Publications

October 2019 (Revised October 2019)
Background Note

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Trends in China K-12

By: John J-H Kim, Haibo Zhao and Shu Lin

This note provides a brief survey of the major entrepreneurial and innovation trends in China’s K-12 education landscape, using trends in public policy as background, but focusing on opportunities available for the private market. The note first provides a brief... View Details

Keywords: Innovation; Innovation ＆ Entrepreneurship; Education; Entrepreneurship; Innovation and Invention; Education Industry; China

16 Feb 2004
Research & Ideas

HBS Center Focuses on Europe

as well. Q: What business trends are you noticing? Dessain: Currently European companies are focusing a lot of effort on sustainable development and other environmental concerns. ERC is supporting Professor Estelle Cantillon in View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia Churchwell

December 2016 (Revised May 2018)
Module Note

Strategy Execution Module 15: Using the Levers of Control to Implement Strategy

By: Robert Simons

This module reading pulls together key concepts and techniques from the Strategy Execution series into an integrated model—the levers of control. The four levers are: (1) belief systems, (2) boundary systems, (3) diagnostic control systems, and (4) interactive control... View Details

Keywords: Management Control Systems; Implementing Strategy; Execution; Levers Of Control; Balancing Innovation And Control; Managing Growing Businesses; Turn Around Management; Human Behavior; Organizational Life Cycle; Strategy; Management Systems; Performance; Measurement and Metrics; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Behavior

August 2018
Article

Growth Through Heterogeneous Innovations

By: Ufuk Akcigit and William R. Kerr

We build a tractable growth model where multi-product incumbents invest in internal innovations to improve their existing products, while new entrants and incumbents invest in external innovations to acquire new product lines. External and internal innovations generate... View Details

Keywords: Endogenous Growth; Innovation; Citations; Scientists; Entrepreneurs; External; Internal; Patents; Innovation Strategy; Entrepreneurship; Economic Growth; Research and Development; Science

February 2013
Article

Sustaining Innovation When Outsourcing Components in Multi-technology, Multi-component Systems

By: Ian Mackenzie and Casimer DeCusatis

Firms producing multi-technology, multi-component systems are increasingly outsourcing selected components to achieve both reduced cost and enhanced innovation benefits. Given typical inter-dependence between innovation at the system and component levels, an important... View Details

Keywords: Innovation; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Alignment; Innovation and Invention; Information Technology Industry

May 2013 (Revised May 2014)
Case

Innovation at the Boston Consulting Group

By: Robert G. Eccles, Das Narayandas and Penelope Rossano

This case is about how the Boston Consulting Group has approached innovation from its founding to the present day. It discusses the role of the firm's talent market and client market in developing these innovations. View Details

Keywords: Innovation; Strategy Consulting; Professional Service Firm; Knowledge Management; Client Management; Product Development; Leadership; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customer Value and Value Chain; Independent Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Innovation Leadership; Innovation Strategy; Value Creation; Consulting Industry

2021
Working Paper

Enabling Mission Impact: Funding Strategies for High-Risk High-Reward Innovation

By: Carolyn J. Fu, Lars Frolund and Fiona Murray

Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Research and Development

September 2017 (Revised January 2018)
Case

Innovation at Parker Hotels

By: Srikant M. Datar and Caitlin Bowler

In this case students explore challenges changing demographics and preference pose to global hotel brands. Students then use human-centered design tools to generate concepts hoteliers might embrace to win over Millennials who tend to seek out local over global options. View Details

Keywords: Innovation; Innovation and Invention; Problems and Challenges; Demographics; Strategy; Accommodations Industry

Article

Firms, Crowds, and Innovation

By: Teppo Felin, Karim R. Lakhani and Michael L. Tushman

The purpose of this article is to suggest a (preliminary) taxonomy and research agenda for the topic of “firms, crowds, and innovation” and to provide an introduction to the associated special issue. We specifically discuss how various crowd-related phenomena and... View Details

Keywords: Crowdsourcing; Innovation; Open Innovation; Organization Theory; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Organizations; Theory; Strategy

Teaching Interest

Innovation

By: Goran Calic

Entrepreneurial and Intrapreneurial Innovation is the process of attempts to develop and introduce new and improved ways of doing things—which is the process of innovation or “applied creativity”. This course focuses on covering different stages of the applied... View Details

November 2016 (Revised December 2016)
Module Note

Strategy Execution Module 14: Managing Strategic Risk

By: Robert Simons

This module reading provides an overview of the business conduct boundaries, strategic boundaries, and internal control systems used to manage risk. Boundary systems—linked to clear, enforceable sanctions—are essential whenever demanding performance goals are set and... View Details

Keywords: Management Control Systems; Implementing Strategy; Strategy Execution; Boundary Systems; Innovation; Internal Controls; Fraud; Human Behavior; Staff Experts; Strategy; Risk Management; Behavior; Governance Controls; Management Practices and Processes; Boundaries; Employees; Business Strategy; Innovation and Invention

July 2004
Article

Overcoming Focusing Failures in Competitive Environments

By: Lorraine Chen Idson, Dolly Chugh, Yoella Bereby-Meyer, Simone Moran, Brit Grosskopf and Max H. Bazerman

Keywords: Failure; Competition

June 2023
Article

Gaining Organizational Adoption: Strategically Pacing the Deployment of Digital Innovations

By: Rebecca Karp

Scholars have long suggested that to foster adoption for their innovative products and services, entrepreneurs should engage with customers to better understand their unmet needs. Yet, customers frequently reside in organizations, and organizational members may not be... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship And Strategy; Digital Innovation; Healthcare; Work And Organizations; Organizational Adoption; B2B; Customers; Technology Adoption; Innovation Strategy; Organizational Change and Adaptation

2010
Journal Article

Competitiveness: Business Model Reconfiguration for Innovation and Internationalization

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Joan E. Ricart

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on competitiveness by using the business model concept and to understand the need to adapt business models to changes in the environment. View Details

Keywords: Modeling Innovation; Business Improvement; Spain; Competitive Strategy; Business Model; Change; Globalization; Innovation and Invention; Situation or Environment; Competition

Teaching Interest

Strategy

By: Goran Calic

Strategic management focuses on the concept of strategy analysis, formulation, and implementation by exploring the functions and nature of general management. The course serves as an opportunity to develop skills for strategic thinking and analysis, leadership,... View Details

2006
Working Paper

Architectural Innovation and Dynamic Competition: The Smaller "Footprint" Strategy

By: Carliss Y. Baldwin and Kim B. Clark

May 2013 (Revised March 2014)
Case

Strategy and the Strategist

By: Eric Van den Steen

This short case presents a series of brief accounts, observations, and quotations that challenge students to think about the role of the CEO — and of the CEO's (possibly strong) beliefs and convictions — in strategy. It focuses in particular on three issues and their... View Details

Keywords: Belief Systems; Strategic Analysis; Competitive Advantage; Values; Vision; Strategy And Leadership; Strategy; Leadership; Values and Beliefs

December 2022
Article

I Don't 'Recall': The Decision to Delay Innovation Launch to Avoid Costly Product Failure

By: Byungyeon Kim, Oded Koenigsberg and Elie Ofek

Innovations embody novel features or cutting-edge components aimed at delivering desired customer benefits. Oftentimes, however, we observe the need to recall new products shortly after their introduction. Indeed, a firm may rush an innovation to market in an attempt... View Details

Keywords: Innovation Management; Innovation And Strategy; Product Development Strategy; Product Introduction; Quality Control; Product Recalls; Game Theory; Market Timing; Innovation Strategy; Product Launch; Product Development

February 2014
Case

Diageo: Innovating for Africa

By: David E. Bell, Damien P. McLoughlin and Mary L. Shelman

Diageo, the world's leading premium drinks business, had a long history in Africa starting from its beer brand, Guinness, first exported to Sierra Leone in 1827. By 2013, 13% of Diageo's global revenues were from Africa, up from 9% in 2007. Diageo Africa President Nick... View Details

Keywords: Africa; Emerging Market; Innovation; Agribusiness; Beverage Industry; Emerging Markets; Innovation Strategy; Marketing; Food and Beverage Industry; Africa