Filter Results:
(79)
Show Results For
- All HBS Web (107)
- Faculty Publications (45)
Show Results For
- All HBS Web (107)
- Faculty Publications (45)
Sort by
- 16 Nov 2021
- HBS Case
How a Company Made Employees So Miserable, They Killed Themselves
have deeply downsized their staffs. “There’s a lot that happened in the situation that should sound alarm bells for others,” Montgomery says. “The cases point to risks that can arise when firms facing severe competitive threats adopt a... View Details
Keywords: by Michael Blanding
- June 1994 (Revised March 1995)
- Case
Kurt Landgraf and Du Pont Merck Pharmaceutical Co. (A)
Kurt Landgraf, newly named CEO of Du Pont Merck Pharmaceutical Co., addresses complaints of discrimination from African-American scientists in R&D during significant downsizing and dramatic changes within the pharmaceutical industry. View Details
Keywords: Prejudice and Bias; Race Characteristics; Gender Characteristics; Diversity Characteristics; Conflict and Resolution; Pharmaceutical Industry
Gentile, Mary C., and Sarah Gant. "Kurt Landgraf and Du Pont Merck Pharmaceutical Co. (A)." Harvard Business School Case 394-202, June 1994. (Revised March 1995.)
- March 1998 (Revised November 2004)
- Case
FAG Kugelfischer-A German Restructuring
By: Stuart C. Gilson
A large German manufacturer of ball bearings and precision machinery experiences severe financial difficulty brought on by poor management practices, an ill-conceived acquisition of a former East German ball-bearings company, and an industry recession. The company... View Details
Keywords: Accounting; Acquisition; Restructuring; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Machinery and Machining; Policy; Resignation and Termination; Management Practices and Processes; Performance Evaluation; Business and Shareholder Relations; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Europe; Germany; United States
Gilson, Stuart C. "FAG Kugelfischer-A German Restructuring." Harvard Business School Case 298-046, March 1998. (Revised November 2004.)
- March 2013
- Teaching Note
Automating the Paris Subway (TN) (A) & (B)
By: Michel Anteby and Ayn Cavicchi
In 2001, the head of the Paris Subway reflected on how to transform Line 1 into a driverless line without triggering a social conflict. After the shock of the 2000 Notre Dame de Lorette subway accident, in which a train derailed and caused 25 injuries in a Paris subway... View Details
- January 1996 (Revised September 1997)
- Case
Scott Paper Company
By: Stuart C. Gilson and Jeremy Cott
A professional turnaround manager attempts to implement a massive global downsizing program at the world's largest producer of consumer tissue products. The plan involves laying off almost one third of the company's 34,000 hourly and salaried employees and dramatically... View Details
Keywords: Assets; Global Strategy; Resignation and Termination; Goals and Objectives; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Sales; Value Creation; Pulp and Paper Industry
Gilson, Stuart C., and Jeremy Cott. "Scott Paper Company." Harvard Business School Case 296-048, January 1996. (Revised September 1997.)
- 10 Apr 2012
- First Look
First Look: April 10
seen as best able to exploit technological innovations. Read the article: http://hbr.org/2012/04/celebrate-innovation-no-matter-where-it-occurs/ar/1 Inviting Consumers to Downsize Fast-Food Portions Significantly Reduces Calorie... View Details
Keywords: Carmen Nobel
- November 1994
- Case
Navistar International
By: Stuart C. Gilson and Jeremy Cott
As a consequence of laying off half its workforce in a massive downsizing program, the company--a large manufacturer of medium and heavy trucks--struggles with a huge ($2.6 billion) liability for retiree medical costs. Although the company has promised its retirees... View Details
Keywords: Negotiation Process; Wages; Labor Unions; Legal Liability; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Restructuring
Gilson, Stuart C., and Jeremy Cott. "Navistar International." Harvard Business School Case 295-030, November 1994.
- September 2012 (Revised May 2013)
- Case
Automating the Paris Subway (A)
By: Michel Anteby, Elena Corsi and Emilie Billaud
In 2001, the head of the Paris Subway reflected on how to transform Line 1 into a driverless line without triggering a social conflict. After the shock of the 2000 Notre Dame de Lorette subway accident, in which a train derailed and caused 25 injuries in a Paris subway... View Details
Keywords: Change Management; Technological Innovation; Rail Transportation; Labor Unions; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Conflict Management; Rail Industry; Transportation Industry; Paris
Anteby, Michel, Elena Corsi, and Emilie Billaud. "Automating the Paris Subway (A)." Harvard Business School Case 413-061, September 2012. (Revised May 2013.)
- March 2000 (Revised June 2001)
- Case
AES: Hungarian Project (A)
By: Lynn S. Paine and Ann Leamon
The AES Corp., the world's largest independent power producer, has put out a request for bids to build a new power plant in Hungary. Just after the closing date for submitting bids, one of the contractors calls to request an opportunity to "improve" its bid. Although... View Details
Keywords: Bids and Bidding; Energy Generation; Technology Adoption; Business Startups; Ethics; Value; Energy Industry; Hungary
Paine, Lynn S., and Ann Leamon. "AES: Hungarian Project (A)." Harvard Business School Case 300-045, March 2000. (Revised June 2001.)
- February 2015 (Revised May 2015)
- Supplement
Nokia's Bridge Program: Outcome and Results (B)
By: Sandra J. Sucher and Susan J. Winterberg
Nokia's leaders reflect on the Bridge program, lessons learned during its implementation, and the business benefits it brought to the company. Nokia's Bridge program resulted in 60% of employees knowing their next step the day they exited the firm. It also helped... View Details
Keywords: Layoffs; Plant Closure; Outplacement; Shared Value; Business or Company Management; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Restructuring; Employee Relationship Management; Telecommunications Industry
Sucher, Sandra J., and Susan J. Winterberg. "Nokia's Bridge Program: Outcome and Results (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 315-003, February 2015. (Revised May 2015.)
- April 2015
- Supplement
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp: Redefining Success in the U.S. (B)
By: Gautam Mukunda, Thomas DeLong and Aldo Sesia
This (B) case describes the actions André Wyss, president of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, took in early 2012 to transform the company's General Medicines group and build its specialty medications, marketing the selling capabilities in the face of falling... View Details
Keywords: LEAD; Leadership And Change Management; Talent Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leadership; Change Management; Talent and Talent Management; Pharmaceutical Industry; United States
Mukunda, Gautam, Thomas DeLong, and Aldo Sesia. "Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp: Redefining Success in the U.S. (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 415-049, April 2015.
- September 2014 (Revised February 2015)
- Case
Pfizer and AstraZeneca: Marketing an Acquisition (A)
By: John A. Quelch and James Weber
In 2014, Pfizer proposed a friendly acquisition of AstraZeneca, but the AstraZeneca board resisted over price and strategy concerns. Was this good for pharmaceutical consumers? Pfizer, like pharmaceutical companies in general, faced difficulties in growing sales due to... View Details
Keywords: Health Care Policy; Mergers And Acquisitions; Marketing; Government Relations; Crisis Management; Decision Making; Growth and Development; Management; Markets; Strategy; Pharmaceutical Industry; United Kingdom; United States
Quelch, John A., and James Weber. "Pfizer and AstraZeneca: Marketing an Acquisition (A)." Harvard Business School Case 515-007, September 2014. (Revised February 2015.)
- September 2002
- Case
Align Technology, Inc.: Matching Manufacturing Capacity to Sales Demand
By: H. Kent Bowen and Jonathan P Groberg
Align Technology is a four-year-old medical products company that has invented a new product requiring new manufacturing processes. Demand for the new product has grown more slowly than initial forecasts predicted, and the cost structure is preventing the company from... View Details
Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Problems and Challenges; Product; Forecasting and Prediction; Marketing Strategy; Sales; Demand and Consumers; Production; Health Industry
Bowen, H. Kent, and Jonathan P Groberg. "Align Technology, Inc.: Matching Manufacturing Capacity to Sales Demand." Harvard Business School Case 603-058, September 2002.
- March 2024
- Case
Biomanufacturing Decentralization by Stämm
By: Paul A. Gompers, Jenyfeer Martínez Buitrago and Mariana Cal
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, cousins Llamazares and D’Alvia founded Stämm, a startup based on the idea of decentralizing biomanufacturing processes and downsizing biotech facilities. After raising its seed and series A rounds, and while finalizing its series B round in... View Details
Keywords: Business Model; Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Selection and Staffing; Technological Innovation; Science-Based Business; Business Strategy; Commercialization; Growth and Development Strategy; Product Launch; Research and Development; Biotechnology Industry; Latin America; South America; Argentina; Buenos Aires
Gompers, Paul A., Jenyfeer Martínez Buitrago, and Mariana Cal. "Biomanufacturing Decentralization by Stämm." Harvard Business School Case 824-190, March 2024.
- May 2021 (Revised August 2021)
- Case
Airbnb During the Pandemic: Stakeholder Capitalism Faces a Critical Test
By: Benjamin C. Esty and Allison Ciechanover
As the COVID pandemic spread in early 2020, global travel ground to a halt. For Airbnb, the San Francisco-based platform for renting accommodations, the impact was both swift and severe as revenues plummeted more than 70% over the prior year. Responding to the sudden... View Details
Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Corporate Governance; Crisis Management; Leadership; Digital Platforms; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Value Creation; Decision Making; Goals and Objectives; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Travel Industry; Tourism Industry; Service Industry; United States
Esty, Benjamin C., and Allison Ciechanover. "Airbnb During the Pandemic: Stakeholder Capitalism Faces a Critical Test." Harvard Business School Case 221-050, May 2021. (Revised August 2021.)
- Article
Know Your Customers' 'Jobs to Be Done'
By: Clayton M. Christensen, Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon and David S. Duncan
Firms have never known more about their customers, but their innovation processes remain hit-or-miss. Why? According to Christensen and his coauthors, product developers focus too much on building customer profiles and looking for correlations in data. To create... View Details
Keywords: Customer Relationship Management
Christensen, Clayton M., Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon, and David S. Duncan. "Know Your Customers' 'Jobs to Be Done'." Harvard Business Review 94, no. 9 (September 2016): 54–62.
- Fall 2020
- Article
Sizing Up Corporate Restructuring in the COVID Crisis
By: Robin Greenwood, Benjamin Iverson and David Thesmar
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial and legal system will need to deal with a surge of financial distress in the business sector. Some firms will be able to survive, while others will face bankruptcy and thus need to be liquidated or reorganized. Many... View Details
Greenwood, Robin, Benjamin Iverson, and David Thesmar. "Sizing Up Corporate Restructuring in the COVID Crisis." Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (Fall 2020). (Also NBER Working Paper, No. 28104.)
- 09 Feb 2009
- Research & Ideas
Uncompromising Leadership in Tough Times
restructuring and downsizing and maintain employee dignity and commitment. Wayne Cascio, who has studied companies with a record of stable long-term employment contracts, lists the following policies to preserve the dignity and... View Details
Keywords: by Martha Lagace
- 2025
- Working Paper
Private Equity and Workers: Modeling and Measuring Monopsony, Reallocation, and Trust
By: Kyle Herkenhoff, Josh Lerner, Gordon M. Phillips, Francisca Rebelo and Benjamin Sampson
We measure the real effects of private equity buyouts on worker outcomes by building a new
database that links transactions to matched employer-employee data in the United States. To
guide our empirical analysis, we derive testable implications from three theories in... View Details
Herkenhoff, Kyle, Josh Lerner, Gordon M. Phillips, Francisca Rebelo, and Benjamin Sampson. "Private Equity and Workers: Modeling and Measuring Monopsony, Reallocation, and Trust." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 25-046, March 2025.
- October 1993 (Revised December 1997)
- Case
General Dynamics: Compensation and Strategy (A)
William Anders became CEO of defense giant General Dynamics in 1991 as the Cold War was ending and as the industry became saddled with excess capacity. Observing that the company was underserving shareholders and required a massive change in its culture, Anders brought... View Details
Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Corporate Strategy; Executive Compensation; Manufacturing Industry; United States
Murphy, Kevin J. "General Dynamics: Compensation and Strategy (A)." Harvard Business School Case 494-048, October 1993. (Revised December 1997.)