How to Crack a Strategy Case

Stephen P. Bradley; David J. Collis; Kevin P. Coyne; Andrei  Hagiu; Mikolaj Jan Piskorski; Jan W. Rivkin; John R. Wells

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Background Note | HBS Case Collection | March 2007 (Revised February 2009)

How to Crack a Strategy Case

by Stephen P. Bradley, David J. Collis, Kevin P. Coyne, Andrei Hagiu, Mikolaj Jan Piskorski, Jan W. Rivkin and John R. Wells

Abstract

Addresses a common concern among strategy students: "How should I tackle this case?" Describes a process for diagnosing a strategic situation, then generating, evaluating, and choosing among strategic options.

Keywords: Decisions; Management Practices and Processes; Situation or Environment; Strategy; Valuation;

Format: Print

8 pages

Educators

Citation:

Bradley, Stephen P., David J. Collis, Kevin P. Coyne, Andrei Hagiu, Mikolaj Jan Piskorski, Jan W. Rivkin, and John R. Wells. "How to Crack a Strategy Case." Harvard Business School Background Note 707-549, March 2007. (Revised February 2009.)

About the Authors

Stephen P. Bradley

William Ziegler Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus

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David J. Collis

Adjunct Professor

Strategy

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Jan W. Rivkin

C. Roland Christensen Professor of Business Administration
Senior Associate Dean, Chair, MBA Program

Strategy

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John R. Wells

Professor of Management Practice

Strategy

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More from these Authors

Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2018 (Revised January 2020)

Walmart Inc. takes on Amazon.com

David Collis, Andy Wu, Rembrand Koning and Huaiyi CiCi Sun

This case explores how Walmart should compete with Amazon.

Keywords: Strategy; Competition; Competitive Strategy; Retail Industry;

Citation:
Collis, David, Andy Wu, Rembrand Koning, and Huaiyi CiCi Sun. "Walmart Inc. takes on Amazon.com." Harvard Business School Case 718-481, January 2018. (Revised January 2020.) View Details

Cite View Details Educators Purchase Related
Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2020

Salary Finance US

John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock

In October 2019, Dan Macklin, the newly-appointed chief executive of Salary Finance Inc., was weighing his options for the future of the business. The company’s value proposition was quite simple: partner with employers to offer employees affordable loans that were repaid through automatic payroll deductions. Taking repayments directly from salary, and collecting those repayments in one transaction from the employer, dramatically reduced costs, saving employees large amounts of interest when compared to market alternatives like credit cards or payday lenders.
Salary Finance Inc. was a subsidiary of Salary Finance Limited which was launched in the UK in 2015. By September 2018, Salary Finance Limited had partnered with over 100 UK employers and offered loans to around one million employees. It was at this point that the company decided to try and replicate this success in the United States, and opened an office in Boston, Massachusetts. By October 2019, the US business had partnered with 15 employers, offering loans to around 50,000 employees.
In October 2019, Macklin was contemplating the best way to accelerate the growth of Salary Finance Inc. to hit his 10 million employee target. He was also wrestling with whether he should stick with the core product or add new products to drive sales. This had worked well in the UK where pay advances and savings accounts had proven popular in addition to their core loan product. Salary Finance Inc. was off to a good start, but it remained uncertain how quickly Macklin could grow the business and help more Americans get out of debt.

Keywords: Employees; Credit; Financing and Loans; Wages; Innovation and Invention; Expansion; Growth Management; Decision Making; Financial Services Industry; United States;

Citation:
Wells, John R., and Benjamin Weinstock. "Salary Finance US." Harvard Business School Case 720-421, January 2020. View Details

Cite View Details Educators Related
Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2020

Hurtigruten: Sailing into Warm Water?

Jan W. Rivkin and Kerry Herman

Citation:
Rivkin, Jan W., and Kerry Herman. "Hurtigruten: Sailing into Warm Water?" Harvard Business School Case 720-410, January 2020. View Details

Cite View Details Educators Related

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How to Crack a Strategy Case

Abstract

Citation:

About the Authors

More from these Authors