• 04 Apr 2008
• What Do You Think?

Who Owns Intellectual Property?

Summing Up Is intellectual property becoming community property? Is a new generation of users and consumers of intellectual property produced by new technologies bringing totally different assumptions and attitudes to bear on its ownership? Has new technology induced... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

• 01 Nov 2022

Military Explore the HBS Case Method with Professor Jim Matheson

Join Professor Jim Matheson, Faculty Advisor to the Allied Forces Alumni Association, for this highly interactive virtual class as part of HBS Military Virtual Visit. After leading you through a case... View Details

• 30 Sep 2024
• Blog Post

Reunions: Accelerating Climate Solutions with Professor Jim Matheson (MBA 2001)

I had the pleasure of speaking with a large group of alumni this past weekend at the Harvard Business School reunion on “Accelerating Climate Solutions”. This talk reprised a similar talk I did during the June 2024 Reunion weekend which condensed a week long MBA course... View Details

• 01 Jun 2007
• What Do You Think?

How Should Pay Be Linked to Performance?

employees for their) competence. So beyond paying for (their) performance, why don't we think more about (paying to retain them) for (their) competence?" Pallavi Marathe concurs, saying that "Salary and retention are interlinked these days (the latter) is... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

• 27 Sep 2023

A Conversation with Professor Jim Matheson and HBS Alumni on Tech

Wondering how an MBA can help with your professional growth? Learn from Professor Jim Matheson and alumni how HBS helps prepare you for a career in Tech. Our alumni panel will feature Mike LeBlanc (Cobalt... View Details

• 19 Oct 2020
• Video

Professor Jim Cash: Joining corporate boards and challenges we face today

• 05 Mar 2009
• What Do You Think?

How Frank or Deceptive Should Leaders Be?

depression, the more likely we are to have one. If one subscribes to this line of thinking, avoiding the use of certain terms like "depression" may make sense. How frank should leaders be? Jim Collins emphasizes the importance... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

• 10 Jul 2007
• What Do You Think?

How Much of Leadership Is About Control, Delegation, or Theater?

creating an impression that fits expectations? How does one do this and still maintain some sense of modesty and perspective that Jim Collins, in his research, has identified with the most effective leaders? Is some part of leadership... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

• 05 May 2010
• What Do You Think?

Is Denial Endemic to Management?

Summing Up How best is denial managed? Denial is endemic to management. It is a natural part of human nature, closely related to the survival instinct. It can be useful or disastrous. And it can be managed. That sums up at least many of the reactions to this month's... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

• 06 Jul 2009
• What Do You Think?

Are You Ready to Manage in an Irrational World?

a me-centric view of life, then what seems rational to me as an individual may appear irrational in the context of social norms." Michael Linz asked to what extent a response to the question relies on how we frame the problem? As Jim... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

• 10 Nov 2008
• What Do You Think?

How Much Can You Ask of Your Customers?

Summing Up Is customer volunteerism combined with "ownership" a double-edged sword? It's seems okay to involve customers in providing ideas for new products and processes. Encourage them to refer new business. But beware the downside of poorly thought-out... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

• 04 Nov 2009
• What Do You Think?

What is the Role of Government Vis-à-Vis Capitalism?

Summing Up How broad is government's role in a capitalistic society? The debate this month boiled down to the extent of government's role in relation to capitalism. Those arguing for a relatively narrow role included C. J. Cullinane, who commented, "Government... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

• 01 Aug 2008
• What Do You Think?

Has the Time Come for “Stretch” in Management?

Summing Up Stretch—its meaning, uses, and pitfalls—could fill a book, judging from responses to this month's column. First, there appears to be limited agreement about what stretch is and how it works. Some saw it as a variation on long-range planning. Others saw it as... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

• 07 Aug 2009
• What Do You Think?

Why Can’t Americans Get Health Care Right?

Summing Up Does U.S. health care need more pull or push? There are clear symptoms that something is wrong with U.S. health care. In Edward Hare's words, "It's making us uncompetitive and turning us against each other." In this month's discussion, several of... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett; Health

• 07 Sep 2007
• What Do You Think?

Are Elite Business Schools Fostering the Deprofessionalization of Management?

own sake," into the thinking of managers and those who train them. Gerald Nanninga comments, "Maybe what we need are fewer professors and more mentors." Karen Dempster suggests that students and faculty with more practical... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

• 07 Jan 2009
• What Do You Think?

Is the World Really Flat?

Summing Up In supporting innovation, does it matter how flat the world really is? "The world is oval!" (Hujaj Ali Nawazkhan). "[T]he world is flatly circular" (Santhanam Krishnan). "[T]he flattening process, while occurring, is highly uneven in... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett