Publications

May 2025
Case

RTX's Lifetime Income Strategy: Shaping the Future of Retirement

By: Daniel Green, Luis M. Viceira and Sarah Mehta

Set in 2024, this case explores the Lifetime Income Strategy (LIS), a novel retirement product launched by aerospace and defense company RTX in 2012. Aiming to embed the security of a traditional pension within a 401(k) plan, the LIS allowed participants to secure a... View Details

Keywords: Asset Management; Compensation and Benefits; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Jobs and Positions; Labor; Retirement; Society; Adoption; Aerospace Industry; Financial Services Industry; Insurance Industry; United States; Virginia

Research Summary

The Unexpected Effects of Workplace Transparency

By: Ethan S. Bernstein

Workplace transparency provides a foundation for learning and control, and therefore for satisfaction and productivity. Yet my research shows that an obsession with transparency-enhancing tools and structures can backfire, producing the unintended consequences of... View Details

Keywords: Transparency; Privacy; Productivity; Field Experiments; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Behavior; Social and Collaborative Networks; Human Resources; Leadership; United States; Europe; China; Japan

June 2025
Article

Riding the Passion Wave or Fighting to Stay Afloat? A Theory of Differentiated Passion Contagion

By: Emma Frank, Kai Krautter, Wen Wu and Jon M. Jachimowicz

Prior research suggests that employees benefit from highly passionate teammates because passion spreads easily from one employee to the next. We develop theory to propose that life in high-passion teams may not be as uniformly advantageous as previously assumed. We... View Details

Keywords: Passion; Emotional Contagion; Emotions; Groups and Teams; Employees; Power and Influence; Performance Improvement

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2024
Working Paper

Private Equity and Digital Transformation

By: Brian K. Baik, Wilbur Chen and Suraj Srinivasan

We study the role which private equity (PE) plays in digital transformation. We find that PE investment is associated with greater investments into portfolio firm’s digital technologies, as measured by IT expenditures and the hiring demand for AI skills. This... View Details

Keywords: Digital Transformation; Private Equity; Selection and Staffing; Investment Portfolio; Value Creation

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February 2009
Teaching Note

Pitney Bowes: Employer Health Strategy (TN)

By: Michael E. Porter and Jennifer F Baron

Teaching Note for 709458. View Details

Keywords: Health; Employees; Cost; Policy; Situation or Environment; Innovation and Invention; Contracts; Programs; Strategy; Manufacturing Industry; Service Industry; United States

March 2008
Exercise

Exercise: Challenging Operational Assumptions

By: Frances X. Frei

This exercise provides students with an opportunity to thoroughly test an operating assumption. Students state an assumption as a testable hypothesis, collect and analyze relevant data, and communicate the results. At HBS, it is incorporated in a second-year elective... View Details

Keywords: Customers; Employees; Knowledge Acquisition; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Service Operations; Performance Improvement

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June 2005 (Revised January 2007)
Case

The Board of Directors at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter (A)

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Ashley Robertson

Examines the resignation of Philip Purcell as chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley as a result of poor performance and cultural problems, as well as his relationship to the board of directors. View Details

Keywords: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Corporate Governance; Resignation and Termination; Performance; Rank and Position

1985
Chapter

The Federal Civil Service Retirement System

By: Dutch Leonard

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Retirement; Government and Politics; Public Sector

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17 Jul 2006
Lessons from the Classroom

Developing a Strategy for Digital Convergence

other industry executives don't, including: The tech company's most valuable assets in the form of human capital walk out the door every day. Tech companies largely rely on components from other vendors, meaning that complementary assets... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Computer; Education

28 Jan 2014
First Look

First Look: January 28

dataset of firms from the U.S. and seven European countries we study the impact of ICT on worker autonomy, plant manager autonomy, and span of control. Consistent with the theory, we find that better information technologies (Enterprise... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

July 2019
Teaching Note

AT&T, Retraining, and the Workforce of Tomorrow

By: William R. Kerr and Carl Kreitzberg

A Teaching Note for the "AT&T, Retraining, and the Workforce of Tomorrow" case study (HBS#820-017). The case describes how AT&T designed and implemented a program to retrain 100,000 of its workers. The case first reviews the technological forces that compelled AT&T to... View Details

08 Jan 2021
News

Good Leadership Is About Asking Good Questions

October 1984
Teaching Note

NIKE (D): Leisure Shoes, Teaching Note

Teaching Note for (9-385-031). View Details

Keywords: Luxury; Decisions; Performance Effectiveness; Management Practices and Processes; Management Teams; Apparel and Accessories Industry

01 Mar 2005
News

One-on-One with Edwin Reed

character of underserved urban communities where houses of worship are stable, deeply rooted institutions. We are adept at leveraging both human and financial resources and are committed, in particular, to... View Details

Keywords: Mary Ellen Gardner; Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations; Personal Services

January 2022 (Revised November 2023)
Case

Expanding the Culture of Learning at Kraft Heinz

By: Ashley V. Whillans and Carolyn Watson

The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC) was an American food company formed in 2015 by the merger of Kraft Foods Group, Inc and the H.J. Heinz Company. The company sold food products like Heinz Ketchup, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Kool-Aid, and Philadelphia cream cheese to supermarkets,... View Details

Keywords: Learning; Culture; Work Culture; Workplace Practices; Mergers; Mergers and Acquisitions; Competitive Advantage; Human Capital; Training; Performance Evaluation; Growth and Development; Personal Development and Career; Employee Relationship Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Food and Beverage Industry

21 Nov 2016
Research & Ideas

It Matters That Your CEO Doesn't Know Much About Sales

senior executives specializing in everything except sales. “The number of executives reporting to the CEO in the average S&P 500 company has doubled in the last 20 years,” says Frank V. Cespedes, a senior lecturer in the Entrepreneurial View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

09 Jul 2019
Blog Post

Solving the Complexities of the Biotechnology Industry

even come close to understanding it or imitating its design. The body deploys amazing, interconnected solutions to manage the chemical wonders that continuously run. We continue to explore human physiology,... View Details

January 2015
Case

Burberry in 2014

By: Anita Elberse

In February 2014, Burberry's chief executive officer Angela Ahrendts is preparing to hand the reins of the English luxury fashion company to chief creative officer Christopher Bailey. Under their partnership, in place since 2006, Burberry's revenues have tripled to... View Details

Keywords: Management Succession; Luxury; Product Marketing; Brands and Branding; Manufacturing Industry; Fashion Industry; Great Britain