Systems Thinking - Publications - Faculty & Research

02 Mar 2016
News

David Moss is Rewriting History

global financial events. His first course-length experiment had been a success. He saw the case method bring history—which many students thought of as a dull procession of inevitable events—to life. Character, narrative, and tension gave an urgency to topics such as... View Details

Keywords: April White

05 Feb 2019
News

The First Five Years: Karan Shah (MBA 2016)

our growth strategy to diversify the business portfolio. One of my key responsibilities is to ensure that everything we do has a well-documented system and process. A day at work could involve any or all of the activities I mentioned... View Details

02 Dec 2002
Research & Ideas

The Secret of How Microsoft Stays on Top

platforms, in contrast to most other firms who focused on stand-alone applications. It was an approach that permeated both their tools business—the software they provided to other programmers for developing applications; and the operating View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

30 Apr 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, April 30, 2019

credit and leverage, and expose the economy to major risks. Nicola Gennaioli and Andrei Shleifer carefully walk readers through the unraveling of Lehman Brothers and the ensuing meltdown of the U.S. financial system and then present new... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

28 Jun 2022
Book

The Moral Enterprise: How Two Companies Profit with Purpose

How can government and business work together in this fractious political moment, when finding solutions to pressing problems like inequality and climate change are more urgent than ever? Rebecca Henderson, Harvard University’s John and Natty McArthur University... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman

18 Dec 2013
HBS Case

Lessons from the Lance Armstrong Cheating Scandal

Corrupted, which was taught to all incoming MBAs on their second day on campus in the fall. The goal was to get them to think about their own values and the obligations they have to shape the culture of an organization. As much as... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Sports

15 Jul 2019
Book

Many Executives Are Afraid of Finance. Here's How They Can Gain Confidence

know that anyone can access these ideas.” Dina Gerdeman: Finance intimidates people largely because the system is so complex, but you say there’s an easier way to understand it. Can you explain how? Mihir Desai: Finance is often talked... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

31 May 2004
Research & Ideas

How Team Leaders Show Support–or Not

of autonomy, control, and ownership in the work have all been found (in previous research) to influence people's creativity—primarily by influencing how deeply they engage their thinking in the problem and how widely they explore the... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

16 Mar 2020
Research & Ideas

How the Coronavirus Is Already Rewriting the Future of Business

to the challenge. Think of it as a new strategic initiative facing huge execution challenges. These require senior management to get the best information they can about barriers to execution, and it requires trust and commitment. That... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

20 Apr 2010
First Look

First Look: April 20

thinking and feeling to physiology and subsequent behavioral choices. That a person can, via a simple two-minute pose, embody power and instantly become more powerful has real-world, actionable implications. Download the paper: View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

05 Jul 2016
First Look

July 5, 2016

joining the battle against climate change will signal a significant shift in governance ideology for this highly regulated industry so critical to the global financial system. While global custody banks provide the unseen but essential support View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

28 Mar 2012
What Do You Think?

Are Factory Jobs Important to the Economy?

in his recent book, some are less fungible than others. Germany was cited by Peter Sebregondi as a country that has pursued an enlightened strategy toward manufacturing, through its continued support of an apprentice system that provides... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Manufacturing

18 Nov 2002
Research & Ideas

Where Morals and Profits Meet: The Corporate Value Shift

for preventing misconduct with its incident legal, financial, and reputational risks. Ethics gets their attention because they want to avoid the high-profile missteps and billion-dollar losses experienced by a Salomon Brothers, Bridgestone/Firestone, or Enron. In the... View Details

Keywords: by Carla Tishler

25 Aug 2003
Research & Ideas

Why IT Does Matter

effectiveness has come the ability to do things truly differently. American Hospital Supply's distribution software and American Airlines' SABRE reservation system are examples of victories in past technologies. The firms were the first... View Details

Keywords: by F. Warren McFarlan & Richard L. Nolan

08 Feb 2023
Op-Ed

Building an Inclusive Workplace? Prepare to Shield It from Economic Fears

underrepresented communities. As the COVID-19 pandemic dragged on, executives worked to continue these efforts, despite supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and erratic consumer spending. Beyond the moral imperatives of confronting View Details

Keywords: by Hise O. Gibson and Nicole Gilmore

24 Jan 2011
HBS Case

Terror at the Taj

his father, a military man, telling him that his job is like being the captain of a ship. "I think that's the way everyone else felt, too," says Kang. "A sense of loyalty to the hotel, a sense of responsibility to the... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Accommodations

01 Jan 2017
News

Improving Health Care Delivery

through big data by offsetting the cost of collection and analysis and by tapping into the tremendous amount of existing medical information available. “I think HBS can be a leader in making use of that information from a business and... View Details

22 Feb 2022
News

New Urban Order

surface, a green roof, or supporting solar panels or wind turbines when possible,” Carty says. “And building wastewater can be treated and reused for flushing toilets and watering plants, for example, which has the added benefit of diverting water discharge from... View Details

Keywords: Kathleen Fu, Deborah Blagg, Julia Hanna, and Maureen Harmon; illustrations by; energy; environment; sustainability; entrepreneurship; Water, Sewage and Supply Systems; Water, Sewage and Supply Systems; Water, Sewage and Supply Systems; Water, Sewage and Supply Systems; Water, Sewage and Supply Systems; Water, Sewage and Supply Systems; Water, Sewage and Supply Systems; Water, Sewage and Supply Systems

01 Feb 2021
What Do You Think?

Has the New Economy Finally Arrived?

example: “When we think of diversity, we bring in people to improve diversity and then expect them to fit into existing systems and structures For instance, if I were to take the example of India, often... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

15 Jun 2021
News

Zone Defense

telling him. Ryan Tseng had already started two successful companies, and where Brandon saw a business opportunity in building AI software to operate unmanned systems for the military, Ryan saw a behemoth defense industry with high... View Details

Keywords: April White; drone technology; military; security; entrepreneurship; leadership; Air Transportation; Transportation

Publications