Publications

Educators

October 2007
Article

Methodological Fit in Management Field Research

By: A. C. Edmondson and S. E. McManus

Methodological fit, an implicitly valued attribute of high-quality field research in organizations, has received little attention in the management literature. Fit refers to internal consistency among elements of a research project--research question, prior work,... View Details

Keywords: Education; Framework; Projects; Quality; Research

Research Summary

Managing International Trade and Investment

By: Debora L. Spar

Introduced by Debora Spar in 1995, Managing International Trade and Investment is an elective course that prepares students to deal with the distinct set of management challenges that face cross-border businesses. Building on experience that suggests that what works... View Details

Article

Strategic Management of Product Recovery

By: Michael W. Toffel

Manufacturers of an expanding range of durable products are facing regulatory and market pressures to manage the products they manufactured upon their end of life (EOL). In part, this attention is motivated by a growing number of countries—especially across Europe and... View Details

Keywords: Product; Environmental Sustainability; Cost Management; Government Legislation; Logistics; Risk and Uncertainty; Strategy; Europe; Asia; United States

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October 2018 (Revised July 2019)
Technical Note

The Brand Management of Places

By: E. Ofek and Nathaniel Schwalb

The brand management of places, such as countries, cities and regions, has received increasing attention in recent years. The associations, impressions and reputations that people have of a certain place can have a big impact in a number of areas – from tourism, to... View Details

Keywords: Place Brand; Destination Brand; Nation Brand; Public Diplomacy; Brands and Branding; Management; Perception; Public Opinion

Educators

30 May 2005
Research & Ideas

Germany’s Pioneering Corporate Managers

Thyssen himself paid an immense amount of attention to issues of organization, accounting, and control, so in many ways the book reflects those interests. It became clear that Thyssen and his managers were... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

05 Dec 2018
Research & Ideas

Why Managers Should Reveal Their Failures

when we choose to be polite or rude, or to give someone else compliments or not, it’s all interpersonal regulation. “If we’re doing these things anyway, why not do it in ways that are wise, productive, and kind?” Managers can be... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

March 1995 (Revised January 1998)
Case

Germany's Evolving Privatization Policies: The Plaschna Management KG

Describes the evolution of the German government's approach to restructuring East German firms. Three organizations and their interactions are examined: 1) the Treuhand, Germany's privatization agency; 2) the Plaschna Management KG, a private organization funded by the... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Privatization; Government and Politics; Germany

June 2020
Background Note

Customer Management Dynamics and Cohort Analysis

By: Elie Ofek, Barak Libai and Eitan Muller

The digital revolution has allowed companies to amass considerable amounts of data on their customers. Using this information to generate actionable insights is fast becoming a critical skill that firms must master if they wish to effectively compete and win in today’s... View Details

Keywords: Cohort Analysis; Customers; Analytics and Data Science; Segmentation; Analysis; Customer Value and Value Chain

Educators

Fall 2013
Article

The Role of Performance Measures in the Intertemporal Decisions of Business Unit Managers

Accounting performance measures are often argued to lead to short-sighted behavior by managers facing intertemporal decisions. We assess the association between different types of performance measures and the time horizon of business unit managers who have profit... View Details

Keywords: Management Practices and Processes; Performance Evaluation

04 May 2007
What Do You Think?

How Do Managers Think?

Summing Up Can managers acquire ways of thinking or ways of learning from doctors? Managers can learn from an understanding of how doctors think. But whether the lessons are profound or even totally... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

13 Feb 2014
Research & Ideas

Managing the Family Business: Leadership Roles

members who grew up in the family company and know it well, to become focused on its operating effectiveness. But too much focus here generally means they give too little attention to the leadership and governance needs of the... View Details

Keywords: by John A. Davis

Article

Operational Efficiency and Effective Management in the Catheterization Laboratory

By: Grant W. Reed, Michael L. Tushman and Samir R. Kapadia

Operational efficiency is a core business principle in which organizations strive to deliver high-quality goods or services in a cost-effective manner. This concept has become increasingly relevant to cardiac catheterization laboratories, as insurers move away from... View Details

Keywords: Cath Lab; Catheterization Laboratory; Health Care and Treatment; Performance Efficiency; Management; Performance Productivity; Cost Management; Health Industry

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16 Jun 2008
Research & Ideas

Seven Tips for Managing Price Increases

yourself paying more attention to the prices of everything you buy? You are not alone. Consumers everywhere are more price aware. People who've been indifferent to price increases for years are suddenly amazed at what things now cost. How... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch

September 2016 (Revised January 2018)
Module Note

Strategy Execution Module 4: Organizing for Performance

By: Robert Simons

This module reading explores the implications of different business models on organization design. After discussing the distinction between units focused on work processes and those devoted to markets, the analysis provides insight as to when to organize businesses by... View Details

Keywords: Management Control Systems; Implementing Strategy; Execution; Customer Focused Organization; Specialization; Span Of Control; Span Of Accountability; Span Of Attention; Strategy; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure

05 Jul 2023
What Do You Think?

How Are Middle Managers Falling Down Most Often on Employee Inclusion?

diversity aren’t occupying jobs in human resources. Instead, they are department managers and team leaders on the front line who are responsible for inclusion. But how much attention is being given to the... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

04 Dec 2024
HBS Seminar

Mert Demirer, MIT Sloan School of Management

26 Sep 2023
Book

Digital Strategy: A Handbook for Managing a Moving Target

few of the recent emerging trends that digital has brought along, have entered the business vocabulary, captivated the attention of scholars and practitioners alike, and are now at the center of every company’s strategic thinking. It is... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Information Technology; Technology

March 2017 (Revised May 2017)
Teaching Note

The Strategy Execution Series

By: Robert Simons and Jennifer Packard

This is the teaching note for the 15-module Strategy Execution series. New management tools and techniques are needed to implement strategy in the 21st century. Rapid innovation, entrepreneurial competitors, and increasingly demanding customers have radically altered... View Details

Keywords: Management Control Systems; Implementing Strategy; Strategy Execution; Performance Measurement; Profit Planning; Organization Design; Profitable Growth; Management Attention; Organizational Conflict; Job Design; Business Strategy; Management Systems; Entrepreneurship; Competition; Organizational Design; Performance Evaluation; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques