Publications

January 2021 (Revised April 2022)
Case

Best Buy's Corie Barry: Confronting the COVID-19 Pandemic

By: William W. George and Amram Migdal

This case examines the leadership of Corie Barry, the new CEO of Best Buy, with a focus on actions the company took in 2020 to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. The case includes a history of Best Buy’s strategy and leadership, including the transitions between the... View Details

Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Change; Disruption; Volatility; Communication; Competency and Skills; Customers; Decision Making; Ethics; Fairness; Moral Sensibility; Values and Beliefs; Finance; Cash Flow; Financial Condition; Financial Liquidity; Goods and Commodities; Corporate Governance; Health Pandemics; Human Resources; Executive Compensation; Employees; Employee Relationship Management; Resignation and Termination; Retention; Selection and Staffing; Innovation and Invention; Jobs and Positions; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Job Design and Levels; Job Interviews; Job Offer; Labor; Employment; Human Capital; Working Conditions; Law; Leadership; Leadership Development; Leadership Style; Management; Business or Company Management; Crisis Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Management Practices and Processes; Management Style; Management Succession; Management Systems; Management Teams; Risk Management; Operations; Distribution; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Logistics; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Supply Chain; Organizations; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Outcome or Result; Personal Development and Career; Retirement; Work-Life Balance; Planning; Strategic Planning; Problems and Challenges; Relationships; Business and Community Relations; Labor and Management Relations; Risk and Uncertainty; Safety; Science; Strategy; Retail Industry; North and Central America; United States; Minnesota

June 2002 (Revised January 2010)
Case

Delphi Corporation (A)

By: Jay W. Lorsch, Rakesh Khurana and Sonya Sanchez

The Delphi Corp.'s board of directors faces a transition as lead director Thomas Wyman approaches mandatory retirement. Chairman and CEO J.T. Battenberg reflects on Delphi's history and its successful reinvention by Wyman and Battenberg when it separated from its... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Leadership; Management Succession; Management Teams; Relationships; Corporate Strategy

April 1992 (Revised March 1993)
Case

Brigham and Women's Hospital in 1992, The

Brigham and Women's Hospital is a highly successful teaching hospital in 1992. However, the hospital sector is undergoing a major transition and the hospital faces uncertainty about changing demographic trends, new types of competitors, and technological and scientific... View Details

Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Change Management; Social Entrepreneurship; Decision Making; Health Care and Treatment; Business Strategy; Education Industry; Health Industry; Massachusetts

23 Sep 2009
News

Harvard Business School Launches First Program For Global Energy Executives

January 2001 (Revised May 2001)
Case

Russia: The End of a Time of Troubles?

By: Rawi E. Abdelal

Describes Russia's troubled economic transition since 1991, highlights the problem of institutional development, and surveys the challenges President Vladimir Putin faced in 2000. The first section provides a brief synopsis of liberalization, stabilization, and... View Details

Keywords: Transition; Public Sector; Privatization; Economy; Developing Countries and Economies; Government and Politics; Business and Government Relations; Russia

Career Coach

Peggy Yu

those interested in exploring as well as ready to transition into startups. As a co-founder and CEO of a startup at the intersection of clinical research and workforce, she also knows the founder and entrepreneurial journey well. For more... View Details

Keywords: Education; Entrepreneurship

September 2024
Supplement

Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (B)

By: Michael W. Toffel, Kenneth P. Pucker and Stacy Straaberg

The Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (B) case encourages students to assess Allbirds’ product development and go-to-market strategies now that Allbirds is a publicly listed company. The (B) case provides a 2024 update on Allbirds including its initial public offering,... View Details

28 Aug 2011
News

Who will be Silicon Valley's next Steve Jobs?

23 Apr 2020
News

Rhode Island Should Pursue an "All of the Above" Approach to Decarbonizing the Heating Sector to Meet State Goals, According to Brattle Economists

13 May 2021
News

Workers Begin Return To A Changed Office Landscape

February 2009
Case

Paresh Patel: Building a Life in the Context of Global Business - October 2007

By: Howard H. Stevenson and Shirley Spence

This case tells the story of Paresh Patel, born in Boston to an Indian immigrant family, as he develops an entrepreneurial career, participates in the Indian diaspora, and builds a family life. It provides background on Paresh's heritage, describes his youth and... View Details

Keywords: Diasporas; Work-Life Balance; Personal Development and Career; Entrepreneurship; Boston; Mumbai

Find at Harvard

August 2019 (Revised August 2020)
Case

Magrabi: Fulfilling the Vision for the Future

By: John Beshears, Alpana Thapar and Boris Tsimerinov

In 2018, Magrabi was the leading retailer of eyeglasses, sunglasses, and other optical products in the Middle East, and it was embarking on a major shift in strategy, transitioning from a brand focused on clinical expertise to a brand that combined technical excellence... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Transition; Luxury; Sales; Service Delivery; Strategy; Employees; Recruitment; Consumer Products Industry; Retail Industry; Middle East

2008
Chapter

Southeast Asia and the Political Economy of Development

By: Regina M. Abrami and Richard Doner

This chapter assesses contemporary qualitative research on Southeast Asia and its contribution to the field of political economy. It focuses especially on the political origins of economic institutions and their influence on economic performance. It provides evidence... View Details

Keywords: Development Economics; Entrepreneurship; Government and Politics; Research; Southeast Asia

July 1998 (Revised March 1999)
Case

Social Security Reform

Examines various approaches to pension reform. Examines the current Social Security system in the United States, pension reform in other countries, and the leading approaches to reform. Concludes with analysis of three questions: 1) would returns be higher in a private... View Details

Keywords: Privatization; Retirement; Welfare or Wellbeing; Government and Politics; Public Administration Industry; United States

Find at Harvard

November 1996 (Revised May 1998)
Case

Margaret Thatcher

Portrays Margaret Thatcher's rise to the leadership of Great Britain's Conservative Party. Thatcher's political career began with her election to Parliament's House of Commons in 1959. Sixteen years later she was elected the leader of her party, and then in 1979, she... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Personal Development and Career; Gender Characteristics; Government and Politics; Power and Influence; Public Administration Industry; Great Britain

17 Sep 2020
News

We Really Shouldn’t Force People Back into the Office

March 2024
Teaching Note

Teaching Note: Transforming a Region: Gothenburg's path from Shipyards to E-Mobility

By: Christian H.M. Ketels and Orjan Solvell

This TN provides guidance on how to leverage the case on Gothenburg's economic evolution and the role of the regional economic development agency in this process. Gothenburg is an old industrial city that has been hit by a number of deep shocks in its history. Its core... View Details

Keywords: Regional Policy; Regional Growth; Cluster; Economic Development; Transition; Economy; Auto Industry; Green Technology Industry; Sweden

31 May 2007
Working Paper Summaries

Organizational Designs and Innovation Streams

Keywords: by Michael Tushman, Wendy K. Smith, Robert Chapman Wood, George Westerman & Charles O'Reilly

August 2016
Case

CEO Succession at Cisco (A): From John Chambers to Chuck Robbins

By: Boris Groysberg, J. Yo-Jud Cheng and Annelena Lobb

A smooth transition from former CEO John Chambers to new CEO Chuck Robbins had put Cisco in a position of strength. Looking back, the board reflected on what they had done well and what they might have done differently, and pondered whether another company might be... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Management Succession; Technology Industry