Publications

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14 Jun 2023
Research & Ideas

Four Steps to Building the Psychological Safety That High-Performing Teams Need

Perks like remote work or unlimited vacation time might be nice, but when it comes to true fulfillment in a post-pandemic workscape, psychological safety is essential. Harvard Business School Professor Amy C. Edmondson coined the term... View Details

Keywords: by Kara Baskin

09 Jun 2003
Research & Ideas

The Benefits of “Not Invented Here”

The best ideas and innovations are probably not invented by your company. But learning to find and work with leading partners in R&D calls for a massive cultural change, beginning with getting past the "not invented here"... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

January 2012 (Revised September 2015)
Case

Tough Decisions at Marks and Spencer

By: George Serafeim

In 2007, under the leadership of CEO Stuart Rose, the iconic British retailer Marks and Spencer, with great fanfare, announced its "Plan A" initiative. Based on the five essential pillars of climate change, waste, sustainable materials, fair partnership, and health,... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Corporate Strategy; Retail Industry

October 2019
Supplement

Airbus vs. Boeing (J): New Plane Developments (2016)

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Karen Elterman

This case describes Airbus and Boeing developments in 2016, including Airbus' delivery of the first A320neo (new engine option) and Boeing’s work on the 737 MAX and 777X programs. It also notes Airbus’ restructuring in 2016. View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Air Transportation; Projects; Competition; Restructuring; Manufacturing Industry; Air Transportation Industry; United States; Europe

22 Oct 2008
Working Paper Summaries

Variation in Experience and Team Familiarity: Addressing the Knowledge Acquisition-Application Problem

Keywords: by Robert S. Huckman & Bradley R. Staats; Video Game; Web Services

April 2011
Case

Daniel Kim's Dilemma (A)

By: Bill George and Natalie Kindred

Daniel Kim was considering "blowing the whistle" on his friend, the CEO of a fast-growing startup where Kim had spent most of his professional career. When Kim joined the company, called Cardio-Metric, in 2002, it consisted of seven young engineers (including its two... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Fairness; Corporate Accountability; Emotions; Behavior; Leadership Style; Governing and Advisory Boards; Corporate Disclosure

18 Oct 2016
First Look

October 18, 2016

Ejaz, Arti Grover Goswami, and William R. Kerr Abstract—We investigate the impact of the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) highway project on the spatial organization and efficiency of manufacturing activity. The GQ View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Dec 2014
Working Paper Summaries

Financing Innovation

Keywords: by William R. Kerr & Ramana Nanda

June 2012
Case

Buro Happold (Abridged)

By: Robert G. Eccles and Ryan Johnson

In 1996, Ted Happold, the founder of the engineering services firm Buro Happold, passed away, and Padraic Kelly became the firm's new managing director (MD). One of his first initiatives was "Aim for Growth," which was intended to help the firm grow beyond its current... View Details

Keywords: Learning And Development; Managing Growth; Organizational Design; Diversification; Client Management; Leadership Skills; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Leadership Development; Management Skills; Training; Programs; Customer Relationship Management

23 Jan 2020
Research & Ideas

Businesses Need a 'Catalyst' to Make CSR Practices Stick

says. The catalyst approach Some companies are now exploring a different approach to CSR, partnering with local communities on businesses that can help them earn a profit and empower locals, while also becoming self-sustaining. Kaplan explores the idea in a recent... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

02 Mar 2010
First Look

First Look: March 2

Working PapersEquity-Debtholder Conflicts and Capital Structure Authors:Bo Becker and Per Strömberg Abstract We use an important legal event as a natural experiment to examine equity-debt conflicts in the vicinity of financial distress.... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

15 Nov 2006
Research & Ideas

Lessons Not Learned About Innovation

rare, but too many executives swing for the fences with each new innovation. This not only marginalizes people who work on smaller projects, but also tends to result in projects modeled on existing market... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

October 2019
Supplement

Airbus vs. Boeing (I): Airbus Introduces the A350 (2015)

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Karen Elterman

This case describes the introduction of Airbus’ A350XWB (Xtra Wide Body) in 2015. It also describes Airbus and Boeing’s current endeavors in 2015, including Airbus’ development of the A330neo (new engine option) , Boeing’s work on the 737 MAX, and Boeing’s announcement... View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Air Transportation; Projects; Competition; Manufacturing Industry; Air Transportation Industry; United States; Europe

04 Dec 2012
First Look

First Look: December 4

the moral compass to describe individuals' inner sense of right and wrong, we offer a framework to help us understand social reasons why our moral compass can come under others' control, leading even good people to cross ethical boundaries. Departing from prior View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

June 2018 (Revised July 2023)
Case

John Chambers, Cisco, and China: Upgrading a Golden Shield

By: Geoffrey Jones and Emily Grandjean

This case examines the role of Cisco led by John Chambers in facilitating web filtering in China. It begins by tracing the origins of Cisco as a pioneer of networking equipment. John Chambers, who had worked as a sales manager at IBM and Wang Laboratories, joined Cisco... View Details

Keywords: Cisco; Internet and the Web; Governance Controls; Ethics; Rights; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Technology Industry; China

March 2008
Article

Radically Simple IT

Many managers think that developing and rolling out a major IT system is like putting up a warehouse: You build it and you're done. But that does not work for IT anymore. Taking that approach results in rigid, costly systems that are outdated from the day they are... View Details

Keywords: Design; Information Technology; Information Technology Industry

April 2011
Supplement

Daniel Kim's Dilemma (B)

By: Bill George and Natalie Kindred

Daniel Kim was considering "blowing the whistle" on his friend, the CEO of a fast-growing startup where Kim had spent most of his professional career. When Kim joined the company, called Cardio-Metric, in 2002, it consisted of seven young engineers (including its two... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Venture Capital; Revenue; Governance Controls; Governing and Advisory Boards; Management Style; Personal Development and Career; Problems and Challenges; Behavior

October 2009 (Revised December 2010)
Case

GE Money Bank: The M-Budget Card Initiative

By: Michael L. Tushman, Sebastian Raisch and Christian Welling

The M-Budget Card case study is about mastering the challenges of an exploratory strategic initiative in a context marked by time pressure and frequent change. M-Budget was the first of a series of highly successful projects that established GE Money Bank as a leader... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Credit Cards; Leading Change; Product Launch; Product Development; Groups and Teams; Banking Industry; Switzerland