Publications

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06 Jun 2011
Research & Ideas

Why Leaders Lose Their Way

In recent months several high-level leaders have mysteriously lost their way. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former head of the International Monetary Fund and a leading French politician, was arraigned on charges of sexual assault. Before that David Sokol, rumored to be... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

11 Apr 2023
Op-Ed

The First 90 Hours: What New CEOs Should—and Shouldn't—Do to Set the Right Tone

weeks: Prepare the groundwork. Before you step into the job on Day One, you should already know as much about the position and the organization as possible. If you’re appointed from outside the organization, ask to extend your start date... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch

30 Sep 2002
Research & Ideas

Your Crisis Response Plan: The Ten Effective Elements

Organizations inevitably face crises, but few are well prepared to deal with them. The following elements summarize the findings of research and experience about what it takes to respond effectively in crisis situations. The accompanying... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Watkins

02 Apr 2020
What Do You Think?

What Are Lessons for Leaders from This Black Swan Crisis?

Eddisonphotos SUMMING UP In What Ways Will the Pandemic Stimulate Research in Leadership? Preparation for Black Swan events, to the extent that it is even possible, has to be balanced against the demands for short-term results. It may be... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

05 Jul 2006
Research & Ideas

The Accidental Innovator

Companies spend many hundreds of billions of dollars on R&D each year, but the microwave oven was conceived from a melted candy bar, saccharin from an accidental chemical spill, and the Daguerre photo process via a shattered thermometer. Accidents happen—and we're... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert

04 Feb 2019
Book

Green Businesses Are Incredibly Difficult to Make Profitable. Try It Anyway

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Green Technology; Energy

04 Apr 2011
HBS Case

Reinventing the National Geographic Society

Teaching a case study on the National Geographic Society for the first time, HBS professor David A. Garvin walks out to the middle of the horseshoe-shaped classroom and asks his students, "How many of you have familiarity with National Geographic magazine?"... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Publishing

September 1994 (Revised June 2017)
Case

Chemalite, Inc. (B): Cash Flow Analysis

By: Robert Simons and Antonio Davila

Students are asked to use actual and pro forma financial statements to prepare a statement of cash flows under both the direct and indirect method. View Details

Keywords: Cash Flow Analysis; Strategy Execution; Management Control Systems; Analysis; Cash Flow; Financial Statements

02 May 2019
Sharpening Your Skills

How To Ask Better Questions

follow-up questions improves your life and increases emotional intelligence. Looking in the Mirror: Questions Every Leader Must Ask Leading a team? These 7 questions can help managers and leaders address almost any challenge. Four Questions Fundraisers Must be View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz

04 Jul 2005
What Do You Think?

How Can Business Schools Be Made More Relevant?

general lost their relevance? Are they preparing graduates in useful ways for careers in management? If there is room for improvement, can it be achieved within the "academy," where business schools seem to be caught in a... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

2007
Book

Negotiation Genius

By: Deepak Malhotra and M. H. Bazerman

Whether you've “seen it all” or are just starting out, Negotiation Genius will dramatically improve your negotiating skills and confidence. Drawing on decades of behavioral research plus the experience of thousands of business clients, the authors take the mystery out... View Details

Keywords: Experience and Expertise; Negotiation Preparation; Negotiation Process; Negotiation Tactics; Behavior

Find at Harvard

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February 2024
Case

Compass Pathways: Pioneering Psychedelic Treatment

By: Tiona Zuzul, Kisha Lashley and Gamze Yucaoglu

This case follows Compass Pathways, a pioneering company developing treatment for depression based on psilocybin, the compound found in ‘magic mushrooms.’ Psilocybin was a federally illegal substance in the U.S., and a “Schedule I” drug, defined as a drug “with no... View Details

Keywords: Commercialization; Corporate Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Product Launch; Health Testing and Trials; Research and Development; Laws and Statutes; Pharmaceutical Industry; Europe; United States; United Kingdom

September 2000
Background Note

Financial Statement and Ratio Analysis

By: Paul M. Healy and Jacob Cohen

Prepares students for financial ratio analysis. View Details

Keywords: Business Education; Financial Statements; Theory

November 1978 (Revised June 1985)
Case

Hanson Industries (B)

By: William J. Bruns Jr. and Julie H. Hertenstein

Provides a complete description of the processes used in preparing a budget (annual operating plan). Starting with basic product line decisions, management prepares a budget that integrates production and marketing within constraints of financial feasibility. The... View Details

Keywords: Production; Negotiation; Marketing; Financing and Loans; Budgets and Budgeting; Planning

18 Nov 2022
HBS Case

What Does It Take to Safeguard a Legacy in Asset Management?

Last year, the pioneering Black-owned global asset management firm Brown Capital Management found itself at a crossroads. The secret to its success had been a deliberately diverse hiring strategy, but with the looming retirement of its founder, safeguarding those... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Financial Services

May 1998
Case

Octane Service Station

By: David F. Hawkins

The owner of a gas station must prepare financial statements. View Details

Keywords: Practice; Financial Statements

May 1995 (Revised August 2008)
Background Note

Intercorporate Equity Investments

By: David F. Hawkins

Discusses accounting for intercorporate equity investments and the preparation of consolidated financial statements. View Details

Keywords: Cost Accounting; Investment; Financial Statements

April 2020 (Revised October 2020)
Case

Unilever's Response to the Future of Work

By: William R. Kerr, Emilie Billaud and Mette Fuglsang Hjortshoej

In February 2020, Nick Dalton, executive vice president HR business transformation at Unilever, reflected on the changing nature of work marked by rapid advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation. Launched in 2016, Unilever’s Future of Work... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Human Capital; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Structure; Transformation; Human Resources; Consumer Products Industry; Europe