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New research on business and management strategy from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including strategy development, execution, and gauging effectiveness.
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Reinventing Retail: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores

by Ryan Raffaelli

Independent booksellers in the United States have proven resilient in the face of multiple technological and business model shifts in the bookselling industry. By tapping into a larger social movement that promotes the value of shopping local and a desire to cultivate community, successful booksellers are differentiating themselves from online and big box competitors.

6 Ways That Emerging Technology Is Disrupting Business Strategy

by Danielle Kost

How are AI, data analytics, and the Internet of Things changing the way business leaders think about strategy? Harvard Business School faculty members discuss how emerging technology has changed the rules of competition. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Does Apple Anchor a Shopping Mall? The Effect of the Technology Stores on the Formation of Market Structure

by Doug J. Chung, Kyoungwon Seo, and Reo Song

Anchor stores are the key tenants in a mall, occupying most of the gross leasable area and generating much of the foot traffic. This research provides a framework to understand why new and traditional anchor stores join a shopping mall and how their decisions affect mall configuration.

Lessons for Retailers from the Rebirth of Indie Bookstores

by Michael Blanding

Independent bookstores are resurging. Their strategies offer lessons for many disrupted industries to compete against Amazon and other digital retailers, says Ryan Raffaelli. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Rethinking Business Strategy in the Age of AI

by Dina Gerdeman

For the first time in 100 years, new technologies such as artificial intelligence are causing firms to rethink their competitive strategy and organizational structure, say Marco Iansiti and Karim R. Lakhani, authors of the new book Competing in the Age of AI. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

6 Skills That Wise Companies Harness for World-Changing Innovation

by Kristen Senz

What does it take to truly change the world? In The Wise Company, Hirotaka Takeuchi shares the practices that help leading companies turn knowledge into lasting breakthroughs. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Under Pressure, Oxxo Rethinks the Convenience Store

Re: Tatiana Sandino

Mexican convenience store chain Oxxo dominated its market—until its chief rival doubled in size almost overnight. Professor Tatiana Sandino discusses her recent case study CEO Eduardo Padilla's response. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Identify Great Customers from Their First Purchase

by Kristen Senz

Using data from their very first transaction, companies can identify shoppers who will create the best long-term value, says Eva Ascarza. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Corporate Innovation Increasingly Benefits from Government Research

by Michael Blanding

Nearly a third of US patents rely directly on government-funded research, says Dennis Yao. Is government too involved in supporting private sector innovation—or not enough? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Should Non-Compete Clauses Be Abolished?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP: Non-compete clauses need to be rewritten, especially when they are applied to lower-income workers, respond James Heskett's readers. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Brick-and-Mortar Stores Are Making a Comeback

by Jen McFarland Flint

Left for dead alongside the retail highway, physical stores are suddenly finding new ways to compete, say Jill Avery and Antonio Moreno. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Birds of a Feather ... Enforce Social Norms? Interactions Among Culture, Norms, and Strategy

by Hongyi Li and Eric J. Van den Steen

Does culture eat strategy for breakfast? By analyzing the role of a company's social norms—how they develop and why people reinforce them, despite their personal beliefs—this paper offers new insights about the power of culture.

The Limitations of Dynamic Capabilities

by David J. Collis and Bharat Anand

This paper explains the role dynamic capabilities play in competitive advantage, identifies the conditions that make them valuable by establishing their relationship to resources and market positioning, and describes two types and various levels of the phenomenon. Developing such capabilities is desirable, but there are limitations to their effectiveness.

The Impact of Regulation on Strategic Positioning: Self-Regulation in the RTE Cereal Industry

by Young Hou and Dennis Yao

Regulations often change the competitive environment firms operate in by inducing product repositioning. This study examines the responses and performance impacts resulting from industry self-regulation to improve the nutritional content of children’s cereals. Dynamic links between product positioning and product brand equity resources are explored.

Solving the Riddle of How Companies Grow Over Time

by Michael Blanding

Can company growth rates persist over long periods of time? A new study of long-lasting enterprises might make CEOs rethink their strategies, says Gary Pisano. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Value of Intermediation in the Stock Market

by Marco Di Maggio, Mark Egan, and Francesco Franzoni

Despite the rise of alternative trading platforms, high-touch broker trading remains prominent in institutional equity markets. The authors analyze how fees, research, quality of execution, and information can help explain how execution decisions and preferences vary across investors.

Field-Level Paradox and the Co-Evolution of an Entrepreneurial Vision

by Ryan Raffaelli and Richard DeJordy

Swiss watchmaking embodies the classic strategic paradox created by the introduction of new technology: the choice between resisting and defending, or embracing and prospecting. This paper offers a model for how fields and organizational leaders experiencing similar paradoxes can adapt to environmental change while still preserving valuable aspects of their past success.

‘Organizing’, ‘Innovating’, and ‘Managing’ in Complexity Space

by Michael C. Moldoveanu

This paper explores organizational complexity by proposing a two-dimensional framework to help us understand organizational coping mechanisms and failure modes. The framework makes it possible to ask new questions about organizational adaptations to complexity that investigate its underlying structure and dynamics.

Does Facebook's Business Model Threaten Our Elections?

by George Riedel

America's 2016 presidential election was the target of voter manipulation via social media, particularly on Facebook. George Riedel thinks history is about to repeat itself. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How to Be a Digital Platform Leader

by Martha Lagace

The most valuable companies in the world have one thing in common: all are leaders in the platform economy. In a new book, David Yoffie and colleagues identify key strategies and tactics for success on digital platforms. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.