Publications

January 2021 (Revised March 2022)
Case

Arçelik: From a Dealer Network to an Omnichannel Experience

By: Ayelet Israeli and Fares Khrais

Arçelik Turkey, the country’s market leader in household appliances, was at an omnichannel crossroads in January 2020. Arçelik was a B2B player utilizing a dealership network with an umbrella of brands and had one of the largest brick-and-mortar store networks in... View Details

November 2024
Supplement

FedEx Cyberattack (B): Reflections and Lessons

By: Hise Gibson, Frank Nagle, Alicia Dadlani and Martha Hostetter

Set in 2024, this (B) case provides an update to the (A) case (no. 625-049) about a devastating cyberattack that destroyed thousands of computers and business systems at FedEx’s European division in 2017. It describes lessons learned and changes made in the wake of the... View Details

Keywords: Cybersecurity; Disruption; Crisis Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Europe

April 2021
Case

Codecademy: Where to Next?

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Max Mailman and Sarah Ascherman

In March 2020, Zach Sims, co-founder and CEO of online education platform Codecademy, prepared for a meeting with his Chief of Staff Kunal Ahuja to discuss the company’s goals. Codecademy billed itself as the largest online resource for computer science literacy and... View Details

Keywords: Monetization Strategy; Business Model; Change Management; Venture Capital; Leading Change; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Management Teams; Marketing Channels; Product Marketing; Network Effects; Product Development; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Strategic Planning; Internet and the Web; Digital Platforms; United States

September 1991 (Revised January 1998)
Case

Chaparral Steel: Rapid Product and Process Development

By: Dorothy Leonard-Barton and Gil Preuss

One of the nation's foremost mini-mills' core competence is the rapid realization of technology into products. This case describes the development of a highly innovative casting technique and features the role of the company's culture in achieving its goals. The... View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Innovation and Invention; Information Infrastructure; Product; Organizational Culture; Business Processes; Competency and Skills

Program

Women on Boards

corporate director. Focused on the critical issues facing boards today, you will learn how to approach board selection strategically, raise your profile—and find your best match. Key Benefits Preparing to take your place on a corporate... View Details

01 Jun 2009
Lessons from the Classroom

The Challenges of Investing in Science-Based Innovation

advance their agendas fall across several key areas, including strategy, organizational design, decision-making, and resource allocation. "The level of investment required to drive scientific innovation is greater, the time frame for... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Banking; Auto; Pharmaceutical

June 2022 (Revised August 2023)
Case

Strategic Innovation at the United Nations: A Network of Ecosystems

By: Frank Nagle, Elizabeth J. Altman and Amy Klopfenstein

In 2021, Gina Lucarelli, leader of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Labs, prepared for a meeting with UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. The two planned to discuss the future of the Accelerator Labs, a network of social innovation labs located... View Details

Keywords: Change; Disruption; Transformation; Change Management; Education; Learning; Environmental Management; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability; Geography; Geographic Scope; Global Range; Local Range; Geopolitical Units; Country; Human Resources; Recruitment; Retention; Selection and Staffing; Employees; Employee Relationship Management; Information Technology; Information Management; Innovation and Invention; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Disruptive Innovation; Innovation and Management; Innovation Leadership; Innovation Strategy; Knowledge; Knowledge Acquisition; Knowledge Dissemination; Knowledge Management; Knowledge Sharing; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Organizations; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Organizational Design; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Social Enterprise; Non-Governmental Organizations; Social Psychology; Social and Collaborative Networks; Society; Social Issues; Welfare; Strategy; Cooperation; Adaptation; Public Administration Industry; North and Central America

Program

Preparing to Be a Corporate Director

your personal reputation as a board director, especially in moments of organizational crisis Expand your personal and professional network Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds,... View Details

15 Jul 2008
First Look

First Look: July 15, 2008

turning to appraisers, actuaries, and evaluators, whether internal, external, or a combination. The Competitive Imperative of Learning Author:Amy C. Edmondson Publication:HBS Centennial Issue. Harvard Business Review 86, nos. 7/8 (July -... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

May 1999
Case

Susan Brown

By: William A. Sahlman

A number of issues confront an associate in a venture capital firm. She has just learned that her senior partners are not yet willing to make her a general partner of the firm. She has several options and must decide what to do. View Details

Keywords: Human Resources; Venture Capital; Personal Development and Career; Leadership Development; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Financial Services Industry

Find at Harvard

February 2016
Article

Unearned Status Gain: Evidence from a Global Language Mandate

By: Tsedal Neeley and Tracy Dumas

Theories of status rarely address unearned status gain—an unexpected and unsolicited increase in relative standing, prestige, or worth, attained not through individual effort or achievement, but from a shift in organizationally valued characteristics. We build theory... View Details

Keywords: Status and Position; Equality and Inequality; Spoken Communication; Organizations; Japan; United States

Find at Harvard

15 Sep 2011
Research & Ideas

High Ambition Leadership

schools are teaching ethics and corporate social responsibility, but they do not teach these subjects in the context of building a higher-ambition or a high commitment, high performance firm. Students learn about finance and View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

Program

Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management

admission is a selective process based on your professional achievement and organizational responsibilities. Read More Answering Your Questions Our Program Advising team can help you at any stage of the admissions process—starting with... View Details

10 Sep 2014
Blog Post

A Summer Reflection

team meetings (e.g., what can Walmart learn from GM’s issues with recalls?), murals on the wall listing these values / rules, and so on. I have never worked in an environment where the culture was such an active focus. For such a vast... View Details

Keywords: Technology; Consumer Products / Retail

Teaching

Overview

Laura taught undergraduate Military Leadership and Intro to Sociology for 6 and 4 semesters, respectively, at the United States Military Academy (West Point) from 2013-2016 (see course descriptions and links below). She was promoted from instructor to Assistant... View Details

Program

Leading Professional Service Firms

new competitors and market trends Sharpen core competencies to deliver maximum value to your clients Maintain strategic and operational alignment and focus through business ebbs and flows Attract, develop, and retain talented professionals Foster both View Details

Keywords: Professional Services; Professional Services

2005
Chapter

Fundamentals for a World-Class Leadership Programme

Meaningful leadership development needs to incorporate emotional and often unconscious aspects of human behavior. This chapter describes a leadership program designed to provide opportunities to learn, in-depth and through personal experience, about the exercise of... View Details

Keywords: Learning; Leadership Development; Personal Development and Career; Groups and Teams; Behavior; Emotions