Publications

August 2017 (Revised August 2018)
Case

The Oakland Athletics: Strategy & Metrics for a Budget

By: Srikant M. Datar and Caitlin N. Bowler

This case considers Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane’s data driven and, in baseball circles unconventional, approach to winning games over the duration of the long Major League Baseball season. Beane’s critical approach to crafting strategy within his... View Details

Keywords: Data Analysis; Metrics; Data Science; Analytics and Data Science; Analysis; Measurement and Metrics; Competitive Strategy; Organizational Culture; Sports Industry

15 Mar 2016
First Look

March 15, 2016

Download working paper: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=50763 Finding Excuses to Decline the Ask By: Exley, Christine L., and Ragan Petrie Abstract—A growing body of empirical evidence documents a reluctance to give. Individuals avoid donation asks, and... View Details

04 Nov 2008
First Look

First Look: November 4, 2008

trends in the market, the case prompts students to examine the future adoption of drug-eluting stents as well as to consider the potential marketing actions to be taken by Medtronic for ENDEAVOR—a newly approved stent that will hit the... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

26 Jun 2012
First Look

First Look: June 26

by a public health organization are randomly allocated to four groups. Agents in the control group receive a standard volunteer contract often offered for this type of task, whereas agents in the three treatment groups receive small... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

April 2018
Case

The Bayer - Monsanto Merger: GMOs and 'Science for a Better Life'

By: Martha J. Crawford and James Barnett

This case allows students to explore the economic, ethical and legal challenges faced by agri-business companies, after several decades of promoting and selling Genetically Modified (GM) crops. Starting in the 1980s, the widespread introduction of GM crops was... View Details

Keywords: Merger; Acquisition; GMO; Genetically Modified Crops; Neonics; Pesticides; Crop Seeds; EU; Mergers and Acquisitions; Agribusiness; Genetics; Natural Environment; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Consolidation; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Europe; United States

March 2020
Case

Cafe Kenya

By: Lynda M. Applegate and James T. Kindley

This case describes Café Kenya (CK), a Kenyan-based chain of casual quick-food restaurants. The chain was started in 2011 in Nairobi by Nekesa Kuria. Kuria started Café Kenya and grew it by reinvesting profits into company stores and through franchising. She also... View Details

Keywords: Restaurants; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Growth and Development Strategy; Kenya

November 2021
Case

Steve Schwarzman on Dealmaking I: “Becoming a ‘Friend of the Situation’” (A)

By: James K. Sebenius and Alex Green

Blackstone Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman, whom Forbes has called “Wall Street’s Greatest Dealmaker,” played a major role in the negotiations that transformed Blackstone from a fragile startup in 1985 with $400,000 in capital into a dominant... View Details

Keywords: Dealmaking; Bargaining; Conflict Resolution; Negotiation; Private Equity; Conflict and Resolution; Entrepreneurship; Problems and Challenges; Negotiation Tactics; Financial Services Industry

MBA Class of 1960 Professor of Management, Paul W. Marshall, is affiliated with the Entrepreneurial Management Unit and teaches The Entrepreneurial Manager in the Turnaround Environment. This Elective Curriculum course focuses on the role of... View Details

Keywords: aerospace; banking; brokerage; computer; consulting; defense; management consulting; manufacturing; metals; professional services; retail financial services; retailing; steel

January 2016
Case

SAP SE: Autism at Work

By: Gary P. Pisano and Robert D. Austin

This case describes SAP's "Autism at Work" program, which integrates people with autism into the company's workforce. The company has a stated objective of making 1% of its workforce people with autism by 2020. SAP's rationale for the program is based on the belief... View Details

Keywords: Software; Human Resource Management; Diversity Management; Germany; Selection and Staffing; Innovation and Management; Applications and Software; Recruitment; Diversity; Information Technology Industry; Germany

December 2005 (Revised January 2007)
Case

Ben & Jerry's: Preserving Mission & Brand within Unilever

By: James E. Austin and James Quinn

In the months after Ben & Jerry's was acquired by Unilever, Ben & Jerry's head social mission faces challenges and opportunities unique in the company's history, including: how to manage employee morale; whether to include synthetic ingredients to meet consumer... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Problems and Challenges; Mergers and Acquisitions; Mission and Purpose; Social Enterprise; Management Teams; Governing and Advisory Boards; Value Creation; Corporate Governance; Employee Relationship Management; Food and Beverage Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Retail Industry; United States

Web

Live from Klarman Hall - Alumni

Srikant Datar kicks off Reunion Weekend by sharing his key priorities, which will strengthen and accelerate the School’s impact in the world. Video Recording Navigating Uncertain Times: Teaching Through Political Shifts and Advancing the... View Details

17 Feb 2021
Research & Ideas

Pandemic Self-Care for CEOs: Rituals, Running, and Cognitive Restructuring

disciplined in some areas but also more relaxed when things don’t work out.” The wisdom of Admiral Stockdale At this time, we can’t help but reflect on the dangers of optimism again, as Admiral James Stockdale defined it: pinning hopes to... View Details

Keywords: by Gamze D. Yucaoglu, Robin Abrahams, and Boris Groysberg

Web

Value-Based Health Care - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

Professor Kaplan teaches how time-driven activity-based costing is used in health care delivery organizations around the world. Length: 28 min. See All Media Videos Key Stakeholders Providers Stay competitive by adopting a strategic... View Details

June 2020
Case

Agile Consumer Product Innovation with Alibaba's Tmall Innovation Center

By: William R. Kerr, Daniel O'Connor and James Palano

Consumer products companies were beset by changes on all sides during the 2010s. Customers were increasingly turning to ecommerce platforms rather than shopping in-store. Meanwhile, nimble, digitally-savvy competitors were gaining market share by capitalizing on the... View Details

Keywords: Future Of Work; Retail; Ecommerce; Alibaba; Consumer Products; Innovation; Innovation and Invention; Product Development; Consumer Behavior; E-commerce; Consumer Products Industry; Retail Industry; China

Web

Curriculum - Case Method Project

Curriculum Curriculum Cases James Madison, the 'Federal Negative,' and the Making of the U.S. Constitution (1787) This case begins with the American Revolution and concludes at the Constitutional Convention. It describes the many... View Details

07 Jun 2021
Blog Post

The Value of the HBS Case Method – Lessons from an SVMP Participant

Growing up as a Black male from South Los Angeles, I was raised in a vibrant community surrounded by a diverse group of individuals who gave me guidance and taught me core values –such as curiosity, community, and persistence. My... View Details

March 2000 (Revised November 2000)
Case

IBM Corporation Turnaround

By: Robert D. Austin and Richard L. Nolan

Describes the details of IBM's dramatic corporate turnaround in the early 1990s led by CEO Louis V. Gerstner. Accounts of events are from interviews with IBM executives. Covers the factors that led to the company's decline and actions taken to recover. View Details

Keywords: Transformation; Restructuring; Management Teams; Management Practices and Processes; Leading Change; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Computer Industry; Information Technology Industry