Positioning - Publications - Faculty & Research

Edward G. Jefferson

requirements. Though deemed expensive at the time ($7.3 billion), the Conoco acquisition was instrumental in securing duPont’s growth and positioning the company for the future. View Details

Keywords: Chemicals & Industrial

20 Mar 2019
Research & Ideas

Gender-Diverse Companies Thrive Only Where Diversity is Embraced

Do gender-diverse companies make more money than businesses run primarily by men? If research says they perform better, that could bolster the argument that women should have more access to top positions in organizations. But previous... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

Web

2+2 Application Process | MBA

position in the public, private, or nonprofit sector before enrolling at HBS. 2+2 Brochure (PDF) 2+2 Application Guide (PDF) Eligibility If you are in your final year of study, you are eligible to apply in the current application cycle.... View Details

John E. Jonsson

Jonsson built Texas Instruments as a leader in transistor technology. He acquired a license for using the Bell silicon transistor patent, employed qualified personnel and started extensive research in this field, which resulted in many major innovations and a... View Details

Keywords: Computers & Electronics

Raymond V. Gilmartin

Company’s corporate culture. Recognizing Gilmartin’s leadership in creating a positive working environment, Fortune ranked Merck & Company as one of the top 10 best companies to work for. View Details

Keywords: Healthcare

December 2023 (Revised February 2024)
Case

21Seeds: Taking Shots at Breakout Growth

By: Elie Ofek, Julian De Freitas, Michael Moynihan and Nicole Tempest Keller

21Seeds, a female-founded flavor-infused tequila startup launched in 2019, had made inroads into the alcoholic beverage industry by focusing on an underserved consumer segment in spirits—women, primarily in their 30s and 40s, many of whom were moms—and by following a... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Startups; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Product Positioning; Distribution Channels; Sales; Food and Beverage Industry

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October 2022
Supplement

The SAH Group: The Time is Right, Instructor Spreadsheet

By: Juan Alcacer and Alpana Thapar

In January 2021, Jalila Mezni, CEO of the SAH Group, was preparing to present the company’s future growth plans to its board of directors. The Tunisian company was a leading producer and distributor of personal care and packaged hygiene products. In 2019, it expanded... View Details

Keywords: Growth Strategy; Entrepreneurship; Investment Decisions; Growth Management; Vertical Integration; Distribution; Competition; Strategy; Supply Chain; Presentations; Product Positioning; Market Entry and Exit; Consumer Products Industry; Pulp and Paper Industry; Health Industry; Tunisia

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position in the highly competitive shaving arena. He also introduced the Cricket Lighter (one of the fastest growing new product introductions in Gillette history) and acquired selected non-toiletry companies to diversify Gillette’s... View Details

Keywords: Personal Care & Home Products

March 2022 (Revised September 2022)
Case

Can Papaya Global Keep Scaling Fast?

By: Daniel Isenberg and William R. Kerr

Companies that employ people all around the world also need to pay those people. That can be an exceedingly complex task, though - defining terms of employment, complying with global regulations, and working with huge quantities of data, among other obstacles,... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Scaling And Growth; Job Design and Levels; Compensation and Benefits; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Global Range

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September–October 2013
Article

Learning from Customers: Individual and Organizational Effects in Outsourced Radiological Services

By: Jonathan R. Clark, Robert S. Huckman and Bradley R. Staats

The ongoing fragmentation of work has resulted in a narrowing of tasks into smaller pieces that can be sent outside the organization and, in many instances, around the world. This trend is shifting the boundaries of organizations and leading to increased outsourcing.... View Details

Keywords: Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Medical Specialties; Health Care and Treatment; Customer Focus and Relationships; Learning; Customer Satisfaction; Health Industry

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March 2012
Background Note

Managing the Layoff Process: France

By: Sandra J. Sucher

This note is an overview of the context for managing layoffs in France. It describes the legal responsibilities of managers in conducting layoffs, recent unemployment trends, and the financial, health, training, job placement, and other benefits that laid-off employees... View Details

Keywords: Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Resignation and Termination; Compensation and Benefits; Ethics; Management; Employees; Governance Compliance; France

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February 1975 (Revised April 2002)
Case

Elizabeth Best (A)

By: Wickham Skinner and Ardis Burst

New political appointee with years of volunteer experience takes over highly responsible job in state government and is met with bureaucratic resistance. View Details

Keywords: Government Administration; Organizational Structure; Attitudes; Groups and Teams; Human Resources; Jobs and Positions; Prejudice and Bias; Public Administration Industry

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1997
Chapter

Environmental Determinants of Work Motivation, Creativity, and Innovation: The Case of R&D Downsizing

By: T. M. Amabile and R. Conti

Keywords: Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Research and Development; Working Conditions; Motivation and Incentives; Creativity; Innovation and Invention

Citation

22 May 2014
News

For Website Personalization, Simple Is the New Sexy

Keywords: web analytics; customer data; web personalization

03 Dec 2018
Research & Ideas

How Companies Can Increase Market Rewards for Sustainability Efforts

those efforts and proactively addressing issues when negative stories arise. “The positive association between ESG performance and market valuation is stronger for firms with more positive public sentiment... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

02 May 2023
Blog Post

Sustainability Career Advice from the Career & Professional Development Office

a position within the nonprofit space and specifically for an organization that had mission and purpose in their DNA. I was fortunate to find a position in the marketing department for HBS’s Career... View Details

29 Sep 2014
Blog Post

Don’t leave this out of your job posting…

candidates to know about? Use this space as an opportunity to share what truly makes your company one of a kind. What is expected of an intern? Students often report that they did not apply for positions because the job descriptions were... View Details

Student-Profile

Aurora Turek

psychology and was introduced to the field of Organizational Behavior. As a rising senior, she served as a summer research assistant at Columbia Business School and went on to accept a full time research position there after graduation.... View Details

01 Jun 2009
News

Faculty Books

guide offers leaders a comprehensive method for identifying their unique “true north.” It includes targeted exercises that help them home in on the purpose of their leadership and develop their authentic leadership skills. Exploring View Details

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

2025
Working Paper

The Hidden Costs of Flexible Labor Models: How Working Multiple Jobs Affects Employees

By: Paige Tsai and Ryan W. Buell

As operations increasingly rely upon flexible labor models—such as gig, part-time, and remote work—it has become commonplace for individuals to work multiple jobs. Across three studies, relying on a combination of transaction-level data from 90,548 customers of a... View Details