Dr Jorge Ramirez-Vallejo is a member of the Harvard Business School faculty at Professor Michael E. Porter’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness. He holds a PhD in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota and degrees in Engineering from Colorado State University and Escuela Colombiana de Ingenieria. He is an Associate Professor at the School of Management of Universidad de los Andes in Colombia, and founder and former Director of the Center for Strategy and Competitiveness at the Universidad de los Andes.
Dr. Ramirez-Vallejo has been a Visiting Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School and Visiting Scholar at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies and Visiting Scholar at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. He worked previously at the Colombian Federation of Coffee Growers (FEDERACAFE) as Director of the competitiveness program. He was CEO of the National Development Bank in Colombia, FINDETER; Director General of the Irrigation and Land Improvement Institute and Director of Agricultural Planning of the country. He also worked as an economist for the Inter-American Development Bank.
As the largest company, by revenue, in the world, Walmart has been a lightning rod for criticism. However, in an attempt to stay ahead of traditional and digital retailers, and keep customers satisfied with evolving demands, the company is strengthening its competitive advantage by creating Shared Value. Current CEO, Doug McMillon outlines his strategy for fending off competition, navigating a challenging retail landscape, and positioning Walmart as a leading retailer for today and the future.
This case explores how a company can use shared value as a lens to think about competition and strategy choices in a challenging and evolving industry. The case takes a historical look at the structure of the retail pharmacy industry and the changing nature of rivalry among competitors. The case examines how CVS was able to surpass the long-time industry leader, Walgreens, and highlights CVS Health's shift in strategy starting in the mid-2000s.
Leading fertilizer producer Yara International demonstrates the concept of creating shared value through the Southern Agricultural Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) initiative, which brought together multiple organizations to enhance agricultural development in rural regions.
Porter, Michael E., Mark R. Kramer, Jorge Ramirez-Vallejo, and Kerry Herman. "Yara International: Africa Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 715-402, December 2014. (Revised January 2018.)
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Traces the economic development of New York City from its founding in the 17th century through 2012. Focuses on the decisions made by New York City officials, past and present, highlighting the challenges of economic development at the city level. Enables deep examination of the interdependence and interrelation of economic policies at the city, state, and federal level and explores the role of economic and cluster performance. Detailed historical economic and social data allow for an evaluation of policy results. The case finishes highlighting the main economic challenges the city was facing in 2012.
The New Carolina Initiative case explores the process of fostering competitiveness in the subnational region, South Carolina, one of the poorest states in the United States. The case has been developed primarily for use in the course "Microeconomics of Competitiveness," developing the concept of organizations for competitiveness in a subnational region and the elements of constructing an economic strategy. The case also outlines the adopted cluster vision of development for the state and the various task forces created to upgrade the business environment of the state. South Carolina's Council on Competitiveness, New Carolina, is an organization with significant capacity to mobilize regional actors in various task forces and cluster initiatives. Showcasing the complexity and organizational challenges of building a competitiveness initiative, the case emphasizes the importance of engagement from both private and public sector representatives. The case also provides an opportunity to discuss the competitive position of the South Carolina economy in 2011.
The case is designed to explore the process of building competitiveness, particularly in an unstable environment, with a focus on organizing for competitiveness.
Describes the Dutch Flower cluster, or the group of interconnected growers, suppliers, service providers, and flower-related institutions located in The Netherlands. Examines the role of the FloraHolland auction in the value chain. Also describes the flower clusters in China, Colombia, Ecuador, and Kenya, the four other major international competitors.
Porter, Michael E., Jorge Ramirez-Vallejo, and Fred van Eenennaam. "The Dutch Flower Cluster." Harvard Business School Case 711-507, March 2011. (Revised November 2013.)
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Ramirez-Vallejo, Jorge, and Michael E. Porter. "Colombia: Organizing for Competitiveness (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 711-481, January 2011.
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