Publications

Educators

September 2017
Article

Winning the War for Talent: Modern Motivational Methods for Attracting and Retaining Employees

By: Anais Thibault-Landry, Allan Schweyer and Ashley V. Whillans

Given the struggle that many organizations face hiring and retaining talent in today's tight labor market, it is critical to understand how to effectively reward employees. To address this question, we review relevant evidence that explains the importance of workplace... View Details

Keywords: Rewards; Total Reward Strategies; Incentives; Recognition; Motivation; Psychological Needs; Employees; Retention; Motivation and Incentives; Working Conditions

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09 Jul 2018
Research & Ideas

Overcoming the Challenges of Selling Brand New Technology (Hey, Need a 3-D Printer?)

ago. Or the first Newton, Tang, or Roomba. Everyone knows and understands a better mousetrap when they see one—no selling skills really required. But a 3-D printer? Why would I want that? How much does it cost to maintain? What’s wrong with my current method for View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Technology; Consumer Products; Electronics; Industrial Products; Information Technology; Manufacturing; Medical Devices & Supplies; Retail

July 2020
Article

Reframing Value in a Crisis

By: Frank V. Cespedes and David Hoffeld

Reframing is the process of moving buyers from their current perspective(s) to one that motivates a different response. The current crisis makes this capability more important than ever. View Details

Keywords: Sales; Customers; Perspective; Value; Change; Health Pandemics

August 2012
Case

Messer Griesheim (A) (Abridged)

By: Josh Lerner, Eva Lutz and Kerry Herman

In 2001, Allianz Capital Partners and Goldman Sachs acquired a majority stake in Messer Griesheim, a European industrial gas concern held by Hoechst. The dealmakers faced several challenges, including delicate corporate governance issues due to partial family... View Details

Keywords: Germany; Energy; Private Equity; Venture Capital; Energy Industry; European Union

Educators

Web

Live from Klarman Hall - Alumni

individuals and as a species? Video Recording Critical Thinking 11:45 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET Speaker: William A. Sahlman , Baker Foundation Professor; Dimitri V. D'Arbeloff - MBA Class of 1955 Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus The... View Details

April 2025
Supplement

Transformative Social Impact: Health Leads (B)

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Sarah Appleby

Video Supplement to HBS Case No. 517-022 and 517-024. Instructors should consider the timing of making videos available to students, as they may reveal key case details. View Details

10 May 2004
Research & Ideas

Rethink the Value of Joint Ventures

a joint venture and make sure that you can't buy those services or that knowledge through an arms-length contract that doesn't require sharing ownership. Most of what managers want from joint ventures is... View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia Churchwell

17 Mar 2022
Research & Ideas

Navigating Tradeoffs: How Purpose Becomes a Company's ‘Lighthouse in the Storm’

Every business leader faces difficult tradeoffs when working to make a company both profitable and purposeful. But leaders who articulate a company’s deep purpose can tap into that broader vision to help them navigate short-term decisions... View Details

Keywords: by Ranjay Gulati

18 Oct 2016
Op-Ed

Why Business Should Invest in Community Health

including the Los Angeles County Alliance for Boys and Girls Clubs and Edible Schoolyard New York City, which focus on increasing the physical activity and healthy eating habits of children and their families in local communities. Partnering with multiple entities can... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch, Howard Koh, and Pamela Yatsko; Health

Program

Mergers and Acquisitions

your company is private or public, or looking to buy or to sell, you will emerge with new ability to broker powerful deals and create shareholder value. Key Benefits Completing a successful merger or acquisition is a multifaceted project... View Details

18 Oct 2021
News

How to Reframe What Work Means to You

04 Sep 2019
Research & Ideas

'I Know Why You Voted for Trump' and Other Motivation Misperceptions

She hopes the results make business leaders think twice about how they size up their customers and rely on previous purchases to predict the products they want. “For instance, imagine you see a person buy a... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

August 2021
Article

Improving Sales Hiring

By: Frank V. Cespedes

Sales hiring presents inherent challenges not found to the same extent in talent management in other functional areas. Moreover, common hiring practices make a tough job needlessly harder. This article suggests practical ways to improve sales hiring: Hire for the Task,... View Details

Keywords: Sales; Selection and Staffing

09 Oct 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, October 9, 2018

press Compensation & Benefits Review Winning the War for Talent: Modern Motivational Methods for Attracting and Retaining Employees By: Thibault-Landry, Anais, Allan Schweyer, and Ashley V. Whillans Abstract—Given the struggle that... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

23 Aug 2019
Blog Post

A Summer of Peaks and Swells: Interning at Patagonia

its two thousand employees have the means and the will to prove to the rest of the business world that doing the right thing makes for a good and profitable business.” There was meaningful work to be a part of at Patagonia. In discovering... View Details

Keywords: Technology; Consumer Products / Retail

December 2009
Article

Negotiation? Auction? A Deal Maker's Guide

By: Guhan Subramanian

What's the best way to buy or sell an asset? Should you hold an auction and accept the most attractive offer? Or should you identify the most likely prospects and negotiate with them privately? Auctions became increasingly popular after the internet opened wide the... View Details

Keywords: Assets; Auctions; Market Transactions; Negotiation; Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions

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March 21, 2020
Editorial

When We're Wrong, It's Our Responsibility as Scientists to Say So

By: Ariella S. Kristal, A. V. Whillans, Max Bazerman, Francesca Gino, Lisa Shu, Nina Mazar and Dan Ariely

We tried to reproduce our 2012 paper on how to make people report their income more honestly—and we ended up refuting it. View Details

Keywords: Responsibility; Outcome or Result