Publications

April 2013
Case

Luca de Meo at Volkswagen Group

By: Linda A. Hill and Dana M. Teppert

Luca de Meo, chief marketing officer of Volkswagen Group, reflects on his time leading the marketing department at Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand. In particular, he thinks about the environmental sustainability initiative launched by marketing called "Think Blue" and... View Details

Keywords: Marketing; Sustainability; Branding; Leadership; Change Management; Environmental Sustainability; Auto Industry; Germany

09 Apr 2012
Research & Ideas

Who Sways the USDA on GMO Approvals?

genetically modified product to come to market, in 1992.) However, the organisms also potentially carry health and environmental risks. After reading about these dangers, Hiatt wondered how the US Department View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Food & Beverage; Biotechnology; Agriculture & Agribusiness

January 2011 (Revised March 2011)
Case

Development and Promotion at North Atlantic Hospital

By: Boris Groysberg, Lisa Leffert, Kerry Herman and Libby Williams

Dr. Elizabeth Harris, Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology (DA) at North Atlantic Hospital (NAH), faces several significant challenges. Staff satisfaction surveys confirmed her assessment that department faculty morale was low, the tenure and promotion system was... View Details

Keywords: Training; Employees; Retention; Performance Evaluation; Personal Development and Career; Motivation and Incentives; Health Industry

April 2018 (Revised October 2023)
Case

Coco Chanel: From Fashion Icon to Nazi Agent

By: Geoffrey Jones and Emily Grandjean

This case describes the career of the iconic French fashion designer Coco Chanel who created a transformational business during the first half of the 20th century. Beginning in her early adulthood, Chanel leveraged relationships with acquaintances, friends, and... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Biography; Entrepreneurship; Relationships; Brands and Branding; Ethics; Fashion Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

July 2020
Case

Sesame Workshop (C): Mission Critical Responses to Global and National Crises

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Joyce J. Kim

Beginning in March 2020, Sesame Workshop navigated a global pandemic and racial justice crisis, which caused unemployment, business shutdowns, school closures, and remote work. The CEO and team responded with new partnership using its assets and reinforcing its... View Details

Keywords: Health Pandemics; Social Issues; Crisis Management; Global Range; Mission and Purpose; Education; Education Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

March 2006 (Revised October 2007)
Case

The Parisian Revival

By: Rajiv Lal and Carin-Isabel Knoop

In mid-2005, George Jones had two jobs: head of Saks Inc.'s 41-store Parisian department store chain as well as president and CEO of the Saks Department Store Group (SDSG), an umbrella for seven chains with a total of 182 stores across the United States. In 2003 Jones... View Details

Keywords: Profit; Leadership; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Performance Improvement; Sales; Retail Industry; United States

Find at Harvard

05 May 2011
Research & Ideas

How ‘Political Voice’ Empowers the Powerless

disadvantaged or minority groups in India whose members are elected to local governments have not only more of a "political voice" but also more access to and better results from the justice... View Details

Keywords: by Maggie Starvish

December 2003 (Revised February 2008)
Background Note

Law and Legal Reasoning: An Introduction

By: Henry B. Reiling

Gives prominence to Mr. Justice Holmes' Prediction Theory of the law as a practical--and by analogy to forecasting in finance and other functional areas of business--comfortable, and familiar way for businesspeople to think about the law. Law is defined as a forecast... View Details

Keywords: Forecasting and Prediction; Law; Theory

May 2003
Case

Liz Claiborne, Inc.

By: Rajiv Lal, Walter J. Salmon and Edie Prescott

Discusses the business portfolio emphasis of a large multibrand manufacturer and the future of department stores as well as how relationships between manufacturers and key customers can be improved. View Details

Keywords: Forecasting and Prediction; Investment Portfolio; Brands and Branding; Production; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Apparel and Accessories Industry

16 Nov 2020
News

Weekend Edition

16 Nov 2020
Research & Ideas

Transitions of Power Are Difficult. What Joe Biden and Other Incoming Leaders Need to Know.

it imposes limitations and stifles innovation, as I argue in my new book Think Outside the Building. In companies, turf wars between departments and divisions hinder organizational performance. Silo-busting often consists View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

28 May 2025
News

Harvard Business School Announces 2025-2026 Leadership Fellows

19 Jun 2019
News

Harvard Launches New MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences Joint Degree

23 Sep 2014
News

What Role Do Corporations Have in Society?

02 Nov 2020
What Do You Think?

Is Antitrust Just a Quaint Notion in the Digital Age?

companies slightly more than $20 million to defend. (I didn’t have to recall these details; I Googled them at no cost.) Even then, however, market definition and monopoly pricing power proved to be complicated issues for regulators to address. Fast forward to the US... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Retail; Technology; Telecommunications; Communications; Consumer Products; Service

September 2021
Comment

Commentary on ‘2019 Academic Marketing Climate Survey: Motivation, Results and Recommendations', by Jeff Galak and Barbara E. Kahn

By: John A. Deighton

This paper reflects on the conclusions of a survey by Galak and Kahn on the climate experienced by faculty of all genders and ethnicities in the marketing departments of US business schools. View Details

Keywords: Gender; Equality and Inequality; Organizational Culture