a. Why did Harley Davidson get into trouble by the 1980s?

b. How was the industry changing even as Harley Davidson was struggling to stay alive?

c. How was Harley Davidson’s turnaround engineered?

d. What are some of the key strategic issues that Harley Davidson’s current CEO, James Ziemer, needs to address?

e. What are some opportunities in the horizon for Ziemer to think about?

The case looks at the resurgence of a US icon, Harley Davidson. After a string of unwise moves, including a strategy of using Harley Davidson as a cash cow, Harley Davidson was in a weak competitive position in the 1980s, ceding ground to Japanese rivals. The company’s resurgence began when a gang of 13 executives in charge of Harley Davidson bought the company from AMF, Harley Davidson’s conglomerate owner. It took five years of struggle to turn the company around and another 18 to transform Harley Davidson into a globally competitive icon. During this time, successive CEOs overhauled all of Harley Davidson’s functions, including operations and marketing. In addition, the company’s strategy became sharper and more focused. It is a good case to use to show the connection between strategy and business functions.