Publications

Forthcoming
Article

You've Got Mail! The Late 19th-Century U.S. Postal Service Expansion, Firm Creation, and Firm Performance

By: Astrid Marinoni and Maria P. Roche

This paper examines the impact of the expansion of the US Postal Service in the late 19th century on firm creation and performance. Utilizing newly digitized archival data on historic business establishments, post office locations, and road networks in California,... View Details

Keywords: Institutional Innovation; Knowledge Exchange; US Postal Service; Firm Performance; Infrastructure; Expansion; Government Administration; Communication; Business History; Entrepreneurship; Public Administration Industry; California

January 2019 (Revised February 2020)
Case

Jay Gould, 'The Most Hated Man in America'

By: Tom Nicholas, John Masko and Matthew G. Preble

Railroad magnate Jay Gould, a controversial figure in the history of U.S. capitalism, was a disruptive influence on an industry that had previously relied on formal and informal agreements to move traffic long distances across lines operated by different companies.... View Details

Keywords: Railroads; Gould; Vanderbilt; Rail Transportation; History; Consolidation; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Competition; Strategy; Rail Industry; United States

May 2016
Article

Cooperation in Multicultural Negotiations: How the Cultures of People with Low and High Power Interact

By: Shirli Kopelman, Ashley E. Hardin, Christopher G. Myers and Leigh Plunkett Tost

This study examined whether the cultures of low- and high-power negotiators interact to influence cooperative behavior of low-power negotiators. Managers from four different cultural groups (Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, and the United States) negotiated face-to-face in... View Details

Keywords: Global Collaboration; Negotiations; Culture; Negotiation Process; Negotiation Participants; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Hong Kong; Germany; Israel; United States

Find at Harvard

Web

Poor’s Manual: The Rise of Business Analysts - Railroads and the Transformation of Capitalism | Harvard Business School

maintenance managers to freight and purchasing agents. Accounting operations were centralized through a company treasurer, and daily accounting figures were fed into weekly,... View Details

December 2010
Article

Markets, Morals, and Practices of Trade: Jurisdictional Disputes in the U.S. Commerce in Cadavers

By: Michel Anteby

This study examines the U.S. commerce in human cadavers for medical education and research to explore variation in legitimacy in trades involving similar goods. It draws on archival, interview, and observational data mainly from New York state to analyze market... View Details

Keywords: Education; Goods and Commodities; Trade; Lawfulness; Moral Sensibility; Market Participation; Management Practices and Processes; New York (state, US)

Read Now

12 Apr 2023
News

Using AI to Adjust Your Marketing and Sales in a Volatile World

13 Mar 2019
News

The First Five Years: Sierra Smith and Taylor Wiegele (both MBA 2017)

this without the on-the-ground project experience and guest speakers from those classes.” What was the experience of being on Shark Tank like? Wiegele: “The process itself was incredibly helpful, which may... View Details

News

WeWork's saga is a cautionary tale about golden parachutes and CEO pay

22 Oct 2021
News

Women Do More to Fight Burnout — and It’s Burning Them Out

25 Feb 2013
Working Paper Summaries

Fostering Organizational Learning: The Impact of Work Design on Workarounds, Errors, and Speaking Up About Internal Supply Chain Problems

Keywords: by Anita L. Tucker

Research Summary

Overview

By: Rob Markey

Most companies' leaders declare their commitment to delivering value to customers. Many have adopted language such as "customer-centric" or "customer-obsessed." Companies that consistently earn top marks for customer loyalty in their industry deliver total shareholder... View Details

Keywords: Customer Base Analysis; Customer Lifetime Value; Customer Experience; Customer Loyalty; Service Profit Chain; Management Accounting; Project Evaluation And Resource Allocation; Customer Value and Value Chain; Customer Satisfaction; Valuation; Customer Focus and Relationships

05 Jul 2022
Op-Ed

Hear Me Out: Introverts Can Be Loud and You Might Like Microsoft Teams

We've been encouraging readers to share feedback and observations about Working Knowledge articles by email, resulting in a slew of thoughtful responses. Here are a few comments from June, published with permission: Re: "Extroverts, Your... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

September 2001 (Revised May 2006)
Case

Webvan

Examines Webvan's operations and the processes by which it delivers groceries that were ordered from the Internet to customers' homes. Recounts Webvan's history from founding through early 2001 and concentrates on the unique approaches to warehousing, delivery,... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Failure; Business Startups; Consumer Products Industry; Service Industry

20 May 2024

Technology Insights: A Fireside Chat with Professor Scott Kominers and Allison Ciechanover

Curious about where HBS case studies come from? Interested in understanding how the HBS curriculum sets the stage for successful tech careers? Wondering how to maximize your time as an HBS student interested in tech? Join us as we delve into these questions View Details

December 1980 (Revised February 1998)
Case

Burger King Corp.

By: W. Earl Sasser and David C. Rikert

Describes the operating system of a Burger King unit. The case does not have a decision focus; it is designed for use with McDonald's Corp. Students are asked to compare the operating systems of these two fast food hamburger chains. Careful analysis will detect the... View Details

Keywords: Food; System; Operations; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

15 Mar 2019
Blog Post

PART 3: Military Transition and the JD/MBA - Getting on the JD/MBA Path

in the application process for both schools. Applying to any school is as much about your narrative as it is your academic prowess or accomplishments. Admissions committees seek to identify people who have potential, motivation, View Details

July 1993
Article

Compensation Plans for Single- and Multi-Product Salesforces: An Application of the Holmstrom-Milgrom Model

By: R. Lal and V. Srinivasan

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Product

Find at Harvard

December 1980 (Revised February 1998)
Case

McDonald's Corp. (Condensed)

By: W. Earl Sasser and David C. Rikert

Describes the operating system of McDonald's, the world's most successful fast food chain. The case does not have a decision focus; it is designed for use with Burger King Corp. Students are asked to compare the operating systems of these two fast food hamburger... View Details

Keywords: Service Operations; Competition; Food and Beverage Industry