Strategy

- 2023
- Working Paper
Coordinated R&D Programs and the Creation of New Industries

By: Daniel P. Gross and Maria P. Roche

Government R&D programs have a long history in supporting industry development, yet their impacts are often overlooked in strategy research. We examine how a large, coordinated, government-funded effort to develop radar in World War II spawned a new high-tech industry. Led by an organization stood up to conduct and manage radar R&D - the MIT Radiation Laboratory - it brought together researchers and firms without previous collaborative ties, who were otherwise unlikely to work together, into a temporary cooperative enterprise that rapidly advanced technology and connected R&D to manufacturing and the battlefield. This effort set the building blocks of the nascent postwar radar industry: new technical knowledge, human capital, manufacturing capacity, and demand. The urgency of war, and coordinated investment, accelerated industry incubation from decades to under five years.
- 2023
- Working Paper
Coordinated R&D Programs and the Creation of New Industries

By: Daniel P. Gross and Maria P. Roche

Government R&D programs have a long history in supporting industry development, yet their impacts are often overlooked in strategy research. We examine how a large, coordinated, government-funded effort to develop radar in World War II spawned a new high-tech industry. Led by an organization stood up to conduct and manage radar R&D - the MIT...
- November 2023
- Case
Biocon Biologics, 2023

By: Tarun Khanna and Radhika Kak
- November 2023
- Case
Biocon Biologics, 2023

By: Tarun Khanna and Radhika Kak
- November 2023
- Case
Apple Inc. in 2023

By: David B. Yoffie and Sarah von Bargen
- November 2023
- Case
Apple Inc. in 2023

By: David B. Yoffie and Sarah von Bargen

About the Unit

The Strategy unit studies firms as competitors in an economic landscape. Key issues include: the development and effectiveness of firm strategy at both a business and corporate level; the analysis of the competitive environment; and the sustainability of strategy over time.

Our research, course development, and teaching draws on multiple disciplines, including economics, sociology, and political science, and focuses on both domestic and global competition. The objective of the work is to generate findings and develop concepts that will help managers improve their strategic decisions while advancing the state of knowledge in the academic study of strategy and related disciplines.

Recent Publications

Introduction to the RC Strategy Course 2024

By: Juan Alcacer

November 2023 |
Course Overview Note |
Faculty Research

Citation

IBJ, Inc. (A-B): Seeking Matrimony in Japan

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Jordan Mitchell

November 2023 |
Teaching Note |
Faculty Research

Citation

Coordinated R&D Programs and the Creation of New Industries

By: Daniel P. Gross and Maria P. Roche

2023 |
Working Paper |
Faculty Research

Government R&D programs have a long history in supporting industry development, yet their impacts are often overlooked in strategy research. We examine how a large, coordinated, government-funded effort to develop radar in World War II spawned a new high-tech industry. Led by an organization stood up to conduct and manage radar R&D - the MIT Radiation Laboratory - it brought together researchers and firms without previous collaborative ties, who were otherwise unlikely to work together, into a temporary cooperative enterprise that rapidly advanced technology and connected R&D to manufacturing and the battlefield. This effort set the building blocks of the nascent postwar radar industry: new technical knowledge, human capital, manufacturing capacity, and demand. The urgency of war, and coordinated investment, accelerated industry incubation from decades to under five years.

Keywords: Research and Development; Policy; Business and Government Relations; Technological Innovation; Collaborative Innovation and Invention

Citation

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Biocon Biologics, 2023

By: Tarun Khanna and Radhika Kak

November 2023 |
Case |
Faculty Research

Citation

Educators

Tata Group in 2021: Pursuing Profits through Purpose

By: Tarun Khanna, Krishna G. Palepu and Vidhya Muthuram

November 2023 |
Case |
Faculty Research

October 8, 2021: Tata Sons won a bid to acquire India’s national carrier Air India, marking the airline's return to its original owners after 68 long years. The winning bid of $2.4 billion gave Tata Sons full ownership of the airline and its coveted network of 6,200 landing and parking slots in Indian airports and 900 slots in overseas hubs. This bid marked the end of a two-decade-long journey for the Indian government that had been trying to sell the troubled airline which, according to recent estimates, was losing nearly $3 million per day. The chairman of Tata Sons, Natarajan Chandrasekaran (Chandra), described the occasion as a “historic moment.” “It will be a rare privilege for our group to own and operate the country’s flag bearer airline. It will be our endeavor to build a world-class airline that makes every Indian proud.” The acquisition of a heavily indebted and loss-making public sector asset raised several questions: Why did Tata Sons acquire Air India? Was it an emotional decision to regain control of an airline they had started? Was this an example of Tata Sons helping India overcome another persistent challenge, a trait well documented throughout its corporate history? Was it a commercially sound decision?

Keywords: Corporate Strategy; Mission and Purpose; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Emerging Markets; Mergers and Acquisitions; Ownership; Air Transportation Industry; India

Citation

Educators

Apple Inc. in 2023

By: David B. Yoffie and Sarah von Bargen

November 2023 |
Case |
Faculty Research

Citation

Educators

Purchase

Twitter Pro Forma Statement of Operations

By: Andy Wu

November 2023 |
Supplement |
Faculty Research

Keywords: Twitter

Citation

Purchase

Open Source Software and Global Entrepreneurship

By: Nataliya Langburd Wright, Frank Nagle and Shane Greenstein

November 2023 |
Article |
Research Policy

This is the first study to consider the relationship between open source software (OSS) and entrepreneurship around the globe. This study measures whether country-level participation on the GitHub OSS platform affects the founding of innovative ventures, and where it does so, for what types of ventures. We estimate these effects using cross-country variation in new venture founding and OSS participation. We propose an approach using instrumental variables, and cannot reject a causal interpretation. The study finds that an increase in GitHub participation in a given country generates an increase in the number of new technology ventures within that country in the subsequent year. The evidence suggests this relationship is complementary to a country’s endowments, and does not substitute for them. In addition to this positive change in the rate of entrepreneurship, we also find a change in direction—OSS contributions lead to new ventures that are more mission- and global-oriented and are of a higher quality. Together, the results suggest that OSS can boost entrepreneurial activity, albeit with a human capital prerequisite. Finally, we consider the implications for policies that encourage OSS as a lever for stimulating entrepreneurial growth.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Applications and Software; Business Ventures; Development Economics; Innovation and Invention; Global Range

Citation

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