Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(2,573)
- Faculty Publications (468)
- August 2002
- Case
Trilogy University
By: Thomas J. DeLong and Michael Paley
In early 2001, Trilogy Software faced a slowdown in its business, a large number of unsuccessful customer deployments, and an overall weakening in the enterprise software market. In response, the company revamped its business model and restructured the organization.... View Details
- 2002
- Book
Searching for a Corporate Savior: The Irrational Quest for Charismatic CEOs
By: Rakesh Khurana
Corporate CEOs are headline news. Stock prices rise and fall at word of their hiring and firing. Business media debate their merits and defects as if individual leaders determined the health of the economy. Yet we know surprisingly little about how CEOs are selected... View Details
- July 2002 (Revised October 2002)
- Case
Cirque du Soleil
By: Thomas J. DeLong and Vineeta Vijayaraghavan
Retaining talent is an issue for any company whose success relies on the creativity and excellence of its employees. This is especially true for Cirque du Soleil, the spectacularly successful "circus without animals," whose 2,100 employees include 500 artists--mimes,... View Details
- April 2002 (Revised September 2003)
- Case
Stephen Brown at John Hancock Financial Services
By: Robin J. Ely
Describes a major organizational transformation process at John Hancock Financial Services in which CEO Stephen Brown takes a series of measured steps to turn the old-line mutual insurance company into a competitive, performance-oriented financial services firm. At the... View Details
- April 2002 (Revised May 2005)
- Case
GE's Digital Revolution: Redefining the E in GE
By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Meg Glinska
This case details the implementation of the e-business initiative--the last of Jack Welch's four company-wide strategic thrusts. First, it summarizes the 20-year change process that Welch led, detailing the initiatives he put in place. It then traces how Gerry Podesta,... View Details
- March 2002 (Revised June 2005)
- Case
AOL Time Warner, Inc.
By: Stephen P. Bradley and Erin Sullivan
AOL Time Warner, which has been billed as the "first fully integrated media and communications company of the Internet Century," raises the fundamental question of how value will be created and captured by the merger of AOL and Time Warner. This case describes just how... View Details
- December 2001
- Case
Qwest Communications International Inc.
By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Christopher Hackett
Describes the evolution of Qwest from a small fiber-optic construction firm in 1996 to a global telecommunications giant in 2001. Focuses on Qwest's pivotal acquisition of "Baby Bell" US West, a regional Bell operating company many times Qwest's size. Discusses the... View Details
- May 2001 (Revised May 2015)
- Case
Compagnie Lyonnaise de Transport (A)
By: Michael Tushman and Michael J. Roberts
Describes the issues surrounding the funding of a centralized research service that supports two related divisions. The company has a very decentralized and financially driven culture, and the centralized service is used unequally, setting up a conflict. View Details
- February 2001 (Revised December 2010)
- Case
Kenan Systems
By: Joseph L. Bower, James Weber and Sonja Ellingson Hout
Kenan Sahin has built a very successful company using a unique business model and a unique organization and culture. Success has brought important risks, but logical options such as sale, partnering, or going public threaten the culture and hence the business. View Details
- January 2001 (Revised January 2004)
- Case
Ninth House: e-Learning Software
By: Amy C. Edmondson, Frances X. Frei and Corey B. Hajim
Jeff Snipes, CEO of the Ninth House Network, a San Francisco-based E-Learning company, considers a strategy shift to address a recent slump in sales and to attract more customers. The revised strategy would require creating shorter, more directed content that could be... View Details
- November 2000 (Revised November 2005)
- Case
Meg Whitman at eBay Inc. (A)
By: Linda A. Hill and Maria Farkas
Meg Whitman takes over as CEO of eBay from the founder. She must figure out how to lead the company through a stage of phenomenal growth without compromising eBay's unique external customer culture and internal culture--its key success factors. A rewritten version of... View Details
- November 2000 (Revised March 2001)
- Case
Iggy's Bread of the World
By: Kathleen L. McGinn and Alexis Lefort
In January 1994, Igor and Ludmilla Ivanovic opened the doors of their bakery, Iggy's Bread of the World. This case describes their unusual mission statement and the way in which they try to bring a social consciousness mentality to a for-profit business. Six years... View Details
- October 2000 (Revised July 2001)
- Case
Avon Products (A)
By: Lynn S. Paine and Greg Rogers
The general manager of Avon Mexico, Fernando Lezama, must decide whether to promote a woman to the position of vice president of sales. If appointed, the candidate would be the first female in all of Latin America to hold an executive position and one of the first... View Details
- October 2000 (Revised October 2000)
- Case
3PLex.com
By: Myra M. Hart and Judith Marie Dror
A start-up team is faced with the challenge of building a senior management team with relevant industry experience. The marriage of e-commerce and the transportation logistics industry creates unusual problems in blending "old economy" employees and employee practices... View Details
- October 2000 (Revised January 2002)
- Case
Rob Waldron at SCORE! Educational Centers (Abridged)
By: David A. Thomas and Stephanie L. Woerner
Describes Rob Waldron's actions upon assuming leadership of SCORE! Educational Centers, an after-school tutoring enterprise. Examines the issue of acquiring and growing a small, privately-owned company into a professional organization, especially regarding corporate... View Details
- August 2000
- Case
Beansprout Networks
By: Teresa M. Amabile and Rasheea Williams
Beansprout Networks is a 3-year-old Internet company designed to foster effective communication between parents and the pediatricians and child-care providers who care for their children. With a significant headstart in the marketplace, it has attracted considerable... View Details
- June 2000 (Revised July 2000)
- Case
ORIX KK
By: Malcolm S. Salter and Andrew Eggers
Describes the challenges facing a Japanese financial services company as it attempts to maintain its ability to attract and retain talented employees. The CEO's ideas of corporate governance and evidence from the competitive labor environment suggest the need for more... View Details
- June 2000 (Revised October 2017)
- Case
IDEO
By: Stefan Thomke and Ashok Nimgade
Describes IDEO, the world's leading product design firm, and its innovation culture and process. Emphasis is placed on the important role of prototyping and experimentation in general, and in the design of the very successful Palm V handheld computer in particular. A... View Details
- June 2000 (Revised January 2003)
- Case
Nissan Motor Company
By: Thomas R. Piper and Jeremy Cott
Senior executives of Nissan and Renault are considering a major investment in Nissan by Renault. An important consideration is whether a major restructuring of Nissan's operations will be possible, given the value placed on lifetime employment and the impact on... View Details
- March 2000 (Revised July 2001)
- Case
Microsoft: Competing on Talent (A)
By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Meg Wozny
Describes the evolution of Microsoft's human-resource philosophies, policies, and practices and how they used as a core of the company's competitive advantage. In particular, the focus is on how Microsoft tried to retain its ability to recruit, develop, motivate, and... View Details