Publications

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October 2000 (Revised March 2001)
Case

Firestone/Ford Tire Controversy, The (A)

By: V.G. Narayanan and Roger Orosman Nieves

Examines the high-profile Firestone/Ford product recall/investigation that took place in the summer of 2000. Focuses on the management of supplier relationships and incentives. View Details

Keywords: Knowledge Sharing; Supply Chain Management; Motivation and Incentives; Crisis Management; Corporate Accountability; Product; Service Operations; Auto Industry

08 Jul 2014
First Look

First Look: July 8

financial incentives do not appear to crowd it out. Third, the responses to both types of incentives are stronger when their relative value is higher. Indeed, financial rewards are effective at View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

11 Sep 2019
Research & Ideas

Germany May Have the Answer for Reducing Drug Prices

the Poronui Associate Professor of Business Administration. Pharmaceutical companies have long opposed efforts to regulate drug prices, arguing that prices reflect the companies’ massive research investments. But Germany’s approach shows how the right View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost; Health

23 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

Brand Power from Wedgwood to Dell: Part Two

hundreds of women, offering them free makeovers, demonstrating her products, and providing a sense of the elegance and self-definition that her cosmetics offered customers. As the brand View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

September 2011 (Revised October 2012)
Case

Ganging Up on Cancer: Integrative Research Centers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (A)

By: Heidi K. Gardner, Edo Bedzra and Shereef M. Elnahal

Dr. Barrett Rollins, Chief Scientific Officer of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, attempts to engender cross-scientist collaboration by applying project management principles to medical research. The resulting innovation, Integrative Research Centers, are novel in... View Details

Keywords: Problems and Challenges; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Motivation and Incentives; Employees; Performance Evaluation; Leadership Style; Leadership; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management

February 2008 (Revised November 2008)
Case

Global Talent Management at Novartis

By: Jordan Siegel

This case tackles the topic of global talent management. It can be used to analyze the performance measurement, incentive, and talent development system used at a major multinational company. This case can also be used to analyze the extent to which this system should... View Details

Keywords: Talent and Talent Management; Developing Countries and Economies; Multinational Firms and Management; Performance Evaluation; Motivation and Incentives; Adaptation

27 Aug 2007
Op-Ed

Mattel: Getting a Toy Recall Right

for recalled products. Given the inconvenience caused to consumers and the need to motivate them to return the affected products, this offer may not be sufficient. The success of the recall will be... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch; Consumer Products

May 2002
Case

Venture Capital Fund Restructuring Vignettes (Abridged)

By: Paul A. Gompers

This case examines the changes in fund structures proposed by four venture capital firms in 2002: Accel Partners, Battery Ventures, Charles River Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The venture capital market has experienced a major downturn, and these... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Restructuring; Financial Crisis; Motivation and Incentives; Business and Shareholder Relations; Investment Funds; Financial Services Industry

2004
Working Paper

Are Perks Purely Managerial Excess?

By: Raghuram G. Rajan and Julie Wulf

Why do some firms tend to offer executives a variety of perks while others offer none at all? A widespread view in the corporate finance literature is that executive perks are a form of agency or private benefit and a way for managers to misappropriate some of the... View Details

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Performance Productivity; Executive Compensation; Corporate Finance

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24 Sep 2012
Research & Ideas

Why Do We Tax?

There is a mismatch between what many scholars assume is the purpose of taxes and what most people believe for themselves. That mismatch means that the advice experts offer to policymakers and citizens... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Legal Services

November 2001 (Revised December 2002)
Case

Tracking Stocks at Genzyme (A)

By: Malcolm S. Salter

Genzyme, a tracking stock pioneer, has used its innovative capital structure as a way to frame and grow its R&D-intensive business. Facing the question of how best to integrate a new acquisition into its tracking stock structure, Genzyme's top management is forced to... View Details

Keywords: Integration; Value Creation; Motivation and Incentives; Conflict of Interests; Stocks; Capital Structure; Research and Development; Corporate Governance; Biotechnology Industry

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10 May 2004
Research & Ideas

Rethink the Value of Joint Ventures

More generally, multinationals often create incentives to have joint ventures by penalizing the risk-taking involved in going it alone. The overall multinational entity must reevaluate its attitude toward joint ventures View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia Churchwell

01 Jul 2002
Research & Ideas

What it Takes to Lead Through Turmoil

When managers need help leading through turbulent times, Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter suggests taking wisdom from the sayings of that expert on confusion, Yogi Berra. "When you come to a fork in the road," Kanter quotes the former... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

June 2011
Article

The Paradox of Excellence

By: Thomas J. DeLong and Sara DeLong

Why is it that so many smart, ambitious professionals are less productive and satisfied than they could be? We argue that it's often because they're afraid to demonstrate any sign of weakness. They're reluctant to ask important questions or try new... View Details

Keywords: Employees; Innovation and Invention; Strength and Weakness; Performance Productivity; Risk and Uncertainty; Motivation and Incentives; Satisfaction

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02 May 2011
Research & Ideas

Casino Payoff: Hands-Off Management Works Best

the "comp," or complimentary benefit, which can include a free dinner at a hotel restaurant, reduced-priced tickets and good seats to a show, or even free lodging in deluxe accommodations. In short, casino hosts are the ultimate customer... View Details

Keywords: by Dennis Fisher; Entertainment & Recreation

January 2007
Exercise

Multifactor Models

By: Malcolm P. Baker

Students evaluate the performance of four mutual funds and compute the cost of capital for two companies using fixed benchmarks, the CAPM, and a multifactor model of returns. View Details

Keywords: Cost of Capital; Performance Evaluation; Business Model; Investment Funds; Investment Return; Motivation and Incentives; Markets