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- All HBS Web (532)
- Faculty Publications (298)
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- 30 Apr 2001
- Research & Ideas
Why Evolutionary Software Development Works
face-to-face interviews with project managers in the industry to understand the types of practices being used. Next, they developed metrics to characterize the type of process adopted in each project. Finally, the View Details
- March–April 2020
- Article
Avoid the Pitfalls of A/B Testing
By: Iavor I. Bojinov, Guillaume Sait-Jacques and Martin Tingley
Online experiments measuring whether “A,” usually the current approach, is inferior to “B,” a proposed improvement, have become integral to the product-development cycle, especially at digital enterprises. But often firms make serious mistakes in conducting these... View Details
Keywords: A/B Testing; Experiment Design; Social Networks; Product Development; Performance Improvement; Measurement and Metrics; Social Media
Bojinov, Iavor I., Guillaume Sait-Jacques, and Martin Tingley. "Avoid the Pitfalls of A/B Testing." Harvard Business Review 98, no. 2 (March–April 2020): 48–53.
- August 2023
- Article
Do Rating Agencies Behave Defensively for Higher Risk Issuers?
By: Samuel B. Bonsall IV, Kevin Koharki, Pepa Kraft, Karl A. Muller III and Anywhere Sikochi
We examine whether rating agencies act defensively toward issuers with a higher likelihood of default. We find that agencies' qualitative soft rating adjustments are more accurate as issuers' default risk grows, as evidenced by the adjustments leading to lower Type I... View Details
Keywords: Credit Rating Agencies; Soft Rating Adjustments; Default; Credit; Performance Evaluation; Measurement and Metrics; Financial Institutions; Risk Management
Bonsall, Samuel B., IV, Kevin Koharki, Pepa Kraft, Karl A. Muller III, and Anywhere Sikochi. "Do Rating Agencies Behave Defensively for Higher Risk Issuers?" Management Science 69, no. 8 (August 2023): 4864–4887.
- 15 Nov 2010
- Lessons from the Classroom
Connecting Goals and Go-To-Market Initiatives
and making alignment of strategy and sales difficult. Performance management practices. Performance management is not just performance measurement or compensation, although... View Details
- 1994
- Article
Three-dimensional Finite Element Modeling of a Cervical Vertebra: An Investigation of Burst Fracture Mechanism
By: Kevin J. Bozic, J H Keyak, H B Skinner, H U Bueff and David Bradford
Finite element modeling was used to study the mechanical behavior of a cervical vertebra under axial compressive loading. A three-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) model of a mid-cervical vertebra using inhomogeneous material properties was generated from... View Details
- Article
Market Heterogeneity and Local Capacity Decisions in Services
By: Dennis Campbell and Frances X. Frei
We empirically document factors that influence how local operating managers use discretion to balance the tradeoff between service capacity costs and customer sensitivity to service time. Our findings, using data from one of the largest financial services providers in... View Details
Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Cost; Standards; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Performance Capacity; Performance Productivity; Financial Services Industry; United States
Campbell, Dennis, and Frances X. Frei. "Market Heterogeneity and Local Capacity Decisions in Services." Manufacturing & Service Operations Management 13, no. 1 (Winter 2011): 2–19. (Lead Article.)
- 2020
- Working Paper
The Impact of CEOs in the Public Sector: Evidence from the English NHS
By: Katharina Janke, Carol Propper and Raffaella Sadun
Abstract
Governments worldwide have sought to reform the delivery of public services by mimicking private sector governance models that grant CEOs greater autonomy and give them responsibility for meeting key government targets. We examine the effectiveness of this... View Details
Janke, Katharina, Carol Propper, and Raffaella Sadun. "The Impact of CEOs in the Public Sector: Evidence from the English NHS." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 18-075, March 2018. (Revised September 2020.)
- May 2020
- Article
Measuring Collaboration in Modern Organizations
By: Stephen Michael Impink, Andrea Prat and Raffaella Sadun
Internal communication has been a central theme in organizational economics, as employee collaboration provides insight into the structure of firms. Use of electronic communications data can be transformational for organizational economics, as these data provide a... View Details
Keywords: Collaboration; Employees; Interactive Communication; Measurement and Metrics; Organizations; Performance
Impink, Stephen Michael, Andrea Prat, and Raffaella Sadun. "Measuring Collaboration in Modern Organizations." AEA Papers and Proceedings 110 (May 2020): 181–186.
- Article
Defining, Measuring, and Improving Value in Spine Care
By: Robert S. Kaplan and Derek Haas
This chapter discusses how to measure and improve spine care outcomes and costs. Today’s commonly used outcome metrics, such as readmission and complication rates, are actually process and quality metrics. They are not the outcomes, such as improvement in pain and... View Details
Keywords: Spine Care; Outcomes Measurement; Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing; Health Care and Treatment; Cost; Measurement and Metrics; Performance Improvement; Value
Kaplan, Robert S., and Derek Haas. "Defining, Measuring, and Improving Value in Spine Care." Seminars in Spine Surgery 30, no. 2 (June 2018): 80–83.
- 2025
- Working Paper
Using Satellites and Phones to Evaluate and Promote Agricultural Technology Adoption: Evidence from Smallholder Farms in India
By: Shawn Cole, Grady Killeen, Tomoko Harigaya and Aparna Krishna
This paper evaluates a low-cost, customized soil nutrient management advisory service in India. As a methodological contribution, we examine whether and in which settings satellite measurements may be effective at estimating both agricultural yields and treatment... View Details
Keywords: Performance Evaluation; Technology Adoption; Measurement and Metrics; Analytics and Data Science; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; India
Cole, Shawn, Grady Killeen, Tomoko Harigaya, and Aparna Krishna. "Using Satellites and Phones to Evaluate and Promote Agricultural Technology Adoption: Evidence from Smallholder Farms in India." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 25-035, January 2025.
- Article
Storytelling: A Method for Assessing Children's Creativity
By: B. A. Hennessey and T. M. Amabile
Keywords: Creativity; Measurement and Metrics; Early Childhood Education; Research; Performance Evaluation
Hennessey, B. A., and T. M. Amabile. "Storytelling: A Method for Assessing Children's Creativity." Journal of Creative Behavior 22, no. 4 (December 1988): 235–246.
- February 2002 (Revised March 2002)
- Case
Battery Ventures
By: Josh Lerner, G. Felda Hardymon, Ann Leamon, Nitin Gupta and Sameer Bharadwaj
Todd Dagres, general partner of Battery Ventures, reflects on his firm's organization and its effectiveness in one particular deal. One of the perennial challenges of venture capital is the scaling of the firm. Usually regarded as a craft industry, venture firms tend... View Details
Keywords: Venture Capital; Measurement and Metrics; Performance Effectiveness; Organizational Structure; Financial Services Industry
Lerner, Josh, G. Felda Hardymon, Ann Leamon, Nitin Gupta, and Sameer Bharadwaj. "Battery Ventures." Harvard Business School Case 802-159, February 2002. (Revised March 2002.)
- October 1983
- Article
Measuring Manufacturing Performance: A New Challenge for Management Accounting Research
By: Robert S. Kaplan
Kaplan, Robert S. "Measuring Manufacturing Performance: A New Challenge for Management Accounting Research." Accounting Review 58 (October 1983): 686–705.
- 23 Jul 2008
- Sharpening Your Skills
Sharpening Your Skills: Balanced Scorecard in Action
adds a metric that summarizes customer profitability. The ability to measure profitability at the individual customer level allows companies to consider new customer profitability metrics such as "percentage... View Details
- 21 Nov 2006
- First Look
First Look: November 21, 2006
168-184 Abstract Customer metrics are pivotal to assessing and monitoring how firms perform with customers and other publics. The authors contend that customer metrics used by... View Details
Keywords: Sean Silverthorne
- June 2009 (Revised February 2014)
- Case
Evaluating Microsavings Programs: Green Bank of the Philippines (A)
By: Nava Ashraf, Dean Karlan, Wesley Yin and Marc Shotland
Green Bank of the Philippines was known for its product innovation and its ability to bring new products to market. In 2002, Green Bank designed an untested commitment savings product that both gave individuals access to formal savings and helped them commit to... View Details
Keywords: Saving; Innovation and Invention; Measurement and Metrics; Product Design; Success; Performance Evaluation; Banking Industry; Philippines
Ashraf, Nava, Dean Karlan, Wesley Yin, and Marc Shotland. "Evaluating Microsavings Programs: Green Bank of the Philippines (A)." Harvard Business School Case 909-062, June 2009. (Revised February 2014.) (Request a courtesy copy.)
- Article
Towards a Bill of Rights for Online Advertisers
By: Benjamin Edelman
Online advertising presents remarkable efficiencies—better targeting, improved measurement and greater return on investment. Yet there are challenges, particularly when networks of intermediaries place ads through convoluted relationships, and all the more so when... View Details
Keywords: Online Advertising; Rights; Measurement and Metrics; Investment Return; Negotiation; Networks; Problems and Challenges; Performance Efficiency; Law; Advertising Industry
Edelman, Benjamin. "Towards a Bill of Rights for Online Advertisers." Advertising Week (September 21, 2009).
- June 1977 (Revised September 1992)
- Case
Sorenson Research Co. (Abridged)
Presents the issues facing a high volume, high margin (but lightweight) medical products business. The company is trying to improve its inventory control to reduce inventory investment and improve service. The present multi-site inventory system is described and major... View Details
Keywords: Business Earnings; Investment; Volume; Service Delivery; Supply Chain; Performance Improvement; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry
Wheelwright, Steven C. "Sorenson Research Co. (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 677-257, June 1977. (Revised September 1992.)
- August 1996
- Case
Watermill Ventures
By: David A. Garvin and Artemis March
Watermill Ventures acquires and turns around an underperforming business. The case describes the criteria the company uses to identify acquisition candidates, its screening and selection process, and the way it introduces strategic thinking at the business it acquires.... View Details
Keywords: Acquisition; Transformation; Standards; Performance Improvement; Business Strategy; Web Sites
Garvin, David A., and Artemis March. "Watermill Ventures." Harvard Business School Case 397-010, August 1996.
- September 2017 (Revised August 2018)
- Case
The Productivity Decline: Demographics, Robots, or Globalization?
By: Laura Alfaro, Hayley Pallan and Sarah Jeong
In the early 21st century, there was a noticeable trend of declining productivity growth. Despite the persistent decline in productivity growth, a consensus on its explanation had not been reached. Some of the debate focused on the technicalities of productivity... View Details
Keywords: Productivity; Performance Productivity; Measurement and Metrics; Technological Innovation; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Globalization; Business and Government Relations
Alfaro, Laura, Hayley Pallan, and Sarah Jeong. "The Productivity Decline: Demographics, Robots, or Globalization?" Harvard Business School Case 718-013, September 2017. (Revised August 2018.)