by Michael Beer - Publications - Faculty & Research

05 May 2020
Research & Ideas

China Tariffs and Coronavirus a Double Hit to American Retailers

The double-whammy of increased tariffs imposed by the United States on China and fallout from the coronavirus could make it even more difficult for American retailers to weather the storm in the coming months—or increase pressure on them... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

03 Jun 2002
Research & Ideas

How to Succeed With Your New Boss

assessments of you will take on additional importance. Your relationship with your new boss will be built through a series of conversations.— Michael Watkins Establishing How You Will Work Together It's essential to figure out how you and... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Watkins

01 Jun 2015
Research & Ideas

The Surprising Benefits of Oversharing

research studies by Harvard Business School faculty explore this brave new world of "oversharing" — asking what it means to organizations and to reputation when we decide to buck the trend and keep personal information, well,... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

July 2023 (Revised January 2025)
Teaching Note

Sian Flowers: Fresher by Sea?

By: Willy Shih and Michael W. Toffel

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19 Jul 2017
Research & Ideas

Why Government 'Nudges' Motivate Good Citizen Behavior

suitcases at the airport. But now agencies are finding that subtle “nudges” can motivate behavior much better than ads, fines, or deadlines. Nudges, or small changes to the context in which decisions are made, are the subject of a new analysis View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

14 Jan 2020
Research & Ideas

The Business Case for Becoming a Jack-of-All-Trades

that by becoming the world’s expert in a very narrow area.” If anything, people in businesses tend to be even more hyper-focused than academics, Nagle says, siloing R&D workers in very narrow research areas that give them a... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

11 Jun 2018
Research & Ideas

Why South Korea's Samsung Built the Only Outdoor Skating Rink in Texas

featuring music by the local symphony as 250,000 Christmas lights lit up the county courthouse. Then revelers could head to the Samsung Ice Skating Rink, the only outdoor venue of its kind in all of Texas—which also happened to be located... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Legal Services

December 2020 (Revised January 2022)
Supplement

Michael Ku and Global Clinical Supply at Pfizer Inc.: Bringing Hope to Patients (B)

By: Linda A. Hill and Emily Tedards

In 2011, Michael Ku became Pfizer’s Vice President of Global Clinical Supply (GCS) after the company had undergone three large-scale mergers and acquisitions. As Ku and his new leadership team set out to build a proactive, end-to-end, digital and physical clinical... View Details

Keywords: Digital Technology; Customer-centricity; Innovation; Customer Focus; Talent; Talent Management; Leadership; Innovation and Invention; Transformation; Organizational Culture; Customer Focus and Relationships; Change Management; Talent and Talent Management; Supply Chain; Mission and Purpose

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08 May 2020
In Practice

Nonprofits Hurt by COVID-19 Must Hoard Cash to Hold On

survey by the Charities Aid Foundation of America. A staggering 97 percent of respondents expect their funding to decline during the next 12 months as the struggling economy and social distancing hurts fundraising efforts. What can... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

25 Jan 2022
Research & Ideas

More Proof That Money Can Buy Happiness (or a Life with Less Stress)

control, allowing us to buy our way out of unforeseen bumps in the road, whether it’s a small nuisance, like dodging a rainstorm by ordering up an Uber, or a bigger worry, like handling an unexpected hospital bill, says Harvard Business... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

31 Oct 2023
HBS Case

Checking Your Ethics: Would You Speak Up in These 3 Sticky Situations?

behavior by colleagues—shortcuts in analysis, intoxication on the job, inappropriate relationships. In general, the question you must ask is whether the issue ultimately affects the work delivered to clients and whether it harms the... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Consulting

10 Nov 2014
HBS Case

How Restaurants in Lima and Copenhagen Became Best in the World

their businesses while staying true to their cultural roots. We sat down with Associate Professor Mukti Khaire, lead author of Noma: A Lot on the Plate; and Associate Professor Anat Keinan and Professor Michael I. Norton, authors of... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Food & Beverage

May 2020 (Revised January 2022)
Case

Michael Ku and Global Clinical Supply at Pfizer Inc.: Bringing Hope to Patients (A)

By: Linda A. Hill, Allison J. Wigen and Emily Tedards

Michael Ku joined Pfizer in 2011, after the company had undergone three large-scale mergers and acquisitions. His mission was to drive the digital transformation of the company’s clinical supply chain, but he knew he had to start with the culture. Over the next eight... View Details

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11 Aug 2014
HBS Case

The Business of Behavioral Economics

choices, those efforts should be enough to change your behavior. If you know the consequences but still get fat, you must want to be overweight. “Losing $100 is more painful than gaining $100 is pleasurable” Of course not, say Leslie John and View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Food & Beverage; Health

08 Dec 2003
Research & Ideas

Is That Really Your Best Offer?

like to think we can gauge someone's sincerity and commitment by the look in her eyes or the firmness of her handshake. After all, a bargainer who yields to a demand is said to have "blinked." And if we reach agreement, it's... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Wheeler

15 Nov 2004
Research & Ideas

Solving the Health Care Conundrum

services. Health plans will eliminate their restrictive networks, allowing members to choose in a competitive (and regional or even national) marketplace the providers that offer the best value for their condition. Plans will help patients make the best decisions View Details

Keywords: by Michael E. Porter; Health

08 Feb 2016
Research & Ideas

The Civic Benefits of Google Street View and Yelp

says Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Michael Luca. That may be about to change. Thanks to the Internet, mobile apps, and a wide range of useful programs online, residents add to the pool of information with every keystroke... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Consumer Products

04 May 2021
Book

Best Buy: How Human Connection Saved a Failing Retailer

the core of the near-miraculous turnaround Joly spearheaded at the company during the 2010s. Joly stepped in as CEO of Best Buy in 2012, just after its quarterly profits plummeted by 91 percent and its stock price hit a nine-year low.... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Retail