by John Quelch - Publications - Faculty & Research

04 Apr 2011
HBS Case

Reinventing the National Geographic Society

from foreign countries, raise their hand. "What do you associate with it?" The yellow border, answers one. Others note the stunning photography, detailed maps, and magazines piled up all around the house. A few minutes later National Geographic CEO View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Publishing

10 Jul 2023
In Practice

The Harvard Business School Faculty Summer Reader 2023

Book of Living and Dying. In my own Catholic tradition, I am finally reading Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross, a 16th century Spanish mystic. It is a poem that comments on how our spirits are... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

28 Feb 2023
Research & Ideas

Can Apprenticeships Work in the US? Employers Seeking New Talent Pipelines Take Note

is pursuing a Master of Public Administration degree at Harvard Kennedy School; and Rachel Snyder, a candidate for a Master of Public Policy degree at Harvard Kennedy School. Employers have sometimes balked at the apprenticeship programs, scared off View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

06 Jun 2005
What Do You Think?

Is a “Level Playing Field” a Good Thing?

Summing Up This month's column seems to have struck a sore spot with many respondents who question whether the term, "level playing field" even serves a useful purpose. John Forsyth asks, "Is the playing field ever level in... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

21 Nov 2019
Research & Ideas

Do TV Debates Sway Voters?

pinpoint exactly when a voter decided on a candidate—before or after a debate—without having to rely on voters’ memories. They found: A large fraction of voters change their minds during the campaign. The percentage of voters who had settled on a candidate rose View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

13 Aug 2014
Lessons from the Classroom

Managing the Family Business: Entrepreneurs Needed for Long-Run Success

generations of the family are supposed to take care of and grow the founder's creation; they are not expected to be entrepreneurs themselves. Even attempting to reinvent the family company can be seen as disloyal by the family. This... View Details

Keywords: by Michael J. Roberts

25 Oct 2011
Research & Ideas

Chasing Stars: Why the Mighty Red Sox Struck Out

Anaheim Angels starting pitcher John Lackey, signed in December 2009 to a five-year $85 million deal; San Diego Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, lured in 2011 by a seven-year deal at $154 million; and... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Sports; Banking

02 Mar 2009
Research & Ideas

When Goal Setting Goes Bad

goals, but we recommend doing so with caution, and our paper discusses the needed steps to take (e.g., strong leaders who model appropriate behavior, oversight to prevent unethical behavior, etc.). Q: One of the most famous stretch goals was delivered View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

25 Oct 2006
Op-Ed

Fixing Executive Options: The Veil of Ignorance

the vesting period—appears to vitiate many of the benefits of incentive alignment. How might option compensation be refashioned to deliver the benefits without the distortions? Perhaps the answer to these problems can be found with philosophers rather than financial or... View Details

Keywords: by Mihir Desai & Joshua Margolis

27 Nov 2013
News

Can Garment Factories Become Safer?

06 Aug 2021
Book

Steve Jobs and the Rise of the Celebrity CEO

successively by John Sculley, who was kicked out in 1993, Michael Spindler, fired in 1996, and Gil Amelio, a member of the board who took over from Spindler and was fired five hundred days later, the company... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

2008
Book

Greater Good: How Good Marketing Makes for Better Democracy

By: John A. Quelch and Katherine E. Jocz

Marketing has a greater purpose, and marketers, a higher calling, than simply selling more widgets, according to John Quelch and Katherine Jocz. In "Greater Good", the authors contend that marketing performs an essential societal function—and does so democratically.... View Details

Keywords: Economic Systems; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Government and Politics; Marketing; Practice; Welfare

Citation

02 Apr 2024
What Do You Think?

What's Enough to Make Us Happy?

ambitious but not always assured. “Career planning provides an opportunity to think about 'enough,' especially in a given timeframe." Our late colleague at Harvard Business School, Clayton Christensen, provided inspiration for this kind of thinking View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

08 Jan 2018
Working Paper Summaries

Come Together: Firm Boundaries and Delegation

Keywords: by Laura Alfaro, Nick Bloom, Paola Conconi, Harald Fadinger, Patrick Legros, Andrew F. Newman, Raffaella Sadun, and John Van Reenen

01 Apr 2014
News

FDA Moves to Regulate E-Cigarettes

03 Oct 2023
HBS Case

Layoffs Can Be Bad Business: 5 Strategies to Consider Before Cutting Staff

“We’re very sorry to be taking this step,” he said in an email to employees, “and John and I are fully responsible.” While an apology may seem of little consequence to laid-off employees, it can help restore trust between surviving... View Details

Keywords: by Ben Rand; Telecommunications; Technology; Financial Services; Manufacturing

24 Jul 2017
Research & Ideas

People Have an Irrational Need to Complete 'Sets' of Things

Credit: Martin Barraud Here’s a tip for persuading people to finish more tasks, buy more products, or donate more money: Simply present assignments, requests, or items as arbitrary sets, rather than as individual units. New research reveals that people are... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

11 Jun 2024
In Practice

The Harvard Business School Faculty Summer Reader 2024

As the vacation season looms, Harvard Business School faculty members share recommendations for a little light reading. Spoiler alert: Lessons in Chemistry tops two of their beach-read lists. For those whose brains can’t—or won’t—turn off, HBS faculty also suggest some... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman

08 Mar 2017
News

It's High Time: Weed at Harvard

15 Mar 2022
Research & Ideas

This Workplace Certification Made Already Safe Companies Even Safer

the Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management. He partnered on the research with HBS doctoral student Kala Viswanathan and Duke University professor Matthew Johnson. Widespread adoption, but does the standard work? Some 2.8... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

Publications