Profit - Publications - Faculty & Research

Sigfried Weis

Weis was instrumental in managing the growth of Weis Markets, often noted as the most profitable supermarket chain in the United States. Weis took the company public in 1965 and went on to produce over 25 consecutive years of successful... View Details

Keywords: Retail

13 Sep 2012
Research & Ideas

Why Public Companies Underinvest in the Future

managers to favor short-term profits over long-term gains. The research results suggest that managers of public companies are under much more pressure than their private-firm counterparts to show short-term financial results. Peeking In... View Details

Keywords: by Maggie Starvish

Edward E. Carlson

When he assumed the CEO position of United Airlines, Carlson inherited a company that had just produced a record $40 million loss. Despite no prior experience in the airline industry, Carlson embarked on a stringent cost reduction and revitalization program that... View Details

Keywords: Transportation

O. Wayne Rollins

In 1964, Rollins completed what is believed to be the first leveraged buy-out in business history through the acquisition of Orkin Exterminating Company. Through a number of acquisitions, he parlayed this initial company into one of the world’s largest and most View Details

Keywords: Services

Leonard Abramson

Abramson accurately predicted the need for prepaid medical plans to manage spiraling medical spending in the 60’s and 70’s and founded U. S. Healthcare to capitalize on this opportunity. Abramson built a fast-growing and extremely View Details

Keywords: Healthcare

Ian K. Ballantine

In 1952, the year of Ballantine Books' founding, Ballantine introduced four titles, including Executive Suite by Cameron Hawley, which became a bestseller and a successful motion picture. Ballantine proved to the publishing industry that substantial View Details

Keywords: Publishing & Print Media

Thomas C. du Pont

duPont consolidated the military powder production industry to the point where the duPont Corporation was producing 90% of all explosives in the U.S. In a matter of four years, duPont acquired the stocks of more than 100 of his competitors, eliminating 64 of them. In... View Details

Keywords: Chemicals & Industrial

Web

Dhilan Ramaprasad | MBA

unparalleled, and I am continually amazed that two co-founders, with backgrounds in engineering and business, could take their product to large scale production and profitability within such a compressed timeline. I hope to learn so much... View Details

09 Apr 2020
Research & Ideas

How Social Entrepreneurs Can Increase Their Investment Impact

Both impact investing and traditional philanthropy are on the rise after the decade-long economic boom following the Great Recession. But when does an impact investment make a bigger difference than a grant? The question is far more complicated than simply evaluating... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

September 1984
Case

Henkel Corp.: International Sealants Brand SISTA (B)

By: Robert J. Dolan

Describes the outcome of implementation of the standardized plan described in Henkel (A). View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Globalization; Expansion; Profit; Conflict Management; Outcome or Result; Consumer Products Industry; Construction Industry; Europe; West Germany

Citation

Educators

Purchase

Pigott was instrumental in leading the growth of his family’s business, Pacific Car & Foundry. Sales of heavy trucks under the Peterbilt and Kenworth names increased from $320 million to $4.3 billion. Part of that growth was generated through a series of... View Details

Keywords: Automotive & Aerospace

12 May 2025
News

Building in the Age of AI: Timeless Methods, Timely Tools

Led by HBS Senior Lecturer and AI venture capitalist Jeffrey Bussgang, this virtual program provides a briefing on the latest AI tools that cutting-edge entrepreneurs are using to accelerate the company-building process. In this program, you'll learn how "10x Founders"... View Details

Herbert D. Kelleher

Kelleher is the founder of a low cost and highly profitable airline. Southwest has refined the low-cost, no-frills, no-reserved seats approach to air travel, providing over 2,300 flights daily to about 52 cities in 26 states, with a fleet... View Details

Keywords: Transportation

William A. Fairburn

European counterparts. In 1915, 100% of Diamond Match’s profits came from match sales. Fairburn diversified the company so that by 1940 only 50% of Diamond Match’s revenues came from match sales. View Details

Keywords: Fabricated Goods

30 Dec 2013
Research & Ideas

Most Popular Articles of 2013

productivity and quality of care can be increased by uncovering organizational factors associated with operational failures so that hospitals can reduce the frequency with which these failures occur. Research by Anita L. Tucker and colleagues. Managing Churn to... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

13 May 2002
Op-Ed

A Cure for Enron-Style Audit Failures

account for transactions under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) while reducing transparency and aggressively maximizing earnings and debt. Creative accounting is part of the competition among auditors that has led to lower View Details

Keywords: by Jay Lorsch; Accounting

01 Jan 2013
News

Thomas A. James, MBA 1966

loan. Three months later he'd repaid the loan and made a profit of $10,000. At Harvard College, he combined his business and music skills by forming a rock band, the Maniacs, and also booking–and often playing with–six other bands. James... View Details

Keywords: Susan Young

Michael A. Volkema

Volkema was devoted to turning the office furniture company into a profitable enterprise. Developing an extensive 12 person Executive Leadership team, Volkema redesigned HM’s core value system, launching the Blueprint for Corporate... View Details