Category: teaching materials

Teaching materials including teaching cases, notes, and slides

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Google Inc. (teaching materials) with Thomas Eisenmann

Edelman, Benjamin, and Thomas R. Eisenmann. “Google Inc.” Harvard Business School Case 910-036, January 2010. (Revised April 2011.) (Winner of ECCH 2011 Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Case Method – Strategy and General Management.) (educator access at HBP.)

Describes Google’s history, business model, governance structure, corporate culture, and processes for managing innovation. Reviews Google’s recent strategic initiatives and the threats they pose to Yahoo, Microsoft, and others. Asks what Google should do next. One option is to stay focused on the company’s core competence, i.e., developing superior search solutions and monetizing them through targeted advertising. Another option is to branch into new arenas, for example, build Google into a portal like Yahoo or MSN; extend Google’s role in e-commerce beyond search, to encompass a more active role as an intermediary (like eBay) facilitating transactions; or challenge Microsoft’s position on the PC desktop by developing software to compete with Office and Windows.

Supplements:

Google Inc. (Abridged) – Case (HBP 910032)

Teaching Materials:

Google inc. and Google Inc. (Abridged) – Teaching Note (HBP 910050)

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Personal Rapid Transport at Vectus, Ltd. (teaching materials)

Edelman, Benjamin. “Personal Rapid Transport at Vectus, Ltd.” Harvard Business School Case 910-010, November 2009. (Revised September 2010.) (Featured in Working Knowledge: Can Entrepreneurs Drive People Movers to Success?) (educator access at HBP. courtesy copy.)

Personal Rapid Transport (PRT) vehicles—often called “driverless taxis”—sought to combine the best characteristics of cars, taxis, and trains, while adding features unavailable in any existing transportation system. Like cars and taxis, PRT vehicles carried small groups—often just a single passenger—with no need to wait for a shared vehicle to arrive or for others to board. Yet PRT followed train systems in using an exclusive right of way that avoided delays from other traffic. Where would such systems be most useful? Could system designers successfully compete with well-established networks of trains, buses, cars, and roads?

Teaching Materials:

Personal Rapid Transport at Vectus, Ltd. – Teaching Note (HBP 910024)

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eBay Partner Network (teaching materials) with Ian Larkin

Edelman, Benjamin, and Ian Larkin. “eBay Partner Network (A).” Harvard Business School Case 910-008, September 2009. (Revised March 2015.) (educator access at HBP. request a courtesy copy.)

eBay considers adjustments to the structure and rules of its affiliate marketing program, eBay Partner Network (ePN). In particular, eBay reevaluates affiliate compensation structure, the role of bonuses for especially productive affiliates, and the overall rationale for outsourcing online marketing efforts to independent affiliates. The case presents the history and development of ePN, ePN’s importance to eBay, and the mechanics of online affiliate marketing.

Supplements:

eBay Partner Network (B) – Supplement (HBP 910009)

eBay Partner Network (C) – Supplement (HBP 910012)

eBay Partner Network (D) – Supplement (HBP 914016)

Teaching Materials:

eBay Partner Network (A), (B), (C), and (D) – Teaching Note (HBP 910025)

eBay Partner Network – slide supplement (HBP 911039)

eBay Partner Network – slide supplement (widescreen) (HBP 914040)

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Symbian, Google & Apple in the Mobile Space (teaching materials) with Fernando Suarez and Arati Srinivasan

Suarez, Fernando, Benjamin Edelman, and Arati Srinivasan. “Symbian, Google & Apple in the Mobile Space (A).” Harvard Business School Case 909-055, April 2009. (educator access at HBP. request a courtesy copy.)

Symbian, maker of a leading mobile smartphone operating system, faces new competition from Google and Apple. Symbian evaluates changes to its software and its relationships with distributors in order to meet these competitors.

Supplement:

Symbian, Google & Apple in the Mobile Space (B) – Supplement (HBP 909056)

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Windows Vista (teaching materials)

Edelman, Benjamin. “Windows Vista.” Harvard Business School Case 909-038, February 2009. (Revised December 2010.) (educator access at HBP. request a courtesy copy.)

Microsoft designs, modifies, publicizes, and distributes Windows Vista—against a backdrop of consumers already largely satisfied with their existing Windows XP systems. Microsoft must decide what features to include and what to drop, how to compete with its own installed base, and how to mobilize partners to offer Vista-compatible systems.

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Restaurant Promotions in 2015 (teaching materials)

Edelman, Benjamin. “Restaurant Promotions in 2015.” Harvard Business School Case 909-034, January 2009. (Revised July 2015.) (educator access at HBP. request a courtesy copy.)

A variety of services offer consumers discounts when dining at participating restaurants. This case examines four such services: Entertainment Book, Restaurant.com, Rewards Network, and Groupon. Despite key functional similarities, each of the services chooses an importantly different approach–different pricing, different benefits to consumers, different benefits to restaurants, and different underlying technologies.

Teaching Materials

Online Restaurant Promotions – Teaching Note (HBP 909063)

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Ad Classification at Right Media (teaching materials)

Edelman, Benjamin. “Ad Classification at Right Media.” Harvard Business School Case 909-032, December 2008. (Revised June 2009.) (educator access at HBP. request a courtesy copy.)

Right media considers systems and policies to make sure that ads are only shown on web sites where they are appropriate, and vice versa. Setting standards is particularly challenging given the large and growing marketplace, the numerous participants, their diverse requirements, and the dynamics of policy enforcement when market participants are competing intensely.

Teaching materials:

Ad Classification at Right Media – Teaching Note (HBP 909037)

Ad Classification at Right media – Slide Supplement (HBP 911038)

Ad Classification at Right media – Slide Supplement (widescreen) (HBP 914054)

Ad Classification at Right media – Pre-Class Slides (HBP 911037)

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Consumer Payment Systems — Japan (teaching materials) with Andrei Hagiu

Edelman, Benjamin, and Andrei Hagiu. “Consumer Payment Systems — Japan.” Harvard Business School Case 909-007, August 2008. (Revised May 2009.) (educator access at HBP. request a courtesy copy.)

In 2008, the Japanese consumer payments landscape featured ongoing widespread use of cash, limited use of credit cards and rapid rise of e-money systems based on contactless technology embedded in cards and especially mobile phones. The case details the alliances that created new products, as well as the regulations that sometimes stood in the way. Throughout, the case identifies incentives for both consumers and merchants, including direct costs, efficiency benefits, rebates, and treatment in case of loss or fraud.

Teaching Materials:

Consumer Payment Systems — United States and Japan – Teaching Note (HBP 909039)

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Consumer Payment Systems — United States (teaching materials) with Andrei Hagiu

Edelman, Benjamin, and Andrei Hagiu. “Consumer Payment Systems — United States.” Harvard Business School Case 909-006, August 2008. (Revised July 2011.) (educator access at HBP. request a courtesy copy.)

In 2008, the U.S. consumer payments landscape was characterized by the ongoing prevalence of credit and debit card networks, the decline of checks, the rise of stored value cards, and the growth of new payment methods such as PayPal, Bill Me Later, and decoupled debit. This case presents the structure of these payment methods, focusing on incentives for both consumers and merchants, including direct costs, efficiency benefits, rebates, and treatment in case of loss or fraud.

Teaching Materials:

Consumer Payment Systems — United States and Japan – Teaching Note (HBP 909039)

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Microsoft adCenter (teaching materials) with Peter Coles

Coles, Peter, and Benjamin Edelman. “Microsoft adCenter.” Harvard Business School Case 908-049, January 2008. (Revised February 2010.) (educator access at HBP. request a courtesy copy.)

Microsoft considers alternatives to expand its presence in online advertising, especially text-based pay-per-click advertising. Google dominates, and it is unclear how Microsoft can grow, despite considerable technical and financial resources. Microsoft considers a set of alternatives, each with clear benefits but also serious challenges.

Teaching Materials:

Microsoft adCenter (Teaching Note) – HBP 908062