Customer Focused Organization - Publications - Faculty & Research

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Learn With Baker Library: Introduction to Capital IQ | Baker Library

Help Center Learn With Baker Library: Introduction to Capital IQ Learn With Baker Library is a library service that provides customized e-learning modules covering topics from in-depth database overviews, library resource tutorials, and... View Details

01 Apr 2000
News

Rethinking Call Centers: Effective Delivery of Service is Key

call centers, with their attendant voice response units, need not be frustrating. When a company manages its call center well, effectively linking a triad of service, information technology, and internal processes, both the customer and... View Details

25 Apr 2014
News

Creation of parks connects people to nature and each other

are some of our most important clients," says Rogers. "The Trust for Public Land has a people-focused mission, to protect the places or create the parks where people can connect to nature and each other," he explains. While most land conservation groups are View Details

02 Nov 2016
What Do You Think?

Are Employees Becoming Job 'Renters' Instead of 'Owners'?

“It may not be possible for every employee (to) value the company as if it were his own. The next best thing is to make the customer the focus of everyone’s work. When customer service is enculturated... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

24 Jul 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, July 24, 2018

develop an active customer base, focusing on two questions. First, how does the way that customers use the service postadoption to meet their own needs (personal usage) and to... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

01 Jun 2022
News

Case Study: Glass Half Full

and customer acquisition. If you are building a brand, my advice is to keep Amazon while you build out your Shopify ecosystem, and then make the move. It may not be relevant in your business but buying inventory can keep the supply chain... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; Nonstore Retailers; Retail Trade

25 Aug 2022
News

Labs Enable Large-scale Research

are focusing on retraining (upskilling/reskilling) initiatives aimed at either equipping “at-risk” workers with skills relevant to new digital technologies, or helping them leverage existing skills across different occupations enabled by... View Details

01 Jun 2024
News

Case Study: Ready for an Upgrade

for enterprise-sized businesses, where multiple teams (of 50 to 1,000 people) are collaborating on a single program to build hardware. Companies fitting that description tend to be in aerospace and defense, Wen says, so Stell focused on... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; Computer Systems Design and Related Services; Professional Services

08 Aug 2023
Research & Ideas

The Rise of Employee Analytics: Productivity Dream or Micromanagement Nightmare?

employee and customer data. And new laws may be on the horizon, shaping how organizations respond. “How you put this into practice,” Polzer says, “matters a lot.” You Might Also Like: When Bias Creeps into... View Details

Keywords: by Ben Rand

07 May 2018
Research & Ideas

Why Online Retailers Should Hide Their Best Discounts

New advice for online retailers suggests bargain items should not be too easy for shoppers to find. (Matjaz Slanic) Retailers have long known where to put the bargain bin—in the back of the store, where customers have to work a little bit... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Retail

23 Oct 2019
News

Preparing Leaders to Leverage Artificial Intelligence

HBS convenes an annual Digital Transformation Summit that explores the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow’s technology. The most recent summit, held in February, focused on artificial intelligence and drew some 500 professionals and... View Details

Keywords: Intellectual Ambition; Pathbreaking Research; Artificial Intelligence

Web

Financial Management of Smaller Firms - Course Catalog

https://courseware.hbs.edu/video/?v=0_cteitfd6 Course Content and Organization The course first focuses on how to buy a small business. We begin with the case of two HBS MBAs who chose to purchase a small... View Details

Profile

Stephanie Atiase

organizations that "foster an environment for the company to grow." For her summer internship, Stephanie joined a management consultancy focused on operating model design. After graduation, she... View Details

05 Oct 2021
Blog Post

First-Gen Voices: Eric Westphal on Tapping into the Global Alumni Network & Making a Difference Across Borders

had been following their business for a while and knew they were brilliant. I also liked the idea of working in healthcare, particularly a business focused on primary care, during COVID-19,” he shared. Working with this View Details

Profile

Inessa Lurye

she says. "But my background in public policy is very useful. Maxwell has a strong sense of mission, which is integral to the kind of organization I wanted to join." Many useful lessons from HBS In her current role, Inessa works... View Details

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Once in a Lifetime Opportunities | Social Enterprise | Harvard Business School

effectively and efficiently measure the impact of Acumen’s portfolio companies. “We developed Lean Data as a smart way to listen to our customers and understand the impact of our products and services on their lives,” Kasia says. In the... View Details

16 Nov 2017
News

The Business of Social Justice

A born adventurer with a passion for social justice, Heidi Brooks (MBA 2003) uses her business savvy to effect social change. Since 2014 Brooks has served as chief operating officer of the Schott Foundation for Public Education, a nonprofit View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Myers

September 2008 (Revised June 2010)
Case

Hearts On Fire - Brand Development Manager

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Benson P. Shapiro

Hearts On Fire, a successful branded diamond producer, established the position of Brand Development Manager (BDM) to build the company's presence, sales, and relationships with its retail customers. After one year, the CEO, CFO and President must evaluate the impact... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Investment Return; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Business Processes; Salesforce Management; Business Strategy

Citation

Educators

Purchase

October 1997 (Revised July 1998)
Case

Cultivating Capabilities to Innovate: Booz.Allen & Hamilton

By: Clayton M. Christensen and Bret J. Baird

Describes the efforts of the president of Booz.Allen, a major consulting firm, to understand and improve the way that products, services, and processes are developed and deployed throughout the firm. Proactive management of these processes proves very difficult because... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Innovation and Management; Management Teams; Service Operations; Organizational Culture; Customer Focus and Relationships; Decision Making; Consulting Industry