Publications

November 2013 (Revised November 2014)
Case

Freemium Pricing at Dropbox

By: Thales Teixeira and Elizabeth Anne Watkins

Online storage company Dropbox provided remote-storage over the internet of any type of computer file, along with file sharing, synchronization and backup. Using a freemium pricing strategy whereby a basic service was free-of-charge and a premium service was paid,... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Price; Internet; Information Technology Industry

August 2015
Case

Building an e-Commerce Brand at Wayfair

By: Thales Teixeira and Elizabeth Anne Watkins

Wayfair, Inc. comprised five home goods, furniture, and décor e-commerce brands. Wayfair.com, the main brand, which was responsible for the majority of sales, targeted the mass-middle home-goods market. AllModern, DwellStudio, Joss & Main, and Birch Lane were niche... View Details

June 2015
Case

The Coca-Cola Company's Case for Creative Transformation

By: Thales S. Teixeira and Elizabeth Anne Watkins

In 2013, the Coca-Cola Company was awarded Creative Marketer of the Year by the Cannes Lions Festival (known as the "Oscar of Advertising") for the first time ever in history and nearly 50 years after the Festival's inception. Just one year before that, Jonathan... View Details

Keywords: Attention Economics; Creating Connections; Digital Marketing; Marketing Innovations; Social Networks; Advertising Content; Networked Brand; Beverage Industry; Coca-Cola; Digital Innovation; Digital Transition; Marketing; Marketing Communications; Innovation Strategy; Social and Collaborative Networks; Advertising; Creativity; Consumer Products Industry

26 May 2003
Research & Ideas

When Silence Spells Trouble at Work

sometimes get their day in the sun: Sherron Watkins of Enron, Cynthia Cooper of WorldCom, and Coleen Rowley at the FBI all ended up on the cover of Time as "Persons of the Year." But public recognition of a few people does not... View Details

Keywords: by Leslie A. Perlow

01 Dec 2003
News

Books

directors, and demonstrate a relationship of equals based on trust.” The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins (Harvard Business School Press) So you’re taking charge of a new organization. Congratulations. Now, get busy. You’ve got just... View Details

Keywords: Margie Kelley; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

01 Sep 2004
News

Books

Predictable Surprises by Max H. Bazerman and Michael D. Watkins Seeing What’s Next by Clayton M. Christensen, Scott D. Anthony, and Erik A. Roth The Keystone Advantage by Marco Iansiti and Roy Levien Confidence by Rosabeth Moss Kanter... View Details

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

06 Dec 2004
What Do You Think?

Why Do Managers Fail to Act on Their Predictions?

Orleans. Although Southwest has never had a fatal accident in its history, the odds are that it will sometime in the future. And the organization is ready to respond to what Max Bazerman and Michael Watkins would term a "predictable... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

01 Oct 1999
News

New Releases

motivate and lead groups of people in ways that ignite their full creative potential. Right from the Start: Taking Charge in a New Leadership Role by Dan Ciampa and Michael Watkins (Harvard Business School Press) More companies than ever... View Details

01 Dec 2009
News

Alumni Books

Major Career Transitions by Michael D. Watkins (PhDDS ’92) (Harvard Business Press) Although leaders get their toughest tests in career transitions, far too often they fail to move effectively into new roles. View Details

2005
Article

Airline Security, the Failure of 9/11, and Predictable Surprises

By: M. Bazerman and M. Watkins

Keywords: National Security; Failure

Find at Harvard

fall 2004
Article

Predictable Negotiations: Should Have Seen This Coming (Book Excerpt)

By: M. Bazerman and Michael Watkins

Keywords: Negotiation; Books

Find at Harvard

01 Oct 2001
News

Books: Winning the Influence Game

"Managers who ignore the actions of government do so at great risk," warn the authors of Winning the Influence Game: What Every Business Leader Should Know about Government. HBS associate professor Michael Watkins, former congressman and current lecturer at Harvard's... View Details

Keywords: Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support; Government

2008
Book

Predictable Surprises

By: Max Bazerman and Michael D. Watkins

Most events that catch us by surprise are both predictable and preventable, but we consistently miss (or ignore) the warning signs. This book shows why such "predictable surprises" put us all at risk, and shows how we can understand, anticipate, and prevent them before... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Forecasting and Prediction; Leadership; Risk and Uncertainty; Behavior

Find at Harvard

March 1994
Supplement

Measure of Delight: The Pursuit of Quality at AT&T Universal Card Services (B)

By: Roy D. Shapiro and Michael D. Watkins

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Telecommunications Industry

October 1993 (Revised July 1997)
Case

Measure of Delight: The Pursuit of Quality at AT&T Universal Card Services (A)

By: Roy D. Shapiro and Michael D. Watkins

AT&T's Universal Card Services (UCS) has been extremely successful during its short lifetime. Dedicated to improving service quality and customer satisfaction, chief quality officer Rob Davis and his quality team have designed and put into place an unusual measurement... View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Policy; Compensation and Benefits; Performance Evaluation; Quality; System; Telecommunications Industry