This is a 50-minute lecture by Professor Douglas W. Rae of Yale University, who uses the case of Polaroid cameras to highlight key features of the capitalist system. Polaroid's business model, corporate culture, and firm trajectory are discussed. Important firm decisions are analyzed, including product offerings and mergers. Professor Rae explores factors that led to Polaroid's demise, including the company's relentless focus on scientific innovation at the expense of market research and product development. Polaroid was unable to keep up with market changes, such as the advent of the one-hour photo processing and the revolution in digital photography.
Type of Material:
Lecture/presentation
Recommended Uses:
In-class or outside-of-class viewing; it could be used as a supplemental lecture.
Technical Requirements:
Browser
Identify Major Learning Goals:
The goal of the lecture was to walk students through the Polaroid case in this particular course. Generally, it is a review of the company’s business model and culture, as well as the industry climate at the time, and how both served to cause the company’s failure over time. Specifically, the objective is to identify some issues causing the failure of a once-dominant company.
Target Student Population:
Due to the concepts and analysis presented, an upper-level business marketing or management course would be most aligned with the content, i.e. a Strategy or Capstone course.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
A foundation of Principles of Management, Marketing, and Finance would be most helpful in understanding the content and graphics presented.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This is a well-delivered and interesting lecture on the case of the failure of Polaroid. It delves into several concepts relevant to corporate culture, marketing, strategy, and new product development. The presentation was recorded in 2009, and lasts approximately 50 minutes. It opens with a video of former Polaroid CEOs, who discuss events up to and during the company’s final days. The remaining content serves as a lecture/discussion on a Polaroid case that the class has reviewed in preparation. Generally the information provided is a good illustration of how a company’s culture and strategy could be misaligned with the industry climate, and how this can lead to failure. The discussion is supported with graphs, and there are subtitles that clarify the verbal content. Despite the number of years that have passed, the information presented is not outdated.
Concerns:
The lecture is predicated on a case study that students have supposedly read, and so the questions are based on that assumption. The lecture was filmed in 2009, and the undergraduate population at that time had little connection to the Polaroid history. The video frequently refers back to the case content that the students in the course had. Without this information, the instructor would need to provide some background on the company and the industry (Kodak is mentioned as well) so as to create a frame of reference. Additionally, this reviewer did experience both sound and streaming difficulties at times.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Polaroid, as a company, is a perfect case for exploring internal and external factors leading to the dissolution of a business. This presentation reviews that discussion, accompanied with excellent graphics (despite being difficult to see at times), and is a good illustration for a strategic or capstone course. Subtitles are offered so that the viewer doesn’t miss any verbal content, and there is some interactivity between the presenter and his students so that the viewer is watching a typical class exchange. The lecture is very effective if prior context on the subjects is provided to students.
Concerns:
This module requires that context be provided ahead of time in order to maximize effectiveness. The teaching effectiveness is primarily limited by the frame of reference – the viewer doesn’t have access to the case information being lectured about, and that lack of familiarity can inhibit complete understanding of the information presented. An instructor would need to provide support material on Polaroid and the industry factors for students to obtain maximum benefit. Additionally the lecture moves somewhat slowly, and may lose a student’s attention. Instructors might find that a “live” class discussion is more effective for learning that having students view this prerecorded one. Lastly, there are no associated activities – an instructor would need to develop any desired follow-up exercise to student viewing of this presentation.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The video lecture is not intended to be interactive or engaging, but it is easy to use. The presentation is online, and therefore viewable on multiple devices. Downloads in various formats are provided if streaming is not the student’s preferred method for viewing. The visuals are well-done, and the camera focus on the instructor and the presentation slides is well-balanced.
Concerns:
The video and sound quality is generally poor. There are subtitles that can be downloaded, however these did not work at the time of this review.
Creative Commons:
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