Publications

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January 2005 (Revised November 2005)
Case

Gobi Partners: October 2004

By: G. Felda Hardymon and Ann Leamon

The general partners of Gobi Partners, a venture fund located in Shanghai, are trying to decide the best way to raise money for their first fund. Their strategy of investing in early-stage digital media companies in China was well-received by strategic investors--IBM... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Venture Capital; Private Equity; Investment; Goals and Objectives; Emerging Markets; Problems and Challenges; Conflict Management; Shanghai

December 2023 (Revised April 2025)
Case

Yellow Corporation: On the Verge of Bankruptcy

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Edward A. Meyer

Yellow Corporation, one of the country’s oldest and largest less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, was nearing its 100th anniversary in 2024. Whether it would reach that milestone, however, was uncertain as the company was attempting to restructure its operations to... View Details

Keywords: Labor Unions; Labor and Management Relations; Capital Structure; Restructuring; Financial Management; Ethics; Borrowing and Debt; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Financial Strategy; Truck Transportation; Change Management; Transportation Industry; Shipping Industry; United States

August 1999
Case

Leaving

By: David A. Thomas

A company supervisor listens to an employee, an African American woman, announce she is leaving the company and tries to understand the situation. View Details

Keywords: Resignation and Termination; Retention; Race; Behavior; Diversity; Interpersonal Communication; Labor and Management Relations

01 Jun 2021
What Do You Think?

Are Employers Ready for a Flood of 'New' Talent Seeking Work?

talent that we know is on the way. A personal experience, however anecdotal it is, may provide food for thought. Last month, a female acquaintance with a long work record, a positive attitude, a high level of motivation, and familiarity with View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

2011
Working Paper

What Do CEOs Do?

By: Oriana Bandiera, Luigi Guiso, Andrea Prat and Raffaella Sadun

We develop a methodology to collect and analyze data on CEOs' time use. The idea-sketched out in a simple theoretical set-up-is that CEO time is a scarce resource and its allocation can help us identify the firm's priorities as well as the presence of governance... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Governance; Employee Relationship Management; Managerial Roles; Time Management; Performance Productivity; Italy

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December 2000
Case

Stock Options at Virtua.Net

By: Brian J. Hall, Noam T. Wasserman and Carleen Madigan

Describes issues facing three young founders of a high-tech start-up in Silicon Valley, including hiring an experienced CEO and negotiating with a potential VC investor. Focuses on the incentive and compensation aspects of negotiating with job candidates (e.g., what... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Stock Options; Executive Compensation; Employee Stock Ownership Plan; Negotiation

2006
Case

Strategies for Preventing a Knowledge-Loss Crisis

When employees leave an organization, they depart with more than what they know; they also leave with critical knowledge about who they know. Thus, the departure of key people can significantly affect the relationship structure and consequent functioning of an... View Details

Keywords: Analytics; Networks; Knowledge Management; Resignation and Termination

05 Dec 2011
Research & Ideas

It’s Alive! Business Scholars Turn to Experimental Research

makers." One indicator that experimental research is hot: business is booming at Harvard Business School's Computer Lab for Experimental Research (CLER), which manages a pool of paid human participants and... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

October 1984
Teaching Note

NIKE (D): Leisure Shoes, Teaching Note

Teaching Note for (9-385-031). View Details

Keywords: Luxury; Decisions; Performance Effectiveness; Management Practices and Processes; Management Teams; Apparel and Accessories Industry

11 Feb 2013
Research & Ideas

Neuroeconomics: Eyes, Brain, Business

why the brain evolved to pay attention to other people.” The problem was that while the film's characters appeared astonishingly human in many ways, their eyes looked lifeless. Viewers were creeped out. View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

18 Jul 2005
Research & Ideas

Time to Rethink the Corporate Tax System?

characterize profits to tax authorities and capital markets separately). There is also much anecdotal evidence on the profusion of tax shelters and compensation incentives for managing effective tax rates.... View Details

Keywords: by Ann Cullen

03 Feb 2016
What Do You Think?

How Do You Hire an 'Impostor'?

sense that (he/she) could have been/done/made more than they did that sounds like a solid hire to me provided their manager is perceptive enough to avoid (him/her) burning out. If the ‘imposter’ however literally can’t ‘see’ how they got... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

Fall 2023
Article

Identify Critical Roles to Improve Performance

By: Boris Groysberg, Eric Lin, Abhijit Naik and Sascha L Schmidt

Putting strategy into play requires knowing your organization’s crucial roles and making sure your best talent occupies them. View Details

Keywords: Talent and Talent Management; Employees; Organizational Structure

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02 Oct 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, October 2, 2018

capital. We examine productivity differentials between machine learning and older vintage technology based on interactions with two important human capital attributes: domain-specific expertise and... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

11 Jul 2012
Research & Ideas

The Future of Boards

maximizing shareholder value as the primary focus and motivation for a corporation's existence” Topics tackled include how boards can most effectively oversee company strategy, CEO succession, and executive compensation. Also considered is the very View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna

24 Oct 2024
Research & Ideas

With Millions of Workers Juggling Caregiving, Employers Need to Rethink Support

managers and supervisors of workers, and their lived experience, and the human resources function is really quite surprising. HR, particularly in big companies, just tends to see data. They’re not talking to... View Details

Keywords: by Christine Pazzanese, Harvard Gazette

July 2012
Supplement

Show Me the Money (B)

By: Clayton Rose

A business unit leader faces a major decision when an employee critical to a high-profile transaction asks for a unique compensation arrangement that has implications for the culture of the business. View Details

Keywords: Culture; Compensation; Risk Management; Leadership; Decision Making; Organizational Culture; Compensation and Benefits