Publications

January 2002 (Revised November 2010)
Case

Strategic Planning at NFTE

By: Allen S. Grossman and Daniel F. Curran

The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), is a successful nonprofit poised on the verge of explosive growth. The senior management contracted with McKinsey consultants to help guide the process. The founders of NFTE brought it from a small program... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Structure; Partners and Partnerships; Nonprofit Organizations

01 Jun 2020
News

Post-Office

Image by John Ritter On March 8, in the early days of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Stack Overflow, the world’s largest online community for software developers and technologists, announced that its nearly 250-employee workforce would be going all-remote. It was a... View Details

Keywords: Dan Morrell; Remote work; COVID-19; Management of Companies and Enterprises; Management

February 6, 2024
Article

Find the AI Approach That Fits the Problem You’re Trying to Solve

By: George Westerman, Sam Ransbotham and Chiara Farronato

AI moves quickly, but organizations change much more slowly. What works in a lab may be wrong for your company right now. If you know the right questions to ask, you can make better decisions, regardless of how fast technology changes. You can work with your technical... View Details

Keywords: Technology Adoption; AI and Machine Learning; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Technological Innovation; Analytics and Data Science

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May 2017
Teaching Note

Building a Developmental Culture: The Birth of Deloitte University

By: Boris Groysberg and Sarah L. Abbott

This Teaching Note is a companion piece to the case, “Building a Developmental Culture: The Birth of Deloitte University,” HBS No. 411-059. View Details

Keywords: Leading Change; Problems and Challenges; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Management Teams; Competency and Skills; Training; Employees; Values and Beliefs; Education Industry; Consulting Industry; United States

October 2011 (Revised May 2015)
Case

The American Repertory Theater

By: Rohit Deshpande, Allen S. Grossman and Ryan Johnson

When Diane Paulus, artistic director and CEO of the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) first started in 2008, she attracted media coverage around an aesthetic that aimed to give the audience more ownership over the theater experience, excited theatergoers by... View Details

Keywords: Advertising Campaigns; Arts; Business Model; Leading Change; Media; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Nonprofit Organizations; Competitive Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; North and Central America

January 2010 (Revised March 2010)
Case

Transforming ASUSTeK: Breaking from the Past

By: Willy C. Shih, Ho Howard Yu and Hung-Chang Chiu

What happens when an original design manufacturer (ODM) firm tries to transform itself into a branded goods seller? The case traces the evolution of ASUSTeK from a motherboard supplier, to an ODM of desktop and notebook PCs, through its split into three companies that... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Transformation; Disruptive Innovation; Brands and Branding; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Structure; Competitive Strategy; Computer Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Taiwan

October 2007 (Revised March 2009)
Case

Engineering a Renaissance: The Launch of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Dean Venky of the newly launched School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is faced with a range of opportunities and challenges as he presides over the launching of a new school of engineering at Harvard University. His opportunities include an ample endowment, a... View Details

Keywords: Higher Education; Engineering; Leading Change; Product Launch; Service Operations; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Alliances; Competitive Strategy

October 2004 (Revised September 2005)
Case

Sonoco Products Company (A): Building a World-Class HR Organization

By: David A. Thomas, Boris Groysberg and Cate Reavis

Describes the steps the vice-president of human resources takes in revamping an HR function that was noncooperative and, at times, competitive and introducing the company to the notion of HR as a strategic business partner. Explores changes made to the company's... View Details

Keywords: Human Resources; Compensation and Benefits; Management Succession; Measurement and Metrics; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Performance; Partners and Partnerships; Business Strategy

August 1998 (Revised October 1998)
Case

Disney's "The Lion King" (A): The $2 Billion Movie

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Cate Reavis

In 1994, just 10 years after its filmed entertainment division lost $33 million, Disney's animated creation "The Lion King" became the second highest grossing film ever. In addition to drawing $740 million in worldwide box office sales, its merchandise sales exceeded... View Details

Keywords: Value Creation; Marketing Strategy; Expansion; Creativity; Film Entertainment; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Structure; Product Development; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Retail Industry

01 Mar 2016
News

The Western Front

Illustration by Brian Stauffer Illustration by Brian Stauffer The government used to be America’s greatest innovator. Among many things, it developed or helped fund the creation of the Internet, GPS, microchips, and even Cheetos. (True story: The military’s need for... View Details

Keywords: Jason Feifer

22 Oct 2013
First Look

First Look: October 22

and adapt leadership and talent management best practices to law firm structures and challenges. Chapters cover all of the important aspects of strategic talent management and provide practical guidance from law firm talent management... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

03 Jun 2002
What Do You Think?

Are We Entering an Era of European Management Leadership?

efficiency, innovation, quality, and responsiveness to customers—even as one also finds adaptations to cultural differences." These comments tend to question whether management leadership has a "geographic home" as opposed... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

05 Dec 2022
Blog Post

2022 Climate Symposium: Tackling Climate Together

discussions featuring industry experts in the following areas: Energy Transition; Ag-Tech Innovations; Consumer Driven Sustainability; Living with Climate Change; Early Stage Climate Investing; Scaling Carbon Markets; Climate Mitigation & View Details

15 Aug 2024
Blog Post

Navigating the Future of Renewable Energy at Port Esbjerg

and a presentation by Total Energies, and a walkthrough of the port’s district heating plant. Port Esbjerg offered us a unique perspective on how a port can be a central hub in the transition to renewable energy. Adapting Infrastructure... View Details

Web

Getting Things Done: Motivating Yourself and Others - Course Catalog

self-motivation techniques that may undermine or reinforce value creating behavior. Special attention will be given to motivation challenges in remote and hybrid work environments, addressing how traditional motivation approaches must View Details

01 Jun 2012
News

Alumni Book Briefs

produces continual improvement and allows them to rapidly adapt to change without succumbing to complexity. Dorade: The History of an Ocean Racing Yacht by Douglas D. Adkins (MBA 1975) (David R. Godine) This is a history of the Dorade,... View Details

Keywords: News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information; Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores; Retail Trade

January 2025
Case

Ontra: Embracing GenAI in the Legal Technology Industry

By: Christopher Stanton and George Gonzalez

Ontra built a network of legal professionals to enable financial institutions to outsource contract negotiations. The rise of generative AI inspired the company to build software solutions to streamline its processes through automation. Now company leadership must... View Details

Keywords: Transformation; AI and Machine Learning; Applications and Software; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Business Strategy; Technology Industry; Legal Services Industry; United States

Article

Does Your Company Need a Chief Medical Officer?

By: Tsedal Neeley

With the Covid-19 pandemic still raging but businesses trying to remain operational, organizations now have a life or death role to play in protecting the health of employees, customers, and the public. That means they need a new executive in the C-suite: a chief... View Details

Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Health; Health Pandemics; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Structure; Safety; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Working Conditions

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