Publications

April 1983 (Revised June 1993)
Case

Trade In Services and American Express

By: Joseph L. Badaracco Jr. and David B. Yoffie

Keywords: Financial Services Industry

October 2004 (Revised July 2006)
Background Note

Ownership Structure in Professional Service Firms: Partnership versus Public Corporation

By: Ashish Nanda

This case reviews the relative merits of partnership and public ownership structures in professional services firms. It also evaluates the various rationales for converting partnership professional services firms to publicly owned firms. Finally, the case highlights... View Details

Keywords: Private Ownership; Transition; Partners and Partnerships; Public Ownership; Service Industry

April 1985 (Revised November 1987)
Case

American Express Travel Related Services Co.

Describes the company's new focus on entrepreneurship during the era of Lou Gerstner, chairman and CEO since 1982. View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Financial Services Industry; Financial Services Industry

February 2000 (Revised April 2005)
Case

Gray Security: Building a South African Services Firm

Describes Gray Security Services, an entrepreneurial South African firm that has recently gone through a financial restructuring with the help of Brait Capital Partners, a private equity firm. Gray provides complete security services to companies in South Africa, other... View Details

Keywords: Initial Public Offering; Entrepreneurship; Equity; Growth and Development Strategy; Service Industry; South Africa

May 2008 (Revised May 2010)
Background Note

Organizational Alignment, Performance, and Change in Professional Service Firms

By: John J. Gabarro

This note describes the relationship between organizational alignment and performance in professional service firms and how to use McKinsey 7S Alignment to diagnose a firm's or practice's alignment, identify misalignments and determine how to bring about the changes... View Details

Keywords: Organizations; Alignment; Performance; Change; Service Industry

2015
Case

Advanced Leadership Pathways: Mike Critelli and Dossia Service Corporation

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Patricia Bissett Higgins

In 2010, Mark Critelli was a well-seasoned corporate executive who had recently transitioned from being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company to that of a startup called Dossia. As an AL Fellow, he knew that despite believing in Dossia’s mission to empower individuals with... View Details

December 2022
Teaching Note

The Walt Disney Company Streaming Services

By: Robert J. Dolan

Teaching Note for HBS Case Nos. 523-034 and 523-048. View Details

May 2021
Teaching Note

Michelin: Building a Digital Service Platform

By: Sunil Gupta

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 520-061. View Details

December 2005 (Revised August 2006)
Supplement

Pharmacy Service Improvement at CVS (B)

March 1982
Supplement

General Foods: Food Service Division, Video

By: John P. Kotter

Keywords: Food; Food and Beverage Industry

March 1981 (Revised May 1981)
Case

Federal Express: Customer Service Department (B1)

November 1981
Supplement

General Foods: Food Service Division (B)

By: John P. Kotter

Keywords: Food and Beverage Industry

August 1983 (Revised June 1986)
Case

Johnson & Johnson (B): Hospital Services

By: Francis Aguilar

The main issue has to do with the lack of fit or incompatibility between the early environmental requirements for strategy and the cultural constraints on the organization. Describes the internal resistance to the proposed changes and top management's efforts to... View Details

Keywords: Business or Company Management; Change Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Health Care and Treatment; Growth and Development Strategy; Health Industry