Publications

25 Feb 2020
News

Research Brief: May I Ask Your Advice?

online lab studies and a field experiment, all of which confirmed that asking for feedback produces more vague and limited responses, while asking for advice results in forward-thinking and actionable input. The difference boils down to mindset: judging past View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint

16 Oct 2007
First Look

First Look: October 16, 2007

that information disclosure is particularly likely to spur responses from firms whose legitimacy is threatened (and thus are shamed) and face lower-cost opportunities to respond (and thus are particularly able). Testing this by examining how firms respond when their... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

08 Jan 2025
News

Mapping Pain Points at the IRS

than any other—the Internal Revenue Service. As Chief Taxpayer Experience Officer, Tamaki is modernizing the historic agency’s processes and technology to benefit both IRS employees and taxpayers. Excerpts from a conversation with Tamaki... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Myers; IRS; customer service; government service; Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support; Government

27 Jan 2003
Research & Ideas

New Cluster Mapping Project Helps Companies Locate Facilities

the Cluster Mapping Project, uses statistical techniques to profile the performance over time of regional economies in the U.S., with a special focus on clusters. Clusters are geographically concentrated groups of interconnected... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

August 1975 (Revised July 1993)
Case

Acton-Burnett, Inc.

By: John J. Gabarro

Describes the formation, selection, and experience of a task force with multidepartmental membership. The problems faced by the task force leader at the end of the case raise issues of who does the selection; the establishment of group norms, values, and goals; the... View Details

Keywords: Employees; Leadership; Problems and Challenges; Groups and Teams; Conflict Management

April 1974 (Revised June 1983)
Case

Robert F. Kennedy High School

By: John J. Gabarro

Presents the problem facing a newly appointed high school principal. Raises issues about interpersonal and group behavior including lack of open conflict resolution and the need to intervene in an interpersonal conflict. Also raises the issue of intergroup conflict... View Details

Keywords: Interpersonal Communication; Secondary Education; Employee Relationship Management; Organizational Structure; Behavior; Conflict Management; System

01 Dec 2016
News

Inside Modern HR

(think data analytics) as global competition for skilled workers increases. Matthew Breitfelder’s (MBA 2002) transition to the field came midcareer, after stints as an international economist at the US Department of Commerce, a corporate strategist, and a View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna

01 Jun 2022
News

Vision: Into the Breach

large, established carriers, which write policies to cover cyberattacks but do little to preempt them, At-Bay takes a preventive approach to cyber insurance. Before signing up a new policyholder, the company performs non-intrusive... View Details

Keywords: Alexander Gelfand

March 2017
Article

Variation in the Cost of Care for Primary Total Knee Arthroplasties

By: Derek A. Haas and Robert S. Kaplan

The study examined the cost variation across 29 high-volume U.S. hospitals for delivering a primary total knee arthroplasty without major complicating conditions. Hospital and physician personnel costs were calculated using time-driven activity-based costing.... View Details

Keywords: Cost Management; Performance Productivity; Health Care and Treatment; Health Industry

Read Now

01 Sep 2011
News

Faculty Books

The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer (Harvard Business Review Press) The best managers build a group of employees who... View Details

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services; Publishing Industries (except Internet); Information

November 2000 (Revised April 2001)
Case

CMR Enterprises

By: Das Narayandas and Mary N. Caravella

Sam Marcus recently purchased a small cabinet-making company, and is looking for dramatic growth. The company competes in commercial and residential construction markets; shortly after the acquisition, the company gains a large new residential customer. The case traces... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Customer Relationship Management; Entrepreneurship; Leadership; Marketing Strategy; Performance Evaluation; Relationships; Segmentation; Construction Industry

16 Jul 2024
Op-Ed

Corporate Boards Are Failing in Their No. 1 Duty

with Azure, acquiring LinkedIn in social media and Activision/Blizzard in gaming, and investing in OpenAI to gain control of ChatGPT. Equally important, he transformed the Microsoft culture from an arrogant bureaucracy into an empowered organization focused on growth... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

December 1996 (Revised February 1998)
Case

Colorscope, Inc.

By: V.G. Narayanan and Joseph Cha

A small company in the graphic arts business faces severe price competition. The company must respond by cutting costs and making process improvements. View Details

Keywords: Cost Management; Price; Business Processes; Performance Improvement; Competition; Fine Arts Industry

24 Apr 2014
News

Leaders must be strategists first

even its core competencies, its continued existence depends on finding and continuing to find a compelling reason for it to exist. “It’s the defining responsibility of a leader,” Montgomery says. “If the clarity isn’t there, employees at... View Details

22 Nov 2016
First Look

November 22, 2016

organizational selling, and influencing innovation adoption. Purchase this case: https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/product/517020-PDF-ENG Harvard Business School Case 117-106 Management Control Systems Module 6: Evaluating Strategic Profit... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Article

Assessing the Value of Pediatric Aerodigestive Care

By: Robert S. Kaplan, Chris Hartnick, Mahek Shah, Steven M. Coppess, Alisa Yamasaki, Kaalan E. Johnson, Jeremy Prager, Christopher T. Wootten, Thomas Gallagher and Evan Propst

Leaders at six hospitals conducted a research study to assess and compare the health outcomes and costs of pediatric aerodigestive care. Four of the hospitals delivered care with an integrated practice unit (IPU) while two delivered care traditionally, with isolated... View Details

Keywords: Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing; Value-based Health Care; Integrated Practice Unit; Health Care and Treatment; Cost Management; Performance Improvement