Publications

01 Oct 2014
What Do You Think?

Is Too Much Focus a Problem?

the product line, grow a business from its core competency, develop priorities and address the first two or three, and organize our time so that we can concentrate on complex issues without interruption. But... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

29 Aug 2005
Research & Ideas

How Organizations Create Social Value

people in Iberoamerica live in poverty. They have tried to improve their situation through government, civic society, and business philanthropy. But what if business could take this one step further? Companies could develop View Details

Keywords: by Manda Salls

October 2023
Case

Shredder Setups or Straightlining into Risk?: Investing in What You Love

By: Lauren Cohen and Grace Headinger

Bob Hall, President of Green Gables Partners, evaluated whether to angel invest into an up-and-coming ski brand. As the son-in-law of the founder of Vera Bradley and having retired from a lengthy career on Wall Street, Hall was well-versed in both direct investing and... View Details

Keywords: Family Office; Angel Investors; Direct Investment; Family Business; Business Growth and Maturation; Small Business; Financial Strategy; Personal Finance; Investment Portfolio; Private Equity; Decision Choices and Conditions; Risk and Uncertainty; Consumer Products Industry; Montana; United States

05 Nov 2007
Research & Ideas

The Changing Face of American Innovation

The contributions made by immigrant scientists and engineers for developing new U.S. technologies have been formidable—but not always well described. What we do know: While the foreign-born account for just... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Technology

13 Jan 2021
Research & Ideas

How 'Small C' Change Can Beat Large-Scale Rebuilding

to success. The recent Champions League victory of FC Bayern Munich under new head coach Hansi Flick illustrates this powerful lesson. The dynamics of a comeback: A view from inside By making the historic treble of winning the Champions... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg, Sascha L. Schmidt, and Sebastian Flegr; Sports

2022
Article

Reversible Power-to-Gas Systems for Energy Conversion and Storage

By: Gunther Glenk and Stefan Reichelstein

In the transition to decarbonized energy systems, Power-to-Gas (PtG) processes have the potential to connect the existing markets for electricity and hydrogen. Specifically, reversible PtG systems can convert electricity to hydrogen at times of ample power supply, yet... View Details

Read Now

June 2002 (Revised August 2002)
Case

"One Country, Two Systems"? Italy and the Mezzogiorno (A)

By: Bruce R. Scott and Jamie Matthews

GDP per person in northern Italy caught up with average incomes in Britain, France, and Germany in the 1970s, but incomes in southern Italy (the Mezzogiorno) fell further behind. This was partly due to cultural and societal differences that dated to the Renaissance,... View Details

Keywords: History; Development Economics; Crime and Corruption; Social Issues; Economy; Government and Politics; Macroeconomics; Italy

Web

Wyss House | About

with a Swiss company run by four doctors who had developed a new process to help bones heal more quickly and with better results. In 1977 Wyss became president of Synthes USA, where he was responsible for... View Details

03 Dec 2014
What Do You Think?

Can the Brilliant Jerk Be Managed Effectively?

Is a 'Destructive Hero'," The New York Times, October 30, 2014, p. B6. Mike McNamee, "Credit Card Revolutionary," Stanford Business, May, 2001, p. 23. Jack Welch, Jack: Straight from the Gut (New York: Warner Books, 2001),... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

Web

National Markets - The Art of American Advertising

changed the American marketplace. Over 240,000 miles of track laid across the country from 1830 to 1910 required the quick and efficient production of railroad equipment and supplies. This thriving new... View Details

19 Dec 2011
Research & Ideas

Climbing the Great Wall of Trust

In recent conversations with US executives doing business in China, Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Roy Y.J. Chua heard about a new trend. In an East Asian version of cutting deals on the golf course, Chinese executives often... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

August 2008 (Revised October 2011)
Case

The Redgrove Axial Workshop

By: Michel Anteby and Mikell Hyman

Marc Fontaine, a new manager at a global manufacturing concern, is on a fast-track to a senior managerial position. One morning, in a storage room, he discovers some ornamental artifacts made with the same materials used for official production. He suspects workers... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Managerial Roles; Production; Groups and Teams; Behavior

04 Apr 2023
Blog Post

Maersk’s Journey to Decarbonize Shipping

In January 2023, Professors Willy Shih and Mike Toffel led more than 40 HBS MBA students on site visits to witness the energy transition and innovative sustainable production activities throughout Denmark and the Netherlands, in their... View Details

08 Feb 2016
Blog Post

Applying to Business School as a Couple

people has been a wonderful new chapter in our relationship together. What plans do you have after business school? We're moving back to the West Coast! Patrick is joining the Corporate Strategy and Business View Details

Profile

Peter Gumulia

out, during which you slowly develop your decision-making muscle and, more importantly, your very own leadership philosophy.” Peter’s eagerness to explore has already yielded new opportunities. Active in the... View Details

12 Feb 2008
First Look

First Look: February 12, 2007

Moskowitz, and Annette Vissing-Jørgensen Abstract We provide new evidence on the success of long-run risks in asset pricing by focusing on the risks borne by stockholders. Exploiting micro-level household consumption data, we show that... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

15 Oct 2007
Research & Ideas

Businesses Beware: The World Is Not Flat

expansion," Ghemawat argues. While identifying similarities from one place to the next is essential, effective cross-border strategies will take careful stock of differences as well. An expert on global strategy, Ghemawat lays out an action plan for business in... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

October 2007 (Revised March 2009)
Case

Engineering a Renaissance: The Launch of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Dean Venky of the newly launched School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is faced with a range of opportunities and challenges as he presides over the launching of a new school of engineering at Harvard University. His opportunities include an ample endowment, a... View Details

Keywords: Higher Education; Engineering; Leading Change; Product Launch; Service Operations; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Alliances; Competitive Strategy