Publications

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

April 2003 (Revised April 2006)
Case

Developing Professionals-The BCG Way (A)

This case provides a brief history of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the firm's approach to development and mentorship of its consultants. It also discusses the challenges facing three consultants who are nearing the two-year mark of working at BCG. View Details

Keywords: Personal Development and Career; Consulting Industry

December 2002 (Revised February 2003)
Case

Broken Trust: Role of Professionals in the Enron Debacle

Discusses the role of professionals in the Enron debacle. Argues that professionals failed to prevent or predict Enron's collapse because of the conflicts of interest they faced. Concludes with observations on management and regulation of conflicts of interest facing... View Details

Keywords: Conflict of Interests; Trust; Management Teams; Energy Industry

July 2001 (Revised August 2004)
Case

AdNet (B)

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

December 1999 (Revised August 2004)
Case

Tom Tierney at Bain & Company (A)

Bain managing director Tom Tierney is contemplating how best to rotate the office head position between two partners at one of the firm's offices. The case provides background information on Bain's governance structure and Tierney's management style. View Details

Keywords: Management Style; Governance Controls; Management Succession; Personal Development and Career; Consulting Industry

December 1998
Supplement

Vermeer Technologies (A): A Company Is Born

The founding team of Vermeer Technologies, an entrepreneurial software start-up, discusses the opportunities and challenges confronting the company. View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Information Technology Industry

June 1998 (Revised October 2005)
Supplement

Ecolab, Inc. (D)

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

January 2022
Technical Note

The Professional Pledge

January 2022
Course Overview Note

Strategy in Professional Service Firms: Course Introduction

March 2020 (Revised February 2021)
Module Note

Corporate Strategy

As a strategist, you must decide for your firm what products to produce, what customers to serve, what geographies to operate in, and what activities to perform. This note on Corporate Strategy, which introduces the fifth module of the RC Strategy course, offers a... View Details

Keywords: Scope; Corporate Strategy; Horizontal Integration; Vertical Integration

October 2004 (Revised March 2006)
Background Note

Compensation in Professional Service Firms

Discusses the compensation of professionals--partners and nonpartners--in a professional services firm. Discusses the considerations that determine the choice of compensation systems and the interrelationship between compensation and other human resources management... View Details

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Service Industry

October 2004 (Revised July 2006)
Background Note

Ownership Structure in Professional Service Firms: Partnership versus Public Corporation

This case reviews the relative merits of partnership and public ownership structures in professional services firms. It also evaluates the various rationales for converting partnership professional services firms to publicly owned firms. Finally, the case highlights... View Details

Keywords: Private Ownership; Transition; Partners and Partnerships; Public Ownership; Service Industry

March 2004 (Revised August 2004)
Case

Strategic Review at Egon Zehnder International (B)

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

January 2004 (Revised February 2004)
Case

Evolution of Public Reputation of a Profession (A)

This case explores how the public reputation of a profession evolves as its membership changes. The public reputation of a professional relies on its association's credibility for ensuring, through rigorous certification and self-regulation, that its members place... View Details

Keywords: Conflict of Interests; Ethics; Organizations; Reputation

Find at Harvard

November 2003 (Revised March 2005)
Compilation

Being a Professional

We encounter in all aspects of our daily lives groups of individuals who identify themselves as professionals. Many of us aspire to be professionals in our vocation and conduct. But what are the aspects of being a professional? The following anthology of book excerpts... View Details

Keywords: Behavior; Personal Development and Career

September 2003 (Revised February 2005)
Case

Analyst Conflicts (A): Resolved?

This case tracks the events leading to the April 2003 industry settlement on equity research in financial services companies. View Details

Keywords: Conflict of Interests; Law; Negotiation Deal; Financial Services Industry

March 2003 (Revised April 2006)
Background Note

Scale and Scope in Professional Service Firms

This case discusses why economies (and diseconomies) of scale and scope exist in professional service firms (PSFs) and how they influence the amount and range of services that PSFs offer. It is distributed with a case that focuses on determining the optimal scale/scope... View Details

Keywords: Cost Management; Operations; Microeconomics; Service Industry

July 2001
Background Note

Ethics in Venture Capital

Discusses potential conflicts of interest that venture capitalists face in dealing with entrepreneurs. Critiques arguments that such conflicts are easily managed and unproblematic. Suggests four ways to address potential conflicts. View Details

Keywords: Conflict of Interests; Venture Capital; Ethics