Publications

01 Nov 2019
Blog Post

Confronting Climate Change in the Classroom and Beyond

new technologies, operating models, and managerial mindsets. And business can't do this alone, we need government to provide incentives in some cases and remove disincentives in others. As climate change becomes more and more apparent, so... View Details

January 2011 (Revised November 2015)
Case

The National Geographic Society (A)

By: David A. Garvin and Carin-Isabel Knoop

In January 2010, John Fahey, president, CEO, and chairman of the board of trustees' executive committee of the Washington, D.C.-based National Geographic Society (NGS), must decide how best to organize the 121-year old mission-driven organization for a world of... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Information Publishing; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Growth and Development Strategy; Managerial Roles; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Internet; Publishing Industry

November 2010 (Revised November 2017)
Case

Washout: The Founders' Tale and the Investors' Tale

By: Lena G. Goldberg and Chad M. Carr

The competing narratives of the founders of Alantec, Inc. and the venture capitalists who funded the company are explored in the context of Kalashian v. Advent VI Ltd. a California Superior Court case. The founders of the company, which produced switches for computer... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Venture Capital; Governance Controls; Governing and Advisory Boards; Lawsuits and Litigation; Managerial Roles; Ownership Stake; Business and Shareholder Relations; Conflict and Resolution; Technology Industry

Profile

Michael Maples

grown up working on one of the original IBM PCs and writing video game software in high school. He went to Stanford and became even more involved with computers. His father, Mike Maples, Sr., was a successful IBM executive and a tough-minded View Details

August 1986 (Revised September 2004)
Case

Hanson Ski Products

By: William J. Bruns Jr. and Julie H. Hertenstein

At the end of the budget cycle, the manager must test whether plans are feasible given financing arrangements and constraints. Cash needs are great due to seasonality. Needed loans must be calculated at five separate dates, and financial position projected. This is a... View Details

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Capital Budgeting; Cash Flow; Financial Strategy; Activity Based Costing and Management; Financing and Loans; Managerial Roles; Credit; Insurance

21 Aug 2014
Blog Post

HBS Social Enterprise Initiative Visits NYC

get a peek into their day-to-day roles and the impact they are having. HBS Social Enterprise Summer Fellows: Urvesh Shelat, MBA 2015, arrived with a hardhat in hand for our breakfast with the HBS Club of New York, the fellowship sponsor... View Details

Keywords: Nonprofit / Government

01 Jun 2013
News

Collective Wisdom

idea is that there are some problems that require collective input and cumulative knowledge-building. Open-source communities are a very powerful way to get that done. We used to think that software had to be developed by lots of engineers working under a strict View Details

Keywords: crowdsourcing; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

July 2011
Teaching Note

Miles Everson at PricewaterhouseCoopers (TN)

By: Robert G. Eccles and Penelope Rossano

Teaching Note for 410062. View Details

Keywords: Partners and Partnerships; Employees; Financial Institutions; Opportunities; Networks; Managerial Roles; Experience and Expertise; Attitudes; Leadership; Service Industry; United States

September 1987 (Revised October 1987)
Background Note

The Job of the General Manager

By: James L. Heskett

Describes elements of the job of the general manager that are addressed in the Management Policy and Practice course at the Harvard Business School. These include: 1) establishing strategic direction, 2) setting goals and managing standards of performance, 3)... View Details

Keywords: Experience and Expertise; Policy; Recruitment; Working Conditions; Managerial Roles; Resource Allocation; Mission and Purpose; Performance Evaluation; Strategy; Value

01 Dec 2000
News

A Trusty Board

its board. "There needs to be a sense of the difference between the fiduciary responsibility of the board and the managerial responsibility of the paid staff," he says. While the role of MBAs as museum... View Details

Keywords: Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions; Arts, Entertainment

December 2000 (Revised January 2002)
Background Note

Incentives and Controllability: A Note and Exercise

By: Brian J. Hall

Describes three performance measures for "plants" or businesses: cost centers, revenue centers, and profit centers. Discusses what should be done if a function outside of the "controllability" of the manager affects the performance measure and therefore compensation. View Details

Keywords: Factories, Labs, and Plants; Cost; Profit; Revenue; Compensation and Benefits; Managerial Roles; Performance Evaluation; Motivation and Incentives

April 1999
Teaching Note

Dimensions of Technology Strategy: Managing Innovation: Overview Teaching Note for Module 5

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Provides instructors with an overview teaching note for the technology strategy module of the course. The cases in the module give students insights about several issues in technology strategy. These include: 1) Whether to be a technological leader or follower; 2)... View Details

Keywords: Investment; Investment Return; Innovation and Management; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Managerial Roles; Performance Improvement; Problems and Challenges; Research; Strategy; Technology