Publications

August 1981
Case

West Point: The Cheating Incident (B)

By: Leonard A. Schlesinger

A review of the activities following the expose of the cheating incident at West Point and leading up to the Secretary of the Army's decision on the situation. View Details

Keywords: Higher Education; Ethics; Judgments; Government Administration; Public Administration Industry; Education Industry

13 Apr 2021
News

“Getting Serious About Diversity” wins 62nd Annual HBR McKinsey Award

2023
Working Paper

The Subjective Expected Utility Approach and a Framework for Defining Project Risk in Terms of Novelty and Feasibility—A Response to Franzoni and Stephan (2023), ‘Uncertainty and Risk-Taking in Science’

By: Jacqueline N. Lane

In their Discussion Paper, Franzoni and Stephan (F&S, 2023) discuss the shortcomings of existing peer review models in shaping the funding of risky science. Their discussion offers a conceptual framework for incorporating risk into peer review models of research... View Details

Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Research; Resource Allocation; Perception

SSRN

Read Now

13 Jun 2005
Research & Ideas

Rescuing Products with Stealth Positioning

When firms adopt a reverse or breakaway positioning strategy, there is no pretense about what they're up to. Part of the appeal of their cleverly positioned product offerings comes from explicitly subverting convention through unconventional promotions, prices, and... View Details

Keywords: by Youngme Moon

July 1999 (Revised October 2001)
Case

Corbin-Pacific

By: John A. Davis and Christina L. Darwall

Reviews the history of Mike Corbin's entrepreneurial career and describes in detail the successful organization he has created. Explores his management philosophy and leadership. Explores the usefulness of continuing family involvement in this business. View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Leadership Style; Business or Company Management; Management Practices and Processes; Management Teams; Success; Family Ownership; Business Strategy; Manufacturing Industry; Motorcycle Industry

March 2015
Article

Institutional Theory and the Natural Environment: Research in (and on) the Anthropocene

By: Andrew J. Hoffman and P. Devereaux Jennings

This review article summarizes the main tenets of institutional theory as they apply to the topic of the Anthropocene in the domain of organization and the natural environment. But our review is distinctive for two reasons: First, it is focused on providing avenues... View Details

Keywords: Institutional Theory; Natural Environment; Society

Find at Harvard

Register to Read

June 2003 (Revised March 2006)
Case

ACCION International

By: John A. Quelch

ACCION International is a major nonprofit player in microfinance. Reviews the organization's history and evolution, details current activities and relationships within its network, and assesses the organization's challenges moving forward. View Details

Keywords: Networks; Nonprofit Organizations; Microfinance

January 2011 (Revised April 2011)
Case

TripAdvisor

By: Sunil Gupta and Kerry Herman

By 2010, TripAdvisor was the largest travel site in the world operating in 24 countries and 16 languages, with listings for 455,000 hotels, 92,000 attractions and 564,000 restaurants in over 71,000 destinations worldwide. It had over 40 million reviews from 35 million... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Growth and Development Strategy; Social and Collaborative Networks; Internet; Service Industry; Travel Industry

27 Mar 2005
Research & Ideas

Should I Pay the Bribe?

At Harvard Business School, one of professor Rafael Di Tella's areas of study is how political corruption and common crime can be controlled in a variety of contexts. So it was only natural that Di Tella would be asked to comment when the editors of Harvard Business... View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia D. Churchwell

Samuel G. Hanson

Samuel G. Hanson is the William L. White Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Faculty Affiliate of the Harvard Economics department. He teaches Finance 1... View Details

Keywords: asset management; banking; brokerage; federal government; financial services; investment banking industry

September 2014
Case

Google Inc. in 2014 (Abridged)

By: Benjamin Edelman and Thomas R. Eisenmann

Describes Google's history, business model, governance structure, corporate culture, and processes for managing innovation. Reviews Google's recent strategic initiatives and the threats they pose to Yahoo, Microsoft, and others. Asks what Google should do next. View Details

Keywords: Search Engines; Google; Online Advertising; Internet and the Web; Network Effects; Business Model; Competition; Information Technology Industry; Advertising Industry

March 2010 (Revised May 2010)
Case

Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2009

By: Jan W. Rivkin, Michael Roberto and Ranjay Gulati

This case, a supplement to the “Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2001 (Abridged)” case (710-450) and the “Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2007” case (710-451), reviews the FBI's progress in its transformation effort from 2007 to 2009. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Public Administration Industry; District of Columbia

November 1997 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Ft. Myers Eldercare

By: William J. Poorvu and Arthur I Segel

A developer attempts to get into the elderly housing business. The case reviews the various elderly housing options, how they differ from one another, and how the industry differs from other types of real estate. View Details

Keywords: Housing; Age; Real Estate Industry; Florida

17 Mar 2020
Working Paper Summaries

From Sweetheart to Scapegoat: Brand Selfie-Taking Shapes Consumer Behavior

Keywords: by Reto Hofstetter, Gabriela Kunath, and Leslie K. John

September 2020
Case

West Side United: Hospitals Tackle the Racial Health and Wealth Gap

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Paul Stramaglia

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. David Ansell, Darlene Hightower, and Ayesho Jaco, leaders of West Side United (WSU), a coalition of Chicago hospitals, community residents, banks, and small businesses conceived in 2016, reviewed progress toward WSU’s goal of ending... View Details

Keywords: COVID; COVID-19; Hospital; Coalition; Health Pandemics; Race; Health; Wealth and Poverty; Equality and Inequality; Change; Leadership; Chicago

June 2015 (Revised November 2016)
Case

2012 Obama Campaign: Learning in the Field

By: Leonard A. Schlesinger and Jason Gray

The development and utilization of an intentional Field learning strategy developed for the Obama for President campaign in 2012 following an after action Review calling for it after the 2008 elections View Details

Keywords: Training; Political Campaigns; Learning Organizations; Learning; Political Elections; Organizational Change and Adaptation; United States