Publications

March 2012
Article

Teams Have Changed: Catching Up to the Future

By: Ruth Wageman, Heidi K. Gardner and Mark Mortensen

Modern global trends are changing the face of teams. But we believe that much of today's teams research focuses us on the present and the past while barely acknowledging the future. Much more radical changes exist in what is already happening to teams and what is... View Details

Keywords: Trends; Globalization; Groups and Teams; Research

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16 Jun 2023
Blog Post

Improve Decision-Making in Hiring: Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

The importance of naming and addressing institutional racism has many people focusing on what can be done—as individuals and as employers—to improve diversity, inclusion, and understanding in an... View Details

Keywords: All Industries

November 2016 (Revised December 2016)
Case

Anthology: Pivoting the Business Model

By: Shikhar Ghosh and Christopher Payton

In July 2014, after 18 months and eight unsuccessful product launches, the CEO of Yabbly has agreed to sell his company to a larger, well-funded startup, providing a return of capital for his investors and a home for his team. Two weeks prior to the scheduled closing,... View Details

Keywords: Mergers ＆ Acquisitions; Business Model; Business Plan; Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Innovation Strategy; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Internet and the Web; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Exit or Shutdown; Fairness; Valuation; Technology Industry; Consumer Products Industry; North America; United States; Seattle

April 2000 (Revised September 2001)
Case

Peppers and Rogers Group, The

By: John A. Deighton

Can two successful authors build a scalable consulting practice based on their unique view of customer relationship management (CRM)? Should they emphasize strategy or execution? The case describes how Peppers and Rogers grew from two people earning speaker fees to a... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Growth and Development; Information Publishing; Going Public; Strategy; Competition; Internet; Consulting Industry

28 Feb 2012
First Look

First Look: Feb. 28

http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/12-071.pdf Short-Termism, Investor Clientele, and Firm Risk Authors:Francois Brochet, Maria Loumioti, and George Serafeim Abstract Using conference call transcripts, we measure the time horizon that senior executives emphasize when they... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

February 2008 (Revised May 2008)
Case

Lincoln Financial Group (A)

Lincoln Financial Group (LFG) reorganizes its business in order to improve customer intimacy. However, to implement the strategy, they need to effect significant changes in the skills of their salespeople. This case series straddles human resource management, corporate... View Details

Keywords: Competency and Skills; Customer Relationship Management; Training; Selection and Staffing; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Performance Evaluation; Sales; Corporate Strategy

September 2019
Case

Sonia Millar: Negotiating for the C-Suite

By: Joshua D. Margolis and Anne Donnellon

This case addresses the nuances of gender dynamics and career progression at the top of the organization, where even women who have strong leadership expertise, experience, and alliances with powerful male colleagues still get stuck. Told from the point of view of... View Details

Keywords: Executives; CEO; Promotion; Gender Bias; Personal Development and Career; Gender; Diversity; Power and Influence

June 2013
Teaching Plan

The K-Dow Petrochemicals Joint Venture

By: Guhan Subramanian and Charlotte Krontiris

This case follows a two-part deal involving Dow Chemicals: Dow's ill-fated joint venture with the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the failure of which nearly scuttled Dow's simultaneous acquisition of Rohm & Haas. Focusing on Dow CEO Andrew Liveris, this case examines... View Details

Keywords: Dow Chemicals; Kuwait; Financial Crisis; Negotiation Process; Joint Ventures; Corporate Disclosure; Acquisition; Chemical Industry; Kuwait

October 2002 (Revised June 2003)
Case

Restructuring the U.S. Steel Industry

By: William E. Fruhan Jr.

Focuses on the competitive decline of the integrated steel producers in the United States from 1970 to 2002. Issues include: Should the U.S. government impose tariffs to try to protect the industry? What should labor unions do, if anything, to protect jobs and wage... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Jobs and Positions; Labor Unions; Wages; Business and Government Relations; Integration; Steel Industry; United States

February 1997 (Revised February 2002)
Case

Mexico (B): Escaping from the Debt Crisis?

By: Huw Pill

Describes the response of the Mexican authorities and the international community to the "Third World Debt Crisis" that came to the forefront of global economic concerns in the early 1980s. Focuses on the respective roles of the private sector, governments (Mexican and... View Details

Keywords: Globalized Economies and Regions; Financial Crisis; Macroeconomics; Mexico

October 1978 (Revised July 1991)
Case

U.S. Pioneer Electronics Corp.

By: Hirotaka Takeuchi

Focuses on the problem of the means by which a manufacturer controls its channel of distribution. U.S. Pioneer's retail outlets have turned "dissident" and management has to decide what tactics to employ to stop further erosion (short-run) and what long-run... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Growth and Development Strategy; Distribution Channels; Production; Problems and Challenges; Software; Electronics Industry; United States

02 Mar 2023
Video

Perspectives from Capital Creators: Capital Allocators Driving Inclusion

Article

Vungle Inc. Improves Monetization Using Big-Data Analytics

By: Bert De Reyck, Ioannis Fragkos, Yael Grushka-Cockayne, Casey Lichtendahl, Hammond Guerin and Andrew Kritzer

The advent of big data has created opportunities for firms to customize their products and services to unprecedented levels of granularity. Using big data to personalize an offering in real time, however, remains a major challenge. In the mobile advertising industry,... View Details

Keywords: Big Data; Monetization; Data and Data Sets; Advertising; Mobile Technology; Customization and Personalization; Performance Improvement

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June 2014
Case

Stock Options at Celia-Check

By: Brian Hall, Andrew Wasynczuk and Karen Huang

Describes issues facing three young founders of a high-tech start-up, including hiring an experienced CEO and negotiating with a potential VC investor. Focuses on the incentive and compensation aspects of negotiating with job candidates (e.g., what percentage of the... View Details

Keywords: Stock Options; Venture Capital; Selection and Staffing; Negotiation; Executive Compensation; Employee Stock Ownership Plan; Business Startups; Management Teams; Technology Industry; United States

February 2007 (Revised April 2009)
Case

Punjab and Kerala: Regional Development in India

By: Lakshmi Iyer

Between 2000 and 2004, India's economy grew by 6.35%. Focuses on the states of Punjab and Kerala, which emphasized sharply different development strategies. The states had to decide whether to focus their investment efforts on physical capital or improving social... View Details

Keywords: Development Economics; Capital; Investment; Policy; Growth and Development Strategy; Business and Government Relations; Social Issues; Kerala; Punjab