Publications

June 2013
Case

Ken Traub at American Bank Note Holographics

By: Suraj Srinivasan and Michael Norris

Ken Traub is hired as CFO for American Bank Note Holographics, the market-leading security holograph company in January 1999, but discovers on his first day that the company has misstated its financials and resigns. After consulting with the company for the next... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Moral Sensibility; Earnings Management; Crime and Corruption; Personal Development and Career; Management Teams; Technology Industry; Service Industry; United States

March 1996 (Revised April 1996)
Case

State Street Bank and Trust Company: New Product Development

By: Gary P. Pisano and Maryam Golnaraghi

Portrays the dilemma faced by Marsh Carter, CEO and chairman of the board of State Street Bank, in May 1995. For the past decade, the bank earned continually expanding earnings through its rapidly growing custody business. Now, as that business matures and custodial... View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Finance; Problems and Challenges; Management Teams; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Strategy; Banking Industry

Web

Pat Ross Archives | Social Enterprise

Filter Results: (1) Submit Author Types Alumni HBS Staff SE Practitioners SEI Faculty SEI Team Students Topics Alumni for Impact Alumni Programs Arts Business for Social Impact Business School Executive Education Faculty Research Future... View Details

2016
Working Paper

Consequences to Directors of Shareholder Activism

By: Ian D. Gow, Sa-Pyung Sean Shin and Suraj Srinivasan

Using a comprehensive sample for 2004–2012, we examine the impact of shareholder activist campaigns on the careers of directors of targeted firms. We find that activism is associated with directors being almost twice as likely to leave—and performance-sensitivity of... View Details

Keywords: Shareholder Activism; Hedge Funds; Independent Directors; Director Reputation; Accountability; Shareholder Voting; Voting; Retention; Investment Funds; Management Teams; Investment Activism

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2011
Working Paper

Inside the Black Box of the Corporate Staff: An Exploratory Analysis Through the Lens of E-Mail Networks

The corporate staff is central in theories of the multi-business firm, but empirical evidence on its function is limited. In this paper, we examine the high-level role of two units of a corporate staff through analysis of electronic communications. We find sharp... View Details

Keywords: Theory; Business Ventures; Internet and the Web; Communication; Employment; Management Teams; Networks

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September 2009
Case

Culinarian Cookware: Pondering Price Promotion

By: John A. Quelch and Heather Beckham

In November of 2006, senior executives at Culinarian Cookware were debating the merits of price promotions for the company's premium cookware products. The VP of Marketing, Donald Janus, and Senior Sales Manager, Victoria Brown, had different views. Janus felt price... View Details

Keywords: Profitability Analysis; Consumer Marketing; Brand Equity; Pricing Policies; Sales Promotions; Small ＆ Medium-sized Enterprises; Decisions; Goals and Objectives; Price; Marketing Strategy; Consumer Behavior; Management Teams; Sales; Brands and Branding; Consumer Products Industry

January 2007 (Revised April 2007)
Case

The Tale of the Lynx (A and B)

By: Noam T. Wasserman

The founders of Lynx Solutions have survived major challenges within their board of directors, the firing of Lynx's founder-CEO and departure of its successor CEO, and a crisis sparked by media allegations that it had been spying on its users. Now that the company is... View Details

Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards; Business Growth and Maturation; Ethics; Decision Choices and Conditions; Management Succession; Conflict and Resolution; Management Teams; Information Technology Industry

Keywords: Garry Emmons;Julia Hanna;Roger Thompson; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Arts, Entertainment; National Security and International Affairs; Government; Health, Social Assistance; Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services; Information; Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Food Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

01 Mar 2007
News

The Winning Season

float DeWitt a loan for $3.5 million, which he used to buy the team in 1961. It’s hard to imagine better circumstances for absorbing the many financial, legal, and political details that go into the successful View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Arts, Entertainment

01 Dec 2013
News

Curing Health Care

back-office burdens from the doctors and support staff to the company. One of the company's software services, for example, translates electronic records from its system to others (no more stuck MRIs), and lets doctors track and manage... View Details

Keywords: Management; Management; Management; Management; Management

01 Jun 2005
News

Do You Speak Business?

China. “I have no regrets,” he adds, “because I learned so much from that experience.” Now working in strategic planning for Philip Morris International’s China operations, Klump is part of a small management View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons

01 Dec 2011
News

Making the Case for Leadership

programming vision, to recruiting and motivating a growing team of employees (some of whom, like Swan, were commuting from other cities at the time). Also in play: managing a tight, closely watched budget... View Details

March 2000 (Revised June 2000)
Case

Jeanne Lewis at Staples, Inc. (C)

By: Linda A. Hill and Kristin Doughty

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Management Style; Change Management; Marketing Strategy; Management Succession; Competitive Advantage; Problems and Challenges; Management Teams; Retail Industry; United States

September 1996
Case

InterSoft of Argentina (C)

By: Linda A. Hill and Stacy Palestrant

Supplements the (A) and (B) cases. Designed to be handed out at the end of class. View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Business Growth and Maturation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Management Teams; Groups and Teams; Partners and Partnerships; Conflict Management; Information Technology Industry; Argentina; Russia

January 1989 (Revised December 1991)
Case

British Airways: ""Go for It, America!"" Promotion (A)

By: Stephen A. Greyser

Senior marketing executives of a major international airline are deciding on a strategy to address a crisis situation precipitated by a series of terrorist acts. The company is experiencing the worst downturn ever in its U.S.-U.K. travel business due to media reports... View Details

Keywords: Advertising Campaigns; Crime and Corruption; Crisis Management; Management Teams; Time Management; Marketing Strategy; Perception; Value Creation; Travel Industry; United Kingdom; United States

29 Oct 2014
Research & Ideas

Inventing Products is Less Valuable Than Inventing Ideas

ideas." With a level in the middle, R&D teams will both forced to look at current ideas and able to take them in new directions. Finally, says Ahuja, it's essential to put a knowledge management... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Technology

01 Dec 2003
Research & Ideas

Sometimes Success Begins at Failure

that eventually resulted in a historic windfall for the drug maker soon after it began marketing UK-92,480 under the brand name Viagra. Pfizer was able to develop and launch a wildly successful and profitable new drug because it effectively View Details

Keywords: by Henry Chesbrough; Health; Pharmaceutical

06 Oct 2003
What Do You Think?

Is “the Innovator’s Solution” to Sustained Corporate Growth an Unnatural Act?

be managed effectively on a continuing basis. As Richard Eckel put it, "'Disruptive' is the clue for why the proposed method of sustained growth will fail in most organizations ... B-schools graduate and laud those who are risk... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

Career Coach

Matt Spielman

Matt (Columbia ’94, HBS ’99) is the Founder and Managing Partner of Inflection Point Partners, an executive coaching and leadership development firm dedicated to igniting careers and energizing lives. Matt and his View Details

Keywords: Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management; Investment Management

November 2003 (Revised July 2006)
Case

STAR 2003

By: Thomas R. Piper

A shift in strategy from broadcasting standardized programs throughout its footprint to localized programming necessitates a review of STAR's organizational structure. Growing complexity and a need for local responsiveness point toward adoption of a country-based... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Strategy; Organizational Structure; Management Teams; Decision Choices and Conditions; Organizational Design; Complexity; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Service Industry