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Case collection: Harvard Business Publishing

About Harvard Business Publishing

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Harvard Business Publishing (HBP) is the leading provider of teaching materials for management education.

HBP was founded in 1994 as a not-for-profit, wholly-owned subsidiary of Harvard University, reporting into Harvard Business School. HBP's mission is to improve the practice of management in a changing world. This mission influences how they approach what they do and what they believe is important.

With approximately 450 employees, primarily based in Boston, with offices in New York City, India, Singapore, Qatar and the United Kingdom, HBP serves as a bridge between academia and enterprises around the globe through its publications and multiple platforms for content delivery, and its reach into three markets: academic, corporate, and individual managers. HBP has a conventional governance structure comprising a  Board of Directors , an internal  Executive Committee , and Business Unit Directors.

About the collection

The Case Centre distributes a comprehensive range of materials including the complete collection of more than 7,500 Harvard Business School case studies, teaching notes, background notes, case videos, and a selection of software ancillaries.

Also included are:

• Brief Cases that are rigorous and compact with five-eight pages and three-four exhibits
• case studies that are popular for undergraduate-level courses
• executive education cases that provide rich yet efficient learning for managers at every level.

Additional top quality HBP teaching materials available from The Case Centre include:

• articles from the  Harvard Business Review  and other top management journals
• case method books from the Harvard Business School Press
• over 2,000  individual chapters  from popular Harvard Business School Press books
• newsletter articles  from Harvard Management Update, Strategy & Innovation, Negotiation, and Balanced Scorecard Report
• Core Curriculum Readings  that cover the foundational concepts, theories, and frameworks that business students must learn. Authored by faculty at Harvard Business School, each Reading includes a teaching note, related course materials, and exhibit slides. Many include test banks, practice questions, video clips, and Interactive Illustrations to enhance student comprehension of specific topics.

HBP also offer a number of free cases.  Browse here

Collection contact

For any queries related to the Harvard Business Publishing collection, please visit:

Travis Stewart e [email protected]

Browse the full collection Browse prize-winning cases

Available from the case centre.

The HBP collection of over 16,000 cases, and their accompanying instructor materials, software and videos, 7,000 management articles and 2,000 individual book chapters are available from The Case Centre.

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There are restrictions on the distribution of some items. To see any restrictions login to our site (or register if you've not already done so) and use our online search to find the item you're interested in. Any restrictions will be shown alongside the product.

Materials from Harvard Business Publishing are not available to customers at corporate organisations or at organisations in China.

www.hbsp.harvard.edu/educators

Top ten bestselling cases

Browse the top ten bestselling cases from Harvard Business Publishing in 2023.

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Learning with cases can be a challenging experience.

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Our catalog includes a variety of learning topics such as

• General Management
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What are Other Business Educators Saying about Our Collection?

“I can’t imagine a more versatile resource than Harvard Business Publishing - everything from cases, videos to simulations are available. The advantage of teaching with HBP materials is twofold: ease of mind for the faculty and credibility for the students.”

“After 35 years as an academic, I have come to the conclusion that there is a magic in the way Harvard cases are written. Cases go from specific to general, to show students that business situations are amenable to hardheaded analysis that then generalize to larger theoretical insights. The students love it!”

“For almost 25 years, I’ve used HBP’s cases, articles and simulations in my MBA classes. The material is always updated, so that new company stories are featured alongside some of the most classic articles.”

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The Case Study Handbook: A Student's Guide

William ellet.

Revision includes study guides and new insight for students

The business case study is a powerful learning tool. This practical guide provides students with a potent approach to:

• Recognize case situations and apply appropriate tools to solve problems, make decisions, or develop evaluations
• Quickly establish a base of knowledge about a case
• Write persuasive case-based essays
• Talk about cases effectively in class

The Case Study Handbook comes with downloadable study guides for analyzing and writing about different types of cases, whether they require a decision, an evaluation, or problem diagnosis.

Individual chapters are available in PDF for purchase or to assign in a class.

Downloadable Study Guides

About the Author

William Ellet has worked with MBA students for over thirty years. He has taught at Harvard Business School, Brandeis University, George Washington University, and the University of Miami. He has facilitated case teaching seminars for Harvard Business Publishing and as a consultant in China, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Brazil. His publications include an online course (Management Communication), this book, cases, and a video, all published by Harvard Business School or Harvard Business Publishing.

With cases, you need to change how you read and, ultimately, how you think. Cases are a jigsaw puzzle with the pieces arranged in a confusing pattern. You need to take the pieces and fit them into a pattern that helps you understand the main issue and think about the optimal ways to address it. You need to be comfortable with less than perfect information and an irreducible level of uncertainty. You need to be able to filter the noise of irrelevant or relatively unimportant information. You need to focus on key tasks that allow you to put pieces together in a meaningful pattern, which in turn will give you a better understanding of the main issue and put you in a position to make impactful recommendations. The Case Reading Process Read the first and last sections of the case. What do they tell you about the core scenario of the case? These sections typically give you the clues needed to identify the core scenario. Take a quick look at the other sections and the exhibits to determine what information the case contains. The purpose is to learn what information is in the case and where. Avoid reading sections slowly and trying to memorize the content. Stop! Now is the time to think rather than read. What is the core scenario of the case? What does the main character have to do? What is the major uncertainty? Identify the core scenario by asking the 2 questions. Once you are reasonably certain of the core scenario—decision, evaluation, or problem diagnosis—you can use the relevant framework to ask the questions in the next step. Those questions will give you a specific agenda for productively exploring the case. What do you need to know to accomplish what the main character has to do or to resolve the major uncertainty? List the things you need to know about the situation. Don’t worry about being wrong. This is probably the most important step of the entire process. If you don’t know what you’re looking for in the case, you won’t find it. The right core scenario framework will prompt you to list things that you need to explore. For example, for a decision scenario case, you should think about the best criteria the main character can use to make the decision. To determine criteria, think about quantitative and qualitative tools you’ve learned that can help you. Go through the case, skim sections, and mark places or takes notes about where you find information that corresponds to the list of things you need to know. You’re ready for a deep dive into the case. Carefully read and analyze the information you’ve identified that is relevant to the things you need to know. As you proceed in your analysis, ask, How does what I’m learning help me understand the main issue? The most efficient and least confusing way to read and analyze is to peel the onion—to study one issue at a time. For instance, let’s say that a decision has financial and marketing criteria. Analyzing the financial issues separately from marketing is far less confusing than trying to switch back and forth. As your analysis moves from issue to issue, you may discover gaps in your knowledge and have to add items to your list of what you need to know. Your ultimate goal is to arrive at a position or conclusion about the case’s main issue, backed by evidence from the case. Remember, there are usually no objectively right answers to a case. The best answer is the one with the strongest evidence backing it. As you learn more, ask, How does what I know help me understand the main issue? When you are preparing a case for class discussion, consider alternative positions. Finally, take some time to think about actions that support your position. What actions does your position support or require? In the real world, analysis is often followed by action. A decision obviously has to be implemented. Usually the entire point of a problem diagnosis is to target action that will solve the problem. And even evaluation has an important action component: sustaining the strengths and shoring up the weaknesses that it has revealed.

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• 30 Jul 2024
• Research & Ideas

Do Social Movements Sway Voters? Not Really, Except for One

People often take to the streets to express their outrage, but research by Vincent Pons finds that only one recent social movement has shifted public opinion: Black Lives Matter. In an election year marked by widespread protests, Pons explores why marches and rallies often fail to achieve long-term results.

• 26 Jul 2024
• The Parlor Room

Bonus Episode: Digital Data Design (D^3) Institute's Jen Stave on Harnessing AI for a Better Tomorrow

In this special bonus episode, Jen Stave, launch director of Harvard’s Digital Data Design (D^3) Institute, discusses artificial intelligence's transformative impact across industries, the need for global regulation, and the importance of making AI technologies accessible and affordable.

Why Great Ideas Get Stuck in Universities

Academic institutions incubate novel ideas and are important innovation partners for companies, but getting products out of universities and onto the market can be challenging. A study by Maria Roche illustrates how researchers might be getting in their own way.

• 23 Jul 2024

Forgiving Medical Debt Won't Make Everyone Happier

Medical debt not only hurts credit access, it can also harm one's mental health. But a study by Raymond Kluender finds that forgiving people's bills—even $170 million of debt—doesn't necessarily reduce stress, financial or otherwise.

• Cold Call Podcast

Transforming the Workplace for People with Disabilities

In 2019, Nadine Vogel, founder and CEO of Springboard Consulting, needed to decide the best path forward to grow her small consulting firm. Springboard works with Fortune 500 companies on issues related to disability and the workforce. Should Vogel expand the topics she works on with her current clients, or should she explore the possibility of moving into a new market of smaller businesses? Vogel joins Harvard Business School professor Lakshmi Ramarajan and Harvard Kennedy School professor Hannah Riley Bowles to discuss her experience starting and scaling her firm, while also being a caregiver to two children with disabilities, in the case, “Nadine Vogel: Transforming the Marketplace, Workplace, and Workforce for People with Disabilities.”

• In Practice

The New Rules of Trade with China: Navigating Tariffs, Turmoil, and Opportunities

Trade tensions between the US and China have continued well beyond the Trump Administration's tariffs. Harvard Business School faculty offer insights for leaders managing the complexities of doing business with the world's second-largest economy.

• 18 Jul 2024

New Hires Lose Psychological Safety After Year One. How to Fix It.

New hires begin their roles eager to offer ideas. But research by Amy Edmondson shows how they become more reluctant to share over time. She explains how psychological safety erodes on the job and provides advice for strengthening it.

• 17 Jul 2024
• Managing the Future of Work

Jacob Morgan on managing the new normal

The future-of-work trend watcher parses leadership strategies, the tradeoffs of hybrid work, AI adoption, skills-based hiring, and the foundations of a good job.

• Climate Rising

Decarbonizing Fashionable Materials

Today’s episode focuses on some innovative alternative low-carbon natural materials being used in fashion. Bolt Threads CEO Dan Widmaier describes Mylo, a substitute for leather that’s derived from mushrooms, via the TED Climate podcast that we’re bringing here a bonus episode of Climate Rising. It’s a perfect extension of our two most recent Climate Rising episodes that focus on other low-carbon advanced materials: GALY’s lab-grown cotton and C16 Bioscience’s lab-generated treeless palm oil.

• 16 Jul 2024

Corporate Boards Are Failing in Their No. 1 Duty

General Electric, Wells Fargo, and Boeing all chose the wrong CEOs for the job, says Bill George, creating big problems for the companies. George outlines five common mistakes boards of directors make when selecting leaders and provides advice for picking the appropriate person for this all-important role.

Weighing Digital Tradeoffs in Private Equity

Private equity firms often streamline the operations of portfolio companies, but cost-cutting isn't the only road to efficiency. The right technology improvements can increase the value of PE investments, says research by Brian Baik and Suraj Srinivasan.

• 09 Jul 2024

Introducing "Think Big, Buy Small," a New Harvard Business School Podcast

Today, we're sharing a special episode of Think Big, Buy Small , a new podcast from our friends at Harvard Business School.

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and Brand Building

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which allow individuals to own their digital assets and move them from place to place, are changing the interaction between consumers and digital goods, brands, and platforms. Professor Scott Duke Kominers and tech entrepreneur Steve Kaczynski discuss the case, “Bored Ape Yacht Club: Navigating the NFT World,” and the related book they co-authored, The Everything Token: How NFTs and Web3 Will Transform The Way We Buy, Sell, And Create. They focus on the rise and popularity of the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs and the new model of brand building created by owning those tokens.

Chance Encounters: What's at Stake in Return-to-Office Decisions

What's the role of the office in an increasingly virtual world? How can organizations spark collaboration among people who prefer to isolate? Andy Wu and Maria Roche discuss the value of bringing people together—and why that’s still so hard to do.

Are Management Consulting Firms Failing to Manage Themselves?

In response to unprecedented client demand a few years ago, consulting firms went on a growth-driven hiring spree, but now many of these firms are cutting back staff. David Fubini questions whether strategy firms, which are considered experts at solving a variety of problems for clients, are struggling to apply their own management principles internally to address their current challenges.

• 08 Jul 2024

The Critical Computer Science Principles Every Strategic Leader Needs to Know

Technology is such an integral part of so many industries now that business executives can't afford to leave all the digital know-how to their tech teams. Andy Wu explains the five essential principles of computer science that all leaders need to grasp to gain an edge.

• 03 Jul 2024

Adaptable and inclusive: Kraft Heinz’s brand of workforce

Melissa Werneck, EVP and global chief people officer for the multinational food and beverage firm, on reskilling for web marketing and personalization, AI, hybrid work, and collaboration across time zones and cultures. Also, why diversity is good business for consumer packaged goods firms.

A Biotech Solution to Palm Oil Deforestation

Today’s episode is the fifth in our series on decarbonizing the roots of value chains, where we’re looking deep into supply chains that serve many industries. Previously we talked about green concrete, green steel, regenerative agriculture, and lab-grown cotton. Today we’re discussing palm oil – a widely used product that’s also associated with climate change due to some palm oil plantations arising from clearing and burning tropical forests, releasing carbon and destroying habitat and biodiversity. We talk with Shara Ticku, Co-founder and CEO of C16 Biosciences (and HBS alumna), which uses fermentation to produce a palm oil substitute. She describes how she and her partners built their start-up, including how they decided which products to develop, and which customers to pursue. She also shares advice for those interested in working at climate tech startup companies like hers. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative (LinkedIn) Guest: Shara Ticku, Co-founder and CEO, C16 Biosciences, and HBS alumna (LinkedIn)

• 02 Jul 2024

Five Essential Elements to Build the Capital You Need to Lead

The path to leadership can seem unclear in competitive organizations. In the book The Treasure You Seek, Archie L. Jones offers a roadmap to help aspiring leaders discover their strengths, communicate effectively, and build meaningful connections.

• 27 Jun 2024

Gen AI Marketing: How Some 'Gibberish' Code Can Give Products an Edge

An increasing number of consumers are turning to generative AI for buying recommendations. But if companies can subtly manipulate the technology to favor their own products, some businesses may gain unfair advantage, says Himabindu Lakkaraju.

• Boston University Libraries

Business Case Studies

• Harvard Business School Cases
• Getting Started

Licensing Restrictions

Harvard business review.

• Diverse Business Cases
• Databases with Cases
• Journals with Cases
• Books with Cases
• Open Access Cases
• Case Analysis
• Case Interviews
• Case Method (Teaching)
• Writing Case Studies
• Citing Business Sources

Due to licensing restrictions, Harvard Business School Case Studies are limited to classroom use by individual students. The BU Libraries (including Pardee Library) cannot purchase cases for the library’s collections, or obtain cases through Interlibrary Loan. Individuals may purchase copies of cases for their own personal use directly from Harvard Business Publishing .

Instructors that assign Harvard Business School cases to their students can set up course packs directly with Harvard Business Publishing . Students will need to pay a fee to access the course pack and cost will vary depending on number of cases involved.

If you would rather not pay a fee for cases, please review this guide further for cases available through existing library resources or Open Access Cases (free).

A small number of case studies can be found in Harvard Business Review via our Business Source Complete subscription (1922-present) or in print at Pardee Library (1990-present). To limit your search results in Business Source Complete to case studies, select "Case Study" for the Document Type. Another source for business cases is Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (2007-present). You should also select "Case Study" for the Document Type to limit search results to case studies.

In August 2013, HBR designated 500 of their most popular articles as "read-only" and restricted the ability to print or download those articles in Business Source Complete. While it may change over time, the original list of articles is available here: HBR 500 . If you need an article that is part of the HBR 500, you may be able to access it through our Harvard Business Review print subscription at Pardee Library.

*Faculty: Please note that HBR articles from our Business Source Complete subscription may not be linked to course management systems due to licensing restrictions, however, articles can be purchased directly from Harvard Business School Publishing for inclusion in course packs.

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• URL: https://library.bu.edu/business-case-studies

Case Studies

Case studies are written by professors at HBS and at renowned business programs worldwide and offer slices of business life, focusing on actual problems and decisions companies face.

Google's Project Oxygen: Do Managers Matter?

Google's Project Oxygen started with a fundamental question raised by executives in the early 2000s: do managers matter? The topic generated a multi-year research project that ultimately led to a comprehensive program, built around eight key management...

Big Hit Entertainment and Blockbuster Band BTS: K-Pop Goes Global

Bang Si-Hyuk ('Hitman Bang') is the founder and co-chief executive officer of Big Hit Entertainment, the company behind BTS, a 'K-pop' band that has found unparalleled success around the globe-a remarkable feat given that most of their songs are in...

Cirque du Soleil

Retaining talent is an issue for any company whose success relies on the creativity and excellence of its employees. This is especially true for Cirque du Soleil, the spectacularly successful "circus without animals," whose 2,100 employees include 500...

GE's Two-Decade Transformation: Jack Welch's Leadership

GE is faced with Jack Welch's impending retirement and whether anyone can sustain the blistering pace of change and growth characteristic of the Welch era. After briefly describing GE's heritage and Welch's transformation of the company's business...

Pinckney Street

Although inexperienced in real estate, Edward Alexander hopes in June 2013 that youthful enthusiasm and an $240,000 in savings and inheritance will help him enter the real estate business. His experience chronicles the process of finding, evaluating, and...

Army Crew Team

The coach of the varsity Army crew team at West Point assembled his top eight rowers into the first crew team and the second tier of rowers into the second team using objective data on individual performance. As the second boat continually beat the first...

Chase Sapphire: Creating a Millennial Cult Brand

The Inside the Case video that accompanies this case includes teaching tips and insight from the author (available to registered educators only). The launch of the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card was enthusiastically received by Millennial consumers,...

Trader Joe's

The Inside the Case video that accompanies this case includes teaching tips and insight from the author (available to registered educators only). Based on a variety of metrics, Trader Joe's ranked as one of the most successful grocers in the United...

Amazon.com, 2021

In February 2021, Amazon announced 2020 operating profits of $22,899 million, up from $2,233 million in 2015, on sales of $386 billion, up from $107 billion five years earlier (see Exhibit 1). The shareholders expressed their satisfaction (see Exhibit...

Leadership in Crisis: Ernest Shackleton and the Epic Voyage of the Endurance

Provides an opportunity to examine leadership and entrepreneurship in the context of Ernest Shackleton's 1914 Antarctic expedition, a compelling story of crisis, survival, and triumph. Summarizes Shackleton's career as an officer in the British Merchant...

The Tulsa Massacre and the Call for Reparations

The Inside the Case video that accompanies this case includes teaching tips and insight from the author (available to registered educators only). How should historic social injustices be addressed? Survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre and their...

The Commons Project in Rwanda-Building Digital Infrastructure for the Global Public Good

In September 2022, The Commons Project Foundation (TCP) CEO Zhenya Lindgardt and her team met on a Zoom call to discuss building tools to help Rwandans manage their health data. They believed that helping Africa build digital infrastructure would improve...

Elon Musk at Tesla

This case gives an overview of Elon Musk's career arc through the lens of the 2003 founding of Tesla and its growth through 2022. Background information is included on Tesla's unique strategic decisions, its operational and reputational struggles and...

Civica Rx: A Not-for-Profit Founded to Address Market Failures in the Generic Drug Industry

Nelson Mandela: Changing the World

This case traces the rise of Nelson Mandela from his tribal home in South Africa to president of the country. Rejecting expectations that he would be a tribal leader, Mandela instead dedicates his life to fighting Apartheid. After peaceful approaches...

Revlon India's Turnaround: Navigating Online-Offline Decisions Using a Balanced Scorecard

Revlon India was founded as a joint venture in 1995, pairing the industrial conglomerate UMG with the global beauty brand Revlon, Inc. to bring international color cosmetics to India. After growing rapidly and pioneering the Beauty Advisor (BA) model in...

Negotiating in a Hurricane: John Branca and the Michael Jackson Estate

When the "King of Pop," Michael Jackson, unexpectedly died in 2009, he left behind an estate that was over $500 million in debt, with largely illiquid assets, and legions of creditors poised to begin to seize assets in as soon as 60 days. The task of...

Pricing Strategy and Channels of Distribution: Where Value Delivery and Value Capture Intersect

Channels of distribution are a critical component of a firm's go to market strategy. A company may elect to sell its products directly to customers (DTC) without the assistance of any intermediaries or, alternatively, it may seek several channel partners...

The American Bully XL

The American Bully XL, first introduced to the United Kingdom around 2014, had been held responsible for a disproportionate share of both dog-related attacks and deaths. The case discusses the announcement, in October 2023, that the dog breed would be...

Dungeons & Dragons: Repairing Ecosystem Trust

Net Revenue Retention: Unpacking the Dynamics of Customer Monetization

Firms and investors alike are beginning to recognize the importance of tracking how revenues from existing customers are evolving over time and to appreciate the value in understanding what might explain changes in these revenues. Consequently, in...

CoVenture: Financing Innovations in Fintech with Asset-Backed Credit

Horizon Quantum Computing

In 2023, the Singapore-based startup company Horizon Quantum Computing was on the cusp of fast expansion and the founder faced the challenge to decide where to open the second office outside Singapore. To make a choice from the list of 10 countries, the...

SofMedica Group: Managing Growth

SofMedica Group had expanded from its origins as a medical equipment distributor in Romania to a holding company with four business lines operating in six countries. This expansion had been driven by SofMedica's mission: to make cutting edge medical...

Aviva plc: Examining Net Zero

The board of Aviva Plc, one of the world's largest insurers, must review its climate risk exposures and evaluate next steps. Risk experts at the firm have conducted a robust set of analyses prepared for its regulator, the Bank of England, simulating how...

Advancing Social Impact Through Case Studies

This chapter provides a road map for how instructors can teach most effectively using the case method. It describes the history of the case method and the reasons to use it. It provides an overview of what instructors can do before, during and after...

From Leaf to Cup: Hwa Gung Tea's Journey in Preserving and Transforming a Family's Legacy

Hwa Gung Tea (HGT), a premium tea brand founded in Taiwan, has a rich history dating back to 1918. For many decades, the family business has been producing and distributing alpine Oolong tea cultivated at above 2,000 metres on the famous tea-producing...

Building India's Leading E-Commerce Company: mjunction takes a LEAP

Mjunction is India's largest private sector e-commerce company by transaction value, and is more profitable than the oft fancied Flipkart, Walmart Snapdeal, and Amazon India. This Kolkata-based B2B player created an e-auction platform for coal and steel,...

Leading Culture Change at Microsoft Western Europe

In 2023, Cindy Rose, President of Microsoft Western Europe, faced a critical decision. Rose grappled with the potential impact of widespread layoffs on psychological safety and the cultural transformation she had championed since her arrival. When Rose...

Asian Community Development Corporation: Building Housing and Community

Based in Boston's Chinatown, the Asian Community Development Corporation's mission was to build affordable homes, empower families, and strengthen communities. The case examines whether ACDC should continue pursuing all three goals or focus on affordable...

America's Budget Impasse, 2009-2023

In May of 2023, President Biden faced a crisis of debt. The debt ceiling was about to be breached, while House Republicans demanded cuts of $3.5 trillion if they were to raise the ceiling. President Biden refused. The case consists of excerpts from the...

H2 Green Steel: A Clean-Tech Triple Play?

At the end of 2023, the Swedish startup H2 Green Steel was mid-way through construction on an integrated steel plant in Northern Sweden that would use abundant local hydro power to create Europe's first commercial-scale green steel. Their goal was to...

Boortmalt: the Master Maltster

By May 2023, Boortmalt was the word's leading producer of malt, with a production capacity of 3 million tonnes, 15% of global market share, and 27 malting plants across five continents. It had recently acquired a major competitor and had sustained an...

Organizational Learning

This is a background note that surveys part of the extensive literature on organizational learning. The focus is on learning from experiences, how those learnings get translated into organizational routines and processes, and how that can also lead to...

Tremblant Capital: Launching an Active ETF

The case highlights deliberations led by Brett Barakett, CEO and chief investment officer of Tremblant Capital, just months prior to launching an actively managed ETF, Tremblant Global (TOGA). However, his team continued to have reservations around the...

Driving Transformation: Jeff Jones at H&R Block

Mysore Deep Perfumery House: Scaling a Family Business

Mysore Deep Perfumery House (MDPH) faced the challenge of scaling a low-tech business in the incense stick market. Led by Prakash Agarwal and his sons, MDPH secured a substantial domestic market share through competitive pricing and extensive...

Perpetual Purpose Trust and Organically Grown Company: Rethinking Corporate Ownership for the Future

Is steward ownership the solution for mission-driven businesses facing the trade-off between purpose and profits? Organically Grown Company (OGC), a pioneering organic produce distributor in Oregon, transitioned from a nonprofit to a grower-owned...

CloudEats: Revolutionizing the Cloud Kitchen in Southeast Asia

Philippines-headquartered cloud kitchen CloudEats harbored the ambition of becoming the largest cloud kitchen in Southeast Asia, but it was considering several strategic paths forward.

Kashat: Navigating the Uncertainties of the Egyptian Fintech Market

Karim Nour, the founder of Kashat, an Egyptian nano-lending fintech company, is contemplating how to manage the growth of his startup. Over the summer of 2022, Kashat's loan disbursements had grown by nearly 40%, fueled by macroeconomic instability in...

Shredder Setups or Straightlining into Risk?: Investing in What You Love

Bob Hall, President of Green Gables Partners, evaluated whether to angel invest into an up-and-coming ski brand. As the son-in-law of the founder of Vera Bradley and having retired from a lengthy career on Wall Street, Hall was well-versed in both direct...

Meals on Wheels London: Operations That Matter

The executive director of Meals on Wheels London (MOWL) was struggling with a lack of volunteers to deliver meals to the not-for-profit organization's customers. MOWL provided nutritional support for adults with disabilities and older people who required...

ALUS: Letting Growth Take Root

Bryan Gilvesy, CEO of ALUS, must create a proposal to spend ALUS' $100,000 marketing budget for their brand "New Acre Project". The brand had experienced good growth in previous years, but sales had stagnated for the past two, creating concerns about the...

Adani Group: Managing the Hindenburg Controversy

In March 2023, the Adani Group experienced a sharp decline in market value, losing over $150 billion. This downturn followed allegations from US short-seller Hindenburg Research, which accused Gautam Adani of inflating his net worth to $120 billion over...

Zentaku Kogyo Company: Less Is More

Contrary to the typical practice of cutting operating expenses by compromising on employees' benefits, the chairman of Zentaku Kogyo Company Ltd. (Zentaku), David Wu Chongrang, aimed to improve the standard of living of his staff by steadily raising...

Hotel Annapoorna: Is Change Management and Leadership at a Crossroads?

This case encapsulates the challenges faced by Jegan Damodaraswamy in extending the core competency of quality and customer service for the renowned Hotel Annapoorna, in Coimbatore, India. In addition, he had to figure out how to overcome the hurdles...

Continuity in Change: Bhima Jewels' Transformation Journey

Bhima Jewels ("Bhima") was a household name in southern India, where the company had built up a loyal clientele spanning three generations over its 97 years in business as a retailer in the jewellery sector. In 2015, Abhishek Bindu Madhav, the grandson...

Jio World Plaza: Bridging the West and the East in Luxury Branding

The latest offering by Reliance Brands Limited (an undertaking of Reliance India Limited) under the aegis of the Jio brand was Jio World Plaza (JWP), an ultra-luxurious mall with breathtaking architecture and an upscale range of brands and services,...

Bigship: Strategic Issue Management during COVID-19 Crisis

Bigship Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Bigship), an Indian courier aggregator start-up, made its mark in the industry as late entrant during the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2023, the chief executive officer and co-founder was struggled with emerging issues...

DMart in 2023: From Offline Triumphs to Online Trials

In December 2023, Avenue Supermarts Limited, operating as DMart, celebrated its robust performance in the offline retail sector in India. Since its establishment in 2002, DMart had built a sizable network of profitable offline stores, showcasing...

Soma Solutions: Preparedness and Sustainability during and Post-crisis

Soma Solutions was a small consulting firm based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Soma Solutions had provided face-to-face, on-site information and communications technology (ICT) training on SAP and ERP to state-owned...

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Case Studies: Free Case Studies

• Getting Started
• Harvard (HBR) Case Studies
• Free Case Studies

Free & Open Access Cases

These websites offer free access to business case studies.  please note that you may need to create an account to access the cases first..

• The Case Centre As part of The Case Centre’s commitment to promoting the case method and supporting case teachers, we offer a growing range of free cases produced by a number of prominent schools and organisations across the globe.
• Copenhagen Business School Case Studies (Case Centre) Copenhagen Business School’s (CBS) collection of free cases is part of its commitment to the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME). CBS is a signatory and lead contributor to PRME. All the cases focus on aspects of responsible management, including social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability.
• Eforce Case Studies (Case Centre) This free case collection includes 18 innovative teaching cases on technology entrepreneurship. The cases all have accompanying teaching notes and many have media support items, details of which are displayed in product search.
• Highlighted Cases and Case Studies: Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Online library of "simple, straightforward business cases focused on principle-based ethics" from the University of New Mexico.
• ICMA Free case studies from ICMA, the leading association of local government professionals dedicated to creating and sustaining thriving communities. Public administration.
• Ivey Business School (UWO) free cases Ivey is renowned for its Case-Method of Learning and is a top publisher of business cases worldwide (second only to Harvard).
• The Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation (LAAF.org) Case Studies LAAF.org aims to be the leader in programs and resources at the intersection of women, giving and leadership.
• LearningEdge at MIT Sloan The teaching business case studies available on LearningEdge, which fall under the headings of entrepreneurship, leadership/ethics, operations management, strategy, sustainability, and system dynamics, are narratives that facilitate class discussion about a particular business or management issue.
• oikos International Cases oikos Case Writing Competition encourages the writing of high-quality cases on sustainability topics that can stimulate innovative teaching and learning experiences. The program aims at giving students the possibility to approach their faculty to start embedding sustainability into curricula through the use of case studies.
• Open Case Studies Project by the University of British Columbia The Open Case Studies project at UBC brings together faculty and students from different disciplines to write, edit, and learn with case studies that are free and open.
• Society of Human Resources Management The following case studies are available for HR faculty and instructors to use in HR classrooms at universities, as expressed in the Terms of Use for Faculty. Teaching notes are often included with each. While our current intent is to make the materials available without charge, we will reserve the right to impose some charges should we deem it necessary to support this program. However, currently, these resources are available free of charge to all.
• Stanford Graduate School of Business - free cases This listing contains abstracts and ordering information for case studies written and published by faculty at Stanford GSB. Click "Narrow your results" and select "Available to download at no charge"
• World Business Council for Sustainable Development Case Studies WBCSD is a global, CEO-led organization of over 200 leading businesses working together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world. Click refine your search --> Content Type --> Case Study
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Using the Harvard Business Review

• HBR Case Studies

Harvard Business Review Case Studies

You may find some records in the Business Source Complete Database for Harvard Business Review Case Studies. If the full text of the case study is not available then the Library has not purchased the content. 

Please note that the SCU Library does not purchase individual cases. Case studies can be purchased individually from the HBR Store  for ~$9 each.

SCU-Accessible Case Studies

• Conference Board This link opens in a new window Account creation using @scu.edu email address required. The Conference Board's research online collection is a searchable collection of full-text research reports. Case studies include: Huawei, Marriott, BT Group, BASF, and several others.

Other Case Studies

• UVA Darden Business Case Studies Over 250 case studies covering accounting, marketing, leadership, and more. PDF downloads cost ~$7
• The Case Centre A diverse range of over 70,100 cases, on all aspects of national and international business and management. PDF downloads cost ~$5. Also includes some free cases.
• MarketingSherpa Choose "Case Studies" as the content type in the filters. Offers free case studies relevant to content marketing.
• Ivey Publishing Case Studies Click Collection to view case studies. Cases originate from Ivey Business School, Western University. PDF downloads cost ~$9.
• INSEAD Publishing Cases Case studies written by INSEAD faculty. PDF downloads cost ~$6.
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• Last Updated: Apr 18, 2024 9:23 AM
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Guide for Business Faculty: Cases/HBR

• Faculty Toolkit
• Textbooks/Course Reserves/Persistent Links
• Journals & Databases
• How I Can Help You
• Cite Sources
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On This Page

• HBR Articles for Classroom Use

HBS Content Copyright Policy

• Cases & Case Studies
• Sage Business Cases

Free Case Studies

Other sources for case studies, sage business cases.

Cases & Case Studies

The definition of "Case Study" varies from publication to publication. The "case studies" in traditional journals and books are not necessarily the same as commercial "cases" from publishers like Harvard Business School Publishing.

The Library does  NOT  collect commercial cases (except for those from the SAGE Business Cases listed above) due to licensing restrictions imposed by the publishers. Each student must pay for their own copies. To find and use non-SAGE commercial cases, go to Harvard Business Publishing. By  registering for a free educator account , you can create an online course folder to provide online access to specific cases (with "up to 60% off" for students).

• Harvard Business Publishing - Cases Includes cases from multiple institutions like Harvard, Darden, Stanford, Ivey, and more.
• The Case Centre Another clearinghouse of cases. Many cases are available on both Harvard Business Publishing and Case Centre.

You can also search for freely available case studies in the resources mentioned below. 

There isn't one single clearinghouse similar to Harvard Business School Publishing or Case Centre to search for free cases. Below is a list of sources that provide free cases on various topics. 

• ** PSU Case Studies Collection Award-winning cases authored by PSU School of Business faculty.
• Acadia Institute of Case Studies [archived link] Archived website focusing on entrepreneurship and small business operations.
• Arthur Andersen Case Studies in Business Ethics A "collection of 90 business ethics cases developed from 1987-1994 with funding provided by Arthur Andersen."
• Asian Case Research Journal "A selection of high-quality cases on Asian companies & MNCs operating in Asia-Pacific" (with 12 month embargo).
• Business Case Journal "Cases and research related to case writing or teaching with cases" 2006-2019.
• Business Ethics Case Analyses Business ethics.
• Business Insights: Global (Case Studies) Case studies available in the database Business Insights: Global
• Case Centre Free case collection (most other cases on this site are fee-based).
• Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Case Bank Business ethics.
• Ethics Unwrapped "More than 50 case studies match ethics concepts to real world situations."
• Give to Get Marketing: Marketing and Advertising Case Studies Marketing and advertising.
• Journal of Business Cases and Applications "Quality applied business cases and classroom applications/exercises designed to assist business academics in the classroom"
• Journal of Business Case Studies "Case studies designed for use in business and economics courses and articles related to the use of case studies in the classroom."
• Journal of Case Research in Business and Economics Journal discontinued December 2014.
• Journal of Case Studies "A continual flow of effective up-to-date cases to promote excellence in case teaching."
• MarketingSherpa Click Case Studies under CONTENT TYPE on the filters menu.
• Markkula Center for Applied Ethics Business ethics.
• MaRS Startup Toolkit Type in "case study" in the search box.
• MERLOT Business Cases open education materials.
• MIT Teaching Resources Library Covers "entrepreneurship, leadership/ethics, operations management, strategy, sustainability, and system dynamics."
• Native Case Studies -- Featuring Business and Management "Culturally relevant curriculum and teaching resources in the form of case studies on key issues in Indian Country"
• Oikos Cases Program "High-quality cases... on sustainability in management, entrepreneurship and finance."
• Penske Logistics Case Studies Logistics and supply chain (with a marketing bend: about how Penske helps solve problems).
• SHRM Case Studies Human resources.
• South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases "Provide a space for high-quality Qualitative Case Study Research (QCSR)"
• Stanford Graduate School of Business (Subset of Free Cases) Select "Narrow your results," then under Availability, check the box "Available to download at no charge."
• UBC Open Case Studies Written by UBC faculty and student initially focusing on environmental sustainability but with expanding topics.
• World Council for Sustainable Development Case Studies Sustainability.

Cases addressing "the dark side of contemporary capitalism." From the Academy of Management Dark Side Case Competition . 

• The Dark Side: Critical Cases on the Downside of Business
• The Dark Side 2: Critical Cases on the Downside of Business
• The Dark Side 3: Critical Cases on the Downside of Business

Policy Here , and regarding class use of cases and HBR articles:

... we prohibit the posting of cases, articles, or chapters on “e-reserve” course pages for student access, as well as in “electronic coursepacks” that link to our digitized content and content postings on course management systems such as WebCT or Blackboard. Such unauthorized postings are equivalent to distributing our copyrighted content to students without permission, which infringes that copyright. This is so even if the content is being used for the first time and is password-protected, accessible only to students in the course, and taken down at the end of the course.

Harvard Business Review

HBR articles in Business Source Premier (BSP, an EBSCOhost database) CANNOT be used for teaching purposes.

Harvard Business Review Notice of Use Restrictions, May 2009:

Harvard Business Review and Harvard Business Publishing Newsletter content on EBSCOhost is licensed for the private individual use of authorized EBSCOhost users.  It is not intended for use as assigned course material in academic institutions  nor as corporate learning or training materials in businesses. Academic licensees may not use this content in electronic reserves, electronic course packs, persistent linking from syllabi or by any other means of incorporating the content into course resources. Business licensees may not host this content on learning management systems or use persistent linking or other means to incorporate the content into learning management systems. Harvard Business Publishing will be pleased to grant permission to make this content available through such means. For rates and permission, contact [email protected].

That means an instructor should NOT do the following with HBR articles in BSP: 1) uploading PDFs, or 2) providing links in syllabus or Canvas, or 3) verbally assigning specific HBR articles during class. The instructor needs to set up an educator's account on the Harvard website and create a course folder containing the HBR articles, then share the course folder link with students who have to pay for the articles.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why can't instructors use HBR articles since they are available in Business Source Premier? -- It's HBP's policy. The articles in Business Source Premier are for "research" only; articles used for "teaching purposes" are not covered by the license and not free to the students. This applies to linking to articles available for free on the hbr.org website. They don't even allow you to link to articles on their site if the articles are for "class use". This is what the HBR Permission Team conveyed in an email in March 2024:

Please note individuals are authorized to send a direct link of an HBR article at the hbr.org site to a friend or colleague for a Harvard Business Review they think their colleague may (or may not) be interested in, however, Harvard Business Publishing does not authorize corporate / institutional direct url linking to specific HBR articles at the hbr.org site.

Can students use Business Source Premier on their own and cite HBR articles in their papers or coursework? -- Yes, if they are doing research and find these articles serendipitously.

Can I just tell students to find these articles without linking to them? -- No, if the students are told to find them for a class, the articles are used for "teaching." HBP does track the usage of HBR and a sudden increase in the search and download of a specific article will be flagged as violation.

What are my options if I want to link to articles for a class so students can read them for free? -- If the HBR article is also in one of the HBR's 10 Must Reads ebooks , you can link to the ebook. To find out if an article is in the ebooks, just do a search by the article title in the library catalog. 

-- Articles from other journals PSU Library subscribes to can be used as course materials, whether you put them on Course Reserves , link to them in your course page , or verbally assign them as required reading. The Library is already paying for these resources so your students can read them without any additional cost. 

Who can provide more information regarding the online course folder? -- I recommend contacting HBP directly . 

What else do I need to know about HBR articles in BSP?

-- Starting 8/1/2013, Harvard Business Publishing has restricted access to  HBR's 500 most popular articles  (initial list -- titles change over time) to "read-only" in BSP. These articles cannot be printed or linked to from a persistent link. You can still search for them in BSP, download the PDF, or email the PDF to yourself. 

-- How do I know it's one of those articles?

• In the BSP article record you will see this message:  The publisher offers limited access to this article. The full text cannot be printed or saved.   Solution: There is nothing you can do. Just read it online.
• If you see this message in BSP through an external link (e.g., from searching the library catalog): " The publisher offers limited access to this article. The full text cannot be viewed from a persistent link. " Solution: do a new search directly in BSP and you will find the full text.

Case studies in journals and magazines : * these are different from "cases" in the commercial/traditional sense

Case studies in books : * these are different from "cases" in the commercial/traditional sense

You can do a keyword search in the PSU Library Catalog  (the search box in the middle of the page).

Or use the Advanced Search for a more targeted search (fewer, more relevant results): for example,

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