Publications

January 1994 (Revised March 1995)
Background Note

Evaluating an Action Plan

By: Linda A. Hill

Managers report that action planning to resolve interpersonal and organizational challenges is far more demanding than diagnosing them. Although there are many frameworks for evaluating their diagnoses, there are few for evaluating their action plans. Reviews the major... View Details

Keywords: Planning

05 May 2022
News

Lesson Plans

Subscribe on iTunes Subscribe on Spotify More Skydeck episodes Dan Morrell: Founded in 2008 by Sal Khan (MBA 2003), Khan Academy is a nonprofit with a simple mission: to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Today, more than 135 million registered... View Details

November 2000
Background Note

Note on Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and Phantom Stock Plans

By: Dwight B. Crane and Indra Reinbergs

Provides a brief overview of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and phantom stock plans for owners of closely held companies. ESOPs can be used as a tool of corporate financing, and can provide employees with ownership interests. Phantom stock plans can reward... View Details

Keywords: Financing and Loans; Employee Stock Ownership Plan; Motivation and Incentives; Management Teams; Corporate Governance; Ownership Stake; Taxation

10 Aug 2009
News

Business planning

12 Dec 2018
News

Lesson Plan

Maybe it all begins at a dinner table in Beaverton, Oregon. It’s the late 1980s, at the height of the spotted owl controversy—a pitched battle between loggers and conservationists over whether preserving a bird’s habitat is more critical than saving jobs. A... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; photographed by Chris Sorensen

February 1999 (Revised March 2003)
Background Note

Enterprise Resource Planning

Introduces the concepts and issues related to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) technology. Begins with a stylized example of ERP in action. Aa brief history of the ERP industry is provided, with reference to major events and players. Additional case examples of... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Operations

May 2011
Supplement

Baria Planning Solutions, Inc.: Fixing the Sales Process, Faculty Spreadsheet (Brief Case)

By: Steven C. Wheelwright and William Schmidt

Keywords: Quantitative Analysis; Technology; Operations Management; Product Lines; Manufacturing; Capacity Planning; Production Planning; Information Technology; Production; Analysis; Performance Capacity; Product Marketing

May 2011
Supplement

Baria Planning Solutions, Inc.: Fixing the Sales Process, Spreadsheet Supplement (Brief Case)

By: Steven C. Wheelwright and William Schmidt

Keywords: Quantitative Analysis; Technology; Operations Management; Product Lines; Manufacturing; Capacity Planning; Production Planning; Information Technology; Production; Analysis; Performance Capacity; Product Marketing

September 2014 (Revised September 2015)
Exercise

Project Planning

By: Willy Shih, Pian Shu and Jill Avery

This exercise introduces the basic tools of project management: the project timeline, the task list, and the Gantt chart. It is an exercise for the FIELD 2 course. View Details

Keywords: Project Management; Management Practices and Processes; Manufacturing Industry; Service Industry; United States

January 2003 (Revised March 2005)
Supplement

Planning Exercise

By: Ashish Nanda

November 2008 (Revised January 2011)
Exercise

Breaking Through Action Plan

By: David A. Thomas and Karen J. Watai

The "Breaking Through Action Plan" is a developmental tool based on the book, Breaking Through: The Making of Minority Executives in Corporate America by David A. Thomas and John J. Gabarro. The Action Plan was originally designed as part of a facilitated session but... View Details

Keywords: Competency and Skills; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Personal Development and Career; Relationships; Power and Influence; Trust

01 Sep 2003
News

Business Plan Contest

’03), who is now CEO of FBC, and faculty advisor HBS associate professor Stefan H. Thomke. Photos by Catherine Walsh/HBS Communications Now in its seventh year, the HBS Business Plan Contest is designed to promote entrepreneurship among... View Details

Keywords: contests; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

summer 1993
Article

Manufacturing Strategic Planning

By: David A. Garvin

Keywords: Strategy; Planning

Find at Harvard

September 1999
Case

Chemdex.com Business Plan

By: Lynda M. Applegate

Keywords: Business Plan; Chemical Industry

Find at Harvard

November 2005 (Revised July 2006)
Background Note

A Note on Scenario Planning

By: David A. Garvin and Lynne Levesque

Describes the process, components, and detailed action steps involved in using scenario planning in any organization. Provides detailed examples that use the process. View Details

Keywords: Planning

April 21, 2023
Article

When Scenario Planning Fails

By: Kalle Heikkinen, William R. Kerr, Mika Malin, Panu Routila and Eemil Rupponen

How can organizations perform scenario planning when they are hit by shocks outside of leaders’ field of vision? Interviews with Nordic executives, who experienced both the Covid-19 pandemic and were in close proximity to Russia as the country invaded Ukraine, can... View Details

Keywords: Planning; Crisis Management; Organizational Structure; Forecasting and Prediction; System Shocks; Organizational Change and Adaptation

Read Now

November 1996
Background Note

Some Thoughts on Business Plans

By: William A. Sahlman

A framework for assessing new business opportunities and the business plans used to describe them is developed. Useful for aspiring entrepreneurs in MBA programs. View Details

Keywords: Business Plan; Entrepreneurship; Framework; Opportunities