Publications

May 2017 (Revised September 2018)
Case

Hilti Fleet Management (A): Turning a Successful Business Model on Its Head

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Oliver Gassmann and Roman Sauer

This case explores the introduction of fleet management in the construction industry by the premium power tools manufacturer Hilti in 2000. Following its customers’ needs, Hilti moved from selling power tools to leasing them as a service. The introduction of the new... View Details

January 1984 (Revised April 1987)
Case

Turning Around Alcan Europe (A): Patrick Rich's First Four Months as CEO-Europe

Faced with large losses in Alcan Aluminum (Europe), Patrick Rich takes the position of area general manager and slashes capital budgets, introduces new financial controls, and sets up mechanisms for increasing cooperation among the national subsidiaries. The focus is... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Multinational Firms and Management; Manufacturing Industry; Europe

01 Oct 2001
What Do You Think?

Will Information Technology Really Turn Organizations Upside Down This Time?

First, as Greg Waldrip points out, let's get things in perspective. These are only means to carry out a strategy after goals are determined, all in a supportive management environment. Dennis Crane concurs, adding that "Information technology should only View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

21 Apr 2023
Research & Ideas

The $15 Billion Question: Have Loot Boxes Turned Video Gaming into Gambling?

Players have long been able to buy virtual items with real money in video games, such as special weapons and features. But Nintendo raised the ire of parents and regulators in 2018 when it added so-called loot boxes—a virtual lottery for in-game items—to its... View Details

Keywords: by Scott Van Voorhis; Video Game; Media & Broadcasting

13 Nov 2000
Research & Ideas

Managing to Learn: How Companies Can Turn Knowledge into Action

(Illustration: Dave Cutler) After a decade of extraordinary growth, Nike faced slowing sales in the early 1980s because the normally market-wise company had missed a major turn in the road. Reebok had introduced softer and more... View Details

Keywords: by Laurie Joan Aron

2025
White Paper

Governors Reshaping Workforce Development: Turning WIOA Challenges into Workforce Solutions

By: Joseph B. Fuller, Kerry McKittrick, Nathalie Gazzaneo, Ariel Higuchi, Justine Gluck, Zoe Butler, Jack Porter and Malena Dailey

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants Governors significant authority to shape their state workforce systems. Yet, little research explores how they use those powers to strengthen their economies and expand access to employment and training.... View Details

Keywords: Government Administration; Policy; Training; Employment

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April 2024
Case

Cyrus: Turning a Traditional Business Model on Its Head (A)

By: James Heskett

The loss of the lease at their Michelin-starred Cyrus 1.0 in Sonoma County, California gives the partners an opportunity to shut down and rework a “broken” business model, one with labor intensive experiences six or seven nights a week, high burnout, high... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Retention; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leasing; Work-Life Balance; Strategic Planning; Loss; Profit; Working Conditions; California

August 2007 (Revised May 2008)
Case

Rebuilding the New Orleans Public Schools: Turning the Tide? (Abridged)

After Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Public School System is faced with rebuilding from the ground up. The challenge is enormous, as is the opportunity to remake the lowest-performing public school system in Louisiana and one of the lowest-performing in the nation.... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Transformation; Entrepreneurship; Business and Community Relations; Business and Government Relations; Natural Disasters; Conflict and Resolution; Education Industry; New Orleans

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October 2023
Case

Leading Transformation at IHCL

By: Krishna G. Palepu, V.G. Narayanan and Malini Sen

In November 2017, Puneet Chhatwal, took charge as MD and CEO of IHCL, popularly referred to as the Taj Hotels. Despite being India’s largest hospitality company by market capitalization and respected for its values and service, IHCL had made losses for the last seven... View Details

Keywords: Turn Around Management; Hospitality Industry; Brand Management; Financial Strategy; Business Model; Restructuring; Asset Management; Leadership Style; Crisis Management; Brands and Branding; Product Positioning; Segmentation; Asia; India

2014
Other Unpublished Work

Turning a Profit While Doing Good: Aligning Sustainability with Corporate Performance

By: George Serafeim

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April 2024
Supplement

Cyrus 3.0: Turning a Traditional Business Model on Its Head (B)

By: James Heskett

The objective of improved work-life balance is achieved. However, it prompts a discussion of whether management should take on special events during what is now a long weekend in order to improve the bottom line even more. The case raises questions about other... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Work-Life Balance; Strategic Planning; Profit

January 1985
Case

Turning Around Alcan Europe (B): Patrick Rich's Two Years as CEO-Europe

Traces the efforts of Patrick Rich, CEO of Alcan Europe, to bring the company into a stable, profitable situation after having lost $120 million in 1982. Focuses on a wide variety of issues, including setting objectives and strategies for the region, creating... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Strategic Planning; Organizational Structure

23 Mar 2023
Research & Ideas

As Climate Fears Mount, More Investors Turn to 'ESG' Funds Despite Few Rules

Investor interest in social responsibility has skyrocketed in the past three years, even as US regulations to hold companies accountable remain in flux and the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) label itself draws backlash. Investors are willing to pay a... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Financial Services

March 27, 2015
Article

The Sales Director Who Turned Work into a Fantasy Sports Competition

By: Ethan Bernstein and Hayley Blunden

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2019
Article

Turning Lead into Gold: How Do Entrepreneurs Mobilize Resources to Exploit Opportunities?

By: David R. Clough, Tommy Pan Fang, Balagopal Vissa and Andy Wu

The mobilization of resources is a central and defining feature of entrepreneurship. As the body of empirical research on entrepreneurial resource mobilization has grown, the literature has become increasingly fragmented. We review the literature on entrepreneurs’... View Details

Keywords: Resource Mobilization; Entrepreneurship; Organizations; Theory; Research; Strategy; Opportunities

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