review asked three retail executives and two distinguished academics for their perspectives on technology and retail trade. In this excerpt, Professor Raymond Burke of Indiana University tells how retail executives can prepare for the future while keeping the basics of their business in mind. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Porter’s Perspective: Competing in the Global Economy

Clusters — critical masses, in one place, of unusual competitive success in particular fields — is one of the key concepts of HBS Professor Michael Porter's seminal book The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Porter's ongoing research into clusters confirms that, even in an age of increasing globalization, these local centers of knowledge, relationships and motivation are a vital source of competitive advantage for advanced and emerging countries alike. Porter talks about competition in the global economy and other topics in this recent interview. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Porter’s Perspective: Competing in the Global Economy

Clusters—critical masses, in one place, of unusual competitive success in particular fields—is one of the key concepts of HBS Professor Michael Porter's seminal book The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Porter's ongoing research into clusters confirms that, even in an age of increasing globalization, these local centers of knowledge, relationships and motivation are a vital source of competitive advantage for advanced and emerging countries alike. Porter talks about competition in the global economy and other topics in this recent interview. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Rapid Response: Inside the Retailing Revolution

A simple bar code scan at your local department store today launches a whirlwind of action: data is transmitted about the color, the size, and the style of the item to forecasters and production planners; distributors and suppliers are informed of the demand and the possible need to restock. All in the blink of an electronic eye. It wasn’t always this way, though. HBS Professor Janice Hammond has focused her recent research on the transformation of the apparel and textile industries from the classic, limited model to the new lean inventories and flexible manufacturing capabilities. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Throwing Your Opponent: Strategies for the Internet Age

Competition in the age of the Internet means more than simply moving at warp speed, according to HBS Professor David Yoffie and Michael A. Cusumano of MIT, co-authors of Competing on Internet Time: Lessons from Netscape and Its Battle with Microsoft. Yoffie and Cusunamo advocate a "judo strategy" emphasizing speed, flexibility and a capacity to find and exploit sources of advantage. Their research points to a new way of staying competitive in the information economy. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Building Bridges: New Dimensions in Negotiation

How does a master negotiator negotiate? HBS Professor James Sebenius, founder of the school's Negotiation Unit, frames options in such a way that "what you choose in your perceived interest is, in fact, what I want." How does he accomplish this? Through what he calls "three-dimensional negotiation:" persuasion at the bargaining table; delving into the deeper interests that underlie the parties' positions; and a studied determination of whether to take the deal on the table or to walk away. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Where Main Street Meets Wall Street

Its phenomenal growth, based on its near-perfect fit with consumer needs and aspirations, has made the mutual fund one of this century's big success stories. How is it adapting to the age of the Internet and 21st century change? HBS Professors Jay O. Light and Peter Tufano and three alumni take a look at the state of the mutual fund industry 75 years after its beginnings in Boston's financial district. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Women Leading Business: A New Kind of Conversation

For women in business today, there's much more to talk about than gender specific issues like dual career families or the glass ceiling. Women Leading Business, an HBS Executive Forum, brings together executive women—entrepreneurs and corporate leaders alike—for a different kind of conversation about strategy, decision-making and paths to success. In this interview, Professor Myra Hart talks about the program, and how it enhances both the personal and professional lives of senior-level businesswomen. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Bright Ideas: The Creative Power of Groups

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Media Metamorphosis: Advertising in the Technology Age

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Bill Gorge: Don't Fake It--Make It