Publications

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December 2004 (Revised April 2006)
Case

Managing Diversity at Spencer Owens & Co.

By: Robin J. Ely and Ingrid Vargas

Spencer Owens & Co, a disguised consulting firm, focuses on domestic and international economic development. As an extension of the firm's commitment to social justice, 20 years ago, Spencer Owens management introduced an affirmative action hiring and promotion... View Details

Keywords: Working Conditions; Selection and Staffing; Development Economics; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Employees; Diversity; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Consulting Industry

20 Apr 2011
Research & Ideas

Blind Spots: We’re Not as Ethical as We Think

to discuss some of the ideas behind the book. A book excerpt follows. Sean Silverthorne: Why did you write this book, and who should read it? Max Bazerman: Research over the last two decades has documented that good people do bad things... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

21 Jun 2004
Research & Ideas

Music Downloads: Pirates—or Customers?

Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their paper, "The Effect of File Sharing on Record Sales," caused a ruckus in the music industry not seen since the British invasion of the Beatles. Many recording executives were not singing "Yeah,... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Entertainment & Recreation; Music

20 Aug 2001
Research & Ideas

Making an Ally of Uncle Sam

on at other levels. Understanding these interactions is critical to devising good influence strategies. 5. Linked games. Many influence games also have both value-net and public interest components. A merger, for example, needs government... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Watkins, Mickey Edwards & Usha Thakrar

Ranjay Gulati

Ranjay Gulati is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor of Business Administration and the former Unit Head of the Organizational Behavior Unit at Harvard Business School. His pathbreaking research, which focuses on unlocking organizational and unleashing... View Details

Keywords: industrial goods; industrial goods; industrial goods; industrial goods; industrial goods; industrial goods; industrial goods; industrial goods

October 2021 (Revised December 2021)
Case

PhonePe: Democratizing Payments in India

By: Michael Chu and Rachna Tahilyani

The co-founders of PhonePe, India’s leading digital payment platform are considering pursuing various growth opportunities in a huge country just entering the digital age. In a highly competitive industry, the founders are keenly aware that making the right choices is... View Details

Keywords: Digital Platform; Digital Banking; Business Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Digital Platforms; Financial Services Industry; Asia; India

2007
Working Paper

A Resource Belief-Curse: Oil and Individualism

By: Rafael Di Tella, Juan Dubra and Robert MacCulloch

We study the correlation between a belief concerning individualism and a measure of luck in the US during the period 1983-2004. The measure of beliefs is the answer to a question related to whether the poor should be helped by the government or if they should help... View Details

Keywords: Energy; Price; Policy; Government and Politics; Poverty; Welfare; Energy Industry; United States

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18 Apr 2005
Research & Ideas

Selling Luxury to Everyone

part of that growth. "It's at that 'not-too-expensive, but it's not cheap' really effective price point," she said. Langer recalled an old industry saw to the effect that "in a recession, a really View Details

Keywords: by Julie Jette; Consumer Products

February 1987 (Revised August 1988)
Case

Gillette Personal Care Division: Marketing Planning and Control

Bill Ryan, president of the Gillette Co.'s Personal Care Division, is considering changing the division's planning and control system for marketing. White Rain, the division's most recent success, had been launched by taking shortcuts through the system, while other... View Details

Keywords: Marketing; Management Systems; Consumer Products Industry; United States

2010
Chapter

A Resource Belief-Curse: Oil and Individualism

By: Rafael Di Tella, Juan Dubra and Robert MacCulloch

We study the correlation between a belief concerning individualism and a measure of luck in the US during the period 1983-2004. The measure of beliefs is the answer to a question related to whether the poor should be helped by the government or if they should help... View Details

Keywords: History; Natural Environment; Non-Renewable Energy; Values and Beliefs; Price; Poverty; Policy; Economy; United States

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January 2025 (Revised January 2025)
Case

U.S. Steel: Proposed Acquisition by Nippon Steel

By: Willy C. Shih

The case setting is the proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel, which elicited a great deal of controversy. The purpose of the case is to look at the history of the American steel industry since World War II and understand how the steel minimill operators... View Details

Keywords: Disruptive Innovation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Business History; Technological Innovation; Business Strategy; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States

July 2006
Background Note

Out of Frame: The Coming Digital Disruption of Hollywood

By: Stephen P. Bradley, Brian DeLacey and Reed Martin

The record opening of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, starring Johnny Depp, had finally provided the industry with incontrovertible proof that it was still possible to draw massive audiences to movie theaters. Grossing $136 million during its opening... View Details

Keywords: Disruption; Internet and the Web; Technology Adoption; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Film Entertainment; Revenue; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

21 Mar 2016
HBS Case

Can Customer Reviews Be 'Managed?'

influence that the industry is making on providing various levels of inauthentic reviews. When you talk to consumers, most of them say, “I’ve gotten pretty good at selecting which ones are inauthentic and... View Details

Keywords: by Brian Kenny; Advertising; Travel

04 Mar 2002
Research & Ideas

Don’t Lose Money With Customers

at the market level, then translate these into strategies at the market segment level. A paper mill's marketing strategy, for instance, might call for selling newsprint to the publishing industry segment and paperboard to the packaging... View Details

Keywords: by Peter K. Jacobs

02 Sep 2008
Research & Ideas

Indulgence vs. Regret: Investing in Future Memories

We all know the moral of Aesop's fable about the industrious ant and the fun-loving grasshopper: Work now and save for the future, or else regret the consequences. And who hasn't been confronted with a similar dilemma? You know you should... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna

March 2001
Article

Strategy and the Internet

By: M. E. Porter

Many of the pioneers of Internet business, both dot-coms and established companies, have competed in ways that violate nearly every precept of good strategy. Rather than focus on profits, they have chased customers indiscriminately through discounting, channel... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Online Technology

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