Publications

04 Feb 2020
Video

Ranjan Kapur

Ranjan Kapur, the India country manager of the WPP advertising agency, describes his human resources philosophy: empowering employees (which he describes as "letting the tiger out of the cage"), using... View Details

June 2019
Case

Athena Bancorp

By: Leonard A. Schlesinger and Sarah Abbott

Athena Bancorp was founded in 2016 by Beth Daniels, a banking professional with 15 years of experience in the industry. Daniels took advantage of what she perceived as a gap in the market caused by recent industry consolidation, a decreasing industry focus on branch... View Details

Keywords: Banks and Banking; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Culture; Human Resources; Strategy; Service Delivery; Banking Industry

12 May 2011
News

Anette Mikes, Harvard: Moving From Bean Counter to Game Changer

February 2004
Case

Succession Capital Corporation

In 2003, a small buyout company in Canada was deciding which company to purchase next. This case explores the challenges facing a young entrepreneur in the process of selecting a new acquisition when financial and human resources are constrained. View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Entrepreneurship; Corporate Finance; Canada

Find at Harvard

06 Jul 2017
Working Paper Summaries

Do All Your Detailing Efforts Pay Off? Dynamic Panel Data Methods Revisited

View Details

Keywords: by Doug J. Chung, Byungyeon Kim, and Byoung Park; Pharmaceutical

April 1996 (Revised March 1998)
Exercise

Starlite Corporation: General Information

By: Kathleen L. McGinn and Julia Morgan

A multiparty, intraorganizational negotiation exercise involving five vice presidents of human resources at $17.5 billion photography products company. In the midst of reengineering, the five VPs have been told to negotiate the possible alignment of resources in ways... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Types

Working Paper Summaries

Determinants of Early-Stage Startup Performance: Survey Results

Keywords: by Thomas R. Eisenmann

November 1989 (Revised June 1993)
Case

Managing Xerox's Multinational Development Center

Describes a manager's role in developing a staff group responsible for enhancing the efficiency of Xerox's worldwide logistics and inventory management systems. Illustrates a range of management strategies for upward and lateral influence in a complex organizational... View Details

Keywords: Multinational Firms and Management

20 May 2015
News

Should We Push For A Corporate Future Without HR?

January 2006
Case

Ron Perez (A)

By: Lynn S. Paine

The division human resources officer must decide whether to discipline a long-time employee for misusing company time and for improperly filling out time cards for his work on government contracts. Intended to focus on the various factors relevant to disciplining... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Moral Sensibility; Employees; Business or Company Management; Management Practices and Processes; Organizations; Crime and Corruption

Find at Harvard

Thomas J. DeLong

Thomas J. DeLong is a Baker Foundation Professor of Management Practice and the former Philip J. Stomberg Professor of Management Practice in the Organizational Behavior Department at the Harvard Business School. He is an expert in leader development, organizational... View Details

March 2005 (Revised March 2006)
Background Note

Activity-Based Costing and Capacity

By: Robert S. Kaplan

Discusses the use of budgeted rather than historical data in an activity-based costing (ABC) model and argues for calculating rates using practical capacity, not actual utilization. An ABC model need not be limited to analysis of historical data. When cost driver rates... View Details

Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Accounting Industry

15 Nov 2013
News

Getting the green light

June 2025
Article

Ideation with Generative AI—In Consumer Research and Beyond

By: Julian De Freitas, G. Nave and Stefano Puntoni

The use of large language models (LLMs) in consumer research is rapidly evolving, with applications including synthetic data generation, data analysis, and more. However, their role in creative ideation—a cornerstone of consumer research—remains underexplored. Drawing... View Details

Keywords: Large Language Model; AI and Machine Learning; Creativity; Innovation Strategy

Read Now

March 2010
Case

Sonoco Products Company (A): Building a World-Class HR Organization (Abridged)

By: David A. Thomas and Boris Groysberg

Describes the steps the vice-president of human resources takes in revamping an HR function that was noncooperative and, at times, competitive and introducing the company to the notion of HR as a strategic business partner. Explores changes made to the company's... View Details

Keywords: Human Resources; Organizations; Restructuring; Partners and Partnerships; Management Succession; Strategic Planning; Performance

November 1999
Case

SUPERVALU, Inc.: Professional Development Program

By: Francis Aguilar

SUPERVALU examines the creation and implementation of a training program for attracting and retaining college graduates for the nation's largest wholesale food distribution company. It addresses: 1) program design and 2) the management of the design effort and program... View Details

Keywords: Selection and Staffing; Recruitment; Retention; Training; Organizational Culture; Design; Business or Company Management; Higher Education; Programs; Food and Beverage Industry; Distribution Industry

23 Apr 2019
Blog Post

HBS Shares Their Favorite Books for HR Leaders

employee. In order to achieve this it is necessary to design a system to support a high level of service and consistently reinforce that culture. Human resources practices have... View Details

Keywords: All Industries

September 1992 (Revised August 2004)
Supplement

Martin Marietta: Managing Corporate Ethics (C-1)

By: Lynn S. Paine

The division human resources officer must decide whether an older employee should be disciplined for misusing company time and for improperly filling out time cards for his work on government contracts. Intended to focus on the various factors relevant to disciplining... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Human Resources; Contracts; Management; Situation or Environment