Publications

Register to Read

27 Jun 2016
Research & Ideas

These Management Practices, Like Certain Technologies, Boost Company Performance

the shop floor. The second concerned the ways in which firms used that data in meetings and how they set targets, from upper management to frontline workers. The third had to do with human resources, looking at how workers were hired,... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

06 Oct 2008
Research & Ideas

Updating a Classic: Writing a Great Business Plan

that they are on the right track. I explain that I would need to get to know them and their opportunity much better than what is possible in an e-mail and that the written document is not as important as the people writing it. It's not... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

December 2024
Case

Yum China: People First

By: David E. Bell, Shu Lin and Nancy Dai

Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China Holdings, Inc., which operated KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell in mainland China, oversaw KFC’s milestone as the first Western quick-service chain in China to surpass 10,000 stores, with Pizza Hut exceeding 3,000 locations. This expansion was... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Franchise Ownership; Performance Efficiency; Expansion; Employees; Food and Beverage Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; China

20 Sep 2010
Research & Ideas

Power Posing: Fake It Until You Make It

shows that simply holding one's body in expansive, "high-power" poses for as little as two minutes stimulates higher levels of testosterone (the hormone linked to power and dominance in the animal and human worlds) and lower... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna

Blog

What Can You Do to Foster Gender Equity?

recruiting need to change? Is some aspect of the culture inhospitable to women? Are they facing barriers to advancement? Set an inclusive, equitable tone. Call out biased speech or behavior when you see it and make it clear that everyone... View Details

March 2022 (Revised May 2022)
Case

Winning Business at Russell Reynolds (A)

By: Ethan Bernstein and Cara Mazzucco

In an effort to make compensation drive collaboration, Russell Reynolds Associates’ (RRA) CEO Clarke Murphy sought to re-engineer the bonus system for his executive search consultants in 2016. As his HR analytics guru, Kelly Smith, points out, that risks upsetting–and... View Details

21 Mar 2019
HBS Case

The Ferrari Way

“If you drive a Ferrari, you put premium petrol in the tank, you hit the motorway, and you step on the gas.” —Soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic That purring engine. The buttery soft leather. Those sleek curves. The essence of a Ferrari transcends any one particular design... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Auto

01 Sep 2023
News

Returning to the Roots

It’s not a role he sought or expected. But when his brother died of a brain tumor late last year, Florent Latour (MBA 1999) became CEO of Maison Louis Latour, a winemaker established in 1797 in the Burgundy region of France. The 11th generation of his family to lead... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; wine; entrepreneurship; family business; innovation; climate change; Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing; Manufacturing

01 Nov 2020
Research & Ideas

Good Leadership Is an Act of Kindness

"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." —Henry James As a professor of business administration in the Organizational Behavior Unit at the Harvard Business... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Susan Seligson

March 2000
Case

Lockheed Martin: The Employer of Choice Mission

By: Clayton M. Christensen and Michael D Overdorf

A Lockheed Martin manager is faced with the decision of where to focus the organization's resources in order to develop a world-class employee development system. The manager's recommendation will serve as the basis for the company's goal of becoming an Employer of... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Culture; Resource Allocation; Decision Choices and Conditions; Employees; Human Resources; Leadership Development; Cost Management; Organizational Design; Aerospace Industry

24 Aug 2017
Cold Call Podcast

Does Le Pliage Help or Hurt the Longchamp Luxury Brand?

Keywords: Re: Jill J. Avery; Fashion

17 Nov 2023
Blog Post

HBS Veteran Spotlight: Rex Willis (MBA 2024)

rewarding. Although physical assets such as ships and planes are vital, I quickly recognized that humans are the most important asset that the military has. Because of that, I dedicated a tremendous amount of time to their professional... View Details

February 2015 (Revised May 2017)
Case

Delhaize Group: Developing Leaders

By: Boris Groysberg and Sarah L. Abbott

Delhaize Group, the Belgian-based global food retailer, was focused on competing in the food retailing industry by developing leading positions in key markets via localized retailing strategies. Delhaize was committed to offering its customers superior value while... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Organizational Alignment; Talent Management; Leadership Development; Globalized Firms and Management; Human Capital; Talent and Talent Management; Corporate Strategy; Organizational Culture; Retail Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Belgium

October 2016
Case

Yili Group: Building a Global Dairy Company

By: William C. Kirby and Nancy Hua Dai

From its humble beginnings as a local Chinese dairy company, the Inner Mongolia Yili Group has become one of the largest dairy companies in the world. To achieve this, Yili has aggressively expanded its footprint overseas including building the world’s largest... View Details

September – October 2011
Article

Manage the Culture Cycle

By: James L. Heskett

Organizational culture—the shared assumptions, values, and behaviors that determine "how we do things around here"—can be measured and shaped. In organizations with large numbers of customer-facing employees, it can account for up to half of the difference in operating... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Culture; Value; Behavior; Retention; Customer Focus and Relationships; Change Management; Learning; Innovation and Invention; Labor

12 Jan 2022
Blog Post

How I Spent My HBS 2+2 Deferral: Cecil Alfaro-Mora

apply. Preparing for the GMAT was something I could easily incorporate into my daily study routine. Many people who take the GMAT years after leaving school might find it challenging to recover the studying skills and habits needed to... View Details

August 2023 (Revised September 2023)
Case

Zegna

By: Rohit Deshpandé, Dante Roscini and Elena Corsi

In 2023, the Italian luxury Zegna brand, traditionally known for formal menswear, was refocusing towards leisure wear, following a recent consumer trend. Such a move exposed the brand to more competition, in a segment where perhaps its made-in-Italy feature was less of... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Product Marketing; Product Positioning; Luxury; Competition; Fashion Industry; Italy