Publications

March 2000 (Revised July 2001)
Case

Microsoft: Competing on Talent (A)

By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Meg Wozny

Describes the evolution of Microsoft's human-resource philosophies, policies, and practices and how they used as a core of the company's competitive advantage. In particular, the focus is on how Microsoft tried to retain its ability to recruit, develop, motivate, and... View Details

Keywords: Human Resources; Retention; Recruitment; Competitive Advantage; Motivation and Incentives; Business Startups; Talent and Talent Management

September 2004 (Revised February 2007)
Case

Roller Coaster Ride, The: The Resignation of a Star

By: Boris Groysberg, Steve Balog and Jennifer Haimson

Presents a detailed account of power dynamics that unfold in the firm when one of its best and brightest threatens to leave. Focuses on the dynamics of attracting, retaining, compensating, negotiating, and leveraging a star performer in a professional services firm. A... View Details

Keywords: Talent and Talent Management; Compensation and Benefits; Resignation and Termination; Retention; Business or Company Management; Negotiation; Power and Influence

October 2019 (Revised August 2022)
Case

Nehemiah Mfg. Co.: Providing a Second Chance

By: Michael Chu, Brian Trelstad and John Masko

In 2009, Dan Meyer and Richard Palmer, two veterans of the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, founded Nehemiah Manufacturing to build FMCG brands while providing jobs to Cincinnati, Ohio’s beleaguered urban core. Two years later, the pair made their first... View Details

Keywords: Fast Moving Consumer Goods; Social Entrepreneurship; Retention; Selection and Staffing; Employment; Human Capital; Growth Management; Brands and Branding; Social Marketing; Mission and Purpose; Prejudice and Bias; City; Urban Scope; Consumer Products Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Ohio; United States

Web

Data Storage - Research Computing Services

Archiving a Project space Project space usage is reviewed and confirmed on a yearly basis. Inactive project spaces will be backed up and archived only after contacting the primary faculty sponsor. Archives are retained for the period of time specified by HU or HBS data... View Details

24 Jan 2011
HBS Case

Terror at the Taj

that it has to do with governance of the Tatas; two-thirds of their profits are donated to charitable causes, so the employees feel that they are working for a higher good." But the IT firm Tata Consultancy Services has had many of the same difficulties with... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Accommodations

18 Mar 2019
Research & Ideas

Stuck in Commuter Hell? You Can Still Be Productive

Workers commute an average 38 minutes each way between home and work—a trip that can feel like a dreadful chore before the workday even begins. In fact, long commutes lower job satisfaction and increase employee turnover. Now, recent research provides some advice to... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

01 Feb 2021
What Do You Think?

Has the New Economy Finally Arrived?

retention efforts should incorporate the tenets of cultural intelligence, which address if an individual is consciously aware of others’ preferences, knowledge of norms and practices, a drive to learn about differences, and assessing what... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

May 2011 (Revised March 2013)
Case

Marshall & Gordon: Designing an Effective Compensation System (A)

By: Heidi K. Gardner and Kerry Herman

CEO Kelly Browne wrestles with the design of a new compensation system to promote the collaboration and cross-selling necessary for supporting her firm's new strategy. Marshall Gordon International, a global public relations (PR) firm, has recently expanded its service... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Customer Relationship Management; Compensation and Benefits; Retention; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Organizational Culture; Partners and Partnerships; Motivation and Incentives; Alignment; Public Relations Industry

11 Oct 2006
What Do You Think?

How Do We Respond to the “Dependency Ratio” Dilemma?

reducing the significance of the ratio, what effect will this have on intermediate-term national economic performance, especially in an economy driven by consumption? Would retention of the elderly in the work force have a net negative... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

March 2011 (Revised March 2012)
Case

Arck Systems

By: Ian Larkin

The Arck Systems series of cases describes the dilemmas faced by a senior sales manager in determining a sales compensation plan at an enterprise software company. The existing compensation plan is aggressive and highly rewards "star" performers. The cases track a... View Details

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Retention; Performance Effectiveness; Salesforce Management; Motivation and Incentives; Software; Information Technology Industry

19 Sep 2005
Research & Ideas

Rethinking Company Loyalty

Few business leaders would deny the importance of organizational loyalty; perhaps fewer still believe they can achieve it the way they once did. After all, the lifetime contract expired long ago, and your people—especially your best people—are more likely to display... View Details

Keywords: by Lauren Keller Johnson

04 Nov 2015
What Do You Think?

Why Does Gender Diversity Improve Financial Performance?

included those that “women have greater analytical skills and coordinate activities with much (greater) ease than men while upholding company values and strategy” (Mathews Daniel Kapito); “Having senior female leaders should lead to higher engagement and better View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

2012
Book

The Culture Cycle: How to Shape the Unseen Force That Transforms Performance

By: James Heskett

The contribution of culture to organizational performance is both substantial and quantifiable. This book presents the results of field research that demonstrates how an effective culture can account for up to half of the differential in performance between... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Learning; Framework; Policy; Retention; Books; Analytics and Data Science; Innovation and Invention; Management Practices and Processes; Organizational Culture; Performance Expectations; Research

Find at Harvard

September 2019 (Revised June 2020)
Case

Othellonia: Growing a Mobile Game

By: Eva Ascarza, Tomomichi Amano and Sunil Gupta

In the summer of 2019, Yu Sasaki, Head of the Game Division of DeNA, a Japanese mobile gaming company, is evaluating various growth strategies for its recent game Othellonia. Sasaki needs to decide if he should focus on customer acquisition, retention, or monetization. View Details

Keywords: Targeting; Retention/churn; Freemium; Monetization; Customer Relationship Management; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Growth and Development Strategy; Marketing; Customers; Marketing Strategy; Retention; Acquisition; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Japan

23 Apr 2018
Research & Ideas

Sponsorship Programs Could Actually Widen the Gender Gap

to her heart when she got pregnant in the 1980s,” Coffman says.) Since joining academia in the 1980s, Baldiga has studied issues related to advancement and retention in professional services firms. Coffman, meanwhile, is a behavioral... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

29 Aug 2023
News

Helping Consumers Decarbonize their Purchases

bunch of really interesting learnings and some really interesting information on retention rates and user interest that I was able to then go pitch to investors in the spring of 2019 and I also applied to a bunch of early stage... View Details

June 2023 (Revised July 2023)
Case

Social Media Background Screening at Fama Technologies

By: Joseph Pacelli, Jillian Grennan and Alexis Lefort

Fama Technologies is an online screening company that uses AI to analyze job applicants' publicly available online content for signs of risk and culture fit. The case opens with Ben Mones, founder and CEO, looking to secure funding from venture firms. He is running... View Details

Keywords: Human Resources; Recruitment; Retention; Selection and Staffing; Organizational Culture; Talent and Talent Management; AI and Machine Learning; Social Media; Venture Capital; Entrepreneurship; United States

March 2022
Case

Skills-First Hiring at IBM

By: Boris Groysberg and Sarah Mehta

This case reviews IBM’s efforts to widen its hiring funnel and broaden its talent pool. View Details

Keywords: Competency and Skills; Experience and Expertise; Talent and Talent Management; Human Resources; Employees; Recruitment; Retention; Selection and Staffing; Jobs and Positions; Job Design and Levels; Job Interviews; Society; Social Issues; Technology Industry; United States; New York (city, NY)

June 2022 (Revised March 2024)
Case

Netflix's Culture: Binge or Cringe?

By: Hubert Joly, Leonard A. Schlesinger, James Barnett and Stacy Straaberg

In May 2022, streaming entertainment company Netflix lost customers for the first time in more than 10 years. Once a first mover in the streaming landscape, Netflix was facing competition from Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, and others. A key component of... View Details