Publications

May 1999
Background Note

Note on Behavioral Pricing

By: John T. Gourville

The note introduces the behavioral or psychological aspects of consumer price acceptance. Begins by reviewing the traditional economic approach to product pricing and consumer price acceptance--namely, that consumers should be willing to purchase anytime a product's... View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Decisions; Fairness; Price; Marketing Strategy; Behavior; Perspective; Public Opinion

September 1999 (Revised February 2004)
Case

WebSpective Software, Inc. (A)

By: Michael J. Roberts, Joseph B. Lassiter III, John T. Gourville and Sun Ming Wong

Describes the situation at WebSpective, a software company that develops products to help companies manage the network of servers that support their Websites. Describes the use of "concept engineering" tools to interview customers, determine their needs and the... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Management Practices and Processes; Customers; Customer Focus and Relationships; Communication Intention and Meaning; Product Development; Product Marketing; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Customer Satisfaction; Marketing Strategy; Information Technology Industry

August 2002 (Revised June 2006)
Case

Great Dakota Bank: Online Banking

By: Frances X. Frei, Youngme E. Moon and Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar

In 2002, Great Dakota Bank's retail division is considering how heavily it should be promoting the company's online banking service. A recent promotional campaign appears to have significantly increased enrollments in online banking, but it is unclear whether the bank... View Details

Keywords: Banks and Banking; Internet and the Web; Customer Relationship Management; Consumer Behavior; Demand and Consumers; Technological Innovation; Customer Value and Value Chain; Customer Satisfaction; Management; Service Operations; Banking Industry

01 Apr 2002
News

Professorship Brings Brierley's HBS Connection Full Circle

members, Epsilon engineered many of the ‘customer relationship' techniques that make today's customer loyalty programs so successful," says Brierley, who served as Epsilon's president and CEO for its first ten years. In 1980, serving... View Details

Keywords: Charles M. Williams; Epsilon Data Management; Computer Systems Design and Related Services; Professional Services

24 Oct 2013
News

Engineering a More Secure World

cash. Hearing stories like that, Harris knows he's in the right line of work. Alameda, California–based CSECO, the world's leader in portable contraband-detection equipment, has a customer list that includes the Department of Homeland... View Details

Keywords: Francis Storrs; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

01 Dec 2017
News

Ask the Expert: Human Intelligence

find an area where narrow AI is not having an impact,” says Seseri, which raises questions for business leaders in all sectors. How can e-commerce businesses benefit from artificial intelligence in the near future? And how will potential View Details

Keywords: April White

25 Aug 2022
News

Case Study: Sound Check

improved long-term retention rates. In the early days, it’s best to optimize for product feedback. If it’s easier to sell to smaller customers (with more volume), stick with this segment and treat the feedback as gold. Rapidly iterate... View Details

Keywords: Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

06 Mar 2018
First Look

First Look at Research and Ideas, March 6, 2018

customer satisfaction, differences among customers account for 96%–97% of this variance, while differences among employees, processes, locations, and markets make up the remainder. Further analysis reveals... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

November 2019 (Revised May 2020)
Case

Collibra

By: Lynda M. Applegate, Jeffrey F. Rayport and Julia Kelley

Founded in 2008 at Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Collibra was a data intelligence company that found product-market fit in the years after the global financial crisis when many companies were under pressure from consumers and governments to improve their data management... View Details

10 Jun 2013
Research & Ideas

How Numbers Talk to People

primary appeal of Expedia had become convenience—and change/cancel fees were not convenient. Analysts looked at customer satisfaction rates, and they were particularly low for View Details

01 Dec 2017
News

2017 in Media: Courting the Cord-Cutters

bundle” and over-the-top (OTT) services. The skinny bundle is a response to customer concerns that cable packages are too expensive. The bundle had simply gotten too big; there were 250 channels, and the View Details

Keywords: Laura Martin (MBA 1983) , entertainment and internet analyst, Needham & Company

01 Sep 2007
News

Riding It Out

An ailing horse and an overweight Labrador retriever provided the inspiration for Becky Minard and Paal Gisholt (both MBA ’93) to launch SmartPak, a business that provides nutritional supplements, dog food, and supplies to customers... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; dog food; pets; Food Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Food and Beverage Stores; Retail Trade

01 Sep 2018
News

Ask the Expert: Delivering the Goods

Ickis (MBA 1971, DBA 1978) REISNER: One of the hottest areas of investment growth is in cross-border shipping, but there are two core problems: In an age of terrorism, customs are commercial constraints and also valuable public safety... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint

01 Oct 2001
News

Q&A: Orin Smith

revolutionized the way Americans drink coffee. In his spare time, he enjoys golf and skiing, and names a Seattle Starbucks location in his Capitol Hill neighborhood as his favorite store. Customers might even enjoy a double-tall-nonfat... View Details

Keywords: Hanna, Julia; Hospitality; Food and Beverage Stores; Retail Trade

23 Apr 2019
Blog Post

HBS Shares Their Favorite Books for HR Leaders

self-reflection, and best practices to help managers lead their teams effectively and find satisfaction in their roles. Have you managed teams for years? Are you mentoring a manager? Onboarding a new manager? Regardless of experience,... View Details

Keywords: All Industries

20 Dec 2018
Cold Call Podcast

Using Fintech to Disrupt Eastern Bank from Within

Keywords: Re: Karen Mills; Banking; Financial Services

May 25, 2016
Comment

How Consumers and Businesses are Reshaping Public Health

By: John A. Quelch

Healthcare and education are two issues in which citizens around the world, rich and poor, are passionately interested. It has long been appreciated that the way that a society treats its youngest and oldest members says much about its moral maturity. Economic... View Details