Publications

11 Jun 2020
In Practice

Are Digital Organizations Better at Overcoming COVID?

industry. That said, technology will be most powerfully utilized during the pandemic by those firms who apply it organization-wide to create more nimble, efficient organizations, more capable of managing the factors of production (e.g.,... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

03 Feb 2003
Research & Ideas

Web Services

ten years. That's a new model for the software industry—think about a ten-year-old PC and what utility value it has—it's a boat anchor. But there are lot of ten-year-old cars that will need service and support." "I would argue... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Service

19 May 2015
First Look

First Look: May 19

dominance, with income. Given familiar functional form assumptions on utility and the distributions of ability and preferences, a simple statistic for the effect of preference heterogeneity on marginal tax rates is derived. Numerical... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

February 2013 (Revised December 2015)
Case

Groom Energy Solutions: Selling Efficiency

By: Michael W. Toffel, Kira R. Fabrizio and Stephanie van Sice

Groom Energy Solutions helps organizations reduce their energy use and costs through the implementation of energy efficiency measures, which create long-term financial and environmental benefits. With early success serving customers in the cold storage and industrial... View Details

Keywords: Groom Energy Solutions; Jon Guerster; Salem, MA; Energy Management; Energy Efficiency Paradox; Sustainability Management; Manufacturing; Cold Storage; Commercial Real Estate; Enterprise Smart Grid; Carbon Accounting; LED Lighting; Sustainability Research; Entrepreneurship; Environmental Entrepreneurship; Energy Entrepreneurship; Energy Services; Electricity; Startup; Expansion; Growth; Sustainability; Business Startups; Forecasting and Prediction; Energy Conservation; Revenue; Geographic Location; Human Resources; Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Operations; Service Delivery; Strategic Planning; Science; Environmental Sustainability; Climate Change; Society; Social Issues; Technology Adoption; Energy Industry; Green Technology Industry; Technology Industry; Utilities Industry; United States; Boston

24 Sep 2014
Research & Ideas

The Business of Climate Change

On Sunday, 300,000 activists took to the streets of New York for the People's Climate March, the biggest climate protest in history, and the United Nations on Tuesday held the Climate Summit. In the spirit of Climate Week, we present insights from members of the... View Details

Keywords: Re: Multiple Faculty; Energy; Utilities

07 Aug 2015
Research & Ideas

Obama’s Clean Power Plan: Can Nuclear Power Beat the Global Threat of Coal?

This week, President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency released the final version of the Clean Power Plan, a major set of rules and incentives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from America's power plants. The plan requires each state to meet a... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Energy; Utilities

10 Jul 2009
Research Event

Business Summit: The Coming World Oil Crisis

Editor's Note: This is a summary of an HBS Business Summit presentation. View a full summary and video of the event on the HBS Centennial Web site linked below. Date of Event: October 13, 2008 Moderator: Richard H.K. Vietor, HBS faculty Speakers: John Hess, Chairman... View Details

Keywords: Re: Richard H.K. Vietor; Utilities; Utilities

26 Jun 2009
Research Event

Business Summit: Business and the Environment

Editor's Note: This is a summary of an HBS Business Summit presentation. View a full summary and video of the event on the HBS Centennial Web site linked below. Date of Event: October 13, 2008 Moderator: Forest Reinhardt, HBS faculty Speakers: Jim Barry, Chief... View Details

Keywords: Re: Forest L. Reinhardt; Utilities; Utilities

20 Aug 2007
Research & Ideas

HBS Cases: Using Investor Relations Proactively

How should a company deliver financial news—both good and bad—to a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including investors, customers, government, and environmentalists? Energy giants Total and BP have learned best practices through trial and error, and are among the first... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Utilities; Utilities

March 2014
Case

LGBT Issues at Exxon Mobil Corporation

By: Joseph L. Badaracco and Matthew Preble

In late September 2013, Exxon Mobil Corporation announced that it would begin offering benefits to the spouses of its employees in same-sex marriages. This short supplement touches upon what led Exxon Mobil to this decision, some insights into its previous relationship... View Details

Keywords: Human Capital; Welfare; Human Resources; Utilities Industry; United States

February 2003 (Revised March 2003)
Case

Large Scale Change at The WSSC

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Corey B. Hajim

Describes the organizational transformation occurring at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), a public utility. Faced with the possibility of privatization after decades of providing service in the absence of competition or performance pressures, the... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Mission and Purpose; Change Management; Restructuring; Privatization; Resignation and Termination; Utilities Industry

August 2000
Case

Manila Water Company (B)

By: Michael Beer and Elizabeth Weldon

On August 1, 1997 the Manila Water Co. took control of the east zone of the newly privatized Manila Metropolitan Water and Sewerage System (MWSS). At the time of privatization, MWSS was an inefficient, ineffective, and corrupt government agency. MWC must develop the... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Horizontal Integration; Privatization; Problems and Challenges; Utilities Industry