Publications

September 13, 2023
Article

The Myth of the CEO as Ultimate Decision Maker

By: Nitin Nohria

Chief executives are responsible for guiding corporations, so the role inevitably requires making many decisions. But people overestimate the level of personal involvement CEOs have in this process. Instead of making decisions, CEOs tend to shape decisions, by... View Details

Keywords: Problem Solving; Delegation; Leadership Style; Decision Making; Time Management; Power and Influence

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March 1998 (Revised July 2001)
Case

Haier Group (B), The

By: Lynn S. Paine and Robert J. Crawford

Describes the decision made in response to the (A) case as well as subsequent developments. View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products Industry; China

March 2007 (Revised April 2007)
Case

McDonald's Corporation: Managing a Sustainable Supply Chain

By: Ray A. Goldberg and Jessica Droste Yagan

McDonald's seeks to learn from a successful response to Greenpeace's Amazon deforestation campaign in order to make its supply chain more socially and environmentally responsible. View Details

Keywords: Food; Supply Chain Management; Multinational Firms and Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Management Systems; Food and Beverage Industry

06 Apr 2007
What Do You Think?

Will Market Forces Stop Global Warming?

Clearly, my effort to frame the discussion around just the third question failed. As George Olsen said, "A lot of the people posting to this discussion appear to have missed the point." But responses have prompted me to wonder... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett; Energy; Utilities

02 Dec 2019
What Do You Think?

How Does a Company like Boeing Respond to Intense Competitive Pressure?

in understanding between departments staffed with employees whose responsibilities and training vary widely? Inherent organizational conflict takes many forms—for example, between home office staff (“who don’t understand how the business... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Air Transportation

Feb 2013
Survey

Competitiveness at a Crossroads

Second in the series of U.S. Competitiveness surveys, Harvard Business School gleaned responses from nearly 7,000 alumni and more than 1,000 members of the general public. The survey not only provides an updated view of the U.S. business... View Details

April 2021 (Revised June 2021)
Supplement

Balancing Act: Deborah Lovich (B)

By: David G. Fubini and Patrick Sanguineti

This case provides updates on Deborah Lovich's decision and how she navigated her work and family responsibilities over the following decade. View Details

Keywords: Work/life Balance; Work/family Balance; Work-Life Balance; Family and Family Relationships; Personal Development and Career

August 2011 (Revised December 2013)
Supplement

Albert 'Jack' Stanley in Nigeria (B)

By: Lena G. Goldberg and Chad M. Carr

The case describes Albert "Jack" Stanley's response to actions initiated against him by the U.S. Department of Justice and the SEC. View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Moral Sensibility; Law; Value; Nigeria; United States

January 2015 (Revised October 2015)
Case

Trouble at Tessei

By: Ethan Bernstein and Ryan W. Buell

In 2005, Teruo Yabe is asked to revive Tessei, the 669-person JR-East subsidiary responsible for cleaning its Shinkansen ("bullet") trains. Operational mistakes, customer complaints, safety issues, and employee turnover are at or near all-time highs, even as the... View Details

Keywords: Service Management; Employee Engagement; Employee Motivation; Leadership And Managing People; Quality Improvement; Efficiency; Japan; Operational Transparency; Employee Coordination; Transparency; Leadership; Service Delivery; Service Operations; Employees; Quality; Transportation Industry; Japan

13 May 2021
News

Investment Management for the Carbon Potential Of Forests: David Brand, New Forests

August 2003
Case

Amy Kelly's 48-Hour Diary

The response of former Self-Assessment and Career Development student Amy Kelly to the "48-Hour Diary" assignment. View Details

Keywords: Personal Development and Career

Video

Vimal Shah

Vimal Shah, Co-Founder and Chairman of Kenya-based Bidco Africa, explains the ethical and economic basis for the group’s commitment to waste minimization, rejecting what he refers to as superficial Corporate Social Responsibility to instead foster opportunities across... View Details

November 1991 (Revised July 1995)
Case

Body Shop International

By: Christopher A. Bartlett

Describes the start-up and rapid growth of a company whose founder holds strong, non-traditional beliefs about the role of the corporation and its responsibility to society. After profiling Anita Roddick as a person, the case describes the anti-mainstream approach she... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Business Growth and Maturation; Leadership Style; Management Succession; Management Teams; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Values and Beliefs; Global Strategy; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

December 2010 (Revised January 2012)
Case

Zespri

By: Jose B. Alvarez and Mary Louise Shelman

Grower-owned Zespri is the sole exporter of New Zealand-grown kiwifruit outside of Australia and New Zealand. Facing growing international competition, Zespri invested in consumer branding and innovation, which has led to new types of kiwifruit that taste better and... View Details

Keywords: Plant-Based Agribusiness; Globalized Firms and Management; Innovation and Invention; Patents; Brands and Branding; Cooperative Ownership; Competition; Corporate Strategy; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; New Zealand

02 Oct 2019
What Do You Think?

What Grade Would You Give Walmart CEO Doug McMillon?

ammunition in response to shootings in and around Company stores. None of those giving him low marks indicated they would stop shopping at Walmart. But if these same responses are any indication, efforts by... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Retail

27 Mar 2014
Video

Responding to Different Interpersonal Styles

October 1993 (Revised November 1994)
Case

Becton Dickinson & Co.: Multidivisional Marketing Programs

By: Frank V. Cespedes

In response to a potential competitive inroad at a key account, managers at Becton Dickinson are considering a multidivisional marketing effort. View Details

Keywords: Marketing Communications; Accounting Audits; Management; Supply Chain Management; Organizations; Sales; Change Management; Health Industry