American Connector Co. (B)

Gary P. Pisano

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Supplement | HBS Case Collection | October 1992

American Connector Co. (B)

by Gary P. Pisano

Abstract

Presents a plant manager's proposal to improve operations at American Connector Co. The plan attempts to imitate operations at DJC Corp., a successful Japanese competitor. Requires students to consider how changes in manufacturing impact productivity, flexibility, and overall strategy.

Keywords: Change; Production; Performance Productivity; Strategy; Japan; Sunnyvale;

Language: English

Format: Print

2 pages

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Citation:

Pisano, Gary P. "American Connector Co. (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 693-049, October 1992.

About the Author

Gary P. Pisano

Harry E. Figgie, Jr. Professor of Business Administration
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development

Technology and Operations Management

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Technical Note | HBS Case Collection | November 2019

The Life Sciences Revolution: A Technical Primer

Gary P. Pisano, William J. Anderson, Amitabh Chandra, Clarissa Ceruti and Stephanie Oestreich

For more than two decades, scientific advances have been driving profound changes in drug discovery and the drug industry itself. This case provides an overview and description of these technical and scientific advances. Written for the nonscientific reader, it may be used as companion reading for other case materials that require basic knowledge of the tools, techniques, and approaches used in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Keywords: Science; Technological Innovation; Technology; Pharmaceutical Industry; Biotechnology Industry;

Citation:
Pisano, Gary P., William J. Anderson, Amitabh Chandra, Clarissa Ceruti, and Stephanie Oestreich. "The Life Sciences Revolution: A Technical Primer." Harvard Business School Technical Note 620-054, November 2019. View Details

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Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2019

Engineering Company Culture at Zaimella Ecuador

Francesca Gino, Gary Pisano and Mariana Cal

Keywords: company culture; organization culture; culture; strategy; management;

Citation:
Gino, Francesca, Gary Pisano, and Mariana Cal. "Engineering Company Culture at Zaimella Ecuador." Harvard Business School Case 920-015, September 2019. View Details

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Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2019

Humanistic Capitalism at Brunello Cucinelli

Francesca Gino and Gary Pisano

This case explores one company’s attempt to experiment with a different underlying model for a capitalist enterprise. Brunello Cucinelli, S.p.A. is a leading manufacturer of luxury fashion apparel. Despite being a publicly traded enterprise with annual revenues exceeding 500 million, the company follows a somewhat unique human resource and cultural model. The company’s founder, Brunello Cucinelli, has striven to create an enterprise that follows principles of what he calls “humanistic capitalism”. Human capitalism, according to Cucinelli, means pursuing growth and profitability in a “gracious way.” At the company, humanistic capitalism manifests itself in a very specific set of policies and behavioral norms. Workers are paid wages that exceed 20% of the market norms; the workday (even for senior executive) is limited to the hours of 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM; emails are not to be sent after hours or on weekends; lunch breaks are one and half hours long to allow workers to have lunch at home should they choose. There are also strong cultural norms emphasizing respect and dignity. As part of this culture, employees are expected to keep their workspaces clean; eating at desks is not permitted; water can only be drunk from cups (not bottles); speaking should be done in hushed tones so as not to disturb colleagues. None of these cultural norms, however, are explicitly described in any written documents. The company has adopted this model in both its Solomeo, Italy headquarters and in its North American headquarters located in New York City.
The case allows students to explore the strengths and weakness of this culture and human resource model. A particular focal point of the case concerns the question of whether such a model is scalable and transferable across geographies. Does this model contribute to the company’s success or is ‘humanistic capitalism’ only possible because of the company’s underlying success? Is this model sustainable? The case invites discussion of deeper issues concerning alternative models of modern capitalism.

Keywords: corporate culture; Human Resource Practices; Growth; growth strategy; motivation; values; fashion; Capitalism; Organizational Culture; Values and Beliefs; Human Resources; Management; Business Model; Policy; Behavior; Growth and Development Strategy; Luxury; Italy;

Citation:
Gino, Francesca, and Gary Pisano. "Humanistic Capitalism at Brunello Cucinelli." Harvard Business School Case 920-007, August 2019. View Details

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American Connector Co. (B)

Abstract

Citation:

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