Publications

31 Oct 2023
HBS Case

Checking Your Ethics: Would You Speak Up in These 3 Sticky Situations?

loyalties among clients, colleagues, and partners can present ethical issues that can be difficult to manage, says David Fubini, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School. “You are an adviser. You are not an employee of the company you... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Consulting

14 Feb 2011
Research & Ideas

Clay Christensen’s Milkshake Marketing

says. He adds that this marketing paradigm comes with the additional benefit of being difficult to rip off. Nobody, for example, has managed to copy IKEA, which helps its customers do the job of furnishing an apartment right now.... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Retail; Service; Consumer Products; Food & Beverage

August 2021 (Revised February 2022)
Case

Lexoo: Building a Long-Lasting Platform (Abridged)

By: Chiara Farronato and Elena Corsi

Lexoo, a UK-based online marketplace for legal services, was facing the strategic choice of how to grow from early start-up to mature platform. Daniel van Binsbergen, Lexoo's CEO, and web developer Chris O'Sullivan, CTO, had set up Lexoo to help Small and Medium-Sized... View Details

Keywords: Legal Services; Marketplaces; Pivot; Growth and Development Strategy; Digital Platforms; Small Business; Service Operations; Decision Making; Legal Services Industry

29 Feb 2024
HBS Case

Beyond Goals: David Beckham's Playbook for Mobilizing Star Talent

Superstar talent brings the kind of wattage that can power a business to the next level, as recent high-stakes decisions facing soccer legend David Beckham show. Two new Harvard Business School case studies examine the questions Beckham... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman; Sports

17 Aug 2020
Research & Ideas

What the Stockdale Paradox Tells Us About Crisis Leadership

the way to work, gyms, housecleaners—are shuttered or more difficult to access. Masks must be found and worn and cleaned. Simple conversations require managing new technologies and protocols. Even walking down the street requires a level... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

May 2018 (Revised January 2019)
Case

AirFox (A): Embracing the Blockchain and an ICO

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Edward B. Berk and Nate Schwalb

In summer 2017, Victor Santos, CEO of AirFox, considered whether to pivot his startup towards a new product built with blockchain—a quickly growing technology at the time. AirFox was an early stage startup that sold Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) to small telecom... View Details

Keywords: Blockchain; Cryptocurrency; Initial Coin Offering; ICO; Business Startups; Finance; Currency; Strategy; Decision Making; United States

20 Jul 2009
Research & Ideas

Markets or Communities? The Best Ways to Manage Outside Innovation

Boudreau, presents companies with a framework to think about how to organize outside innovators, such as the decision to follow a community/collaboration model versus a markets/competition approach. What are the lessons you hope that... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Technology

17 Jul 2007
First Look

First Look: July 17, 2007

decision for firms that aspire to develop platform-mediated networks is whether to preserve proprietary control or share their platform with rivals. A proprietary platform has a single provider that solely controls its technology, for... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

December 2020 (Revised June 2021)
Case

France Télécom (A): A Challenging Restructuring

By: Cynthia A. Montgomery and Ashley V. Whillans

These cases explore the impacts of industry shocks, resulting corporate actions that had a devastating impact on employees, and the legal conviction of corporate leaders for “institutional harassment."

This case series follows the evolution of France... View Details

16 Oct 2012
First Look

First Look: October 16

PublicationsEnterprise Analytics: Optimize Performance, Process, and Decisions Through Big Data Author:Thomas H. Davenport Publication:FT Press, 2012 Abstract This book, an edited collection of research papers from the International... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

November 2018 (Revised June 2022)
Teaching Note

AirFox (A): Embracing the Blockchain and an ICO

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Nathaniel Schwalb

Teaching Note for HBS No. 818-097. In summer 2017, Victor Santos, CEO of AirFox, considered whether to pivot his startup towards a new product built with blockchain—a quickly growing technology at the time. AirFox was an early stage startup that sold... View Details

Keywords: Blockchain; Cryptocurrency; Initial Coin Offering; ICO; Business Startups; Finance; Currency; Strategy; Decision Making; United States

05 May 2014
Research & Ideas

Reflecting on Work Improves Job Performance

it. Type 2 processes, on the other hand, are consciously reflective, and are often associated with decision making. Essentially, the researchers hypothesized that learning by doing would be more effective if deliberately coupled with... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

24 Feb 2009
First Look

First Look: February 24, 2009

Access published online on December 3, 2008) Abstract This article studies the allocation of control when there is disagreement—in the sense of differing priors—about the right course of action. People then value control rights since they believe that their View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

July 2005 (Revised June 2006)
Case

Ryanair Holdings plc

Examines the valuation of an Irish airline that reported its first decline in net income in 2004 and saw a 30% stock price drop on the news. Ryanair is a low-cost, low-fare airline headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, operating over 200 routes in 20 countries. The company... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; International Accounting; Analysis; Valuation; Air Transportation; Forecasting and Prediction; Finance; Air Transportation Industry; Dublin

25 Apr 2023
Op-Ed

How SHEIN and Temu Conquered Fast Fashion—and Forged a New Business Model

Marketplace was difficult for the small factories in mainland China because many knew little of fast-changing American consumer fashion tastes. SHEIN came to the rescue. SHEIN, which had never sold products in China, began to make its... View Details

Keywords: by John Deighton; Fashion; Retail; Consumer Products

07 Jul 2015
First Look

First Look: July 7, 2015

business model as decisions enforced by the authority of the firm; this definition enables the analysis of business models through the analysis of individual firm choices. We situate negotiation outcomes within the strategy literature by... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

05 Dec 2006
First Look

First Look: December 5, 2006

best help the company make the transition. Fusilier's new solutions strategy has made the decision that much more difficult. Under this model, the company must revamp its incentives, training, and processes for deploying the sales force.... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

2008
Working Paper

Embracing Commitment and Performance: CEOs and Practices Used to Manage Paradox

By: Tobias Fredberg, Michael Beer, Russell Eisenstat, Nathaniel Foote and Flemming Norrgren

We tend to assume that great leaders must make difficult choices between two or more conflicting outcomes. In an interview study with 26 CEOs of top American and European companies (incl. IKEA, Campbell Soups, Nokia, H&M), we find that instead of choosing between... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Managerial Roles; Performance; Strategy; Management Practices and Processes; Decision Choices and Conditions