Publications

July 2011
Case

Shifting the Diversity Climate: The Sodexo Solution

By: David A. Thomas and Stephanie J. Creary

This case profiles the evolution of Sodexo's diversity initiative. Diversity became a key priority for Sodexo, North America in 2001 after a class-action lawsuit was filed and certified in Washington, D.C. against Sodexo Marriot Services, Inc., the food services... View Details

Keywords: Diversity; Business Strategy; Globalization; Management Teams; Gender; Race; Ethnicity; Age; Food and Beverage Industry; North America; Washington (state, US)

29 May 2013
Blog Post

A self-discovery journey

“Close your eyes. Concentrate on your breath, take a pen and start writing” – Tim Butler says. This is my future, 5, 10 years from now. I am in an office round table, with the team I am leading. 6 to 8 crucial people. We draw our... View Details

Michael L. Tushman

Michael Tushman holds degrees from Northeastern University (B.S.E.E.), Cornell University (M.S.), and the Sloan School of Management at M.I.T. (Ph.D.). Tushman was on the faculty of the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University, from 1976 to 1998 where he was... View Details

July 2013
Case

Slicing Pie with a Razor: Ockham Technologies' Founding Agreement

By: Noam Wasserman and Yael Braid

Ockham Technologies' three founders are about to craft their founding agreement and split the equity among themselves. Uncertainty lingers over each member's future contributions, though—how is the team to devise a durable and effective split? Jim Triandiflou and Ken... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Conflict Management; Governing and Advisory Boards; Employees; Management Teams; Product Development; Technology Industry

02 Jul 2012
News

MBAs Without Borders: Experience In Emerging Markets Gives Graduates An Edge

29 Jul 2014
First Look

First Look: July 29

Working Papers Learning from the Kursk Submarine Rescue Failure: The Case for Pluralistic Risk Management. By: Mikes, Anette, and Amram Migdal Abstract—The Kursk, a Russian nuclear‐powered submarine, sank in the relatively shallow... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

24 Oct 2018
Sharpening Your Skills

Startup or Established Company? Which Is Best for You?

corporation behind me when things weren’t working out. The impact of a bad decision or process was much greater with no safety net.” – Karen Young, CEO and founder, Oui Shave Startup with limited leadership experience. View Details

Keywords: by Julia B. Austin

30 Nov 2016
News

Improving On-the-Fly Teamwork in Health Care

November 1993 (Revised November 1994)
Case

Molding the Impossible: the NYPRO/Vistakon Disposable Contact Lens Project

By: Clayton M. Christensen

NYPRO, Inc., one of the world's leading manufacturers of plastic injection-molded products, is asked by the Vistakon Division of Johnson & Johnson to manufacture molds that Vistakon will use to produce disposable contact lenses. The required dimensional tolerances for... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Engineering; Management Practices and Processes; Product Development; Production; Groups and Teams; Manufacturing Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry

20 Feb 2020
Blog Post

Know Your Audience – Recruiting HBS Students for Technology

The “Know Your Audience” series on the HBS Recruiting Blog highlights trends in recruiting for various industries. Learn more about student interest, effective recruiting strategies, and best practices from HBS staff dedicated to your industry. Meet the View Details

Keywords: Technology

01 Apr 2020
Blog Post

The Product Design Sprint - 5 Things I Learned in Launch Lab 1

whiteboards and sticky notes, to interview customers, and design prototypes. Utilizing the process that Jake was teaching us, we were able to do all these things in a guided and efficient way that led each of our teams to make a lot of... View Details

27 Nov 2006
Research & Ideas

Manly Men, Oil Platforms, and Breaking Stereotypes

are more willing to make themselves vulnerable in team interactions by, for example, admitting mistakes or seeking help. Thus, platform conditions that made the work context psychologically safe likely... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Energy; Utilities

October 2001
Case

Meg Whitman and eBay Germany

By: Linda A. Hill and Maria Farkas

After acquiring the German online auction company Alando.de, eBay CEO Meg Whitman and her team must integrate Alando's Web site with the company's existing platform. The acquisition is the first step of eBay's journey to become a global trading platform. In addition to... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Integration; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Globalized Markets and Industries; Germany

21 Jun 2021
News

Return-to-Office: A New Competitive Strategy

Career Coach

Deborah Resnick

navigating challenging team dynamics and/or role transitions. Work Experience: Effective Engine Group (Founder); McKinsey & Company (Consultant, Director of Professional Development); Clorox; BC Natural... View Details

Keywords: Consulting; Consumer Products; Retail

May 2024 (Revised April 2025)
Case

Leading Culture Change at Microsoft Western Europe

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Cat Huang

In 2023, Cindy Rose, President of Microsoft Western Europe, faced a critical decision. Rose grappled with the potential impact of widespread layoffs on psychological safety and the cultural transformation she had championed since her arrival. When Rose had first joined... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Organizational Culture; Transformation; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Problems and Challenges; Motivation and Incentives; Groups and Teams; Business or Company Management; Technology Industry; Europe