Publications

July–August 2020
Article

Sarcasm, Self-Deprecation, and Inside Jokes: A User's Guide to Humor at Work

By: Brad Bitterly and Alison Wood Brooks

Humor is widely considered essential in personal relationships, but in leaders, it’s seen as an ancillary behavior. Though some leaders use humor instinctively, many more could wield it purposefully. Humor helps build interpersonal trust and high-quality work... View Details

Keywords: Managing People; Humor; Leadership; Relationships

Read Now

February 2007 (Revised March 2007)
Case

Navigating Turbulent Waters: Glitnir Bank's Communication Challenge during a Macroeconomic Crisis

By: Michael D. Kimbrough, Gregory S. Miller, Vincent Marie Dessain and Ane Damgaard Jensen

Glitnir Bank is an Icelandic company following an aggressive growth strategy that relies heavily on foreign debt. Access to such debt is suddenly curtailed when there is a downturn in market sentiment regarding the Icelandic economy as a whole. Students will reflect on... View Details

Keywords: International Finance; Banks and Banking; Macroeconomics; Communication Strategy; Banking Industry; Iceland

2005
Book

Multinationals and Global Capitalism: From the Nineteenth to the Twenty-First Century

By: Geoffrey Jones

This book provides an essential framework for understanding global business. It shows how entrepreneurs built a global economy in the nineteenth century by creating firms that pursued resources and markets across borders. It demonstrates how firms shifted strategies as... View Details

Keywords: Capitalism; Multinational Firms and Management; Globalization; History; Economy; Trade; Strategy

Program

Advanced Management Program

instructions in your application. English Proficiency Proficiency in spoken and written English is essential for active participation in fast-moving classes and small group discussions. Learning Commitment Residency on campus is required... View Details

01 May 2019
News

Many assume salary transparency will benefit employees, but research suggests downsides, too

Research Summary

Deep Indicators of Business Model Success

By: James L. Heskett

The purpose of this study is to develop ways of helping practitioners identify and measure deep indicators of success in the business models being pursued by their organizations. The hypothesis is that success is dependent on these deep indicators. The indicators are... View Details

2022
Article

The Pricing and Ownership of U.S. Green Bonds

By: Malcolm Baker, Daniel Bergstresser, George Serafeim and Jeffrey Wurgler

We study green bonds, which are bonds whose proceeds are used for environmentally sensitive purposes. After an overview of the U.S. corporate and municipal green bonds markets, we study pricing and ownership patterns using a simple framework that incorporates assets... View Details

Keywords: Green Bond; Pricing; Climate Finance; ESG; SRI; Sustainable; Municipal; Bonds; Environmental Sustainability; Financial Markets; Price; Ownership; United States

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December 1994 (Revised January 1995)
Case

Zoll Medical Corporation (A)

When is a product ready for the market? In this case, engineers present a prototype medical device product to the CEO for approval. The product, developed under a tight deadline, is essentially identical to the main competitor's product, but that competitor is... View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Management; Product Development; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

02 Jun 2020
News

Great Leaders Use Tough Love to Improve Performance

August 2006 (Revised March 2007)
Background Note

Developing an Effective Living Group in the General Management Program

By: Michael Beer and John J. Gabarro

Discusses the importance of living room groups (eight participants who share a living room) at Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program developing into effective learning groups. The diversity of the groups is a strength, but only a conscious and concerted... View Details

Keywords: Groups and Teams

February 2002 (Revised February 2004)
Case

Brazos Partners: the CoMark LBO

By: Josh Lerner, G. Felda Hardymon and Ann Leamon

The partners of a new midmarket buyout fund are working on a buyout of a closely held modular building company. Although originally structured as a stock deal, they have realized that an asset deal would be preferable from their point of view and are trying to... View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Negotiation Deal; Valuation

19 Apr 2017
News

This company trusts its employees so much it has a “no limits” expense policy

2010
Book

Rethinking the MBA: Business Education at a Crossroads

By: Srikant M. Datar, David A. Garvin and Patrick Cullen

"Business Schools Face Test of Faith." "Is It Time to Retrain B-Schools?" As these headlines make clear, business education is at a major crossroads. For decades, MBA graduates from top-tier schools set the standard for cutting-edge business knowledge and skills. Now... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Transformation; Business Education; Curriculum and Courses; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Problems and Challenges

Web

The Five Forces - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

industry profitability. If there are only one or two suppliers of an essential input product, for example, or if switching suppliers is expensive or time consuming, a supplier group wields more power. Bargaining Power of Buyers Powerful... View Details

August 2014 (Revised May 2015)
Case

Teaming at Disney Animation

By: Amy C. Edmondson, David L. Ager, Emily Harburg and Natalie Bartlett

Jonathan Geibel, Director of Systems at Walt Disney Animation Studios (hereafter referred to as Disney Animation), walked through the workspace occupied by the group he had been tasked to lead. Geibel knew he was part of a creative and magical environment. The Disney... View Details

Keywords: Leading Change; Creativity; Organizational Structure; Animation Entertainment; Organizational Culture; Groups and Teams; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

02 Feb 2017
News

Black Business Leaders Series: The Entrepreneurship Behind Ebony Magazine

Video

How to Read and Understand a Balance Sheet

2018
Working Paper

Patent Trolls: Evidence from Targeted Firms

By: Lauren Cohen, Umit G. Gurun and Scott Duke Kominers

We provide the first large-sample evidence on the behavior and impact of non-practicing entities (NPEs) in the intellectual property space. We find that on average, NPEs appear to behave as opportunistic “patent trolls.” NPEs sue cash-rich firms—and target cash in... View Details

Keywords: Patent Trolls; NPEs; PAEs; Innovation; Patents; Ethics; Lawsuits and Litigation; Innovation and Invention; Corporate Finance