Filter Results:
(4,146)
Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(4,146)
- People (11)
- News (946)
- Research (2,748)
- Events (7)
- Multimedia (21)
- Faculty Publications (1,499)
Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(4,146)
- People (11)
- News (946)
- Research (2,748)
- Events (7)
- Multimedia (21)
- Faculty Publications (1,499)
- 02 Nov 2010
- First Look
First Look: November 2, 2010
http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/10-063.pdf Do Bonuses Enhance Sales Productivity? A Dynamic Structural Analysis of Bonus-Based Compensation Plans Authors:Doug J. Chung, Thomas Steenburgh, and K. Sudhir Abstract We estimate a dynamic... View Details
Keywords: Sean Silverthorne
- March 2018
- Teaching Note
Mavi: Fashioning a Path to Brand Growth
By: Jill Avery and Gamze Yucaoglu
Mavi, a leading Turkish apparel retailer, had sales of $419 million in 2015, up 20%. Growth rates like these were becoming routine at Mavi. But, its path to growth was getting more challenging, and Turkven, Mavi’s private equity partner, was planning its exit options... View Details
- March 2011 (Revised March 2012)
- Case
Arck Systems
By: Ian Larkin
The Arck Systems series of cases describes the dilemmas faced by a senior sales manager in determining a sales compensation plan at an enterprise software company. The existing compensation plan is aggressive and highly rewards "star" performers. The cases track a... View Details
Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Retention; Performance Effectiveness; Salesforce Management; Motivation and Incentives; Software; Information Technology Industry
Larkin, Ian. "Arck Systems." Harvard Business School Case 911-056, March 2011. (Revised March 2012.)
- 2021
- Chapter
Digital Transformation and the Salesforce: Observations, Warnings, and Recommendations
By: Frank V. Cespedes
Sales is a crucial test for organizational change, including productive use (or not) of new technologies. Changes in selling always have wider organizational implications, because so many other decisions and resource commitments in firms depend upon demand forecasts... View Details
Keywords: Sales; Salesforce Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Digital Transformation
Cespedes, Frank V. "Digital Transformation and the Salesforce: Observations, Warnings, and Recommendations." In Managing Digital Transformation: Understanding the Strategic Process, edited by Andreas Hinterhuber, Tiziano Vescovi, and Francesca Checchinato. Routledge, 2021.
- March 1998 (Revised December 2000)
- Case
Siebel Systems (A)
By: Michael J. Roberts, Joseph B. Lassiter III and Nicole Tempest
The case describes the early evolution of Siebel Systems, a sales force automation software company, focusing on issues surrounding Siebel's use of systems integrators as implementation partners and the relationship between implementation and the selling function. View Details
Keywords: Marketing; Software; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Sales; Information Technology Industry
Roberts, Michael J., Joseph B. Lassiter III, and Nicole Tempest. "Siebel Systems (A)." Harvard Business School Case 898-210, March 1998. (Revised December 2000.)
- October 2016 (Revised February 2020)
- Case
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
By: Anita Elberse
In June 2016, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is planning for the upcoming launch of an endeavor that is a first for a Hollywood actor with superstar status—a digital channel. The channel (named “Seven Bucks Digital Studios”) will be a new part of film and television... View Details
Keywords: Entertainment; Film; Motion Picutres; Superstar; Innovation; Creative Industries; Talent; General Management; Celebrities; Management; Information Technology; Strategy; Talent and Talent Management; Creativity; Marketing; Personal Development and Career; Film Entertainment; Innovation and Invention; Digital Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry
Elberse, Anita. "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson." Harvard Business School Case 517-059, October 2016. (Revised February 2020.)
- October 2000 (Revised April 2005)
- Case
Z Corporation
By: Joseph B. Lassiter III, Matthew C. Lieb and Tom Clay
Tom Clay, president of Z Corp., and founder/CEO Marina Hatsopolous must decide between using a direct sales force or using a value-added reseller to begin selling the company's new 3-D printing prototype manufacturing system. View Details
Keywords: Technological Innovation; Salesforce Management; Distribution Channels; Conflict and Resolution; Technology Industry
Lassiter, Joseph B., III, Matthew C. Lieb, and Tom Clay. "Z Corporation." Harvard Business School Case 801-210, October 2000. (Revised April 2005.)
- February 2011
- Article
Target Ratcheting and Effort Reduction
By: J. Bouwens and Peter Kroos
In this paper, we examine how retail store managers reduce their sales activity in response to target ratcheting. We find that managers with favorable sales performance in the first three quarters reduce their sales activity in the final quarter. We also document that... View Details
Keywords: Target-setting; Ratchet Effect; Manipulating Real Economic Activities; Goals and Objectives; Strategy; Performance Evaluation; Sales
Bouwens, J., and Peter Kroos. "Target Ratcheting and Effort Reduction." Journal of Accounting & Economics 51, nos. 1-2 (February 2011): 171–185.
- June 2017
- Case
Magellan Boatworks
By: John A. Quelch and James T. Kindley
Magellan Boatworks is a midsize manufacturer of customized, power "cruising yachts." In the face of economic and political uncertainty in late 2016, Magellan's VP of sales and marketing, Walt Robinson, wonders whether he should request a budget increase for 2017.... View Details
Quelch, John A., and James T. Kindley. "Magellan Boatworks." Harvard Business School Brief Case 917-547, June 2017.
- September 2014 (Revised February 2015)
- Case
Pfizer and AstraZeneca: Marketing an Acquisition (A)
By: John A. Quelch and James Weber
In 2014, Pfizer proposed a friendly acquisition of AstraZeneca, but the AstraZeneca board resisted over price and strategy concerns. Was this good for pharmaceutical consumers? Pfizer, like pharmaceutical companies in general, faced difficulties in growing sales due to... View Details
Keywords: Health Care Policy; Mergers And Acquisitions; Marketing; Government Relations; Crisis Management; Decision Making; Growth and Development; Management; Markets; Strategy; Pharmaceutical Industry; United Kingdom; United States
Quelch, John A., and James Weber. "Pfizer and AstraZeneca: Marketing an Acquisition (A)." Harvard Business School Case 515-007, September 2014. (Revised February 2015.)
- Article
181 Top CEOs Have Realized Companies Need a Purpose Beyond Profit
By: Claudine Gartenberg and George Serafeim
On August 19, 2019, the Business Roundtable (BR) issued a memo entitled “Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation.” The Business Roundtable, one of the most preeminent business lobbies in the United States, includes 192 CEOs of leading U.S. companies from Apple to... View Details
Keywords: Purpose; Corporate Purpose; Stakeholder Management; CEO; Mission and Purpose; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Strategy
Gartenberg, Claudine, and George Serafeim. "181 Top CEOs Have Realized Companies Need a Purpose Beyond Profit." Harvard Business Review (website) (August 20, 2019).
- April 2019
- Teaching Note
The a2 Milk Company
By: Benjamin C. Esty and Daniel Fisher
The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) became the most valuable company listed on the New Zealand stock exchange in 2018 by capitalizing on a biochemical discovery related to the protein composition of cow's milk. Because many people find the A1 protein difficult to digest, and... View Details
Keywords: Judo Economics; Market Entry; Innovation; Barriers To Response; Industry Attractiveness; Advantage Horizon; Sustainability; First-mover Advantage; Scope; Strategy Execution; Strategic Evolution; Biochemistry; Genetics; Branding; Commodity; Milk; Dairy; Infant Formula; Farming; Porter's Five Forces; Market Entry and Exit; Disruption; Innovation and Invention; Competitive Advantage; Corporate Strategy; Value Creation; Competition; Brands and Branding; Five Forces Framework; Consumer Products Industry; New Zealand; Australia; China
- October 2015
- Teaching Note
Clef Company: Turnover
By: Frank V. Cespedes
Clef Company sells keys and other products to retail outlets, which then sell these products to consumers. The case concerns turnover in Clef's sales force in the context of company strategy, financial performance, and a day in the life of a Clef salesperson. Among... View Details
- 19 May 2023
- News
Quiet Acceleration
company aims to sell 20 million electric vehicles a year by 2030—about a quarter of all new auto sales worldwide. (Last year, the company delivered 1.3 million EVs.) The company’s valuation, now at more than $500 billion, has increased... View Details
- March 1998 (Revised July 2000)
- Case
InPart
By: Joseph B. Lassiter III, Michael J. Roberts and Jon Biotti
Stacey Lawson, HBS 1996, started a CAD parts representations database company to help designers and engineers with the design process. The company has completed its product and is starting to sell it. The case examines issues involving the organization of the sales... View Details
- August 2016 (Revised June 2017)
- Supplement
InsideSales.com (B)
By: Frank V. Cespedes
Keywords: Business Organization; Customer Relationship Management; Marketing Strategy; Organizational Design; Salesforce Management; Talent; Talent Management; Sales; Growth and Development; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Entrepreneurship; Technology Industry; United States
Cespedes, Frank V. "InsideSales.com (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 817-042, August 2016. (Revised June 2017.)
- September–October 2018
- Article
Online MAP Enforcement: Evidence from a Quasi-Experiment
By: Ayelet Israeli
This paper investigates a manufacturer’s ability to influence compliance rates among its authorized online retailers by exploiting changes in the Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) policy and in dealer agreements. MAP is a pricing policy widely used by manufacturers to... View Details
Keywords: Pricing Policies; Pricing; Channel Management; Legal Aspects Of Business; Retail; Price; Policy; Governance Compliance; Distribution Channels; Management; Retail Industry
Israeli, Ayelet. "Online MAP Enforcement: Evidence from a Quasi-Experiment." Marketing Science 37, no. 5 (September–October 2018): 710–732.
- June 2018
- Teaching Note
Meridian Systems (Brief Case)
By: Frank V. Cespedes and Michael J. Roberts
Teaching Note for HBS No. 918-533. The key issues discussed in the Meridian teaching note concern sales force deployment: decisions about how to focus sales efforts with respect to territories, customers, and products. The teaching note explains the strengths and... View Details
- 27 Feb 2023
- Research & Ideas
How One Late Employee Can Hurt Your Business: Data from 25 Million Timecards
control of store owners: Employees showing up late—or sometimes not at all. Managers are aware that employee lateness and absenteeism is prevalent and expensive to their operations. Now, researchers at Harvard Business School have gone a... View Details
- February 2011
- Case
Jamie Turner at MLI, Inc.
By: John J. Gabarro and Colleen Kaftan
The case describes the evolution of an interpersonal mismatch between a previously successful manager, Jamie Turner, and his new boss, Pat Cardullo. Turner, a 32-year-old MBA graduate, has been recruited by Cardullo to be vice president of marketing and sales at Modern... View Details
Keywords: Communication; Interpersonal Relations; Superior & Subordinate; Micro Organizational Behavior; Performance Management; Personal Strategy & Style; Management Style; Conflict Management; Interpersonal Communication; Employee Relationship Management; Rank and Position; Performance; Communication Strategy; Personal Development and Career; Acquisition; Distribution Industry; Consumer Products Industry; San Diego; Chicago
Gabarro, John J., and Colleen Kaftan. "Jamie Turner at MLI, Inc." Harvard Business School Brief Case 114-254, February 2011.