Publications

Willy Shih is the Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Management Practice in Business Administration. He is part of the Technology and Operations Management Unit, and he teaches in the MBA and Executive Education Programs. His expertise is in manufacturing, product... View Details

Keywords: high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology; high technology

05 Sep 2024
Blog Post

District Heating in Denmark: How Fjernvarme Fyn fuels an integrated and sustainable future

we have been impressed with all the thoughtful planning, foresight, and innovation we have seen on our field trip through Denmark and the Netherlands View Details

April 1999 (Revised March 2000)
Background Note

Discovering What Has Already Been Discovered: Why Did Your Customers Hire Your Product?

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Describes a methodology for identifying markets for new technologies and for defining the highest value attributes of new products or services. It helps innovators escape the trap of incremental improvements to established product concepts by asking a straightforward... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Markets; Product; Technology Adoption; Value

13 Dec 2022
HBS Seminar

Christine Beckman, USC Price School of Public Policy

09 May 2012
Research & Ideas

Clayton Christensen’s “How Will You Measure Your Life?”

2010) and Karen Dillon, the book uses meaningful corporate and personal anecdotes to extoll the value of theory in finding and creating happiness. "You'll see that without... View Details

08 Nov 2013
HBS Seminar

Laura Diaz Anadon, Harvard Kennedy School

March 2002 (Revised March 2005)
Case

Intevis: Brokering the Boundaryless Career

Illustrates technology strategy, knowledge management, and the challenges of managing temporary professionals in the increasingly modular semiconductor industry. View Details

Keywords: Technology; Knowledge Management; Employees; Semiconductor Industry

25 Jun 2018
Research & Ideas

In America, Immigrants Really Do Get the Job Done

helps drive innovation and growth—and could even become more vital to global competitiveness in the future. “The debate is red-hot right now, but in the background, the workforces are rapidly aging in most... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Technology; Technology; Technology

January 2008 (Revised August 2008)
Case

AT&T v. Microsoft (A): IP Litigation Strategy

By: Willy Shih

This case examines a hard fought litigation over a patent that originated at Bell Labs. It illustrates the challenges that technology companies face today innovating in a complex intellectual property environment in fields where there is a high amount of... View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Patents; Lawsuits and Litigation; Conflict and Resolution; Strategy; Technology Industry

2020
Article

A Practical Approach to Sales Compensation: What Do We Know Now? What Should We Know in the Future?

By: Doug J. Chung, Byungyeon Kim and Niladri B. Syam

Personal selling represents one of the most important elements in the marketing mix, and appropriate management of the sales force is vital to achieving the organization’s objectives. Among the various instruments of sales management, compensation plays a pivotal role... View Details

Keywords: Sales Compensation; Sales Management; Sales Strategy; Principal-agent Theory; Structural Econometrics; Field Experiments; Machine Learning; Artificial Intelligence; Salesforce Management; Compensation and Benefits; Motivation and Incentives; AI and Machine Learning

Find at Harvard

Read Now

October 2002 (Revised March 2013)
Case

Intermountain Health Care

By: Richard M.J. Bohmer, Amy C. Edmondson and Laura Feldman

Intermountain Health Care (IHC), an integrated delivery system based in Utah, has adopted a new strategy for managing health care delivery. The approach focuses management attention not only on the facilities where care takes place but also on physician decision making... View Details

Keywords: Ethnicity; Innovation Strategy; Cost Management; Information Technology; Organizational Structure; Technology Adoption; Performance Improvement; Problems and Challenges; Adoption; Change Management; Cost vs Benefits; Health Care and Treatment; Health Industry; Utah

January 1997
Exercise

Negotiating Corporate Change: Confidential Information, Paul Stokes, VP, Health and Beauty Aids Division

By: James K. Sebenius

This case provides the confidential role information necessary for one person in a four-person negotiation simulation about a major corporate change. Specifically, it describes the role of Paul Stokes as he attempts to negotiate a new uniform corporate information... View Details

Keywords: Business Units; Transformation; Information Management; Negotiation Deal; System; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

Research Summary

Research Interests

Research interests are focused on issues of innovation and productivity as they relate to improved outcomes in biotechnology and pharmaceutical R and D. These span topics from decision-making, organizational structure and communication, to the development of novel... View Details

February 2000 (Revised October 2000)
Case

E-commerce at Williams-Sonoma

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Daniel Galvin

Describes Williams-Sonoma's development of a third channel of business on the Internet. Describes the strategies for managing changes in the organizational, operational, and technological structure of the company. The new e-commerce division confronts challenges posed... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Internet and the Web; Trade; Corporate Strategy; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Operations; Information Technology; Technological Innovation; Information Technology Industry; Information Technology Industry; California

09 Oct 2020
HBS Seminar

Jeffrey L. Furman, BU, Questrom Sch of Business

January 2023 (Revised June 2024)
Case

Elon Musk at Tesla

By: George Serafeim and Amram Migdal

This case gives an overview of Elon Musk’s career arc through the lens of the 2003 founding of Tesla and its growth through 2022. Background information is included on Tesla’s unique strategic decisions, its operational and reputational struggles and successes, and the... View Details

September 2012
Background Note

Carbon Credits

By: Forest Reinhardt, Jost Hamschmidt and Mikell Hyman

Keywords: Carbon; Waste Management; Carbon Credits; Emission Reduction; Europe; Japan; Wastes and Waste Processing; Renewable Energy; Green Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry; Europe; Japan