Publications

01 Jun 2017
News

Research Brief: Profit with Purpose—and Middle Management

directive from executives and a road map for achieving it, employees feel confident that their specific actions will be recognized and rewarded. It’s this bridge that middle managers create—translating a top-level mandate into everyday View Details

Keywords: Erin Peterson

Profile

Arjun Goyal

and business responsibilities, including the review of scientific literature and therapeutic guidelines, the analysis of compound licensing opportunities, the structuring of efficient clinical trials, and... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Health Care

December 2004 (Revised January 2006)
Case

Simon's Hostile Tender for Taubman (A)

Simon Property Group launched a hostile tender offer for upscale Taubman Centers. This case discusses issues of Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) valuation, financial policy, and corporate governance, as Robert Taubman and his company's independent directors must... View Details

Keywords: Capital Structure; Valuation; Investment; Acquisition; Corporate Governance; Real Estate Industry

September 1988 (Revised January 1989)
Case

Unisys: The Merger of Burroughs and Sperry

Mike Blumenthal, CEO of Burroughs, successfully executes the merger of Burroughs and Sperry in 1986. The case discusses the putting together of the two firms in a fast time period in order to achieve cost savings, high earnings, and an integrated culture. Blumenthal... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Organizational Structure; Mergers and Acquisitions; Consolidation

December 2000 (Revised November 2001)
Case

Rise and Fall of Iridium, The

By: Alan D. MacCormack and Kerry Herman

Examines the history of Iridium Communications, a provider of mobile satellite services. Discusses the genesis of Iridium's technical design, then follows the venture through various stages of development. Describes Iridium's attempts to build a subscriber base after... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Business Model; Business Growth and Maturation; Organizational Structure; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Telecommunications Industry

January 2003 (Revised January 2008)
Case

The British Motorcycle Industry at a Crossroads

By: Jan W. Rivkin

By 1975, the collapse of the British motorcycle industry is nearly complete. Only one British manufacturer, NVT, remains in operation. In this setting, the British government commissions the Boston Consulting Group to identify and evaluate strategic alternatives for... View Details

Keywords: Cost; Industry Structures; Business and Government Relations; Mathematical Methods; Competition; Consulting Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Motorcycle Industry; Great Britain

June 2013
Case

Hess Corporation

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Kathleen Durante

On January 29, 2013, Elliott Management, a hedge fund run by Paul E. Singer, which owned 4.5% of Hess Corporation stock, put forward a slate of five independent directors it wanted elected to improve the company's performance. Elliott argued that Hess lacked focus and... View Details

Keywords: Takeover Attempt; Board; Hess; Governing and Advisory Boards; Organizational Structure; Acquisition; Financial Services Industry; Energy Industry

04 Dec 2017
News

Pittsburgh's Legendary Straight-Talking Startup Advisor

Keywords: Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

01 Mar 2015
News

Case Study: The Speed of Light

sure everyone understands that the business exists to deliver solutions using this “hands-on, engineering- heavy” approach. Repeat it over and over and over. (4) Get the model right in New Jersey—number of people, skill mix, client... View Details

Keywords: Electric Power Generation, Transmission, Distribution; Utilities

January 2007 (Revised December 2008)
Case

Mercy Corps: Positioning the Organization to Reach New Heights

By: Allen S. Grossman and Caroline Joan King

Mercy Corps, the world's 5th largest international relief and development agency, is at a turning point. The nonprofit's opportunities to grow and serve a larger number of beneficiaries are unprecedented. By looking at the unique relationship between headquarters and... View Details

Keywords: Business Offices; Business Headquarters; Globalized Firms and Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Structure; Nonprofit Organizations

03 Mar 2009
First Look

First Look: March 3, 2009

arguments used to justify a practice over time. We use rhetoric surrounding the institutionalization of total quality management (TQM) practices within the American business community as a case study to illustrate how conceptualizing... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

Julius Rosenwald

Though Richard Sears was the genius behind his company’s merchandise success, it was Rosenwald who set up the organizational structure necessary to help grow Sears into the largest retailer of the mid 1900s. Rosenwald established separate... View Details

Keywords: Retail

15 Oct 2013
First Look

First Look: October 15

designated partners within the larger fluid department. Our multi-method study reveals the design and benefit of minimal team structures (team scaffolds) in fluid work settings. Download working paper: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1987724... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 2012 (Revised September 2012)
Case

INRIX

By: Lynda M. Applegate and Ryan Johnson

Since its founding in 2004, INRIX, a leading global provider of traffic information and driver services, had received four rounds of financing from leading venture capital (VC) firms and by 2012 had been cash flow positive for the past six quarters. Its founder, Bryan... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Exit or Shutdown; Business Startups; Organizational Structure; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Competitive Strategy; Information Technology Industry; Service Industry; Washington (state, US)

October 2001 (Revised November 2001)
Case

Club Med (C): The "Re-New" Plan

By: Frances X. Frei, Daniel Rethazy and Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar

Supplements the (A) and (B) cases. View Details

Keywords: Business Subsidiaries; Industry Structures; Competitive Advantage; Organizational Culture; Cost; Customer Satisfaction; Accommodations Industry; United States

February 1997 (Revised August 2016)
Case

Stone Container Corporation (A)

By: W. Carl Kester and Kirk Goldman

In early 1993, Stone Container was heavily burdened by debt following a series of highly leveraged acquisitions. A prolonged depression in paper prices necessitated the development of a comprehensive financial plan to relieve the financial pressures on Stone. Among the... View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Borrowing and Debt; Capital Structure; Equity; Price; Strategic Planning

01 Dec 2001
News

BOOK: The Money of Invention

by Paul A. Gompers and Josh Lerner (Harvard Business School Press ) Did venture capital cause the explosion in innovation in the last thirty years, or did innovation jump-start venture capital investing? This is just one of many questions... View Details

Keywords: Publishing Industries (except Internet); Information; Finance; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

01 Dec 2005
News

Baker’s back

Historical Collections and faculty interaction surround the north, river-facing lobby, and the new south entrance is home to The Exchange, a gathering place offering real-time news and business information. Faculty offices line the upper... View Details

Keywords: Susan Young; Construction of Buildings; Construction; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

April 2025
Case

Radical Transformation at Bayer: Dynamic Shared Ownership

By: Boris Groysberg and Gamze Yucaoglu

In 2023, Bill Anderson became CEO of Bayer AG, a 160-year-old life sciences giant looking to strengthen its pharma pipeline, manage debt, and cut through bureaucracy. His bold response: Dynamic Shared Ownership (DSO), a radical model replacing traditional hierarchies... View Details

Keywords: Human Resources; Business Strategy; Alignment; Innovation and Management; Organizational Structure; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry