Cultural Adaptation - Publications - Faculty & Research

October 2015
Supplement

The National Geographic Society (B)

By: David A. Garvin

This case was written as an update to the case "The National Geographic Society," HBS No. 311-002, published in 2011. The (B) case describes the 2015 creation of National Geographic Partners, a for-profit joint venture between the National Geographic Society and 21st... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Information Publishing; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Growth and Development Strategy; Managerial Roles; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Internet; Publishing Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

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26 Sep 2024
HBS Case

If a Car Can Drive Itself, Can It Make Life-or-Death Decisions?

people, about consequences and risks and benefits for other people, and also in a murkier but important sense, the ethics of an organization’s culture and its values.” Elon Musk and Tesla are at the center of a recent HBS case study that... View Details

Keywords: by Tom Quinn; Auto; Technology

09 Jul 2024
Research & Ideas

Chance Encounters: What's at Stake in Return-to-Office Decisions

where people spend both their social and their professional lives by themselves, at home on their computers or mobile devices. We’re losing aspects of our culture as a consequence of not being together. To use the analogy of a DJ concert:... View Details

Keywords: by Jen McFarland Flint, HBS Alumni Bulletin

01 Jun 2017
News

Alumni and Faculty Books for June 2017

Profile of the Performing Arts Industry: Culture and Commerce by David H. Gaylin (MBA 1979) (Business Expert Press) At their best, the performing arts represent the height of human creativity. But the presentation on stage, whether it is... View Details

09 Sep 2008
First Look

First Look: September 9, 2008

distribution, pooled intra-organizational coordination, and agency relationships—result in a trade-off between centralized and dispersed growth strategies. Which strategy prevails depends on how policy—enabling branching interacts with technological, economic, and... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

14 Oct 2002
Research & Ideas

The Widening Rift Between Corporations and Society

capitalism to another is a normal historical process.—Shoshana Zuboff and James Maxmin Management's inward focus allowed it to succeed beyond anyone's dreams. But that success further insulated managers from the society they were supposed to serve. The elite hierarchy... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

05 Aug 2014
First Look

First Look: August 5

R&D organization had established a culture of collaboration across scientific disciplines that some worried would diminish with larger functional departments. Others were concerned that an interdisciplinary team-based design would be... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

06 Dec 2021
News

December 2021 Alumni and Faculty Books

firms find it so difficult to adapt in the face of change—to innovate? In the past 10 years, the importance of this question has increased as more industries and firms confront disruptive change. The pandemic has accelerated this crisis,... View Details

November 2012
Teaching Note

On Weldon's Watch: Recalls at Johnson & Johnson from 2009 to 2010 (TN)

By: Sandra J. Sucher and Clayton S. Rose

Teaching Note for On Weldon's Watch: Recalls at Johnson & Johnson from 2009 to 2010 HBS case 311-029. View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Values and Beliefs; Leadership; Crisis Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Quality; Pharmaceutical Industry

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April 2009
Case

GSK's Acquisition of Sirtris: Independence or Integration?

By: Toby E. Stuart and James Weber

An executive from pharmaceutical company GSK must choose how much to integrate a recently acquired biotechnology firm, Sirtris. Moncef Slaoui, GSK's global head of R&D, championed the acquisition of Sirtris to gain access to its potentially revolutionary science.... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Resource Allocation; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Research and Development; Science-Based Business; Integration

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15 Oct 2012
Research & Ideas

Why Business IT Innovation is so Difficult

Harvard Business School professor Kristina Steffenson McElheran studies the effect of information technology on business process innovation. It's a topic, she is sometimes told, that is, well, less than exciting. "I've had people say to me that studying IT use is like... View Details

Keywords: by Maggie Starvish

01 Nov 2024
In Practice

Layoffs Surging in a Strong Economy? Advice for Navigating Uncertain Times

From tech to media to management consulting firms, layoffs are back. Downsizing during a healthy economy can help lay the foundation for efficient growth or make space for new roles that harness newer technology, such as artificial intelligence. Companies such as... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Technology; Information Technology

August 2014 (Revised August 2015)
Supplement

Opening the Valve: From Software to Hardware (B)

By: Ethan Bernstein, Francesca Gino and Bradley Staats

Valve, one of the world's top video game software companies, has also become an iconic example of an organization with virtually no hierarchy. A 400-person organization, Valve's unique organizational form (described in detail in the case and accompanying employee... View Details

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18 Feb 2014
News

Stick with Plan A

developing countries is both challenging and exciting, says Maddy. Her advice to others who might wish to follow her lead? "Things generally take a lot longer to implement, and you need to build certain cultural factors into your business... View Details

Keywords: Robert S. Benchley; Waleed Iskandar (MBA 1993); Telecommunications

February 1996 (Revised November 1996)
Case

Wainwright Industries (A): Beyond the Baldrige

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Norman Klein

Traces the growth of Wainwright, a small automotive supply company, focusing on its commitment to quality in 1981 and the evolution of its quality culture. Breakthrough programs that stress "trust and belief" in the workforce and commitment to customers result in... View Details

Keywords: Quality; Customer Satisfaction; Customer Relationship Management; Ethics; Business or Company Management; Standards; Machinery and Machining; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Auto Industry; Missouri

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07 Sep 2021
News

September 2021 Alumni Books

leapfrog and adapt to climate change, ensuring that Africa can feed itself and even the world. The book is for aspiring and emerging agribusiness entrepreneurs across Africa as well as agribusiness students globally. It will also inspire... View Details

Keywords: Margie Kelley

27 Jul 2015
Research & Ideas

The ‘Promotion’ That Makes You Feel Bad

Companies change strategy, operational processes, and policies all the time, each shift creating a new group of winners and losers. When Steve Jobs became CEO of Apple for the second time, the culture shifted, with designers enjoying... View Details

Keywords: by Roberta Holland

Web

Past Projects | Social Enterprise | Harvard Business School

recent candidates and new hires, and BPS leadership, I identified the main concerns and three key opportunities for improvement. The recommendations focused on a dual approach of technical (e.g., process standardization) and adaptive... View Details

Web

Working Groups, Upcoming Event, and Resources | About

and anti-Arabism in our community, including in our programs and courses; explore the ways they are experienced at Harvard Business School; and create avenues to raise awareness, build understanding, and cultivate inclusive mindsets. Classroom View Details

January 2008 (Revised May 2008)
Case

Comcast New England: A Journey of Organizational Transformation

By: Michael Beer and Anita Arun

This case describes how Kevin Casey, Comcast's New England Region general manager, transformed a low commitment and performance organization. When he took charge of this Comcast region he inherited an organization that was bureaucratic, had low customer satisfaction,... View Details