Manchester Bidwell Corporation: the Replication Question

Toby E. Stuart; G. Felda  Hardymon; James L. Heskett; Ann  Leamon

Case | HBS Case Collection | April 2010

Manchester Bidwell Corporation: the Replication Question

by Toby E. Stuart, G. Felda Hardymon, James L. Heskett and Ann Leamon

Abstract

Bill Strickland, CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation, must decide the best way to replicate his innovative, award-winning approach to curing poverty. Manchester Bidwell's approach, which provides both adult job-training tuned to fill the needs of local industries and after-school art instruction for at-risk youth, has proven highly effective over the 40 years Strickland has operated it. He wants to replicate this strategy across 100 or 200 cities, but progress has been slow. Is the current intensive approach correct, or should he change it? What would be at risk? How can he best provide his “cure for poverty” to the greatest number of communities?

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Nonprofit Organizations; Growth and Development; Social Enterprise; Poverty; Training; Competency and Skills; Jobs and Positions; Human Resources;

Format: Print

19 pages

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Citation:

Stuart, Toby E., G. Felda Hardymon, James L. Heskett, and Ann Leamon. "Manchester Bidwell Corporation: the Replication Question." Harvard Business School Case 810-097, April 2010.

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Manchester Bidwell Corporation: the Replication Question

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