Publications

April 1993
Background Note

Note on High-Commitment Work Systems

By: David A. Garvin and Norman Klein

Describes the history, theory, and practice of high-commitment work systems. The history reviews classical approaches (i.e. Frederick Taylor), the human relations movement, the human resources approach, quality of work life, and empowerment. The theory examines the... View Details

Keywords: Design; Human Resources; Innovation and Invention; Managerial Roles; Work-Life Balance; Problems and Challenges; Strategy

01 May 2019
Blog Post

Viewpoints: Synthetic Thinking with a Humble Mindset

how Martin Luther King Jr. was not necessarily born as a charismatic public speaker, but he developed the skills through deliberate practice. In other words, instead of blindly believing in his ability, he identified his View Details

Profile

Inessa Lurye

MBA/MPP degree at HBS and Harvard Kennedy School, Inessa helped expand the reach of the HBS Design Club, and fulfilled a field project at Harvard Art Museums that developed art workshops designed around specific group interests. One thing... View Details

December 2014
Case

Henry A. Kissinger as Negotiator: Background and Key Accomplishments

By: James K. Sebenius and Laurence A. Green

Following a brief summary of Henry A. Kissinger's career, this case describes three of his most pivotal negotiations: the historic establishment of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, the easing of geopolitical tension with the Soviet Union,... View Details

13 Aug 2008
Research & Ideas

The Inner Life of Leaders

Hedgehogs and Foxes is my 15th book. It is a study of leaders acting in a role but wittingly or unwittingly bringing to this enactment their character. An individual's character is outwardly represented while it is a product of View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

14 Dec 2016
Blog Post

Career Paths: From Finance to Social Enterprise

consulting. I set my sights on consulting when recruiting for summer internships. I didn't end up finding a consulting internship, but I landed a role at a start-up analyzing opportunities and developing a plan for international... View Details

28 Jul 2016
Blog Post

Why I’m Not Changing Careers after Business School

employee and a better person for having had the experience here. As Eric Roth wrote in his screenplay for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, “It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything stays the same, feels the same,... View Details

Profile

Yi-An Huang

internal consulting group. How is your current job related to your HBS experience? When I came to HBS, I had been working in global health and development issues. I had realized that healthcare is an exciting sector with powerful social... View Details

Keywords: Health Care

01 Dec 2018
News

From Das’s Desk

Reflective Leader. Led by HBS professors Tom DeLong and Scott Snook, participants delved into case discussions about authentic leadership, explored their personal strengths and weaknesses, and began to put perspective on their true... View Details

Keywords: Das Narayandas

June 2013
Case

Ken Traub at American Bank Note Holographics

By: Suraj Srinivasan and Michael Norris

Ken Traub is hired as CFO for American Bank Note Holographics, the market-leading security holograph company in January 1999, but discovers on his first day that the company has misstated its financials and resigns. After consulting with the company for the next... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Moral Sensibility; Earnings Management; Crime and Corruption; Personal Development and Career; Management Teams; Technology Industry; Service Industry; United States

June 2009
Case

The Rise of President Barack Hussein Obama

By: David A. Thomas, Laura Morgan Roberts and Stephanie Creary

This case profiles President Barack Hussein Obama's rise to the presidency as an "improbable candidate." The case illustrates the ways in which he overcame criticism from those who questioned his credibility and his values, and skepticism from those who were unsure... View Details

Keywords: Ethnicity; Race; Political Elections; Leadership; Personal Development and Career; Creativity; Trust

January 2005
Case

Building Career Foundations: Humphrey Chen (A)

Follows the career decision making of a second-year MBA student who is engaged and must negotiate both cross-cultural and dual-career issues. Humphrey Chen must decide between a consulting firm and running his own start-up company (pre-Internet boom). He confronts... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Personal Development and Career; Family and Family Relationships; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues

June 2007 (Revised January 2008)
Case

The Vanguard Group, Inc. in 2006 and Target Retirement Funds

By: Luis M. Viceira

The Vanguard Group is one of the largest asset managers in the U.S., with over $1 trillion in assets, ninety percent of which are mutual fund assets, and more than 12,000 employees at year-end 2006. Vanguard has built a strong reputation as the manager of reference for... View Details

Keywords: Asset Management; Investment Funds; Personal Finance; Brands and Branding; Retirement; Trust; Financial Services Industry; United States

01 Mar 2009
News

Ticked Off

The HBS Club of Connecticut Community Partners recently partnered with Time for Lyme (TFL), a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating the devastating effects of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. Founded in 1998, TFL has raised millions of dollars, lobbied for... View Details

Keywords: Personal Services; Personal Services; Personal Services; Personal Services

01 Jun 2004
News

New MBA Leadership Course

design-team member and course head Lynn S. Paine, one of ten HBS faculty members who taught LCA this year. Paine explains that after a lengthy review of the first-year offerings on managers’ responsibilities that began in 2001, the faculty voted to View Details

Keywords: HBS; LCA; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

April 2024
Case

Cyrus: Turning a Traditional Business Model on Its Head (A)

By: James Heskett

The loss of the lease at their Michelin-starred Cyrus 1.0 in Sonoma County, California gives the partners an opportunity to shut down and rework a “broken” business model, one with labor intensive experiences six or seven nights a week, high burnout, high... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Retention; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leasing; Work-Life Balance; Strategic Planning; Loss; Profit; Working Conditions; California