Publications

The public release of Large Language Models (LLMs) has sparked tremendous interest in how humans will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accomplish a variety of tasks. In our study conducted with Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm, we examine... View Details

Profile

Brittani Rettig

Your Twitter bio reads like that of a superhero ("Management consultant by day, fitness instructor & wellness blogger by night"). Can you tell us about your day and evening jobs? "By day I'm a manager at Deloitte... View Details

Keywords: Consulting; Consulting; Consulting

Career Coach

Deborah Resnick

Deborah (HBS '06) has deep expertise in consulting (breaking into consulting, navigating a career in consulting, and breaking out!), complemented by a diverse set of operational and managerial experience across Fortune 500 companies and a... View Details

Keywords: Consulting; Consulting; Consulting

November 2002 (Revised January 2004)
Case

Martha McCaskey

By: Joshua D. Margolis and Bart J. van Dissel

Martha McCaskey, a project leader at a consulting firm, is asked to complete a project at a crucial point in her career. Successful completion of the project would gain McCaskey a promotion and a significant raise. McCaskey, however, cannot see a way to complete the... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Values and Beliefs; Personal Development and Career; Decision Making; Problems and Challenges; Consulting Industry

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Stuart C. Gilson

Professor Stuart Gilson is the Steven R. Fenster Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, and former chairman of the Finance Unit. His research, teaching, and consulting focuses on the financial, business, and legal strategies that companies... View Details

Keywords: investment banking industry; legal services

January 1997 (Revised February 1998)
Case

Elsie Y. Cross Associates, Inc. and CoreStates Financial Corp.

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Thomas Dretler

A consulting firm specializing in diversity and organizational change assists an 18,000-employee bank with a massive culture change effort. View Details

Keywords: Change; Size; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Diversification; Consulting Industry; Consulting Industry

September 2010 (Revised December 2010)
Case

Compass Maritime Services, LLC: Valuing Ships

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Albert W. Sheen

Tom Roberts, a founding partner of Compass Maritime Services, a New Jersey-based shipping research and consulting firm, has been asked by a new potential customer in May 2008 for advice on purchasing a capesize bulk carrier. After identifying a suitable ship with his... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Judgments; Price; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Negotiation Offer; Mathematical Methods; Ship Transportation; Valuation; Consulting Industry; Consulting Industry

Professor Louis T. Wells is the Herbert F. Johnson Professor of International Management at the Harvard Business School. He has served as consultant to governments of a number of developing countries, as well as to international organizations and private firms. His... View Details

Keywords: mining; telecommunications; utilities

February 2010 (Revised January 2013)
Case

The Dabbawala System: On-Time Delivery, Every Time

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Mona Sinha

Describes the Mumbai-based Dabbawala organization, which achieves very high service performance (6 Sigma equivalent or better) with a low-cost and very simple operating system. The case explores all aspects of their system (mission, information management, material... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Service Operations; Service Delivery; Logistics; Alignment; Management Systems; Human Resources; Innovation and Invention; Mumbai

Career Coach

Robert Kimmel

Robert Kimmel (HBS '03) brings 15 years of operations management and consulting experience. He enjoys working with students who are exploring moves into operational roles, considering a departure from consulting, or deciding between View Details

Keywords: Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting

April 2000 (Revised July 2000)
Case

Family Feud (B): Andersen versus Andersen

By: Ashish Nanda

Arbitration proceedings have been initiated between Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen. The case details developments during 1999 and 2000, as the arbitration nears a decision. View Details

Keywords: Business Exit or Shutdown; Consulting Industry; Consulting Industry; United States

Career Coach

Warren Radtke

Warren (Kellogg '60) is a HBS Career and Professional Development Consultant and a Confidential Advisor to C-Suite Executives and Entrepreneurs. He has held executive positions in public and privately held companies as well as in the... View Details

Keywords: Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting; Consulting

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; Consulting Industry; Consulting Industry; Great Britain

April 2011
Exercise

Strategic Foresight: An Exercise

The exercise asks students to perform a strategic analysis of the consulting industry in order to identify untapped strategic opportunities. View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Supply and Industry; Strategic Planning; Opportunities; Cognition and Thinking; Strategy; Consulting Industry