Publications

August 2014 (Revised May 2016)
Case

Husk Power

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III and Sid Misra

In late 2013, Husk Power Systems found itself falling further and further behind plan. The founding CEO had decided to resign. His co-founder is faced with the decision of quitting his corporate job in the US to head to India and help form a new management team. Husk... View Details

11 Oct 2016
First Look

October 11, 2016

behavior; (3) a top-down or laissez-faire style by the leader, which prevents honest conversation about problems; (4) a lack of coordination across businesses, functions, or regions due to poor organizational design; (5) inadequate... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

18 Nov 2013
Research & Ideas

Pulpit Bullies: Why Dominating Leaders Kill Teams

functioning of the team. Together with Leigh Plunkett Tost of the University of Michigan and Richard P. Larrick of Duke University, Gino explores this question in When Power Makes Others Speechless: The Negative Impact of Leader Power on Team Performance, forthcoming... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

05 Apr 2004
Research & Ideas

Six Ways to Build Trust in Negotiations

What began as a misunderstanding about specifications and deadlines between a manager at RLX, a software development firm, and a manager at Impress, one of its clients, had escalated into a conflict charged... View Details

Keywords: by Deepak Malhotra

May 2006 (Revised November 2006)
Case

Willa Seldon at Tides Center (A)

By: Linda A. Hill and Emily Stecker

Willa Seldon, an African-American woman with 16 years of for-profit experience, was hired as executive director of Tides Center, a nonprofit in San Francisco, CA. Tides Center was a fiscal sponsor dedicated to supporting individuals and groups working toward social... View Details

Keywords: For-Profit Firms; Nonprofit Organizations; Transition; Change Management; Leadership Style; Performance; Customer Satisfaction; San Francisco

04 Nov 2015
What Do You Think?

Why Does Gender Diversity Improve Financial Performance?

mean that gender diversity necessarily accounts for much if any of the performance. On the other hand, a number of studies have compared the management styles of women and men. Even though there is a wide... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

1984
Chapter

Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs and Ownership Structure

By: Michael Jensen and William H. Meckling

Keywords: Managerial Roles; Management Style; Ownership; Organizational Structure; Theory

SSRN

March 2022 (Revised November 2023)
Case

Doubling Down: Elon Musk's Big Bets in 2022

By: David Yoffie and Daniel Fisher

2021 was a banner year for Elon Musk. CEO of the electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, the aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, and a few smaller startups, Musk became the richest person on Earth after Tesla reached a market capitalization of $1 trillion and SpaceX a private... View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Management; Competitive Advantage; Competitive Strategy; Information Infrastructure; Applications and Software; Transportation; Strategic Planning; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Goals and Objectives; Aerospace Industry; Auto Industry; Battery Industry; United States; Europe; China

06 Jul 2011
Research & Ideas

Are You a Level-Six Leader?

the Builder, strives not to reach a goal but to build an institution. Builders are legendary leaders such as IBM's Tom Watson Jr., GM's Alfred P. Sloan, and Harpo's Oprah Winfrey. These people serve their institutions by managing for the... View Details

Keywords: by Mitch Maidique

13 Jan 2021
Research & Ideas

How 'Small C' Change Can Beat Large-Scale Rebuilding

data-id=_/ej8BGQKx29V5JBMZ7gF3][/div] Like Mourinho, Flick did not shuffle players or staff, nor did he reform the playing style or tactical formation. He did not rebuild the club’s facilities as some of his precursors did. For example,... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg, Sascha L. Schmidt, and Sebastian Flegr; Sports

May 2019
Background Note

Developing Yourself as a Leader: A Framework for Millennial High Potentials & Emerging Leaders: How to PACE Your Self-Development

By: Ethan Bernstein and Kirstin Lynde

Millennials are redefining what it means to develop future leaders. In business organizations, leadership development—defined as “the expansion of a person's capacity to be effective in leadership roles and processes“—has traditionally been the work of corporate... View Details

Keywords: Talent and Talent Management; Human Resources; Leadership Development; Leadership Style; Leadership; Goals and Objectives; Management Skills; Management Style

16 Mar 2023
Research & Ideas

Why Business Travel Still Matters in a Zoom World

Nonstop flights generally make traveling more pleasant—but can they lead to innovation, too, especially in the global context? Research suggests that they can, with important takeaways for managers reinstating business travel in a world... View Details

Keywords: by Kara Baskin; Air Transportation

spring 1994
Article

Unilateral Commitments and the Importance of Process in Alliances

By: Ranjay Gulati, Tarun Khanna and Nitin Nohria

How the partners in an alliance view their joint venture can have much to do with its success or failure. Each partner fears that the other will get the larger payoff by acting opportunistically while it cooperates in good faith. The result is that both partners choose... View Details

Keywords: Management Style; Partners and Partnerships; Joint Ventures; Management Practices and Processes; Alliances; Trust; Game Theory

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February 20, 2014
Article

How to Thrive While Leading a Family Business

By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer

This article explores the differences between family business executives who thrive and those who struggle. It discusses how family business environments are inherently complex due to the intertwinement of work and life. Thriving leaders exhibit four key behaviors:... View Details

Keywords: Family and Family Relationships; Work-Life Balance; Family Ownership; Outcome or Result; Leadership Style

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June 2005 (Revised April 2008)
Case

Whole Foods Market, Inc.

By: John R. Wells and Travis Haglock

Can a short-sleeved, sandal-wearing, college dropout create a company manifesting love, joy, and happiness? Chainsaw John Mackey did. This CEO took a five-month sabbatical to hike the Appalachian Trail. More credentials: Sales-per-square foot of $690 and rising. Hiring... View Details

Keywords: Management Style; Motivation and Incentives; Food; Management Practices and Processes; Groups and Teams; Success; Leadership Style; Management Teams; Business Growth and Maturation; Emerging Markets; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Consumer Products Industry

July 2000
Case

Dawn Riley at America True (C)

By: Linda A. Hill and Kristin Doughty

Dawn Riley and America True are based in Auckland, New Zealand, where racing will begin in six weeks. The senior management team will be meeting in August 1999 to decide whether or not to make changes to Tag, the practice boat that they are using as a testing platform.... View Details

Keywords: Management Style; Leadership; Behavior; Groups and Teams; Organizational Culture; Problems and Challenges; Sports; Gender; Management Teams; New Zealand

2012
Book

The Handbook for Teaching Leadership: Knowing, Doing, and Being

By: Scott Snook, Nitin Nohria and Rakesh Khurana

The last 25 years have witnessed an explosion in the field of leadership education. This volume brings together leading international scholars across disciplines to chronicle the current state of leadership education and establish a solid foundation on which to grow... View Details

Keywords: Change; Business Education; Leadership; Goals and Objectives; Management Style; Organizational Structure; Perspective; Diversification; Technology

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