by James Sebenius - Publications - Faculty & Research

23 Jul 2001
Research & Ideas

Sam Walton: Great From the Start

fully the power of the idea. Once seizing on it, never wavering from it became the centerpiece of Wal-Mart's greatness. Sam Walton That was still a long time in the future. Butler Brothers was not thrilled by Walton's freelancing ways,... View Details

Keywords: by Richard S. Tedlow; Retail

21 Dec 2010
First Look

First Look: December 21

article reviews recent research conducted by the authors that finds that intellectual property rights reform increases technology transfers, foreign direct investment inflows, and industrial development. It also places the findings of... View Details

29 Jul 2022
Research & Ideas

Will Demand for Women Executives Finally Shrink the Gender Pay Gap?

counterparts, but a woman in a senior leadership role who switches to a new firm can now expect a salary bump of 25 percent on average, whereas a man making a similar move will see 9 percent more pay, says Paul Healy, the James R.... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz

06 Dec 2022
Research & Ideas

Latest Isn’t Always Greatest: Why Product Updates Capture Consumers

described exactly the same way.” Garcia-Rada is lead author on a new working paper about the study, co-written with Leslie John, the James E. Burke Professor of Business Administration at HBS, and Michael Norton, the Harold M. Brierley... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Consumer Products; Retail

01 Sep 2022
What Do You Think?

Is It Time to Consider Lifting Tariffs on Chinese Imports?

(iStockphoto/AvigatorPhotographer) Recently there has been talk, but no action, about eliminating some or all of the tariffs on Chinese imports that were instituted by the Trump administration. The debate involves salient arguments on... View Details

Keywords: Re: James L. Heskett

23 Jun 2022
Research & Ideas

All Those Zoom Meetings May Boost Connection and Curb Loneliness

remote work. “There’s a huge value to real interactions even if they are occurring virtually,” says Goldenberg, who is a psychologist by training and an assistant professor at HBS. To test online experiences, the group took advantage of... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

04 Feb 2022
Book

Beyond the Cold War: Reinventing Socialism in 5 Countries

Although many view socialism through the rigid lens of Soviet orthodoxy, it has always been a work in progress and an evolving and adaptable ideology on a global scale, says Harvard Business School Marvin Bower Associate Professor Jeremy Friedman. In his new book, Ripe... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

23 Apr 2012
Research & Ideas

How to Brand a Next-Generation Product

you expect Rocky II to play off Rocky. But with James Bond movies, there's no reason to expect that the latest Bond movie [Quantum of Solace] has anything to do with the previous Bond movie [Casino Royale]. So it gives you added freedom.... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

13 Jan 2009
First Look

First Look: January 13, 2009

purchase that follows an ad-click (CPA). Our analysis extends classic auction results by allowing players to make bids using two different pricing schemes, while the driving information for bidders' endogenous selection—the conversion... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

26 Aug 2019
Research & Ideas

Lipstick Tips: How Influencers Are Making Over Beauty Marketing

products—as less credible and less trustworthy, according to research by recent Harvard Business School MBA graduate Alessia Vettese. “People used to watch celebrities on the red carpet talking about what they were wearing, or they would... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Consumer Products; Beauty & Cosmetics

16 Sep 2019
Research & Ideas

Crowdsourcing Is Helping Hollywood Reduce the Risk of Movie-Making

is ready for audiences, making them risky and expensive propositions. “Each one is a huge project, and the success rate is quite low,” says Hong Luo, the James Dinan and Elizabeth Miller Associate Professor of Business Administration in... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Motion Pictures & Video

14 Jan 2014
First Look

First Look: January 14

help-friendly organization has to be actively nurtured, however, because helpfulness among colleagues does not arise automatically: competition, pride, or distrust may get in the way. The trickiness of this management challenge-to increase a discretionary behavior that... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

11 Jun 2024
In Practice

The Harvard Business School Faculty Summer Reader 2024

As the vacation season looms, Harvard Business School faculty members share recommendations for a little light reading. Spoiler alert: Lessons in Chemistry tops two of their beach-read lists. For those whose brains can’t—or won’t—turn off, HBS faculty also suggest some... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman

January 2004 (Revised May 2008)
Case

Johnson & Johnson's Corporate Credo

By: Thomas R. Piper

No corporate credo is better known than that of Johnson & Johnson. Describes the history of the credo, including the credo challenge initiated by the CEO, James Burke, in 1975 and the role the credo played during the Tylenol poisoning crisis. View Details

Keywords: History; Mission and Purpose; Goals and Objectives; Corporate Accountability; Reputation; Crisis Management; Corporate Governance; Management Teams

Citation

Educators

23 Jan 2013
Research & Ideas

Three-Dimensional Strategy: Winning the Multisided Platform

by facilitating direct connections between multiple types of affiliated customers, which most often leads to network effects. Think of what a shopping mall accomplishes in bringing together a multitude of sellers and buyers who interact... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna

25 Jan 2021
Book

In a Nutshell, Why American Capitalism Succeeded

How did the United States become the world’s center of business growth following its founding in 1776? Surely a number of nations had powerful natural resources, stable financial and legal institutions, and dynamic entrepreneurs over that same span. Why was American... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Manufacturing

09 May 2012
Research & Ideas

Clayton Christensen’s “How Will You Measure Your Life?”

Editor's note: Every year, HBS Professor Clayton Christensen teaches students that well-tested academic theories can help them succeed not just in business, but in life. He expounds upon those lessons in his forthcoming book, How Will You Measure Your Life? Co-authored... View Details

26 May 2022
HBS Case

Apple vs. Feds: Is iPhone Privacy a Basic Human Right?

championing privacy as controversy was swirling around an extensive US government surveillance program that had been disclosed by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Snowden had leaked information indicating that... View Details