Lessons from Top Brands

Here are some of our most popular case studies BOOKS COLLECTIONS TOOLS SIGN IN Thanks for visiting Here are some of our most popular case studies—written by professors at HBS and at renowned business programs worldwide—that focus on actual problems and decisions faced by these well-known brands. Amazon as an Employer Amazon had frequently been featured on lists of the most admired companies when, in 2015, The New York Times published an article that portrayed Amazon as a ruthless employer with brutal human resource management practices and a toxic work atmosphere. Employees were divided in their opinions; some found the culture invigorating, and others found it hard to survive in. This case focuses on discovering whether Amazon could continue to grow, thrive, and retain employees if it maintained its current employee management strategy. It also discusses whether stress fostered innovation, and, if so, at what point it became destructive. BUY NOW Airbnb, Etsy, Uber: Growing from One Thousand to One Million Customers By 2016, two-sided online platforms were pervasive among the highest growing internet startups around. Among the most notable two-sided platforms in terms of their tremendous early growth were Airbnb, Etsy, and Uber. As two-sided markets grew to scale, network effects kicked in as more consumers bred more suppliers and vice versa. This case discusses how these platforms rode the second wave of growth and how they grew from one thousand to one million customers. BUY NOW Starbucks Coffee Company: Transformation and Renewal This case study analyzes the turnaround and reconstruction of Starbucks Coffee Company from 2008 to 2014 as led by CEO and co-founder Howard Schultz. Set against the backdrop of the Great Recession, the case also considers the impact of unprecedented, important shifts in consumer spending and confidence as well as new competitive forces on the Starbucks transformation. The case offers a range of vital lessons on leadership, organizational transformation, restructuring, strategy, innovation, entrepreneurial vision, and customer service. BUY NOW LEGO (A): The Crisis When the iconic toymaker LEGO stands on the brink of bankruptcy, Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, LEGO's young and newly appointed CEO, must size up changes in the toy industry, learn from the company's recent moves, and craft a strategy that will put LEGO back on track. BUY NOW Google's Project Oxygen: Do Managers Matter? The program designed to help Google employees become better managers had been in place for several years, and the company could point to statistically significant improvements in managerial effectiveness and performance. Now executives were wondering: how could Google build on the success of this project, extending it to senior leaders, teams, and other constituencies while striving to create truly amazing managers? BUY NOW Featured Case Collection Lessons from Top-Tier Companies Apple, Google, Starbucks, and Zappos are successful companies frequently in the news. But what's behind those headlines? And how might you apply what they do to your own organization? This specially priced collection brings together cases taught at Harvard Business School and articles published in Harvard Business Review to give you an in-depth analysis of what makes these companies tick—from their own CEOs' as well as leading academics' perspectives. BUY NOW Discover More Case Studies Tap into our collection of over 25,000 case studies to challenge your assumptions, broker team discussion, and expand your strategic thinking. SHOP NOW Copyright © 2017 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. Harvard Business Publishing, 2‌0 Gu‌est S‌t, Su‌ite 7‌0‌0, Br‌ight‌on, M‌A 0‌2‌1‌3‌5 Unsubscribe Privacy Policy Contact Us