Publications

January 2015 (Revised October 2018)
Case

Nasty Gals Do It Better

By: David Collis, Diane Chang, Matthew Shaffer and Ashley Hartman

In 2006, Sophia Amoruso started Nasty Gal, an eBay boutique selling vintage clothes. With a strong sense of style and personality, Amoruso poured herself into building the brand and developing relationships with her customers—typically the slightly edgy 18–24 year old.... View Details

Keywords: Business Growth; Brand Management; Online Retail; Clothing; Apparel; Expansion; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Management; Marketing Strategy; Strategic Planning; Social Media; E-commerce; Digital Marketing; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

02 Apr 2013
First Look

First Look: April 2

historical context and suggesting that scholars move past unconditional acceptance of the causal power of "socialist legacies" and... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

09 Sep 2009
First Look

First Look: September 9

foundation for understanding the use of and accounting for more complex derivatives. Specific issues raised include (1) the financial statement impact View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

17 Feb 2020
Sharpening Your Skills

How Entrepreneurs Can Find the Right Problem to Solve

discovery to validate a problem but don’t yet have a product, my follow-up question is: “How do you know people or companies will use your product?” Answers are equally discouraging. More often than not, I hear examples of interest tests,... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Austin

30 Jun 2009
First Look

First Look: June 30

http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/09-143.pdf Watch What I Do, Not What I Say: The Unintended Consequences of the Homeland Investment Act Authors:Dhammika Dharmapala, C. Fritz Foley, and Kristin J. Forbes... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

20 Aug 2020
Book

From the Plow to the Pill: How Technology Shapes Our Lives

For centuries, the creation of innovative technology—from steam engines and automobiles to computers and smartphones—has dramatically changed the nature of our work. Less deeply understood has been the impact of technology on the inner currents of our personal lives,... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

Web

Behavioral Finance & Financial Stability

destabilizing role the beliefs of home buyers, investors, and regulators played in the period leading up to and during the recent financial... View Details

20 Dec 2010
Research & Ideas

Panama Canal: Troubled History, Astounding Turnaround

Panamanian government specified in the Panama Canal Treaty, but also to turn itself into one of the most profitable transportation enterprises on the planet, despite continuing steep competition from trucks,... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Transportation

Web

Help - Alumni

MBA Class of 1999 onward are eligible to apply. Learn more . You can learn about other opportunities for alumni offered by the Social Enterprise Initiative at Alumni for Impact... View Details

January 2003 (Revised September 2007)
Background Note

A Note on Racing to Acquire Customers

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann

Examines factors that motivate a firm's race to acquire customers in newly emerging markets and explores conditions under which racing strategies are likely to yield attractive returns. Provides a definition of racing behavior, introduces the notion of an optimal level... View Details

Keywords: Customers; Price Bubble; Network Effects; Emerging Markets; Market Entry and Exit; Behavior; Competition

21 Nov 2023
Cold Call Podcast

Cold Call: Building a More Equitable Culture at Delta Air Lines

Keywords: Re: Linda A. Hill; Air Transportation

22 Nov 2022
Research & Ideas

When Agreeing to Disagree Is a Good Beginning

in recent years, Minson added. “Arguments have become more accusatory and more emotional,” she said. She blames social media. “It’s become so much easier to surround yourself with people who agree with you.... View Details

Keywords: by Clea Simon, Harvard Gazette

February 2021
Case

Apple: Privacy vs. Safety (A)

By: Henry McGee, Nien-hê Hsieh, Sarah McAra and Christian Godwin

In 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook debuted the iPhone 6S with enhanced security measures that enflamed a debate on privacy and public safety around the world. The iPhone 6S, amid a heightened concern for privacy following the 2013 revelation of clandestine U.S. surveillance... View Details

August 2023 (Revised October 2023)
Case

Beyond the Barricades: Chile 2023

By: Debora Spar, Willis Emmons, Leonard A. Schlesinger and Ruth Costas

Chile, often considered among Latin America's greatest economic success stories, suffered a shocking wave of protests in October 2019, as its citizens demanded reforms across healthcare and education systems, and protested inequality and rising costs of living. As... View Details

Keywords: Government Administration; Developing Countries and Economies; Economic Growth; Social Issues; Wealth and Poverty; Public Opinion; Equality and Inequality; Public Administration Industry; Chile; Latin America; South America

April 2011
Case

Daniel Kim's Dilemma (A)

By: Bill George and Natalie Kindred

Daniel Kim was considering "blowing the whistle" on his friend, the CEO of a fast-growing startup where Kim had spent most of his professional career. When Kim joined the company, called Cardio-Metric, in 2002, it consisted of seven young engineers (including its two... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Fairness; Corporate Accountability; Emotions; Behavior; Leadership Style; Governing and Advisory Boards; Corporate Disclosure

24 Jun 2008
First Look

First Look: June 24, 2008

evidence of how intra-regional differences in socio-political variables have aided theoretical development, and with respect to questions of entrepreneurship, regime... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

March 2006
Module Note

Managing Innovation in an Uncertain World

By: Alan D. MacCormack

Describes the second module of the 30-session Harvard Business School elective course Managing Innovation in an Uncertain World. The course helps students understand the challenges that uncertainty implies for innovation and how to overcome these challenges. The course... View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Management; Problems and Challenges; Business Processes; Perspective; Opportunities; Risk and Uncertainty; Managerial Roles; Product Design; Business Startups; Organizational Design