Management By Objective - Publications - Faculty & Research

22 Mar 2017
Research & Ideas

What's the Ideal Frequency for a Sales Quota?

spend more than $800 billion annually on those efforts. Sales compensation plans are at the center of all this activity, the primary tool managers use to motivate and incentivize salespeople. Sales reps feed on two forms of compensation:... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

05 Sep 2000
What Do You Think?

Whither the Information Economy?

'75)Mercer Management Consulting As if that wasn't enough, he asserted that information, in part because of these characteristics, is diffusive and hard to contain, especially that containing high proprietary value. Any number of people... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

07 Dec 2009
Research & Ideas

Government’s Positive Role in Kick-Starting Entrepreneurship

Silicon Valley is the poster child for capitalism, the synergistic geography where smart private money supports cool ideas, creates jobs, boosts national productivity, and provides a handsome return for investors. Less well understood about the area's development was... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Technology

August 2020
Article

Improving Working Conditions in Global Supply Chains: The Role of Institutional Environments and Monitoring Program Design

By: Jodi L. Short, Michael W. Toffel and Andrea R. Hugill

Activism seeking to improve labor conditions in global supply chains has led many transnational corporations to adopt codes of conduct and monitor suppliers for compliance. Drawing on thousands of audits conducted by a major social auditor, we identify structural... View Details

Keywords: Monitoring; Supplier Relationship; Sustainability; Sustainability Management; Sustainable Operations; Sustainable Supply Chains; NGO; Operations; Supply Chain Management; Governance Compliance; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Global Range; Working Conditions

04 Dec 2013
Research & Ideas

The Fantastic Horizon: How to Invest in a New City

Editor's Note: Rapid urbanization and resource scarcity pose problems—and opportunities—for businesses and governments all over the world. But who can best lead the building and developing of these municipalities? One model: promotion and regulation View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber; Construction; Real Estate

16 Feb 2004
Research & Ideas

Marketing Wine to the World

Australia, South Africa, Chile, etc.). Q: What do you see as the major differences between Old World and New World winemakers? A: The Old World market continues to be highly fragmented. The competitive landscape is filled with many small, privately held wineries, owned... View Details

Keywords: by Manda Salls; Consumer Products; Entertainment & Recreation; Food & Beverage

08 Dec 2003
Research & Ideas

Why Europe Lags in Pharmaceuticals and Biotech

'86). She is global marketing director at Baxter Healthcare. She recalled that while living in the United Kingdom, her children started a lemonade stand but few potential customers even gave it a second glance. In the U.S., she said, you would be able to count on... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Biotechnology; Health; Pharmaceutical; Technology

13 Apr 2020
Research & Ideas

Small Businesses Are Worse Off Than We Thought

If the COVID-19 crisis lasts four months, 65 percent of small retailers say there’s a good chance they’ll be forced to close permanently by the end of the year. Among restaurants and bars, 70 percent expect to go out of business if... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Financial Services

16 Jul 2024
Op-Ed

Corporate Boards Are Failing in Their No. 1 Duty

appointments go wrong Let’s begin by taking a look at three examples of poor leadership at public companies and addressing what went wrong. Then, I will recommend five ways boards can ensure they appoint the right leader as CEO: General... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

02 Apr 2019
Working Paper Summaries

Managerial Quality and Productivity Dynamics

Keywords: by Achyuta Adhvaryu, Anant Nyshadham, and Jorge Tamayo; Fashion

11 May 2015
Research & Ideas

A Road Map to Fix America’s Transportation Infrastructure

Any highway commuter who has wasted hours stuck in traffic can see the cracks in the United States' transportation system, as can any airline passenger who has been stranded overnight in an airport. Yet while many agree that the need for infrastructure change is... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Transportation

26 Mar 2007
Research & Ideas

Learning from Failed Political Leadership

Weatherhead Jr. Professor of Business Administration, reflects on the book's implications for managers and executives. Martha Lagace: What is there of interest to a businessperson in this book? D. Quinn Mills: This book is full of... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

18 Nov 2016
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Making a Fast Start on a New Job

Manager (Like Bill Belichick)? Few of us want to take less money to move to another organization, but research shows hooking up with the right manager—whether in sports or business—can quickly increase your value even if your pay is less.... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

19 Feb 2016
Working Paper Summaries

‘Does 'What We Do' Make Us 'Who We Are'? Organizational Design and Identity Change at the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Keywords: by Ranjay Gulati, Ryan Raffaelli, and Jan Rivkin; Public Administration

02 Mar 2015
Research & Ideas

Retail Reaches a Tipping Point—Which Stores Will Survive?

clear: many retail segments are under assault by cheaper, more convenient retailers selling online. "The surprising thing is that despite the success of lots of big businesses in having developed Internet businesses, despite the fact that... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Retail

20 Feb 2006
HBS Case

Oprah: A Case Study Comes Alive

excitement generated by the public source case made Koehn's team even more committed to filling in the gaps with personal feedback from Harpo management and, ideally, from Winfrey herself. Finally, events... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Media & Broadcasting; Consumer Products; Entertainment & Recreation

12 Sep 2016
Research & Ideas

What Brands Can Do to Monitor Factory Conditions of Suppliers

between returnee auditors and factory managers or a desire by the returnee auditor to show improvement over time, the coauthors contend that the result is more likely due to there being more “fresh eyes” on... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

21 Apr 2011
Research & Ideas

Searching for Better Practices in Social Investing

Investing: Emerging Trends in a Changing Landscape," a recent panel discussion hosted by Harvard Business School's Social Enterprise Initiative. They also touched on growing trends including venture philanthropy and social impact... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Financial Services

05 Jul 2017
What Do You Think?

Can Innovation Save Us From Ourselves?

Summing Up Do We Need to Give More Attention to the Dark Side of Innovation? Innovation may be able to help us deal with problems such as famine, pollution, and even global warming. But unless it can prove to be just as effective in combating destructive human traits... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Technology

07 Apr 2020
Research & Ideas

What Customers Need to Hear from You During the COVID Crisis

brands and/or brands that have managed to nurture strong consumer-brand relationships prior to the crisis. The cocooning behavior promoted by shelter-in-place orders may encourage a return to brands that... View Details

Keywords: by Jill Avery and Richard Edelman

Publications