Publications

June 2011
Case

Changes to Harvard University's Governing Board

By: Rakesh Khurana and Eric Baldwin

This case examines the decision made by the governing board of Harvard University, known as the Harvard Corporation, to alter its size and operations. The case provides background on Harvard's history, its existing governance structure, and some of the issues that... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Structure; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Decisions; Education Industry

16 May 2017
News

Facing the Board

of things. The 72 alumni were among 400 who returned to campus to join 936 students for the inaugural HBS Boardroom, a new RC capstone experience that includes first-year student teams presenting case-based management decisions to alumni... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Myers; photos by Susan Young; Blackrock; The Boardroom

Web

Advisory Board - Entrepreneurship

About Rock Advisory Board The Rock Center’s Advisory Board is responsible for providing strategic direction for the Rock Center and its staff. The Advisory Board includes HBS... View Details

Program

Making Corporate Boards More Effective

into your business challenges and career decisions Who Should Attend This program is designed to meet the needs of board members, chairs, and directors of publicly traded and other established companies.... View Details

Program

Value Creation Through Effective Boards

accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions Who... View Details

22 Dec 2003
Research & Ideas

How to Build a Better Board

frameworks to decide exactly what they're going to do, what decisions they're going to make, what things they want to monitor and oversee, and also the areas in which they want to offer advice and counsel to their CEO. So given that fact,... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

Research Summary

Board Independence and the Design of Executive Compensation

In this project, I analyze the compensation decisions of boards of directors. Compensation decisions not only serve to motivate executives, but also affect a board's reputation for independence. Although greater managerial influence over the board has the obvious... View Details

Blog

Eight Steps to Board Success for Female Executives

paving the way for better decisions and bigger successes down the line. Interested in joining a board or enhancing the value you bring as a board member? Explore our View Details

March 2006 (Revised February 2007)
Case

Frederick Douglass Charter School: The Renewal Decision

Five years after the launch of the Frederick Douglass Charter School, the school's performance is under review by the state board of education as part of a decision about whether to renew the school's charter for a school as well as the implications of a... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Accountability; Urban Development; Education; Business Startups; Education Industry; United States

17 Dec 2024
News

Professor Amy C. Edmondson - Psychological safety: how boards have the best conversations to make the best decisions

21 Nov 2023
News

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s Response to the OpenAI Board Debacle Is a Masterclass on Taking Fast, Decisive Action

June 2011 (Revised September 2011)
Case

Two Key Decisions for China's Sovereign Fund

By: Robert C. Pozen and Xiaoyu Gu

The China Investment Corporation (CIC) was China's sovereign wealth fund (SWF), established with $200 billion of registered capital in September 2007 to diversify China's foreign exchange holdings and increase risk-adjusted returns on those assets. CIC was unusual in... View Details

Keywords: Business Subsidiaries; Business Growth and Maturation; Decisions; Capital; Investment Banking; Investment Funds; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Ownership; Business and Shareholder Relations; Risk and Uncertainty; Wealth; Expansion; Financial Services Industry; China; United States

In 2014, the Allergan Inc. board of directors received a surprise takeover offer from Valeant Pharmaceuticals in alliance with hedge fund activist Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management. In the unprecedented arrangement between an acquirer and a hedge... View Details

December 2004 (Revised February 2006)
Case

Executive Decision Making at General Motors

By: David A. Garvin and Lynne Levesque

Describes the evolution of General Motors' strategy, organizational structure, and management processes from its founding to the present day. Focuses on the role of GM's management committee—the senior-decision-making body at the company, now called the Automotive... View Details

Keywords: Globalized Firms and Management; Management Practices and Processes; Organizational Structure; Competitive Strategy; Decision Making; Management Teams; Auto Industry

22 Dec 2010
News

Making the Decision to Replace Yourself

September 8, 2015
Article

Making Better Decisions in Your Family Business

By: Josh Baron, Rob Lachenauer and Sebastian Ehrensberger

Family businesses face complex decisions, from CEO succession to business strategies. A "four-room" model helps structure decision-making in these businesses: Owner Room (ownership goals and board election), Board Room (performance monitoring and CEO appointment),... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Decisions; Business Strategy; Goals and Objectives; Management Succession; Talent and Talent Management

Register to Read

September 2015 (Revised February 2016)
Supplement

Novell (B): Board of Directors Aftermath of Hedge Fund Attack

By: Richard L. Nolan

No corporation and its board of directors is immune to a disruptive shareholder activist attack. The Novell (A) and (B) cases take students through a shareholder activist attack and its aftermath—a saga that spanned 5 years. The cases outline the activist playbook in... View Details

Keywords: Investment Activism; Governing and Advisory Boards; Decision Making