Publications

March 9, 2023
Article

Linking Growth and the Frontline

By: Frank V. Cespedes, Jay Galeota and Michael Wong

Most strategies are about growing the business. But about one quarter of companies do not grow at all and, even before the pandemic, only one in eight achieved more than 10% revenue growth annually, according to data from S&P Global regulatory filings. One reason is a... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Customer Focus and Relationships; Competency and Skills

Read Now

May 2021 (Revised June 2021)
Case

Zoom Video Communications vs. Microsoft Teams

By: Andy Wu

In June 2021, Zoom executives prepared for competition in the post-pandemic world. Zoom‘s breakthrough success in the previous year put the company in a position to set up many new opportunities going forward. At the same time, its success attracted competitors like... View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Competition; Growth and Development Strategy

July 2018
Teaching Note

Cumplo.com

By: Frank V. Cespedes

Teaching Note for HBS No. 818-039. Teaching Note for HBS No. 818-039. Cumplo is a Chilean-based fin-tech startup that provides investors and small businesses with opportunities to access loans and investments in ways distinct from traditional financial institutions in... View Details

Keywords: Fintech; Alternative Finance; Crowdfunding; Crowdlending; Marketing Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Social Entrepreneurship; Expansion; Financial Services Industry; Latin America; South America; Chile

February 2018 (Revised January 2020)
Supplement

Ant Financial (C)

By: Feng Zhu, Ying Zhang, Krishna G. Palepu and Anthony K. Woo

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Global Strategy; Finance; Opportunities

April 2016 (Revised February 2018)
Teaching Note

Riot Games: Can Culture Survive Growth?

By: Boris Groysberg and Michael Norris

This teaching note gives instructors a guide for a discussion of Riot Games, a fast growing videogames firm with a strong, player-centric culture. It also offers references to research on culture that will allow students to decide whether or not Riot Games’ culture... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Culture; Growth and Development Strategy; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Video Game Industry

July 2004 (Revised January 2007)
Case

H&R Block and "Everyday Financial Services"

By: Peter Tufano and Daniel Schneider

H&R Block, the U.S. market leader in tax preparation services, must decide whether to offer financial services to its low-income clients. H&R Block is facing increased competition from branded and nonbranded tax preparers, and the number of returns prepared by the... View Details

Keywords: Financial Management; Income; Taxation; Product Development; Financial Services Industry; United States

November 1999 (Revised March 2001)
Case

Russell Reynolds Associates, 1999

By: Tarun Khanna, Krishna G. Palepu and Rakesh Khurana

The president and CEO of Russell Reynolds examined the company's expansion strategy, especially in emerging markets. He evalulates how quickly the company should open new offices abroad and in which countries. View Details

Keywords: Global Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Emerging Markets; Expansion; Consulting Industry

September 1996
Case

Silicon Graphics, Inc. (B)

By: Marco Iansiti and Alan D. MacCormack

After the release of the "Challenge" computer in 1993, Silicon Graphics executives meet to discuss the follow-up project. Should they pursue an incremental improvement to the Challenge, or opt for a radically new design recently demonstrated at Stanford University? View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Technological Innovation; Management Practices and Processes; Product Development; Hardware; Computer Industry

1993
Book

The Rise of Multinationals in Continental Europe

By: G. Jones and Harm Schroter

This book examines the historical growth of Continental European multinationals over the previous 100 years. It includes new research on the evolution of multinational firms in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden and oter countries, and the book... View Details

Keywords: Multinational Firms and Management; Growth and Development; Books; Research; France; Germany; Netherlands; Sweden; Switzerland

Find at Harvard

July 1996
Case

Bayside Controls, Inc.

By: H. Kent Bowen, Jennifer Kochman and Sylvie Ryckebusch

Two recent MBA graduates acquire a small and ailing metal-machining company that had manufactured small aerospace components. Through clever application of state-of-the-art manufacturing, engineering, and marketing/sales concepts, they turned the company into a growing... View Details

Keywords: Business Earnings; Leveraged Buyouts; Machinery and Machining; Leading Change; Growth and Development Strategy; Marketing Strategy; Production; Personal Development and Career; Sales; Aerospace Industry

11 Dec 2007
First Look

First Look: December 11, 2007

managing tension between co-founders, and outsourcing system development work. The abridged version does not include the introduction and final sections of the full case in order to give case-writing... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

January 2011
Case

Shar Matin (A)

By: David A. Thomas and Elisa Farri

The head of the subsidiary of a US company faced the decision to present an aggressive growth plan despite his CFO's lack of support. View Details

Keywords: Business Subsidiaries; Decision Choices and Conditions; Globalized Firms and Management; Leadership; Growth and Development Strategy; Management Teams; United States

Find at Harvard

29 Sep 2020
News

A Righteous Path

organization to meet this growing need means managing growth—recruiting talent, developing office culture, finding room for everyone to sit, and, of course, fundraising to sustain the work—all while staying... View Details

Keywords: Social Assistance; Health, Social Assistance

01 Jun 2016
News

@Soldiers Field

Photo courtesy of Harvard Business School Former Baker Scholar and Bain consultant Chad Losee (MBA 2013) succeeded Dee Leopold (MBA 1980) as managing director of MBA admissions and financial aid in March. “My goal as Dee’s successor,”... View Details

01 Sep 2011
News

Coming Full Circle

but about a more general situation. That’s very powerful.” Sameer Srivastava (MBA 1999) was already a partner at Monitor Group when he felt the call to shift gears. “The itch that didn’t get scratched as a management consultant was the... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

Web

Research Resources | Baker Library

management records, 1940–1996. Legal and Patent Records, 1905–2007 (Series II) Patent application files, legal office administrative files, patents, material gathered for legal trials, and records related to the landmark patent... View Details

01 Sep 2009
News

Building Your Own Dream Team

first tome, Never Eat Alone. But while the earlier book offers a blueprint for developing relationships with 10,000 people, this one focuses on finding the three people who will change your life. He calls these lifeline relationships —... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne; Publishing Industries (except Internet); Information

04 Sep 2019
News

Accelerating Scientific Discovery

development of a course that could enhance decision making by providing participants with the knowledge and skills to better manage, fund, and commercialize scientific discoveries that could potentially cure illnesses ranging from... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Gillespie

June 2005 (Revised October 2005)
Case

Coach Roy Williams: What Next? (A)

By: Thomas J. DeLong, Christoper Chang and Scott Schweitzer

Roy Williams, head coach of the Kansas University Men's Basketball Team, was facing a major decision. The recent resignation of the coach at the University of North Carolina (UNC) had lead to speculation that Williams, a UNC alumnus, would be named as its new coach.... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Resignation and Termination; Job Offer; Leading Change; Management Succession; Performance Improvement; Personal Development and Career; Sports; Kansas; North Carolina