Complex Technical Systems - Publications - Faculty & Research

14 Apr 2009
First Look

First Look: April 14, 2009

these settings. In this paper we set out to accomplish both tasks by investigating the implementation of a lean production system at an Indian software services firm. Combining a detailed case study and empirical analysis we document the... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

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Advisory Board - Entrepreneurship

of the entrepreneurial process – starting companies with technical teams, providing and raising capital with venture capitalists, buying and selling companies, or taking them public and closing down unsuccessful companies. He has been a... View Details

10 May 2010
Research & Ideas

What Top Scholars Say About Leadership

world's foremost scholars in fields ranging from psychology to economics, sociology, and history. “Leadership is based on complex phenomena." -Rakesh Khurana As Khurana explains below, leadership—what it means, why it matters—is an... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Education

04 Feb 2002
Research & Ideas

How To Do Business in Islamic Countries

The business scene in the Islamic world may be as complex as its 1.3 billion people, but one rule is nevertheless quite straightforward for Westerners who want to do deals. "One thing you do not bring up is the Palestinian-Israeli... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

July 2008 (Revised March 2010)
Case

McDonald's Plan to Win (A)

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Karla Ingrid Gravis and Annette Kristine Rodriguez

As of 2007, McDonald's had made significant progress on its “Plan to Win,” and the company was rewarded by reaching an all-time high share price. However, McDonald's competitors had expanded beyond the typical fast food giants, such as Wendy's and Burger King, as... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Competitive Strategy; Complexity; Supply and Industry; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

Citation

Educators

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Entrepreneurial Management Curriculum - Faculty & Research

must have a bias for action. TEM teaches you how to decompose such complex situations, identify critical choices confronting the enterprise, and make high-risk/high reward decisions with limited data. Andrews, Kenneth. The Concept of... View Details

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Symposium - Race, Gender & Equity

systemic pressures related to our theme: race, capitalism and democracy. We aimed to host a thoughtful conversation about these themes, the crises we are facing today, and how we, as a community of scholars and thoughtful practitioners... View Details

07 Jul 2023
Blog Post

Harvard Innovation Labs: Where Passion and Purpose Meet

and connected community.” Segneri explains that being part of this environment gives students and alumni from HBS and Harvard University’s 12 other schools access to a wide range of support systems and resources, as well as the... View Details

04 Nov 2014
First Look

First Look: November 4

Geibel wondered what he and Ron Johnson, whom he hired and teamed up with to re-envision the Systems group within Disney Animation, could do to improve the flow and the efficiency of the organization's increasingly View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

12 Sep 2022
Research & Ideas

When Experts Play It Too Safe: Innovation Lessons from a NASA Experiment

for the US space agency’s Astrobee system in 2018. Entries proposed solutions to technical issues with a robotic arm for Astrobee, a free-flying robot that handles inventory, documents astronauts’... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Aerospace

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Social Enterprise - Faculty & Research

lives of people and their societies. Rather, some organizations would be better off measuring shorter-term outputs or individual outcomes. Funders such as foundations and impact investors are better positioned to measure systemic impacts.... View Details

09 Jan 2020
Book

Rethinking Business Strategy in the Age of AI

reservation. With Marriott, it’s a manual system with software sprinkled in to make human processes more effective. But Airbnb is fundamentally digital. And that means every human bottleneck is pushed out. You have algorithms matching... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

16 Feb 2010
Research & Ideas

The Outside-In Approach to Customer Service

various pieces of electronics, they would instead be bombarded with technical specifications. Furthermore, most women sought installation help from store staff but were turned away. Best Buy responded by reengineering the design of its... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Consumer Products

28 Apr 2015
Blog Post

3 Reasons Engineers Thrive at Business School

brainstorming and idea generation. I am also often able to be the “voice” for other functions, such as Manufacturing and R&D, during case discussions. Guy: Being an engineer helps in several way in the classroom and at HBS in general. The engineering training gives... View Details

05 Apr 2004
Research & Ideas

Six Ways to Build Trust in Negotiations

described the limitations of their current system and gave an overview of their needs and expectations. After the presentation, a dialogue opened up between the executives and the prospective bidders. Representatives from consulting firm... View Details

Keywords: by Deepak Malhotra

27 Aug 2013
First Look

First Look: August 27

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization Simplification and Saving By: Beshears, John, James J. Choi, David Laibson, and Brigitte C. Madrian Abstract—The daunting complexity of important financial decisions can lead to... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

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General Management Curriculum - Faculty & Research

General Management Overview Faculty Curriculum Awards & Honors Doctoral Students MBA Required Curriculum (FIRST YEAR) Leadership and Corporate Accountability In this course, students learn about the complex responsibilities facing... View Details

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Impact of the New Medium - Edwin H. Land & Polaroid | Harvard Business School

destination. In order to establish greater connection with their customers, the company decided to distribute directly to dealers. Those selling Land Cameras quickly learned the benefits of a system that could take a photograph and... View Details

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Understanding Health Systems, Payors, and Regulation - Health Care

Impact Understanding Health Systems, Payors, and Regulation Health Minute: The Real Impact of Coupons on Drug Pricing Nabihah Sachedina Joint Degree 2013 More “Health Systems” stories Faculty Focus Delivering value in a health care system... View Details

14 Jan 2019
Op-Ed

These 4 CEOs Created a New Standard of Leadership

Clinic’s historic mission of putting patients first. He prioritized Mayo’s focus on the most complex diseases patients faced, using its research to develop new treatments for many diseases. He reorganized Mayo into a single View Details

Keywords: by Bill George; Health; Banking; Food & Beverage; Consumer Products

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