Publications

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November 2021 (Revised January 2024)
Case

The Global Great Depression, 1929-1939

By: Alberto Cavallo, Sophus A. Reinert and Federica Gabrieli

The Great Depression was, by far, the worst economic contraction of the twentieth century, and some of the most important ideas about both fiscal and monetary policy in the second half of the century were developed in response to it. The economic collapse, which... View Details

Keywords: Great Depression; Economic Conditions; Unemployment; Homelessness; Financial Crisis; History; Economy; Policy; Poverty; Social Issues; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation

06 Jun 2005
What Do You Think?

Is a “Level Playing Field” a Good Thing?

make sure that everyone plays by the same standards." In commenting on "playing fields" from the viewpoint of developing economies, Ashutosh Tiwari suggests that there are two types. The first is technical. He writes,... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

08 Mar 2021
In Practice

COVID Killed the Traditional Workplace. What Should Companies Do Now?

A year ago, COVID-19 forced many companies to send employees home—often with a laptop and a prayer. Now, with COVID cases subsiding and vaccinations rising, the prospect of returning to old office routines appears more possible. But will employees want to flock back to... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

September 2004 (Revised January 2005)
Case

Brazil's WTO Cotton Case: Negotiation Through Litigation

By: Ray A. Goldberg, Robert Lawrence and J. Katherine Milligan

Brazil has just won a case action against the U.S. cotton agriculture program at the World Trade Organization. What does this mean for future agricultural programs in the United States? For future trade policies of the United States, Brazil, and others in the global... View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Trade; Globalized Markets and Industries; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Policy; Lawsuits and Litigation; Negotiation Process; Negotiation Types; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; United States; Brazil

22 Feb 2018
Working Paper Summaries

Debt Traps? Market Vendors and Moneylender Debt in India and the Philippines

Keywords: by Dean Karlan, Sendhil Mullainathan, and Benjamin N. Roth

August 2012 (Revised August 2015)
Technical Note

Building Cities: A Technical Note

By: Arthur I Segel and Oliver O. Hartleben

World population growth and increasing urbanization will require new cities in the future around the world. This technical note attempts to systematize the key design decisions that developers and policy makers alike must make to be able to proceed. View Details

Keywords: Real Estate; Urban Scope; City; Real Estate Industry

September 2020 (Revised December 2020)
Case

Hot Wheels at Mattel: Reinventing the Wheel

By: Elie Ofek, Andres Terech and Nicole Tempest Keller

In 2017, Chris Down, Global Brand General Manager for Hot Wheels, and his team from the Advanced Play Group within Mattel, Inc., were considering which innovation path to pursue in order to "future proof" the Hot Wheels franchise going forward. Hot Wheels was the... View Details

Keywords: Toys; Industry Evolution; Innovation Strategy; Product Development; Growth and Development Strategy; Technological Innovation; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Decision Making; Digital Transformation

29 Jun 2016
Research & Ideas

The $1 Trillion Link Between Mental Health and Economic Productivity

In April, the World Health Organization released a groundbreaking study that established a definitive link between mental health and economic productivity. The findings were both depressing and hopeful. On the downside, depression and... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

16 May 2000
Research & Ideas

Getting the Message: How the Internet is Changing Advertising

In 1994, the World Wide Web was not yet a household name. A new company called Yahoo! had just developed a way to look for sites on the Internet—the search engine. HotWired debuted as the first online... View Details

Keywords: by Susan Young

2022
Book

The Digital Mindset: What It Really Takes to Thrive in the Age of Data, Algorithms, and AI

By: Paul Leonardi and Tsedal Neeley

The pressure to "be digital" has never been greater, but you can meet the challenge. The digital revolution is here, changing how work gets done, how industries are structured, and how people from all walks of life work, behave, and relate to each other. To thrive... View Details

Keywords: Digital; Artificial Intelligence; Big Data; Digital Transformation; Technological Innovation; Transformation; Learning; Competency and Skills

Article

Designing Sustainability at BMW Group: The Designworks/USA Experience

By: Kellie McElhaney, Michael W. Toffel and Natalie Hill

This case study describes how an industrial design company developed a sustainability management system (SMS) standard, designed and implemented an SMS throughout its business, and then became the first company in the world to achieve third-party SMS certification by a... View Details

Keywords: Design; Governance Compliance; Management Practices and Processes; Standards; Environmental Sustainability; Auto Industry; United States

Find at Harvard

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April 2018 (Revised October 2023)
Case

Coco Chanel: From Fashion Icon to Nazi Agent

By: Geoffrey Jones and Emily Grandjean

This case describes the career of the iconic French fashion designer Coco Chanel who created a transformational business during the first half of the 20th century. Beginning in her early adulthood, Chanel leveraged relationships with acquaintances, friends, and... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Biography; Entrepreneurship; Relationships; Brands and Branding; Ethics; Fashion Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

07 Jul 2011
What Do You Think?

So We Adapt. What’s the Downside?

so many perilous paths that leaders today have to negotiate daily. Do they have to ask themselves constantly when to adapt and when to commit? Is that one of the basic issues of leadership? What do you think? Original Article Adaptability is a current byword in a View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

30 Jan 2024
Cold Call Podcast

Can Second-Generation Ethanol Production Help Decarbonize the World?

Keywords: Re: Gunnar Trumbull; Energy

Research Summary

Entrepreneurship and Global Capitalism

Conducted in collaboration with Geoffrey Jones, this project looks at the role of cross-border entrepreneurship in global economic integration and disintegration. Drawing on cases of international entrepreneurship from around the world over the last two centuries, it... View Details

June 2015 (Revised April 2018)
Case

WeChat: A Global Platform?

By: Willy Shih, Howard Yu and Feng Liu

WeChat was developed by Tencent Holdings as a lightweight messaging platform. As it grew quickly to become the most popular messaging app in China, it added a range of products and services that sat on top that were designed to appeal to a broad range of consumers and... View Details

Keywords: Online Platforms; China; WeChat; Tencent Holdings; Globalization; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Digital Platforms; Telecommunications Industry; Information Industry; China

June 2021
Case

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments): April 2021

By: Josh Lerner, Reza Satchu and Alys Ferragamo

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) is one of the largest pools of investment capital in the world and follows a rigorous “Total Portfolio Framework” in its approach to investment management. In April of 2021, John Graham was just two months into his role... View Details

Keywords: Pension Funds; Investment Strategy; Capital Markets; Financial Strategy; Investment; Asset Management; Financial Institutions; Private Equity; Growth and Development Strategy; Investment Portfolio; Assets; Financial Markets; Financial Services Industry; Canada

July 2008 (Revised March 2009)
Case

elBulli: The Taste of Innovation

By: Michael I. Norton, Julian Villanueva and Luc Wathieu

Ferran Adrià, chef at elBulli, the highest-ranked restaurant in the world for two consecutive years, faces two related decisions. First, Adrià and his team must continue to develop new and different dishes for the ground-breaking cuisine at elBulli to guarantee a... View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Growth and Development Strategy; Marketing Strategy; Creativity; Food and Beverage Industry; Spain