Publications

May 2011 (Revised June 2011)
Case

The Crisis at Tyco - A Director's Perspective

By: Suraj Srinivasan and Aldo Sesia

In 2002, Wendy Lane had been a member of the board of directors at Tyco International a little more than a year when the company's CEO Dennis Kozlowski and other top executives were accused of fraud, which ultimately led to resignations, imprisonments, lawsuits, and... View Details

Keywords: Management Teams; Reputation; Governing and Advisory Boards; Crisis Management; Accounting Audits; Problems and Challenges; Risk Management; Finance; Managerial Roles; Lawsuits and Litigation; Service Industry; United States

09 May 2021
Blog Post

Meet the MoMBAs – Persisting Through a Difficult Year

On this Mother’s Day, as we reflect on the past year, the impacts of COVID-19 on working mothers deserve our attention. I have heard many people equate the COVID-19 pandemic to a period of wartime: View Details

26 Jul 2004
Research & Ideas

A Better Way to Negotiate: Backward

sequencing choices. With whom should you speak first? Whom next? Rules of thumb such as "allies first" or "negotiate internally, then externally" are unreliable guides. Yet a more... View Details

Keywords: by James K. Sebenius

01 Mar 2006
News

A New Path for Alumnae

caregivers and because of a perceived difference in earning power. Even among HBS grads, who puts a career on hold is often economically determined. What are some on-ramping tips? It’s essential to clarify... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg; Educational Services; Educational Services

12 Oct 2017
News

Fighting Poverty One Neighborhood at a Time

in developing a holistic approach to building strong, economically diverse neighborhoods, often from the ground up. When he joined the organization in 2012, Majors brought experience in business development, community relations, and... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg

19 Jan 2021
In Practice

Leadership Advice for Biden: Restore a Sense of Calm

embodies all of these traits, both in who they are as leaders and in the policy agenda they’re likely to usher through a more functional Congress. I expect them to be stewards of View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

03 Jun 2016
News

Again in a Great City

Above: Cummings in the iconic Fisher Building, known as “Detroit’s largest art object.” Cummings and his partners are redeveloping the 28-story landmark. A trip through downtown Detroit with Peter Cummings... View Details

Keywords: April White; photographed by Brian Kelly

07 Mar 2007
Research & Ideas

How Do You Value a “Free” Customer?

research is starting to look at customers whose value is not as readily apparent, and where CLV calculations break down. In a recent working paper, Harvard Business School professor Sunil Gupta calls them... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Web Services

03 Mar 2003
Research & Ideas

The Ingredients of a Deal Disaster

Chinese Business, "The Chinese perceive contracts as too rigid to take new circumstances into account. Hence, there is no stigma to changing the terms of an agreement after it has been signed." That approach often frustrates... View Details

Keywords: by Ron S. Fortgang, David A. Lax & James K. Sebenius

23 Feb 2009
Research & Ideas

Creative Entrepreneurship in a Downturn

formation, and innovation. He is also a partner of the international management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where he is a leader of its Innovation practice. Chakravorti has advised over 30... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

Blog

Inside the Learning: The Impact of a Personal Case

Every executive who applies to the HBS Advanced Management Program (AMP) is likely facing some business challenges that keep them up at night. Issues on their mind might be anything from a tough strategic... View Details

29 Sep 2003
Research & Ideas

Pride Goeth Before a Profit

not a recommendation to manufacture a false enthusiasm to gloss over problems. Speaking about and to employees' pride has to be authentic; employees will quickly sniff out managerial insincerity, and the... View Details

Keywords: by Theodore Kinni

23 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

The Gulf: It’s a Family Affair

A conversation with John Davis, author of "Challenges Facing Family Companies in the Gulf Region" Family Business Review, vol XIII, no. 3, September 2000. Q: Where does family business take you? Davis: I've been in this field... View Details

Keywords: by Wendy Guild & Andrea Schulman

30 Jan 2020
Research & Ideas

The Upside of Highlighting a Product's Downsides

interest rate than you expected, or some other negative surprise when the bill shows up,” Buell says. “It kind of stings you.” Transparent messaging didn’t matter as much to customers acquired through a... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

September 2015 (Revised March 2016)
Case

Intuit: Turbo Tax PersonalPro - A Tale of Two Entrepreneurs

By: Shikhar Ghosh, Joseph Fuller and Michael Roberts

The case provides a vehicle for teaching about both corporate intrapreneurship and the use of lean startup methods. It tells the story of a product manager within Intuit who develops an idea for a new product that spans two of the company's existing business... View Details

Keywords: Business Units; Business or Company Management; Applications and Software; Accounting; Product Development; Financial Services Industry

January 2015 (Revised September 2017)
Case

Omar Selim: Building a Values-Based Asset Management Firm (A)

By: George Serafeim, Rebecca Henderson and Shannon Gombos

The sustainable investing market was a recent phenomenon in the first decade of the 21st century. However, an increasing number of investors began to integrated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues in investment decisions. At Barclays Capital, Omar Selim... View Details