Publications

July 1995 (Revised December 1996)
Background Note

Process of Creative Destruction, The: Business Transformation

By: Richard L. Nolan

Keywords: Creativity; Transformation

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28 Sep 2006
Working Paper Summaries

Scale without Mass: Business Process Replication and Industry Dynamics

Keywords: by Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee, Michael Sorell & Feng Zhu; Technology

January 1995 (Revised January 1995)
Case

USAA: Business Process Review for the Great Lakes Region (Abridged)

By: James L. Heskett

Presents the results of a service process analysis of USAA's claims processing activity in its Great Lakes Region. Explores not only issues of redesigning the process but also the organizational implications of various alternatives. View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Mortgages; Management Practices and Processes; Business Processes; Organizational Design; Mathematical Methods; Real Estate Industry; North America

September 2003 (Revised June 2005)
Case

Polycom's Acquisition Process

Describes the acquisition decision-making process employed at Polycom. Focuses on the potential acquisition of the firm's archrival, Picturetel, in mid-2001. View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Mergers and Acquisitions

01 Jun 2004
News

Cyberposium: Pros and Cons of Outsourcing

said. The outsourcing market is estimated at 11 percent of IT — or about $150 billion globally. India is acknowledged to be the largest offshore destination, but a great deal of IT business is View Details

Keywords: cyberposium; cost; Corporate Services

2008
Working Paper

Etiquette and Process Puzzles of Negotiating Business in China: A Questionnaire

By: James K. Sebenius and Cheng (Jason) Qian

Cultural differences can affect negotiations in many ways, from influencing the basic motivations and perceptions of the players to guiding the surface aspects, such as etiquette, protocol, and process, of business interactions. Navigating the challenges of these... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Governance; Questionnaires; Negotiation Process; Behavior; China

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December 1983 (Revised August 1988)
Background Note

The Start-Up Process

By: Howard H. Stevenson and Michael J. Roberts

Describes the various stages in the start-up process and describes in detail the questions that can be asked and the analysis that can be performed to help deal with the issues that arise at each stage. View Details

Keywords: Business Startups

Research Summary

Do Leaders Lead in Business Process Innovation? The Case(s) of E-Business Adoption

This paper investigates how market position influences firm propensity to adopt new process innovations. Using detailed data from the U.S. Census of Manufactures, I study the adoption of frontier e-business practices during the early diffusion of the commercial... View Details

Discovery Process

Sometimes this diversity led to misunderstandings, but also to new ideas and opportunities. Spending a year immersed in this environment really broadened the audience I hope to reach with my research. My current book project explores the history of View Details

September 2013 (Revised August 2024)
Exercise

Process Analytics Simulation: Solutions

By: Robert S. Huckman, Aizan Radzi, Willy Shih, Roy D. Shapiro and Michael W. Toffel

A set of exercises and instructions to be used with the Process Simulator software made by Pro Model. These exercises allow students to investigate the impact of variable processing times on the performance of simple in-line processes. Includes color exhibits. View Details

Keywords: Operations; Business Processes; Performance; Measurement and Metrics

14 May 2013
Blog Post

The Self-Discovery Process

that helped me build my résumé. I had countless cups of coffee with people in different industries to hear first-hand about them and the company they worked for. It was a very busy two months, but very productive. The View Details

Keywords: Consulting

04 Aug 2010
Working Paper Summaries

The Effect of Market Leadership in Business Process Innovation: The Case(s) of E-Business Adoption

Keywords: by Kristina McElheran; Technology

April 1993 (Revised December 2001)
Case

General Dynamics and Computer Sciences Corporation: Outsourcing the IS Function (B)

By: F. Warren McFarlan and Katherine Seger

Designed to look at outsourcing from the perspective of a major computer services company trying to get into the business. View Details

Keywords: Communication Technology; Business Startups; Business Plan; Business Strategy; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Financial Management; Management Teams; Communication Strategy; Organizational Design; Product Design; Accounting; Activity Based Costing and Management; Computer Industry; Information Technology Industry

April 2006 (Revised April 2012)
Background Note

The Company Sale Process

By: William E. Fruhan Jr.

Lays out the steps, the timeline, and the process by which a company is sold. Focuses on the sale of companies with enterprise values greater than $100 million. These transactions are large enough to require the help of a financial adviser and attract both strategic... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Auctions; Bids and Bidding; Agreements and Arrangements; Sales

April 1993 (Revised May 1994)
Case

General Dynamics and Computer Sciences Corporation: Outsourcing the IS Function (A)

By: F. Warren McFarlan and Katherine Seger

Designed to generate discussion on the issues of outsourcing from the perspective of a firm thinking about turning over its IS activities to a third-party vendor. View Details

Keywords: Management Systems; Management Style; Information Technology; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Business Strategy; Economic Systems; Business or Company Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Business Processes; Employment; Emerging Markets; Activity Based Costing and Management; Information Technology Industry; Consulting Industry

November 1995
Background Note

Overview and Syllabus for a Course on Business Process Reengineering

By: Thomas H. Davenport and Richard L. Nolan

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August 1981
Background Note

Types of Processes

By: David A. Garvin

Provides a general introduction to the major types of production processes, their differences, and the implications that those differences have for management. View Details

Keywords: Management; Production; Business Processes