Publications

26 Jun 2023
Research & Ideas

Want to Leave a Lasting Impression on Customers? Don't Forget the (Proverbial) Fireworks

Thousands of visitors flock to Disney World every day to immerse themselves in all kinds of exciting experiences—a cruise on the Pirates of the Caribbean; a visit to the China pavilion at EPCOT; a meet-and-greet with a favorite princess. For many guests, however, the... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Entertainment & Recreation

Web

United Fruit Company Photograph Collection - Photography Collections - Historical Collections

mahogany. Also recorded is evidence of hardships and damage suffered from floods, windstorms, and fire. These corporate documents capture a way of life in company towns and villages—from construction and running of railroads and wharves to daily scenes in company-built... View Details

18 Jul 2023
News

The First Five Years: Brooke Biederman (MBA 2019)

What inspired you to launch Forby Entertainment Partners? I started working on film and TV shoots in New York City during college. My first boss, an executive producer, recommended Edward Jay Epstein’s book, The Hollywood Economist: The Hidden Financial Reality Behind... View Details

Keywords: Robert Bochnak

31 May 2023
HBS Case

From Prison Cell to Nike’s C-Suite: The Journey of Larry Miller

View Video Editor's note: Watch the video in "full screen" mode for the best viewing experience. Before shaping one of the world’s largest sports brands, Nike executive Larry Miller spent years of his youth and early adulthood behind bars for several crimes, including... View Details

Keywords: by Jamal Meneide; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation

Web

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

sick pay, disability benefits, and stock purchase plans, Western Electric workers could participate in a range of recreational and educational programs from running meets, tennis games, and baseball leagues to lunchtime concerts, beauty... View Details

09 Dec 2002
Research & Ideas

Unilever—A Case Study

This article considers key issues relating to the organization and performance of large multinational firms in the post-Second World War period. Although foreign direct investment is defined by ownership and control, in practice the nature of that "control"... View Details

Keywords: by Geoffrey Jones; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation; Entertainment & Recreation

Rosabeth M. Kanter

Rosabeth Moss Kanter holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship at Harvard Business School, specializing in strategy, innovation, and leadership for change. Her strategic and practical insights guide leaders worldwide through teaching, writing, and direct... View Details

16 Apr 2024
News

Netflix Enters Its Dan Lin (MBA 1999) Era

Dan Lin arrives at the Netflix's AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER World Premiere held at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on Thursday, February 15, 2024. (Photo By Sthanlee B. Mirador/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images) The Hollywood Reporter recently published a profile of... View Details

22 Mar 2024
Research & Ideas

Open Source Software: The $9 Trillion Resource Companies Take for Granted

to replace the free human labor behind open source platforms, the researchers calculated the estimated cost for an individual to recreate the software packages by measuring the number of lines of code. The team calculated how many hours... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Computer; Information Technology; Technology

June 2020
Case

Big Hit Entertainment and Blockbuster Band BTS: K-Pop Goes Global

By: Anita Elberse and Lizzy Woodham

Bang Si-Hyuk (‘Hitman Bang’) is the founder and co-chief executive officer of Big Hit Entertainment, the company behind BTS, a ‘K-pop’ band that has found unparalleled success around the globe—a remarkable feat given that most of their songs are in Korean. It is March... View Details

Keywords: Music; Entertainment; Superstars; Talent; Talent Development; Labor Economics; General Management; Music Entertainment; Media; Talent and Talent Management; Labor; Contracts; Marketing; Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

18 Mar 2013
HBS Case

HBS Cases: LEGO

Although it isn't part of the admissions criteria, experience playing with LEGOs can come in handy at Harvard Business School. When Stefan H. Thomke teaches his new case about the iconic toy company, he gives students eight-studded LEGO building bricks to figure out... View Details

Keywords: by Maggie Starvish; Entertainment & Recreation

March 2023
Case

MrBeast: Building a YouTube Empire

By: Anita Elberse and Oliver Band

Wednesday November 16, 2022 was a historic day in the ascent of Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, to the top echelon of YouTube creators. That day he became the YouTuber with the most subscribers ever—a total of 112 million. The meteoric rise of the 24-year-old... View Details

Keywords: Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Power and Influence; Internet and the Web; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

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

01 Mar 2024
News

In My Humble Opinion: Role Model

One of four daughters of Pakistani immigrants, Salma Qarnain (MBA 2002) grew up in the midwestern “I” states of Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana before attending Stanford University. “It was my first experience feeling happy and comfortable in a place that had diversity,”... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; acting; theater; diversity; career path; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Arts, Entertainment

August 2015 (Revised June 2021)
Case

Amazon.com, 2021

By: John R. Wells, Benjamin Weinstock, Gabriel Ellsworth and Galen Danskin

In February 2021, Amazon announced 2020 operating profits of $22,899 million, up from $2,233 million in 2015, on sales of $386 billion, up from $107 billion five years earlier (see Exhibit 1). The shareholders expressed their satisfaction (see Exhibit 2), but not all... View Details