Harvard Business School Custom Case Solution & Analysis

1. Evidence Brief (Case Researcher)

Financial Metrics:

HBS annual revenue (2007): $500M+ (Exhibit 1).
Primary revenue drivers: MBA tuition, Executive Education (EE), HBS Publishing (HBSP).
EE growth trend: Significant expansion in both open-enrollment and custom programs.
Cost structure: High fixed costs (faculty salaries, campus maintenance, research support).

Operational Facts:

Faculty Model: Faculty are expected to balance teaching, research, and case writing.
Case Method: Core pedagogical approach; requires high-touch classroom interaction.
HBS Publishing: Operates as a distinct unit; generates revenue through case sales and journals.

Stakeholder Positions:

Jay Light (Dean): Focused on maintaining excellence while adapting to global demands.
Faculty: Concerned about the balance between research output and teaching load.
Students: Expect high-quality interaction and strong career placement.

Information Gaps:

Granular margins per specific EE program.
Quantified impact of online delivery on brand equity.

2. Strategic Analysis (Strategic Analyst)

Core Strategic Question: How does HBS protect its pedagogical core while scaling its global influence through digital and executive channels?

Structural Analysis:

Value Chain: The HBS brand resides in the quality of the case method. Scaling requires digitizing the interaction without diluting the social capital of the network.
Five Forces: Rivalry among top-tier business schools is high; however, HBS has a moat based on intellectual property (case studies) that competitors struggle to replicate.

Strategic Options:

Digital Transformation: Invest in high-fidelity virtual delivery for EE. Trade-off: Lower margins per participant but higher volume.
Geographic Expansion: Physical presence in emerging markets. Trade-off: High capital expenditure and risk to brand consistency.
IP Monetization: Aggressive global distribution of HBSP content. Trade-off: Risk of commoditizing the HBS brand.

Preliminary Recommendation: Prioritize Digital Transformation. It aligns with the mission to educate global leaders while maintaining the physical campus as the premium, high-touch anchor.

3. Implementation Roadmap (Implementation Specialist)

Critical Path:

Phase 1 (Months 1-6): Pilot virtual synchronous sessions for existing EE clients.
Phase 2 (Months 7-12): Faculty training on digital pedagogy; infrastructure upgrade.
Phase 3 (Months 13-24): Full rollout of hybrid executive offerings.

Key Constraints:

Faculty Buy-in: Resistance to digital formats is high; faculty must see it as a research tool, not just a teaching one.
Technology Lag: The platform must support the intensity of the case method, not just lecture delivery.

Risk-Adjusted Implementation: Start with non-degree programs to test technical reliability. Build a 20% contingency budget for platform iterations based on user feedback.

4. Executive Review and BLUF (Executive Critic)

BLUF: HBS must prioritize digital transition to secure its influence. The school’s reliance on physical presence is a legacy constraint that ignores the shift in executive learning. By digitizing the case method for high-end executive programs, HBS can scale its revenue without compromising its pedagogical integrity. This requires immediate faculty incentivization reform to align research interests with digital delivery.

Dangerous Assumption: The assumption that the case method is exclusively a physical, in-room experience. If HBS does not define the digital standard for case-based learning, a tech-first entrant will.

Unaddressed Risks:

Brand Dilution: Over-exposure in digital markets may lower the perceived exclusivity of the degree.
Faculty Attrition: High-performing faculty may leave if the transition to digital teaching is perceived as a reduction in academic prestige.

Unconsidered Alternative: A joint venture model with top-tier international universities to co-develop regional cases, effectively localizing the HBS brand in high-growth markets without the capital burden of physical campuses.

Verdict: APPROVED FOR LEADERSHIP REVIEW.