Publications

20 Jun 2011
Lessons from the Classroom

Fame, Faith, and Social Activism: Business Lessons from Bono

members had not remained true to themselves and this larger purpose. For example, at various moments, Bono's commitment to the band was questioned by his colleagues because of all of the time he devoted to political causes. In Koehn's... View Details

Keywords: by Kim Girard; Entertainment & Recreation

02 Dec 2010
What Do You Think?

Making Right Choices: Art or Science?

using art to sharpen the intuitiveness that goes into the moment of choice." Others maintained that choosing is neither an art nor a science. Laurence McKinney said, "We ultimately base our decisions on 'feelings'" and emotions, aided View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

19 Sep 2005
Research & Ideas

Rethinking Company Loyalty

both employers and employees to strike a brand-new balance when it comes to loyalty—one that gives organizations the focus and expertise they need to compete and employees the career development opportunities they demand? According to the experts interviewed View Details

Keywords: by Lauren Keller Johnson

18 Apr 2017
First Look

First Look at New Ideas, April 18

March 27, 2017 Harvard Business Review How the Water Industry Learned to Embrace Data By: Cespedes, Frank V., and Amir Peleg Abstract—Most current talk about “big data” seems to assume the disintermediation or replacement of physical assets View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

October 2016
Case

The Quiet Ascension of LA Fitness

By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth

In 2016, LA Fitness was the largest chain of non-franchised fitness clubs in North America, operating 676 clubs, serving 4.9 million members, and generating revenues of over $1.9 billion. Founded by Chinyol Yi, Louis Welch, and Paul Norris in 1984, the privately held... View Details

Keywords: LA Fitness; Health Clubs; Fitness; Gyms; Chain; Exercise; Personal Training; Retention; Bally Total Fitness; 24 Hour Fitness; Planet Fitness; Buildings and Facilities; Acquisition; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Model; For-Profit Firms; Customers; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customer Satisfaction; Demographics; Age; Gender; Income; Residency; Borrowing and Debt; Capital; Capital Structure; Cash; Cash Flow; Cost; Private Equity; Financial Condition; Financial Liquidity; Financing and Loans; Investment Return; Price; Profit; Revenue; Geographic Location; Geographic Scope; Multinational Firms and Management; Business History; Employees; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Human Capital; Contracts; Business or Company Management; Goals and Objectives; Growth and Development Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Operations; Service Operations; Leasing; Private Ownership; Problems and Challenges; Sales; Salesforce Management; Situation or Environment; Opportunities; Sports; Strategy; Business Strategy; Competition; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Corporate Strategy; Expansion; Segmentation; Information Technology; Mobile Technology; Technology Platform; Health Industry; United States; California; Los Angeles

September 2001 (Revised June 2005)
Case

Stevenson Industries (A)

By: John A. Davis and Kacie LaChapelle

Simon Carlson, chairman of the board of his family's fourth-generation industrial company, must decide how to deal with his conflict with the company's nonfamily CEO. Hired by the board just 15 months earlier to pursue growth more aggressively, CEO Paul Steel has upset... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Management Succession; Management Style; Governing and Advisory Boards; Management Teams; Rank and Position; Organizational Culture; Decision Making; Manufacturing Industry

06 Sep 2004
What Do You Think?

How Do We Prepare for a World Without Cheap Oil?

What do you think? Original Article A newly-published book by Paul Roberts, The End of Oil, and a variety of observers remind us again that we either have seen or will soon see a peaking out of the... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

04 Oct 2007
What Do You Think?

Has Managerial Capitalism Peaked?

Summing Up The clear consensus of those responding to this month's column is that managerial capitalism, as John Bogle terms it, has peaked. But what will follow it is less clear. Many doubt that the form of owners' capitalism represented View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

01 Feb 2017
What Do You Think?

Is the Next Jobs Crisis Just Ahead?

have in manufacturing). Joan, while commenting that “the issue is multi-dimensional and complex,” observed that: “Things seem to be changing faster than we as humans can adapt ” Paul injected some humor into an ominous-sounding comment... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Service

06 May 2022
News

Professor David Moss: Strengthen

20 Jan 2017
Research & Ideas

Here’s How Businessman Trump Is Likely to Approach the Presidency

approach to the presidency. Their insights follow. Real estate rarely a zero-sum game John D. Macomber, Senior lecturer of business administration You have to start by distinguishing between a branding operation that’s supported View Details

Keywords: by Christina Pazzanese

23 Dec 2002
Research & Ideas

Setting the Stage: A Young Scholar at HBS

Sloan Foundation Program on the Corporation as a Social Institution, and the John E. Rovensky Fellowship Fund. He was interviewed by Laura Linard, the director of HBS Historical Collections.Linard: Can you describe your research interests... View Details

Keywords: by Laura Linard; Banking; Financial Services

08 Dec 2003
Research & Ideas

Is That Really Your Best Offer?

like to think we can gauge someone's sincerity and commitment by the look in her eyes or the firmness of her handshake. After all, a bargainer who yields to a demand is said to have "blinked." And if we reach agreement, it's... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Wheeler

18 Aug 2011
Lessons from the Classroom

Business Plan Contest: 15 Years of Building Better Entrepreneurs

and context. By afternoon, 28 teams in the business and social venture tracks will be named semifinalists. A later round of judging will narrow the field to nine finalists, with the winners to be announced just over two weeks later. First... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Education

10 Sep 2007
Research & Ideas

High Note: Managing the Medici String Quartet

from the case is that a really ugly process can produce great results sometimes. My coauthor in a lot of my work is Lee Devin, a theater professor and theater professional. Of course, theater people have their own ensemble processes. Lee is a little put off View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Music

October 2009 (Revised March 2011)
Case

Qualcomm Incorporated 2009

By: David B. Yoffie, Andrei Hagiu and Elizabeth A. Kind

Paul Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated, smiled as he reflected on the success of Qualcomm's code division multiple access (CDMA) technology. By the summer of 2009, CDMA was the basis for all third generation technologies available for cellular... View Details

Keywords: Business Units; Diversification; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Growth and Development Strategy; Telecommunications Industry