Publications

14 Apr 2008
Research & Ideas

The Surprising Right Fit for Software Testing

together." Potential consultants for Specialisterne undergo a five-month training process that familiarizes them with the intricacies of LEGO Mindstorms technology. According to the case, "There was a natural fit between LEGO... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Video Game; Web Services; Computer

Forthcoming
Article

Human Capital and the Managerial Revolution in the United States: Evidence from General Electric

By: Tom Nicholas

This paper estimates the returns to human capital accumulation during the first era of mega-firms in the United States by linking employees at General Electric—a canonical enterprise associated with the “visible hand” of managerial hierarchies—to the 1940 census. I... View Details

Keywords: Returns To Education; Management Practices; Hierarchies; Management Practices and Processes; Rank and Position; Human Capital; Talent and Talent Management; Business History; United States

12 Oct 1999
Research & Ideas

Rapid Response: Inside the Retailing Revolution

years of extensive study, including a comprehensive database compiled under the aegis of the Harvard Center for Textile and Apparel Research (HCTAR). The keys to success in an age of product proliferation, the authors found, are no longer economies of scale and cheap... View Details

Keywords: by James E. Aisner; Apparel & Accessories; Fashion; Consumer Products; Manufacturing; Retail

November 2001 (Revised April 2005)
Case

Lonestar

By: Michael A. Wheeler and Georgia Levenson

Explores the legal and ethical responsibilities of a manager who believes that he has heard of a serious instance of sexual harassment, but who has been implored by the victim not to report it. Discussion can focus on the immediate problem or be expanded to a broader... View Details

Keywords: Working Conditions; Management Practices and Processes; Ethics; Crisis Management; Legal Liability

05 Sep 2006
Research & Ideas

HBS Cases: Porsche’s Risky Roll on an SUV

shareholders' meeting in 2004 in Leipzig. While rival carmakers such as Ferrari, Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, and Lamborghini have been happy to locate where labor costs are cheaper, Porsche wanted to ensure its "Made in Germany"... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Auto; Manufacturing

16 Sep 2002
Research & Ideas

The Irrational Quest for Charismatic CEOs

work in exploring the forces that govern the process of CEO change. I have conducted research in four interrelated areas: factors that lead to vacancies in the CEO position; factors that affect the choice of successors; the role of market... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

December 2020
Supplement

France Télécom (C): An Unprecedented Trial

By: Cynthia A. Montgomery and Ashley V. Whillans

In the C case we learn that former CEO Didier Lombard, Deputy Chief Executive Louis-Pierre Wenes, Human Resources Head Olivier Barberot and France Telecom itself were charged for institutional harassment by French authorities, a first for a CAC 40 company. In December... View Details

12 Oct 1999
Research & Ideas

Building Bridges: New Dimensions in Negotiation

From resolving a labor dispute to orchestrating a merger to getting a new company off the ground, negotiation plays a vital role in nearly every facet of business. In response, Professor James Sebenius, founder of the HBS Negotiation Unit... View Details

Keywords: by Anita M. Harris

November 2015
Case

Upwork: Reimagining the Future of Work

By: Feng Zhu, Rory McDonald, Marco Iansiti and Aaron Smith

Upwork, the world's largest freelance talent platform, was the result of a merger between the two leading online freelancing companies in 2014, Elance and oDesk. After the merger, the company operated as Elance-oDesk and continued to manage two online... View Details

Keywords: Platforms; Employment; Digital Platforms; Market Transactions; Business Processes; Information Technology; Internet and the Web; Job Search

May 1982 (Revised May 1985)
Case

Human Resources at Hewlett-Packard

By: Michael Beer and Richard O. von Werssowetz

Provides an overview of all the human resource policies and practices applied by Hewlett-Packard. As such, it is an opportunity to analyze Hewlett-Packard's practices in all four policy areas; stakeholder influence, flows, rewards, and work systems. View Details

Keywords: Human Resources; Management Practices and Processes; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Working Conditions; Policy

Find at Harvard

10 Jun 2014
First Look

First Look: June 10

to 67.5% of standard. Customers who observed employees engaged in labor perceived greater effort, appreciated that effort, and valued the service more. Employees who observed customers felt more appreciated and, in turn, were more... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

October 2010
Teaching Note

Whole Foods: Balancing Social Mission and Growth (TN)

By: Christopher Marquis and Bobbi Thomason

Teaching Note for 410023. View Details

Keywords: Food; Growth and Development; Mergers and Acquisitions; Mission and Purpose; Supply Chain; Business Model; Growth and Development Strategy; Integration; Management Practices and Processes; Labor Unions; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

24 Apr 2018
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, April 24, 2018

more than a material exchange in labor relations). Third, we study survey data for the 1990s on the beliefs of Peronist and non-Peronist voters in Argentina and Democrat and Republican voters in the United States. While income and... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

April 2004 (Revised July 2008)
Case

Showdown on the Waterfront: The West Coast Port Dispute (A)

By: Kathleen L. McGinn and Dina R. Pradel

New technology underlies a protracted dispute between West Coast longshoremen and their employers. Severe economic consequences lead to government intervention in the dispute. View Details

Keywords: Economics; Negotiation Process; Business and Government Relations; Labor and Management Relations; Conflict and Resolution; Shipping Industry; Western United States