Publications

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Article

Management Practices, Relational Contracts and the Decline of General Motors

By: Susan Helper and Rebecca Henderson

General Motors was once regarded as one of the best managed and most successful firms in the world, but between 1980 and 2009 its share of the U.S. market fell from 62.6% to 19.8%, and in 2009 the firm went bankrupt. In this paper we argue that the conventional... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Design; Management Practices and Processes; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Manufacturing Industry; Auto Industry; United States

2008
Book

On Competition

By: M. E. Porter

Competition is one of society's most powerful forces for making things better in many ﬁelds of human endeavor. The study of competition and the creation of value, in their full richness, have preoccupied me for several decades. Competition is pervasive, whether it... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Practice; Competitive Strategy; Theory; Value Creation

Blog

Take Control of Your Personal Brand

others have perceived you in the past, how they perceive you in the present, and how they envision the person you will be in the future. So, if the idea of "developing your personal brand" seems too self-important, try thinking of it as "managing your reputation"—... View Details

Web

Online Business Courses & Certifications | HBS Online

Business Essentials Interpret data to inform business decisions, explore the economic foundations of strategy, and discover what’s behind the numbers in financial statements. Explore Subject 3 Courses Credential of Readiness (CORe)... View Details

Web

Latin America - Global

strategies, as well as emphasizing the critical role of middle managers as "champions of change" with the right incentives. Effective communication was highlighted as essential to this ongoing process, and companies were urged to begin... View Details

Web

Technology

Technology Support Services Technology Support Services (TSS) provides world-class technical support and services to the HBS community. We support the HBS mission by offering high-quality services that improve learning and productivity while minimizing downtime. Read... View Details

07 Jun 2023
HBS Case

3 Ways to Gain a Competitive Advantage Now: Lessons from Amazon, Chipotle, and Facebook

are going to limit how many people are going to be able to access your product, creating a natural barrier if you want to sustain your position.” In cases such as these, she says, it’s essential that companies seek out other markets or... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

16 Jan 2006
Research & Ideas

What Customers Want from Your Products

through the thin straw, addressing the boring-commute problem. They could consume it cleanly with one hand. By 10:00, they felt less hungry than when they tried the alternatives. It didn't matter much that it wasn't a healthy food, because becoming healthy wasn't View Details

Keywords: by Clayton M. Christensen, Scott Cook & Taddy Hall; Consumer Products

31 May 2007
Working Paper Summaries

Extremeness Seeking: When and Why Consumers Prefer the Extremes

Keywords: by John T. Gourville & Dilip Soman

01 Sep 2023
News

Money Does Grow on (Family) Trees

benevolent, educational, and religious, pecuniary profit not being the object,” according to its founding documents. Knowledge of one’s ancestors is considered essential in Mormonism; with the names of their relatives, the faithful can... View Details

Keywords: April White; Illustrations by Fabio Consoli; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information

May 18, 2020
Article

Create a Culture of Generosity and Communication in Your Family Business

By: Christina R. Wing and Rohit K. Gera

The phrase “family business” is made up of two very different words: “family,” which calls to mind warm, fuzzy feelings around love, joy, and support, and “business,” which is measured in money, profits, impact, and assets. We put the two words together, and often, use... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Organizational Culture; Communication

January 2022
Article

Artificial Intelligence, Data-Driven Learning, and the Decentralized Structure of Platform Ecosystems

By: David R. Clough and Andy Wu

Gregory, Henfridsson, Kaganer, and Kyriakou (2020) highlight the important role of data and AI as strategic resources that platforms may use to enhance user value. However, their article overlooks a significant conceptual distinction: the installed base of... View Details

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Data Strategy; Ecosystem; Value Capture; Digital Platforms; Analytics and Data Science; Strategy; Learning; Value Creation; AI and Machine Learning; Technology Industry; Information Technology Industry; Video Game Industry; Advertising Industry

2017
White Paper

Medical Knowledge Synthesis: A Brief Overview

By: Maryaline Catillon

The value of medical research derives from its ability to impact further research and medical practice. Medical knowledge synthesis, bridging the gap between current research, future research and medical practice, is a rapidly changing industry. The expanding mass of... View Details

Keywords: Systematic Review; Clinical Practice Guideline; Textbook; Point-of-care Resource; Health; Knowledge; Research; Practice; Health Industry

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January 2018 (Revised November 2018)
Case

Index

By: Jose Alvarez and Julia Kelley

In December 2017, Marc Freed-Finnegan and Jonathan Wall, the co-founders of retail technology company Index, had to discuss the company’s direction as they entered 2018. Five years earlier, Freed-Finnegan and Wall had founded Index after observing the technological... View Details

Keywords: Product Launch; Product Positioning; Sales; Strategy; Marketing Strategy; Retail Industry; Technology Industry

Educators

October 2016 (Revised September 2017)
Case

The CRISPR-Cas9 Quarrel

By: Richard G. Hamermesh and Matthew G. Preble

In mid-2016, the Broad Institute and the University of California, Berkeley were in the middle of a contentious patent dispute over which entity controlled a breakthrough gene editing technology called CRISPR-Cas9. With CRISPR-Cas9, scientists might soon be able to... View Details

Keywords: CRISPR; Broad Institute; University Of California Berkeley; Intellectual Property; Patents; Law; Lawsuits and Litigation; Science; Genetics; Entrepreneurship; Biotechnology Industry; United States

Educators

Article

What's Your Language Strategy?: It Should Bind Your Company's Global Talent Management and Vision

By: Tsedal Neeley and Robert Steven Kaplan

Language pervades every aspect of organizational life. Yet leaders of global organizations—where unrestricted multilingualism can create friction—often pay too little attention to it in their approach to talent management. By managing language carefully, firms can hire... View Details

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January 2025
Teaching Plan

Knowledge Transfer: Toyota, NUMMI, and GM

By: Willy Shih

Teaching Plan for HBS Case No. 625-003. New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) was a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors. It was an opportunity for GM to learn about the Toyota Production System, which was quite different from the mass production... View Details

Keywords: Culture Change; Organizational Culture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Joint Ventures; Transformation; Selection and Staffing; Knowledge Acquisition; Knowledge Sharing; Labor Unions; Management Systems; Performance Improvement; Production; Labor and Management Relations; Auto Industry; Japan; United States

2023
Article

Green Bargains: Leveraging Public Investment to Advance Climate Regulation

By: Jonas Meckling and Jesse Strecker

Climate policy has entered a new era as public investment is increasingly moving to center stage, including recovery spending and long-term climate investment plans. While essential for decarbonization, public investment is not enough – the carrots of investment need... View Details

Keywords: Government and Politics; Environmental Regulation; Climate Change; Policy; Motivation and Incentives