Publications

August 2019 (Revised August 2024)
Case

The Walt Disney Company: Theme Parks

By: Rory McDonald, Allison Mnookin and Iuliana Mogosanu

As he seeks to place the division he leads on a firm footing for the future, Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, is considering a range of investments designed either to upgrade the guest experience in the company’s existing parks or to expand access... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment; Investment; Expansion; Decision Making; Customer Satisfaction; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

03 Jan 2023
Cold Call Podcast

Wordle: Can a Pandemic Phenomenon Sustain in the Long Term?

Keywords: Re: Christina M. Wallace; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation

20 Aug 2020
Book

From the Plow to the Pill: How Technology Shapes Our Lives

For centuries, the creation of innovative technology—from steam engines and automobiles to computers and smartphones—has dramatically changed the nature of our work. Less deeply understood has been the impact of technology on the inner currents of our personal lives,... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

William A. Sahlman

William Sahlman is a Baker Foundation Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

Mr. Sahlman received an A.B. degree in Economics from Princeton University (1972), an M.B.A. from Harvard University (1975), and a Ph.D. in Business... View Details

June 2009 (Revised February 2010)
Case

Cirque du Soleil -- The High-Wire Act of Building Sustainable Partnerships

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Maxime Aucoin

The case describes the history and business model of Cirque du Soleil (CdS). The case allows for a rich discussion and analysis of Cirque du Soleil's business model with an emphasis on how it interacts with that of MGM Mirage. Le Cirque and MGM's business models... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Investment; Profit; Globalized Markets and Industries; Growth and Development Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Partners and Partnerships; Trust; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

Web

Connect with Clubs - Recruiting

apastre@mba2025.hbs.edu Olympia d'Hauteville odhauteville@mba2025.hbs.edu Club Email francophones@studentclubs.hbs.edu Future of Work Club Co-Presidents Tuneer De tde@mba2025.hbs.edu Chuck Isgar cisgar@mba2025.hbs.edu Gaming and Game... View Details

Web

Employee Welfare – The Human Relations Movement – Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, Historical Collections

reformers, journalists, and photographers brought to national attention poor working conditions experienced by industrial workers. In the ensuing economic climate of the late 1920s View Details

17 Sep 2018
Research & Ideas

Welcome to Retirement. Who Am I Now?

retirement, Amabile and colleagues found that, for many, the transition begins smoothly enough but then develops into retirees questioning their own identity and puzzling over how to structure their days as... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Entertainment & Recreation

Web

Topics - HBS Working Knowledge

(6) Entertainment (21) Entrepreneurship (290) Environmental Accounting (8) Environmental Sustainability (180) Equality and Inequality (44) Equity (25) Ethics (172) Ethnicity (8) Executive Compensation (13)... View Details

05 Jul 2006
Working Paper Summaries

The Power of Stars: Do Stars Drive Success in Creative Industries?

Keywords: by Anita Elberse; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation

November 2004 (Revised May 2005)
Case

Marvel Enterprises, Inc.

By: Anita Elberse

The management team of Marvel Enterprises, known for its universe of superhero characters that includes Spider-Man, the Hulk, and X-Men, must reevaluate its marketing strategy. In June 2004, only six years after the company emerged from bankruptcy, Marvel has amassed a... View Details

Keywords: Intellectual Property; Business Model; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Opportunities; Growth and Development Strategy; Rights; Entertainment and Recreation Industry