Publications

February 2020
Technical Note

Talent Management and the Future of Work

By: William R. Kerr and Gorick Ng

The nature of work is changing—and it is changing rapidly. Few days go by without industry giants such as Amazon and AT&T announcing plans to invest billions of dollars towards retraining nearly half of their respective workforces for jobs of the future. What changes... View Details

Keywords: Human Resource Management; Human Capital Development; Human Resource Practices; Talent; Talent Acquisition; Talent Development; Talent Development And Retention; Talent Management; Talent Retention; Labor Flows; Labor Management; Labor Market; Strategy Development; Strategy Management; Strategy Execution; Strategy And Execution; Strategic Change; Transformations; Organization; Organization Alignment; Organization Design; Organizational Adaptation; Organizational Effectiveness; Management Challenges; Management Of Business And Political Risk; Change Leadership; Future Of Work; Future; Skills Gap; Skills Development; Skills; Offshoring And Outsourcing; Investment; Capital Allocation; Work; Work Culture; Work Force Management; Work/life Balance; Work/family Balance; Work-family Boundary Management; Workers; Worker Productivity; Worker Performance; Work Engagement; Work Environment; Work Environments; Productivity; Organization Culture; Soft Skills; Technology Management; Technological Change; Technological Change: Choices And Consequences; Technology Diffusion; Disruptive Technology; Global Business; Global; Workplace; Workplace Context; Workplace Culture; Workplace Wellness; Collaboration; Competencies; Productivity Gains; Digital; Digital Transition; Competitive Dynamics; Competitiveness; Competitive Strategy; Data Analytics; Data; Data Management; Data Strategy; Data Protection; Aging Society; Diversity; Diversity Management; Millennials; Communication Complexity; Communication Technologies; International Business; Work Sharing; Global Competitiveness; Global Corporate Cultures; Intellectual Property; Intellectual Property Management; Intellectual Property Protection; Intellectual Capital And Property Issues; Globalization Of Supply Chain; Inequality; Recruiting; Hiring; Hiring Of Employees; Training; Job Cuts And Outsourcing; Job Performance; Job Search; Job Design; Job Satisfaction; Jobs; Employee Engagement; Employee Attitude; Employee Benefits; Employee Compensation; Employee Fairness; Employee Relationship Management; Employee Retention; Employee Selection; Employee Motivation; Employee Feedback; Employee Coordination; Employee Performance Management; Employee Socialization; Process Improvement; Application Performance Management; Stigma; Institutional Change; Candidates; Digital Enterprise; Cultural Adaptation; Cultural Change; Cultural Diversity; Cultural Context; Cultural Strategies; Cultural Psychology; Cultural Reform; Performance; Performance Effectiveness; Performance Management; Performance Evaluation; Performance Appraisal; Performance Feedback; Performance Measurement; Performance Metrics; Performance Measures; Performance Efficiency; Efficiency; Performance Analysis; Performance Appraisals; Performance Improvement; Automation; Artificial Intelligence; Technology Companies; Managerial Processes; Skilled Migration; Assessment; Human Resources; Management; Human Capital; Talent and Talent Management; Retention; Demographics; Labor; Strategy; Change; Change Management; Transformation; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Working Conditions; Information Technology; Technology Adoption; Disruption; Economy; Competition; Globalization; AI and Machine Learning; Digital Transformation

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Courses - Entrepreneurship

Courses First Year (Required Curriculum) During the first year at HBS, all students pursue the same course of study called the Required Curriculum. By studying under a common curriculum, students build a solid, broad foundation of general... View Details

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Spangler Center | About

event rooms, the Meredith Room and the Williams Room, and a beautifully landscaped courtyard. About the Name Meredith & C.D. (“Dick”) Spangler (MBA 1956) Spangler Center was made possible by a gift from C.D.... View Details

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Podcast - Business & Environment

support natural disaster response by the National Guard. Sarah also shares how emerging foundational geospatial models will transform adaptation, and she offers career advice for those in climate tech and applied AI. Closing the Loop... View Details

13 Mar 2018
News

Manufacturing a Renaissance in the Deep South

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Healthy Outcomes - Managing the Future of Work

02 Mar 2019 | Business Insider Axiom Business Book Awards 2019 Results 20 Feb 2019 | Axiom Business Book Awards Global Migration & Offshore Outsourcing William R. Kerr 19 Feb 2019 | Stanford Social Innovation Review The $4.8 trillion... View Details

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Entrepreneurial Management - Faculty & Research

Entrepreneurial Management Overview Faculty Curriculum Seminars & Conferences Awards & Honors Doctoral Students July–August 2025 Article Case Study: Do We Reskill or Replace Our Workforce? By: William Kerr To remain competitive in the... View Details

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The Founding of U.S. Steel and the Power of Public Opinion | Baker Library | Bloomberg Center | Harvard Business School

the Power of Public Opinion The Founding of U.S. Steel and the Power of Public Opinion: Intro By the late 1800s, the steel industry in the United States had surpassed the capacity of Britain’s steel production. In 1901, through the merger... View Details

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Lehman Brothers Timeline | Baker Library | Bloomberg Center | Harvard Business School

Library Search Search Search Lehman Brothers: 1850 - 2008 Exhibition Lehman Brothers Timeline 1844 Henry Lehman emigrates from Rimpar, Germany, and settles in Montgomery, Alabama, where he opens a general store specializing in dry goods. 1850s Henry Lehman is joined... View Details

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Find a Club - Alumni

Clubs Find a Club Don’t See Your Club Listed? Harvard Business School Clubs and Association is currently not accepting applications for new clubs. If you do not see a regional club or SIG listed, please begin by checking the Harvard... View Details

30 Mar 2010
First Look

First Look: March 30

are discussed. The Role of Experience in the Gambler's Fallacy Authors:Greg Barron and Stephen Leider Publication:Journal of Behavioral Decision Making 23, no. 1 (2009) Abstract Recent papers have demonstrated that the way people acquire information about a decision... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

January 2021 (Revised August 2021)
Case

ByteDance: TikTok and the Trials of Going Viral

By: William C. Kirby and John P. McHugh

In 2020, TikTok became the most valuable start-up ever. The short-form, video-sharing social media platform emerged as the crown jewel of the Chinese technology firm ByteDance, realizing 850 million monthly users and an estimated worth of $180 billion. However, a... View Details

April 2006 (Revised April 2012)
Background Note

The Role of Private Equity Firms in Merger and Acquisition Transactions

By: William E. Fruhan Jr.

Explores the importance of private equity firms in merger and acquisitions activity around the globe. In many countries, these firms now account for one quarter of the total merger and acquisition activity of all firms. The larger private equity firms generate fees for... View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Mergers and Acquisitions; Private Equity; Investment Funds; Value Creation

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Finance Curriculum - Faculty & Research

builds on the foundation developed in Finance I, focusing on three sets of managerial decisions: How to evaluate complex investments. How to set and execute financial policies within a firm. How to integrate the many financial decisions faced View Details

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Faculty & Research - Entrepreneurship

Faculty & Research July–August 2025 Article Case Study: Do We Reskill or Replace Our Workforce? By: William Kerr To remain competitive in the internet-of-things era, should the CEO of SolidTech Innovations, a fictional elevator company,... View Details

May 2022
Case

Honeywell: Transforming a Century Old Industrial

By: William W. George, Michael Norris and John Masko

In late 2021, Darius Adamczyk, Chairman and CEO of Honeywell is considering the changes he has made to the company since he took over the top leadership position in 2017. The company he had inherited from his predecessor, David Cote, was seen by most as a... View Details

Keywords: Business Conglomerates; Transformation; Technological Innovation; Leading Change; Business Strategy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Organization; Aerospace Industry; Chemical Industry; Electronics Industry; Green Technology Industry; Industrial Products Industry; Technology Industry; North Carolina; New Jersey

2014
Other Teaching and Training Material

Entrepreneurship Reading: Financing Entrepreneurial Ventures

By: William R. Kerr, Ramana Nanda and James McQuade

"Financing Entrepreneurial Ventures" introduces students to the key issues involved in the financing of entrepreneurial enterprises. The Reading begins by examining how business models shape external financing requirements. It then contrasts the choice to bootstrap... View Details

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Research - Managing the Future of Work

help employees manage their caregiving responsibilities—while reducing costs and increasing productivity By: Joseph B. Fuller and Manjari Raman October 2017 Report Dismissed by Degrees: How degree inflation is undermining U.S.... View Details

November 2019 (Revised April 2020)
Case

Purple Innovation, Inc.: The Online to Offline Marketing Challenge

By: Elie Ofek and Nakisha Williams

This case focuses on Purple Innovation Inc. (Purple), a company that started out in the Direct to Consumer (DTC) mattress space. In late 2018, after a successful launch and IPO with sales predominantly originating from its website, Purple was looking to sustain its... View Details

Keywords: Offline Sales; Marketing Strategy; Digital Marketing; Growth and Development Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Retail Industry