Publications

January 2011
Case

Founder-CEO Succession at Acer

By: Noam T. Wasserman, Michael Shih-ta Chen and Keith Chi-ho Wong

Stan Shih, founder-CEO of Acer, Inc., had proactively chosen and transitioned the "perfect" successor as CEO, but was now faced with major problems. Over the last two years, his heir apparent, Leonard Liu, had made the changes he had been hired to make, including... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Management Style; Management Succession; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Conflict Management

24 Feb 2009
First Look

First Look: February 24, 2009

support the change, and evaluating the change implementation). We examine this relationship using data from 89 clinical managers at the United Kingdom National Health Service who implemented change projects between 2003 and 2004. Our... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

August 2009
Supplement

The TSMC Way: Meeting Customer Needs at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (CW)

By: Willy C. Shih

When L.C. Tu receives an emergency order, he is confronted with a range of production scheduling choices, each of which has unique costs and trade-offs. The case was designed to help students understand job-shop style production and the impact of disruptions and... View Details

Keywords: Factories, Labs, and Plants; Disruption; Customer Focus and Relationships; Cost; Cost Management; Business or Company Management; Time Management; Network Effects; Production; Hardware; Manufacturing Industry; Semiconductor Industry; Taiwan

17 Aug 2020
Research & Ideas

What the Stockdale Paradox Tells Us About Crisis Leadership

[This is the fourth installment in a monthly series on management issues in the time of COVID-19.] “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

March 2012 (Revised October 2012)
Case

Gary Hirshberg and Stonyfield Farm

By: Nancy F. Koehn, Nora N. Khan and Elizabeth W. Legris

Gary Hirshberg and Stonyfield Farm is the story of one entrepreneur's vision and journey to create a market-leading, environmentally responsible business founded on the principles of product quality, organizational alignment, and sustainability. A former environmental... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurs; Values; Development Stage Enterprises; Innovation; Management By Objective; Experimentation; Emerging Technologies; Mission and Purpose; Management Style; Values and Beliefs; Social Issues; Organizational Culture; Environmental Sustainability; Business Growth and Maturation; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Innovation and Invention; Food and Beverage Industry; New Hampshire

04 Sep 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, September 4, 2018

business’s success. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=54913 in press Management Science Communicating Warmth in Distributive Negotiations is Surprisingly Counter-productive By: Jeong, M., J. Minson, M.... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

January 2003 (Revised October 2003)
Case

Satera Team at Imatron Systems, Inc. (A), The

By: Teresa M. Amabile and Elizabeth Schatzel

Escalating conflict has erupted within the Satera product development team, resulting from the conflicting cognitive styles of the two senior mechanical engineers. The conflict has taken a toll on both project progress and team morale, endangering one of the most... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Entrepreneurship; Human Resources; Management; Business or Company Management; Groups and Teams; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

03 Jun 2002
Research & Ideas

How to Succeed With Your New Boss

your mandate and negotiate for resources is a clear early priority. Defining Your Goals When you think about working with your new boss, keep the following goals in mind: Clarify mutual expectations early. Begin managing expectations... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Watkins

06 Apr 2010
First Look

First Look: April 6

Publications Managed Globalization: Doctrine, Practice, and Promise Authors: Rawi Abdelal and Sophie Meunier Publication: Journal of European Public Policy 17, no. 3 (April 2010): 349-366 Abstract Two alternate visions for shaping and... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

December 2005 (Revised March 2007)
Case

Leerink Swann & Co.: Creating Competitive Advantage

By: Boris Groysberg and Andrew N. McLean

In the spring of 2005, CEO Jeff Leerink has called a meeting of the executive committee to formulate Leerink Swann's growth strategy over the next five years so that it accomplishes three goals: expand into a new business, reinforce the firm's legacy businesses, and... View Details

Keywords: Banks and Banking; Human Resources; Leadership Style; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Culture; Alignment; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Expansion

17 May 2022
Cold Call Podcast

Delivering a Personalized Shopping Experience with AI

Keywords: Re: Jill J. Avery

October 1990 (Revised July 1996)
Case

Northwest Airlines Confronts Change

Describes the leadership role of Northwest Airlines' chairman and his key organizational development "lieutenant" during five years of major change and pressure--1985-89. During this time the airline was confronted with major customer service problems, the merger with... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Change Management; Crisis Management; Air Transportation Industry; United States

05 Dec 2023
Research & Ideas

Lessons in Decision-Making: Confident People Aren't Always Correct (Except When They Are)

aggregate outcomes, making things worse overall. That manager who loves to talk While Graeber and his coauthors called for more research on meta-cognition, their most important finding has immediate implications: People are often poorly... View Details

Keywords: by Kara Baskin

2021
Chapter

Leadership in Times of Upheaval: The Rise of the Empathic Leader

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

In times of upheaval, such as in a crisis, leaders often feel compelled to embody a commanding, confident style of leadership that provides answers, eschews dissent and remains aloof. Similarly, followers may be drawn to leaders who provide ready answers, with... View Details

Keywords: Economics; Finance; Environment; Sustainability; Crisis Management; Leadership Style

Register to Read

November 2011 (Revised April 2016)
Case

Coco Chanel: Creating Fashion for the Modern Woman (A)

By: Mukti Khaire and Kerry Herman

Chanel, the iconic haute couture house, founded by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in 1913, came to embody its founder's philosophy, taste, and style and set a distinctive and influential tone for women's fashion. Coming to prominence during the height of cultural modernity in... View Details

Keywords: Fashion And Creative Industries; Apparel Manufacturing; Business History; Business Growth and Maturation; Management Succession; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Brands and Branding; Fashion Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; North and Central America; Europe

31 Oct 2018
What Do You Think?

What is the Function of Fear in Leadership?

PeopleImages What kinds of fear, if any, are appropriate in leading others? Fear has a place in leading and managing others. But if used for short-term achievement, as a negative motivator, or as a source of power over others, it can have... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

12 Oct 1999
Research & Ideas

Rapid Response: Inside the Retailing Revolution

sales. With the resulting improvements in demand forecasting and production planning and practices, inventory management for both the retailer and the manufacturer has become much more of a science. Since stores can track consumers'... View Details

Keywords: by James E. Aisner; Apparel & Accessories; Fashion; Consumer Products; Manufacturing; Retail

January 2014 (Revised January 2014)
Case

Henry Schein: Doing Well by Doing Good?

By: Rebecca Henderson, Raffaella Sadun, Aldo Sesia and Russell Eisenstat

Henry Schein Inc., a distributor of supplies to dentist, physician, and veterinary practices, had sales approaching $9 billion and employed nearly 16,000 people. The company had experienced impressive growth under the leadership of Stanley Bergman and his executive... View Details