Big Four - Publications - Faculty & Research

January 1996 (Revised February 1998)
Case

Japan's Automakers Face Endaka

In April 1995, the Japanese yen hit a post-World War II high against the U.S. dollar. The yen's relentless ascent affected firms on both sides of the Pacific, but fell particularly hard on Japan's big four automakers. This case explores how endaka--or"high... View Details

Keywords: Currency Exchange Rate; Competitive Strategy; Trade; Foreign Direct Investment; Macroeconomics; Manufacturing Industry; Auto Industry; Japan

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20 Dec 2010
Research & Ideas

Panama Canal: Troubled History, Astounding Turnaround

A favorite topic of historians and palindrome fans alike, the Panama Canal has perpetually changed the international trade business. In their new book, The Big Ditch: How America Took, Built, Ran, and Ultimately Gave Away the Panama Canal... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Transportation

24 Jan 2023
Research & Ideas

Passion at Work Is a Good Thing—But Only If Bosses Know How to Manage It

expectations in the minds of prospective employees.” With these suggestions in mind, passion need not be an obstacle. "A big tenet of my research is understanding that the pursuit of passion is more difficult and challenging than what... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

2009
Article

Feeling the Heat: The Effects of Performance Pressure on Teams' Knowledge Use and Performance

By: Heidi K. Gardner

Why do some teams fail to use their members' knowledge effectively, even after having correctly identified each other's expertise? This paper identifies performance pressure as a critical barrier to effective knowledge utilization in teams. I theorize that performance... View Details

Keywords: Experience and Expertise; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Performance Effectiveness; Performance Expectations; Groups and Teams

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22 Apr 2019
Research & Ideas

Why Salespeople Struggle at Leading

people. That’s a big transition that many people can’t make.” Source: Harvard Business School Working Knowledge It’s a problem that can permeate any layer of a business—a star performer is tapped to become a manager, then flops on the... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

January 2013 (Revised March 2016)
Case

The Private Company Council

By: Karthik Ramanna and Luis M. Viceira

Financial Accounting Foundation chairman Jack Brennan is under pressure from private-company interests to set up a new body—the Private Company Council—to determine separate GAAP for private companies. PCC advocates—including the US Chamber of Commerce—argue that... View Details

Keywords: FASB; Lobbying; Political Economy; Accounting; Government and Politics; Leadership; Financial Markets; Accounting Industry; Financial Services Industry; Public Administration Industry

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08 Aug 2005
Research & Ideas

Decision Rights: Who Gives the Green Light?

extraordinarily difficult and controversial management task." And therein lies a big problem, because how effective an organization is at making high-quality decisions consistent with its mission and objectives, the experts note, is... View Details

Keywords: by Peter Jacobs

08 Sep 2014
Research & Ideas

The Strategic Way To Hire a Sales Team

equivalent of the entire sales force must be replaced at many firms every four years or so. And the time frame shrinks if and when companies increase revenue targets. So while strategy should drive search and selection, the exigencies of... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

13 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

Merck CEO Ken Frazier Discusses a COVID Cure, Racism, and Why Leaders Need to Walk the Talk

just one of four Black CEOs leading a Fortune 500 company. Frazier is also outspoken, having resigned from President Trump’s American Manufacturing Council to make a clear statement against “hatred, bigotry and group supremacy” that... View Details

Keywords: by Staff; Pharmaceutical

24 Nov 2015
Research & Ideas

Developing Your Next CEO for the Family Business

Page and MacLennan didn’t need to enact big changes at Cargill and so they weren’t tested in this way. In your succession plans, I recommend that you initially consider all four options. Don’t presume that... View Details

Keywords: Re: Andi Wang; Retail; Auto

March 2021
Teaching Plan

The Black New Venture Competition

By: Karen G. Mills, Jeffrey J. Bussgang, Martin A. Sinozich and Gabriella Elanbeck

Black entrepreneurs encounter many unique obstacles when raising capital to start and grow a business, some stemming from deep systemic discrimination. During their second year at Harvard Business School (HBS), MBA students Kimberly Foster and Tyler Simpson decided to... View Details

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23 May 2017
First Look

First Look at New Ideas and Research: May 23, 2017

difficult to understand and implement. We introduce the 4 Minds framework as a practical tool for understanding and applying the science of decision-making in the marketplace. We synthesize previous research on decision-making into four... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

14 Oct 2013
Research & Ideas

Blockbuster! Why Star Power Works

agencies; and even nightclubs, among other industries. The idea: Invest big money in a few top talents or brands—think Jay-Z, LeBron James, or Marvel Comics—to create buzz for a "tent-pole" product that produces most of a... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Entertainment & Recreation

28 Oct 2020
Blog Post

Keep Your Weary Workers Engaged

Nohria and colleagues suggests that people are guided by four basic emotional needs, or drives, that are the product of our common evolutionary heritage. These four drives—the “ABCD” of human motivation—are:... View Details

Keywords: All Industries

08 Dec 2020
Blog Post

Keep Your Weary Workers Engaged

Nohria and colleagues suggests that people are guided by four basic emotional needs, or drives, that are the product of our common evolutionary heritage. These four drives—the “ABCD” of human motivation—are:... View Details

Article

Meaning and Momentum in the Integrated Reporting Movement

By: Robert G. Eccles, Michael P. Krzus and Sydney Ribot

In this summary of their recently published book, the authors provide an update of the state of the integrated reporting (or ) movement, whose aim is to persuade companies to provide fuller disclosure of material nonfinancial (or "ESG") factors and how they are... View Details

Keywords: Integrated Reporting; Integrated Corporate Reporting

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23 Mar 2009
News

The Myth of the Lone Star: Why One Top Performer May Not Shine as Brightly as You Hope

21 Nov 2018
Blog Post

Harvard Square's Hidden History

environs. I played impromptu tour guide and pointed out four of my favorite historic sites around the Square – many of which HBS students pass by each day: Anderson Memorial Bridge Hundreds of HBS students cross daily over the Anderson... View Details

11 Sep 2000
Research & Ideas

Riding the Internet Fast Track

Take a seat and hold on tightly. You're aboard the Internet Express, where speed is the order of the day and profit but a remote destination. For firms that ride the rails of the Internet's fast track, getting big fast—whatever its... View Details

Keywords: by Peter Jacobs

February 2009 (Revised February 2011)
Case

"Lather, Rinse, Repeat": FeedBurner's Serial Founding Team

By: Noam T. Wasserman and Eric Olson

"Is this the right time or is it still too early?" Dick Costolo wondered as he reflected on the latest acquisition offer. He had been building FeedBurner with his three co-founders for almost four years and was staring at the details of an acquisition offer from... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Exit or Shutdown; Decision Choices and Conditions; Entrepreneurship; Negotiation Offer; Groups and Teams

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