Publications
Publications
Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(262)
- Faculty Publications (67)
- 2008
- Working Paper
Communication (and Coordination?) in a Modern, Complex Organization
By: Adam M. Kleinbaum, Toby E. Stuart and Michael L. Tushman
This is a descriptive study of the structure of communications in a modern organization. We analyze a dataset with millions of electronic mail messages, calendar meetings and teleconferences for many thousands of employees of a single, multidivisional firm during a... View Details
- June 2008
- Case
System on a Chip 2008: Global Unichip Corp.
By: Willy C. Shih, Chintay Shih, Chen-Fu Chien and Yuan-Chieh Chang
Though much of the semiconductor industry has shifted to a horizontal model, complexity driven by technological evolution is driving a shift in the perceived boundaries in the value chain. Global Unichip sees itself as a "virtual integrated device manufacturer," a... View Details
- 2008
- Working Paper
Structural Closure and Exposure: Market Reactions to Announcements of Acquisitions and Divestitures
By: Mikolaj Jan Piskorski and Nitin Nohria
This paper develops an exchange-network perspective on corporate diversification and proposes two measures of corporate scope: structural closure and structural exposure. Structural closure focuses on exchanges of goods and services inside the firm... View Details
- February 2008
- Article
Where Do Transactions Come From? Modularity, Transactions, and the Boundaries of Firms
This article constructs a theory of the location of transactions and the boundaries of firms in a productive system. It proposes that systems of production can be viewed as networks, in which tasks-cum-agents are the nodes and transfers—of material, energy and... View Details
- Article
The Sciences of Design: Observations on an Emerging Field
By: S. Purao, C. Y. Baldwin, A. Hevner, V. Storey, J. Pries-Heje and B. Smith
he boundaries and contours of design sciences continue to undergo definition and refinement. In many ways, the sciences of design defy disciplinary characterization. They demand multiple epistemologies, theoretical orientations (e.g. construction, analysis or... View Details
- Sep 2007 - 2007
- Conference Presentation
Antecedents of Boundary Spanning in Cross-functional NPD Teams
By: James R. Dillon, Shikhar Sarin and Amy C. Edmondson
Boundary spanning has been shown in prior research to enhance innovativeness and performance of product development teams. In this study, we examine team conditions that foster boundary spanning behavior. We analyze survey data from 207 members of 54 cross-functional... View Details
- 2007
- Working Paper
Modularity, Transactions, and the Boundaries of Firms: A Synthesis
This paper constructs a unified theory of the location of transactions and the boundaries of firms. It proposes that systems of production can be viewed as networks of tasks. Transactions, defined as mutually agreed-upon transfers with compensation, are located... View Details
- 2007
- Working Paper
Interpersonal Authority in a Theory of the Firm
This paper develops a theory of the firm in which a firm's centralized asset ownership and low-powered incentives give a manager 'interpersonal authority' over employees (in a world with differing priors). The paper derives such interpersonal authority as... View Details
- 2007
- Chapter
Informational Complexity and the Flow of Knowledge across Social Boundaries
By: Lee Fleming, J. Rivkin and O. Sorenson
- 2006
- Article
The End of Nationality? Global Firms and 'Borderless Worlds'
By: G. Jones
This article provides a historical perspective to current debates whether large global firms are becoming "stateless" and whether this is a historically new phenomenon. It shows that a great deal of international business in the nineteenth century was not easily fitted... View Details
- June 2005
- Teaching Note
The Walt Disney Co.: The Entertainment King (TN)
By: David J. Collis
Teaching Note to (9-701-035). View Details
- April 2004 (Revised September 2007)
- Case
Accounting Fraud at WorldCom
By: Robert S. Kaplan and David Kiron
The principal players in WorldCom's accounting fraud included CFO Scott Sullivan, the General Accounting and Internal Audit departments, external auditor Arthur Andersen, and the board of directors. The case provides sufficient detail to allow for a full discussion of... View Details
- January 2003 (Revised January 2007)
- Case
Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
By: Allen S. Grossman, Jane Wei-Skillern and Kristin Lieb
In 2002, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, the recognized world leader in the breeding and training of guide dogs, was in the midst of broadening its reach and providing additional mobility services. Chief Executive Geraldine Peacock was concerned that systemic... View Details
- March 2001 (Revised January 2009)
- Case
Walt Disney Company, The: The Entertainment King
By: Michael G. Rukstad, David J. Collis and Tyrell Levine
The first ten pages of this case are comprised of the company's history, from 1923 to 2001. The Walt years are described, as is the company's decline after his death and its resurgence under Eisner. The last five pages are devoted to Eisner's strategic challenges in... View Details
- July 1995 (Revised October 1995)
- Background Note
Electronic Commerce: Trends and Opportunities
By: Lynda M. Applegate and Janis Lee Gogan
In a 1966 Harvard Business Review article, Felix Kaufman implored general managers to think beyond their own organizational boundaries to the possibilities of interorganizational systems (IOS)--networked computers that enable companies to share information and... View Details
- 1991
- Chapter
The Boundaries of the Firm
- May–June 1991
- Article
Transcending Business Boundaries: Twelve Thousand World Managers View Change
By: R. M. Kanter