Professor of Management, Paul W. Marshall, is affiliated with the Entrepreneurial Management Unit and teaches The Entrepreneurial Manager in the Turnaround Environment. This Elective Curriculum course focuses on the role of managers trying to execute an Operational Turnaround in a company in distress. He also teaches in the The Global Colloquium on Participant Centered Learning (GCPCL). This Executive Education program is attended by Professors from Business Schools in Asia, Europe and Latin America and focuses on how to teach using the case method and how to develop materials for case based courses. Previously he has been the Course Head for the Required Curriculum course entitled The Entrepreneurial Manager, and also taught the course entitled Running and Growing the Small Company in the Elective Curriculum of the MBA program and the Finance Course in the Required Curriculum.
In 2011 he received the Charles M. Williams Award for teaching excellence. The MBA class of 2011 selected Professor Marshall to receive their Outstanding Professor Award. In 2008 he was named an Honorary Professor by Xiamen University in Xiamen, China. He also received the Outstanding Professor Award from the MBA Class of 1999 and the MBA class of 1998.
Professor Marshall has been a member of the Harvard Business School faculty on two prior occasions. During his first appointment he served as course head for the Production and Operations Management course in the Required Curriculum. He also taught and developed material in Managerial Economics, Decision Analysis, Manufacturing Policy, and Project Management. Subsequently with a part-time appointment as Adjunct Professor he taught the Required Curriculum course, Management Policy and Practice.
His most recent job before returning to Harvard was Chairman and CEO of Rochester Shoe Tree Company, Inc. He managed this company during a four-year turnaround and implemented a major reorganization and cost reduction program that improved profitability in the face of declining sales. In 1977 he was a cofounder of Putnam, Hayes and Bartlett, a Management Consulting firm. As a principal of this firm he directed studies to analyze the competitive dynamics within the International Steel Industry and the International Iron Ore Industry. He Co-authored 'Economics of International Steel Trade: Policy Implications for the United States' and was one of the American representatives to OECD conference on Future of the World Steel Industry. He also founded Marshall Bartlett Incorporated and while serving as a principal of this firm he conducted strategic reviews for companies with interests in the Health Care Industry, the Food Packaging Industry, and the Steel Production and Distribution Industry.
He received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with High Honors from the University of Cincinnati and his MBA with High Distinction and his DBA degree from Harvard. He is the co-author of three text and case books: New Business Ventures and the Entrepreneur, McGraw Hill Irwin, 2006; Operations Management: Text and Cases, Richard D. Irwin, 1975; Managerial Economics: Text and Cases, Richard D. Irwin, 1973.
He is married to Judith Bartlett Marshall and they live in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They have three children—Tiffany, Christopher and Patrick. He has been a member of the Lexington Board of Selectmen, the Cary Library Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors of the Lexington Golf Club. He is Past President of the Massachusetts Municipal Association and a member of the Governor's Local Government Advisory Committee. He was a member of the Massachusetts Special Commission on Tax Reform and the Governor's Task Force on Local Finance. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Union Corrugating Company, Rochester Shoe Tree Company, Inc. and MARTEST, Inc. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Raymond James Financial, BE Aerospace, and Foodbrands America. In 1995 he served as a member of the U.S. Export Import Bank Advisory Committee. In 1983, he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering.
Marshall, Paul, William Abernathy, Jeffrey G. Miller, Richard P. Olsen, Richard S. Rosenbloom, and D. Daryl Wyckoff. Operations Management: Text and Cases. Homewood, IL: Richard D. Irwin, 1975.
View Details
Marshall, Paul, and Carole Carlson. "Relax (Boston): Innovating and Growing an Entrepreneurial Business (Brief Case)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 918-524, June 2018.
View Details
The Relax case traces the history of a massage services company from its founding in 2007 to mid-2017, when it is considering the best strategy for growth and an acquisition. The company's owner and top managers wonder how the firm should reorganize to cope with the challenges posed by the company's transformation from a small, independent operation to a professionally managed enterprise. This case illustrates the challenges of preparing for rapid growth. It covers issues of internal management and organization, as well as brand management decisions. Relax can be used in an entrepreneurial management or small business course. Because of the emphasis the company places on its brand, it may also be applicable for some marketing or brand management classes.
Paul W. Marshall, John H. Lynch, David J. Donahue and Philip B. Rich
Citation:
Marshall, Paul W., John H. Lynch, David J. Donahue, and Philip B. Rich. "Keurig: Hostile Takeover (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 918-402, July 2017. (Revised April 2018.)
View Details
Paul W. Marshall, John H. Lynch, David J. Donahue and Philip B. Rich
Citation:
Marshall, Paul W., John H. Lynch, David J. Donahue, and Philip B. Rich. "Keurig: Hostile Takeover (A)." Harvard Business School Case 918-401, July 2017. (Revised April 2018.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul, and Mark Davis. "Three Jays Corporation, Spreadsheet for Students (Brief Case)." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 915-533, August 2014.
View Details
Marshall, Paul, and Mark Davis. "Three Jays Corporation, Spreadsheet for Instructors (Brief Case)." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 915-534, August 2014.
View Details
Brodie Arens is an MBA student and summer intern at Three Jays Corporation, a jam and jelly manufacturer in Michigan. Brodie's first assignment as an intern is to update the inventory and production planning system. Initially, he begins by updating the Economic Order Quantities (EOQ) and Reorder Points (ROP) for each product. However, he soon learns that the formal production planning system was being ignored by the workers on the factory floor. Consequently, Brodie has to decide what should be done with the system and how to implement his recommendations. This case illustrates the 2 major types of errors that can occur when using Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) as a tool in production scheduling. It can be used in an inventory control or tradeoff analysis section in a production and operations management course or in a supply chain management course.
XTech, a leading manufacturer of metal parts for the telecommunications industry, is being pushed by its large equipment vendor customers to establish a manufacturing operation in China. CEO Reinhold Hesse is debating several options: establishing a joint venture, contracting with a local partner, or setting up a wholly owned enterprise. Hesse must prepare his recommendation to the management team, which includes owners Jim and Debby Sharpe.
This case describes the experiences of an HBS student as he takes on the challege of transitioning from an intern to a president at a small consumer packaged goods firm in Southern Texas. This HBS student is confronted with the opportunity to perform an operational and financial turnaround at the company within one year. Over his short tenure, he is forced to deal with several critical immediate issues that include product line shutdowns, immediate measurement systems, and executive team building.
PRG-Schultz will run out of cash within a couple of months unless the new CEO can reduce costs and restructure the company's debt. PRG was the dominant market leader in the audit recovery industry. The industry consisted of firms which employed accounting professionals to audit purchasing transactions to discover and collect funds owed to their clients. PRG had historically been profitable, and clients were satisfied with their service. In recent years, however, the industry overall and PRG's sales, had been in decline. This left PRG with a cost base that was no longer sustainable. The CEO must decide where to cut costs and how to convince creditors to give the company the time it needs to turn around. A bankruptcy reorganization is one option open to the company. Describes the audit recovery industry, the company's history, the CEO, the financial problems the company faced, and the first steps taken by the CEO to save the company.
In spring 2009, Chrysler entered a prepackaged bankruptcy and exited 40 days later in a deal with Fiat, the U.S. Treasury, and the UAW that kept the automaker alive. Looking forward, what was necessary for Chrysler to move beyond the life support it had received? What was possible? Looking back, how should the company's restructuring be assessed?
Harreld, J. Bruce, Paul W. Marshall, and David Lane. "Chrysler Fiat 2009." Harvard Business School Case 811-030, November 2010. (Revised August 2013.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul W., and Jim Sharpe. "Parmalat Uruguay (A) & (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 812-083, April 2012. (Revised August 2013.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul W., and Jim Sharpe. "Jody Leleck at Broad Acres (TN) (A) & (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 812-058, April 2012.
View Details
Marshall, Paul W., and Jim Sharpe. "Chuck's Wagon Inc. (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 812-059, April 2012. (Revised November 2012.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul W. "Jim Sharp: Extrusion Technologies Inc. (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 806-175, April 2006. (Revised February 2012.)
View Details
Hexcel's new CEO is faced with deciding how to "take out" $60 million in cash costs in fiscal 2002, as two of the company's end markets—electronics and commercial aerospace—are expected to decline precipitously. Options include closing plants, exiting a business, or undertaking a major headcount reduction. Includes a description of Hexcel's private equity relationship with Goldman Sach's Capital Partners and presents the financial challenges of renegotiating bank lending covenants and managing maturing debt. Focuses on selecting a turnaround approach from the point of view of a general manager (the CEO).
Marshall, Paul W., James Quinn, and Reed Martin. "Hexcel Turnaround — 2001 (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 806-100, March 2006. (Revised December 2013.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul W., James Quinn, and Reed Martin. "Hexcel Turnaround — 2001 (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 806-101, March 2006. (Revised December 2013.)
View Details
Jody Leleck has been appointed the principal of Broad Acres Middle School in Montgomery County, Maryland. The school is underperforming all other schools in the district, and she has been asked to improve the performance.
Paul W. Marshall, Thomas R. Eisenmann, Shikhar Ghosh and Lauren Barley
Provides background information for a negotiations exercise in which students will represent either Keurig, a startup that has developed an innovative "portion pack" coffee brewing solution, or Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), a fast-growing premium coffee roaster interested in licensing Keurig's technology. The negotiation will determine the royalty to be paid to Keurig by GMCR, which will bear capital expenditures, and whether GMCR secures exclusive distribution rights to Keurig's system.
Three young MBAs create a partnership to acquire the assets of Parmalat in Uruguay. Focuses on their analysis prior to submitting a bid and their plan for improving the operations once their bid is accepted. In addition to improving operations, they must negotiate with creditors to reduce the debt burden on the company.
Describes the operating challenges of Newport Creamery, a Rhode Island-based chain of ice cream restaurants. Profiles the company's transition from longtime family ownership to a real estate developer, the developer's expansion strategy, and the company's subsequent difficulties. The company is forced to seek Chapter 11 protection and eventually a court-appointed interim CEO spends 2 weeks evaluating whether to recommend keeping the company in Chapter 11 or converting to a Chapter 7 case. During the evaluation period, the interim CEO has to manage the company's financial crisis.
Lauri Union graduates from Harvard Business School and takes over her family's steel-corrugated roofing and siding manufacturing firm, which her mother has most recently run. The industry is mature, entry barriers to competitors are low, and the company is over 50 years old and performing poorly. This case details Union's efforts to turn the company around by changing the management team to help increase sales, streamline operations, improve customer service and employee morale, and confront a culture of low expectations and performance.A rewritten version of an earlier case.
Marshall, Paul W. "Union Corrugating Company (A) and (B) ." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 807-109, December 2006. (Revised June 2013.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul W., Charles Anthony Miller, and Collins Pettus Ward. "Paradise Travel Advisory Service." Harvard Business School Case 811-020, August 2010. (Revised September 2010.)
View Details
In late November 2000, Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., the once-monopolized telecom operator owned by the Taiwanese government, was on its way to privatization. Mr. C.K. Mao, Chairman of the company, who headed the job only three months earlier, after its prior chairman resigned unexpectedly in the midst of chaos brought by the resistance of its staff who feared losing their civil servant status after privatization. Also facing Mao was the forthcoming deregulation of the telecommunication industry on the island which would bring about new competitors on fixed-line services, in addition to the already competitive mobile communication segment where the company's once dominant market share was heavily eroded. Mao had to decide on the pricing strategies for the company's various product lines, including fixed line, mobile services, as well as data communication. He also needed to ponder on how to revise the company's compensation system to better motivate its staff in a deregulated market and communicate all these changes to the unionized labor force.
In late November 2000, Chung Telecom Co., Ltd., the once-monopolized telecom operator owned by the Taiwanese government, was on its way to privatization. Mr. C.K. Mao, Chairman of the company, was headed the job only three months earlier, after its prior chairman resigned unexpectedly in the midst of chaos brought by the resistance of its staff who feared losing their civil servant status after privatization. Also facing Mao was the forthcoming deregulation of the telecommunication industry on the island which would brought about new competitors on fixed line services, in addition to the already competitive mobile communication segment where the company's once dominant market share was heavily eroded. Mao had to decide on the pricing strategies for the company's various product lines, including fixed line, mobile services, as well as data communication. He also needed to ponder on how to revise the company's compensation system to better motivate its staff in a deregulated market and communicate all these changes to the unionized labor force.
Three young MBAs create a partnership to acquire the assets of Parmalat in Uruguay. Focuses on their analysis prior to submitting a bid and their plan for improving the operations once their bid is accepted. In addition to improving operations, they must negotiate with creditors to reduce the debt burden on the company.
Marshall, Paul W., and Gustavo A. Herrero. "Parmalat Uruguay (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 807-119, March 2007. (Revised December 2007.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul W. "Fleet Managed Assets Division (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 807-098, November 2006. (Revised July 2012.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul W. "Hexcel Turnaround -- 2001 (A), (B) and (C)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 807-115, December 2006. (Revised August 2013.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul W., H. Kent Bowen, and Steven C. Wheelwright. "A Fall before Rising: The Story of Jai Jaikumar (TN) (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 607-053, December 2006.
View Details
Paul Kennedy, executive director of Fleet's Managed Asset Division, must decide whether to extend further credit to Polaroid Corp. in the fall of 2001. Polaroid's credit rating had been declining rapidly, but it was a major employer in the Boston area with many employees who were Fleet Bank customers.
Lauri Union, president of Union Corrugating Co., has successfully transformed her family's corrugated steel roofing and siding manufacturer into a successful enterprise. Reviews how Union turned the struggling company around and also considers the management structure she put in place so that she could effectively run the Fayetteville, N.C.-based company from her home in Boston. In 2003, the company is facing a number of competitive threats, and Union is wondering how best to address these threats, while also seeking a greater balance in her life between work and family.
On March 27, 2000, Jamie Dimon was hired as CEO to turn around Bank One. Describes the issues he faces, as he prepares to present an action plan to the board.
To distribute only after discussion of HBS case 9-804-107. Describes the decisions made by Jamie Dimon as the new CEO in July 2000 and summarizes the progress of his turnaround over the next three years.
Nick Lazaris becomes Keurig's third CEO in three years, after one founder was fired and the other decided to leave the company. He inherits a company that has made several abortive attempts to launch its new coffee brewing system. Now, problems with crucial suppliers threaten the next proposed launch plan.
Irving Tanning, one of the few remaining U.S. leather tanneries, has successfully emerged from bankruptcy. The CEO is now looking at strategic options for the future of Irving.
Marshall, Paul W., and Johanna Regine Naunton Blaxall. "Irving Tanning." Harvard Business School Case 804-082, December 2003. (Revised June 2012.)
View Details
Profiles veteran investor Wilbur L. Ross, Jr.'s plan to turn around the aging steel assets of LTV, formerly America's second largest integrated steel producer. Purchasing several key assets from LTV under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code, Ross is able to acquire the assets free of any pension or healthcare liabilities to retirees. Examines the challenges Ross faces as he tries to make the reborn steel company into a global player as one of the world's lowest cost producers. To accomplish this, he must negotiate a new agreement with the steelworkers' union, transform the old LTV culture, and secure long-term contracts with the right customers who could fulfill ISG's capacity requirements.
Describes the operating challenges of Cable Data Systems (CDS), a minority-owned cable installation company with a dual mission of maximizing profits and providing employment opportunities to minorities in urban markets. Following the merger of two cable installation companies in the Boston metro area, management at the combined entity (CDS) forecasts strong growth for its services. Accordingly, they build out the workforce and support infrastructure. But the company begins to lose cash in light of volatile customer demand and high labor costs. The latter is exacerbated by deteriorating and unresolved union issues. Examines the choices the CEO has to increase revenue and reduce labor costs. The decision is further complicated by outstanding issues with the previous owner, who has remained employed by the new company.
Marshall, Paul W., and Todd H Thedinga. "Cable Data Systems." Harvard Business School Case 803-132, February 2003. (Revised October 2003.)
View Details
Circles, a corporate concierge company on the verge of profitability, must make a decision whether to take a D-round venture capital despite ever-changing and ever-worsening terms. A four-year-old company with several major clients, it has met its business plan projections and finds itself only a month or two away from profitability. Co-founder Janet Kraus works with her board and management team to consider alternatives to taking venture capital money. Together, they weigh the pros and cons of different types of funding and growth strategies and, ultimately, they must decide which path to pursue.
Jim Sharpe discusses his early career at General Electric to his decision to purchase and run a small company. The discussion includes a detailed acquisition financing proposal, which resulted in Sharpe being able to raise virtually all of the financing from some combination of the seller and the bank.
Describes the primary elements and defining characteristics of a company's business model from the perspective of an entrepreneur. Introduces several analytic techniques and provides illustrative examples of business models to support the analytic framework presented.
Tracmail, an online customer service company based in India, is trying to handle support services (e-mail and chat) for companies worldwide. In its quest to break into global markets, Tracmail is contemplating a joint venture with a U.S. call center. Tracmail is also grappling with issues such as setting up a U.S. sales force (when the majority of the company's workforce is based in India) as well as convincing American companies to entrust their entire customer service department to a foreign company.
Marshall, Paul W., Carin-Isabel Knoop, and Suma Raju. "Tracmail." Harvard Business School Case 801-037, February 2001. (Revised January 2002.)
View Details
Discusses the development of an Internet start-up by a recent HBS graduate. Details the company's business plan, incubation, technology development, marketing strategy, and search for funding.
Candace Kendle and Christopher Bergen, the CEO and COO of Kendle International, Inc., are reviewing ways to finance the growth of their privately-owned company. Kendle is a contract research organization that conducts clinical drug trials for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. To compete more effectively, Kendle plans to grow through international acquisitions. It is now time to decide whether to go ahead with a full program of two European acquisitions, a large debt financing through Nationsbank, and an initial public offering to repay the debt and provide cash for future acquisitions. The falling stock prices of Kendle's competitors add pressure to the situation. Teaching purpose: To develop skills in designing and implementing an integrated financial and acquisition strategy.
Crane, Dwight B., Paul W. Marshall, and Indra Reinbergs. "Kendle International Inc." Harvard Business School Case 200-033, February 2000. (Revised October 2000.)
View Details
A student takes the role of the father who is the CEO of a family business. A non-family manager has asked for a meeting. Agenda topics are: your son's latest proposal and managers' desire to own equity.
Students must take the role of a family member who is the CEO of a commercial printing business. Discusses how you will finance growth and still maintain dividends for other family members.
Chantal Cookware is a small, private company with a 15-year record of success in the design, assembly, and sale of high-end cookware. It experiences serious setbacks when consumers' tastes shift from colorful enamel-on-steel products to commercial-style cookware. Thurlow must decide how to revitalize the business and considers several alternatives, including entering a lower priced niche or repositioning the existing product line. Includes color exhibits.
Bowen, H. Kent, Paul W. Marshall, and Stephanie Dodson. "Chantal Cookware Corp." Harvard Business School Case 699-023, October 1998. (Revised November 1999.)
View Details
Mickey Maurer is a successful entrepreneur who retired in the late 1980s and then reentered the business world with the purchase of two media companies. In the radio industry he faces competition from large national players. In his publishing enterprise, Maurer assesses how he can grow his business and keep his key executives motivated.
Entrepreneur Doug Levine runs a fitness company with an incredibly powerful brand. His company leverages the brand to expand, both in terms of facilities and lines of business. But he may need to make significant organizational changes in order to continue the growth.
Marshall, Paul W., John S. Hammond, and William L Berry. "Hawthorne Plastics, Inc. TN." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 399-004, July 1998.
View Details
Marshall, Paul W., and Steven C. Wheelwright. "Lowell Steel Corp., Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 678-034, August 1977. (Revised June 1987.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul W., and Steven C. Wheelwright. "Blitz Co., Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 678-031, August 1977. (Revised November 1985.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul W., and Steven C. Wheelwright. "Blanchard Importing and Distribution Co., Inc., Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 678-033, August 1977. (Revised November 1985.)
View Details
Illustration of the two main types of errors resulting from use of the economic order quantity (EOQ) as a tool in production scheduling. Designed to permit class discussion to begin with a consideration of one common type of mistake, errors in calculation of the EOQ volume resulting from use of incorrect data for the input parameters of the formula. The analysis can then shift to a more general discussion of the second type of error, the misapplication of EOQ and re-order point (ROP) techniques to a given system. Class discussion can conclude with student recommendations of alternative techniques which may be better suited to the Blanchard operation than the EOQ/ROP method.
Marshall, Paul W., and Steven C. Wheelwright. "Atherton Division of Litton Industries, Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 677-231, May 1977. (Revised October 1980.)
View Details
Marshall, Paul W., and Steven C. Wheelwright. "P.T. Pertamina: Gulf Industrial Processing, Teaching Note." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 377-088, October 1976.
View Details
Deals with the use of critical path method for the construction of remote control building, which is part of a water purification system. Discusses the necessity of determining the shortest possible time in which a job could be done without spending more money. Case uses "activity on node" diagram. Based on Space Constructors Inc.
