Publications

July 1991 (Revised September 1995)
Case

Eastman Kodak Co.: Managing Information Systems Through Strategic Alliances

By: Lynda M. Applegate

In January 1988, Colby Chandler, Kodak CEO, created the Corporate Information Systems (CIS) and appointed Katherine Hudson head. She at once became the first head of IT and first woman corporate vice president in the company. Throughout 1989, Hudson inaugurated a... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Strategy; Information Technology; Partners and Partnerships; Organizational Structure; Success; Trends; Information Management; Service Operations; Manufacturing Industry

04 Oct 2018
News

A Harvard professor’s suggestions for fixing the broken H-1B visa system

January 2013
Case

Austal, Ltd. (A)

By: Willy C. Shih, Margaret Pierson and Dawn H. Lau

Austal, Ltd. was an Australian builder of high-speed passenger ferries. It had translated that expertise into a foothold in the defense market on the US Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program with an Alabama assembly facility. In January 2009 it had just completed... View Details

Article

Landing the First Job: The Value of Intermediaries in Online Hiring

By: Christopher Stanton and Catherine Thomas

Online markets for remote labor services allow workers and firms to contract with each other directly. Despite this, intermediaries—called outsourcing agencies—have emerged in these markets. This paper shows that agencies signal to employers that inexperienced workers... View Details

Keywords: Marketplace Matching; Agency Theory

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September 1999 (Revised September 1999)
Case

Convergys Corporation

By: Stephen P. Bradley and Kelley Porter

Focuses on the important issue of capturing the synergies between the two sides of the business, Information Management Group (IMG) and Customer Management Group (CMG). In addition, the case also addresses strategic issues from each of the individual businesses. For... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Customer Satisfaction; Growth and Development Strategy; Management Practices and Processes; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Information Industry; Service Industry

2013
Book

Managing Startups: Best Blog Posts

By: Tom Eisenmann

Harvard Business School Professor Tom Eisenmann annually compiles the best posts from many blogs on technology startup management, primarily for the benefit of his students. This book makes his latest collection available to the broader entrepreneur community. Divided... View Details

Keywords: Lean Startup; Startup; Prototyping; MVP; Minimum Viable Product; Freemium; SaaS; A/B Testing; Business Model

March 1993 (Revised December 1993)
Case

Johnson Controls, Automotive Systems Group: The Georgetown, Kentucky Plant

Prior to the 1980s, automakers purchased individual seat components and built the seats alongside their auto assembly lines. This case describes how Johnson Controls, Automotive Systems Group, blossomed when automakers turned to outsourcing the complete seat set. The... View Details

Keywords: Production; Manufacturing Industry; Auto Industry; Kentucky

March 2010 (Revised September 2010)
Case

TeamLease: Putting India to Work (Il) Legally

By: Tarun Khanna and Anjali Raina

This case focuses on the growth dilemmas facing Manish Sabharwal, co-founder, TeamLease Services Pvt. Ltd. TeamLease is a human resource outsourcing and temp staffing company located in India, which has grown rapidly from 2002 to 2009. Set in the context of the highly... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Employment; Human Capital; Lawfulness; Leadership; Growth and Development Strategy; Demand and Consumers; Power and Influence; Employment Industry; India

11 Jun 2013
First Look

First Look: June 11

themselves (e.g., inbound marketing), (3) outsourcing content creation (e.g., via crowdsourcing), or (4) outsourcing content distribution (e.g., viral marketing). Benefits and... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

08 Apr 2008
First Look

First Look: April 8, 2008

http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=608080 Bidding on Martha's Vineyard (A) Harvard Business School Case 908-044 To buy a desirable Martha's Vineyard property, Robert and Sally Franklin must craft a bidding... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

23 Aug 2010
Research & Ideas

The Drive to Acquire’s Impact on Globalization

United States. But because most American corporations are currently designed and mandated to fulfill dA [the drive to acquire] exclusively, both top management and shareholders might object to incurring any... View Details

Keywords: by Paul R. Lawrence

Achieving 80% GHG Reduction in New England by 2050

This report analyzes the pace of clean energy additions that would be needed to meet New England's 2050 economy-wide decarbonization targets. It concludes that to meet those targets average annual clean energy additions would likely have to increase 4-8 fold over the... View Details

October 2002 (Revised April 2007)
Case

Dell Computers (A): Field Service for Corporate Clients

By: Frances X. Frei, Amy C. Edmondson and Corey B. Hajim

Explores the highly successful PC and low-end server manufacturer's entry into the large-scale server market in the United States. A key difference of this new market is the intense service element required to support the larger hardware. Specifically, the industry... View Details

Keywords: Information Infrastructure; Customer Relationship Management; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Service Operations; Business or Company Management; Emerging Markets; Problems and Challenges; Service Delivery; Computer Industry; United States

September 2018 (Revised January 2019)
Case

Sobha Group Real Estate: Backward Integration for Quality

By: John Macomber and Alpana Thapar

From humble beginnings in Kerala, India, Mr. PNC Menon built a reputation for quality, detail, and trustworthiness, earning him major construction commissions in the Gulf region. This paved the way for venturing into real estate development in Dubai, UAE. Striving to... View Details

Keywords: Real Estate; Backward Integration; Land Acquisition; Raising Capital; Construction; Family Business; Decision Making; Joint Ventures; Quality; Real Estate Industry; Construction Industry; India; Middle East; Dubai

29 Jan 2013
First Look

First Look: Jan. 29

utilize diverse levels of analysis. Paper: http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/obo/page/management Learning from Customers: Individual and Organizational Effects in Outsourced Radiological Services... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

October 2010
Case

CDG: Managing in China's Economic Transformation

By: Roy Y.J. Chua, Shaohui Chen and Lisa Kwan

China Data Group (CDG) is a leading business processes outsourcing company based in Beijing, China. Roc Yang, chairman of CDG, had to confront a dilemma when he discovered that one of his senior managers gave a gift to a potential client in an effort to win a large... View Details

Keywords: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Management Practices and Processes; Emerging Markets; Negotiation Deal; Relationships; Networks; Societal Protocols; China

27 Sep 2017
News

Will a Corporate Tax Holiday Give Workers Anything to Cheer?

July 2008 (Revised December 2009)
Case

Infosys' Relationship Scorecard: Measuring Transformational Partnerships

By: Francisco de Asis Martinez-Jerez, Robert S. Kaplan and Katherine Miller

This case analyzes Infosys' innovative approach to measuring performance in client relations. Infosys' strategy is evolving to build transformational partnerships from its original position as an outsourcer of end-to-end IT projects. A transformational partner helps... View Details

Keywords: Partners and Partnerships; Performance Evaluation; Attorney and Client Relationships; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Balanced Scorecard; Competitive Strategy; Commercialization; Competitive Advantage; Economic Growth; Growth and Development Strategy; Consulting Industry; Information Technology Industry; India