Publications

March 2004 (Revised June 2004)
Case

Massport (A): The Aftermath of 9/11

This case looks at the turnaround at the Massachusetts Port Authority after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It begins with the situation during the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and then describes how the new CEO restructures the public agency to operate much more like a... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Corporate Accountability; National Security; Governance Controls; Organizational Culture; Public Administration Industry; Massachusetts

01 Jun 2020
News

Post-Office

to replicate office culture in the digital world, and the movement’s wider implications for how and where we organize ourselves. Prashanth, you said in a March announcement about Stack Overflow going all-remote that the most important... View Details

Keywords: Dan Morrell; Remote work; COVID-19; Management of Companies and Enterprises; Management

Web

In-Office, Remote, or Hybrid: Strategies for Success - Recruiting

require more than adaptability—they demand clarity, emotional intelligence, and the ability to lead through change. These are strengths HBS MBA students bring to the table. Whether managing distributed teams, launching new initiatives from home, or building team View Details

10 Mar 2021
News

Next Normal

reality, offering tested methods for bridging cultural differences, leading virtually, and preparing for the next global crisis, whatever shape it may take. Neeley also highlights the crucial importance of launch (and relaunch) sessions... View Details

03 Jun 2002
What Do You Think?

Are We Entering an Era of European Management Leadership?

efficiency, innovation, quality, and responsiveness to customers—even as one also finds adaptations to cultural differences." These comments tend to question whether management leadership has a... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

February 2025
Supplement

Moleskine: Daniela Riccardi Turns the Page

By: Ryan Raffaelli

Newly appointed CEO Daniela Riccardi needed to develop and present an action plan to the board of the company that owned Moleskine. Riccardi was hired because Moleskine had recently overextended its reach and needed more focus and discipline. Having previously served... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Distribution Channels; Planning; Leading Change; Organizational Culture; Product Marketing; Retail Industry; Italy

November 2003 (Revised February 2011)
Case

Sanford C. Bernstein: The Fork in the Road (A)

By: Boris Groysberg and Anahita Hashemi

Soon after the death of the firm's legendary founder, the individuals then serving as chairman and as president--Lewis A. Sanders and Roger Hertog, respectively--talked about the future of their firm. Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., a private investment firm, had grown... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Performance Expectations; Competitive Advantage; Valuation

Find at Harvard

September 2016 (Revised May 2018)
Case

Zurich Insurance: Global Job Structure and Data Analysis

By: Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly

Zurich Insurance was undergoing organizational change after implementing five new people practices focused on manager development, diversity and inclusion, job model and data analytics, recruitment, and talent pipeline. The case “Zurich Insurance: Fostering Key People... View Details

Keywords: Managing Change; Organizational Behavior; Organizational Architecture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leadership; Human Capital; Change Management; Organizational Structure; Insurance; Organizational Culture; Globalization; Human Resources; Insurance Industry

July 2008 (Revised February 2011)
Supplement

Sanford C. Bernstein: The Fork in the Road (B)

By: Boris Groysberg and Geoff Eckman Marietta

Update on the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Knowledge; Business or Company Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Competitive Advantage; Valuation; Financial Services Industry

Find at Harvard

01 Sep 2010
News

A CEO Goes Undercover

about John Briggs as he adapted to his new, unfamiliar job. In fact, I was eager for the undercover experience because I’d never worked the frontline jobs in the theme-park industry and didn’t want any CEO-type special treatment. Plus, I... View Details

Keywords: Joel Manby; reality television; social class; Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries; Arts, Entertainment

February 2020 (Revised August 2020)
Case

San Francisco Ballet: On 'Pointe' for the Future

By: Rohit Deshpandé and Nicole Tempest Keller

The SF Ballet was regarded as one of the top ballet companies in the world. It had an enviable earned revenue percentage of almost 50% and had an internationally recognized ballet school. However, by 2019 the Ballet faced a number of challenges. Ballet was a European... View Details

Keywords: Arts; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Demographics; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Strategic Planning; Social Enterprise; Cultural Entrepreneurship; United States; San Francisco

01 Sep 2017
News

Case Study: Confidence Builder

the company anticipates this year will bring in double the $6.7 million in revenue it saw in 2016. New challenges: With rapid growth comes concerns about culture and scalability. “How do we preserve the incredible View Details

Keywords: April White; Confi; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

September 2016 (Revised May 2018)
Case

Zurich Insurance: Zurich Oxygen

By: Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly

Zurich Insurance was undergoing organizational change after implementing five new people practices focused on manager development, diversity and inclusion, job model and data analytics, recruitment, and talent pipeline. The case “Zurich Insurance: Fostering Key People... View Details

Keywords: Managing Change; Management Development; Leadership; Organization Behavior; Management Skills; Organizational Culture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leading Change; Leadership Development; Human Capital; Human Resources; Insurance; Insurance Industry

01 Mar 2011
News

James McNerney Jr.

of characteristics that we look for, but one that stands out in our culture is the capacity to adjust and adapt — the ability to figure out a different way to deliver results while always acting with utmost... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; interview; Transportation Equipment Manufacturing; Manufacturing; Air Transportation; Transportation

December 2008 (Revised December 2010)
Case

Hema Hattangady and Conzerv (A)

By: Michael L. Tushman and David Kiron

This case describes the evolution of a fast-growing Indian energy firm. It illustrates both leadership change as Hema is evolving as a leader, as well as how organization architecture (culture, systems, incentives, and human resources) is evolving. The case highlights... View Details

Keywords: Change; Decision Choices and Conditions; Leadership Development; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Energy Industry; India

16 Aug 2024
In Practice

Election 2024: What's at Stake for Business and the Workplace?

the culture you want to promote and protect. Your values statement likely includes respect for the rights and dignity of others, belief in the value of difference, and a need to constructively engage in the face of disagreement. Living up... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

December 2012
Course Overview Note

Entrepreneurial Management in a Turnaround Environment (EMTE) Fall 2012: Course Overview and Syllabus

Course Overview and Syllabus in the Fall Term 2012 for the Entrepreneurial Management in a Turnaround Environment (EMTE) course. View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Management; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Turnarounds; Bankruptcy Reorganization; Bankruptcy; Small ＆ Medium-sized Enterprises; Careers; Entrepreneurial Finance; Distressed Debt; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture

01 Dec 2020
News

Steady as She Goes

executive leadership committee, it was not normal for someone to say ‘Can we start the meeting at nine o’clock, because I want to drop the kids at school?’ I have worked to normalize that and to build a culture where people are... View Details

Keywords: April White; COVID-19; change management; leadership; women; grocery stores; Food and Beverage Stores; Retail Trade

2009
Working Paper

Taking a 'Deep Dive': What Only a Top Leader Can Do

By: Howard H. Yu and Joseph L. Bower

Unlike most historical accounts of strategic change inside large firms, empirical research on strategic management rarely uses the day-to-day behaviors of top executives as the unit of analysis. By examining the resource allocation process closely, we introduce the... View Details

Keywords: Leading Change; Management Practices and Processes; Resource Allocation; Business Processes; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure