Publications

1999
Chapter

Small Businesses, Innovation, and Public Policy

By: Josh Lerner

Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Policy; Government and Politics; Business and Government Relations

09 Jan 2019
Research & Ideas

The UK Needs a Bold Strategy Around Competition to Survive Brexit

UK economy for years, starting with a white paper solicited by the government in 2003. He recently published the paper, "UK Competitiveness after Brexit." Despite a stated emphasis on pro-growth policies since then, there has... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

16 Dec 2011
Research & Ideas

Reintroducing Intellectual Ambition to the Study of Business History

"capitalism" fail to examine the role of the firm, perhaps the central institutional innovation of the last two centuries. Business historians have a chance to shift debates on the subject of modern View Details

Keywords: by Geoffrey Jones & Walter Friedman

1999
Chapter

Biotechnology, Competitiveness and the Regulatory State

By: Arthur A. Daemmrich

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Innovation Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Government and Politics; Policy; Business and Government Relations; Biotechnology Industry

July 2020
Technical Note

Digital Natives Growing Without a Sales Force

By: Das Narayandas, Michael Norris and Amram Migdal

This brief case describes the rise of so-called digital natives (also called born-in-digital) in the 2000s and 2010s that successfully grew without a sales force. The case highlights the emergence of business-to-business Internet and cloud-based companies and their... View Details

Educators

Purchase

February 2023 (Revised February 2025)
Case

Doing Business in Boston, Massachusetts

By: Laura Alfaro, Leonard A. Schlesinger and Zeke Gillman

This case examines the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Boston, Massachusetts while giving a broad history of the city and surrounding area. View Details

Keywords: Business History; Business and Government Relations; Technological Innovation; Economic Growth; Technology Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Financial Services Industry; Boston; Massachusetts

Educators

01 Feb 2012
What Do You Think?

Is Support for Small Business Misplaced?

investments in research and development, was emphasized by several respondents. Mark Hopkinson remarked that "most big companies rely for their tech pipeline of new products on the innovation that comes from small business, acquiring... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

13 Sep 2011
First Look

First Look: September 13

practices creating a learning and innovative organization; and tracking results in terms of the "four Rs" of retention, referrals, returns to labor, and relationships with customers. It shows "the culture cycle" at... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

06 Apr 2007
What Do You Think?

Will Market Forces Stop Global Warming?

should business in America, the world's largest polluter, play in helping it catch up to or lead (depending on how you see it) other developed economies? What kind of incentives, if any, will the free market need from government to... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett; Energy; Utilities

March 2024
Teaching Note

'Storrowed': A Generative AI Exercise

By: Mitchell Weiss

Teaching Note for HBS Exercise No. 824-188. “Storrowed” is an exercise to help participants raise their proficiency with generative AI. It begins by highlighting a problem: trucks getting wedged underneath bridges in Boston, Massachusetts on the city’s Storrow Drive.... View Details

Keywords: AI and Machine Learning; Entrepreneurship; Innovation and Invention; Government Administration; Transportation Industry; Public Administration Industry

Purchase

2024
Working Paper

Cephalosporins—Fighting Hospital Infections: Case Histories of Transformational Advances

By: Amar Bhidé, Srikant Datar and Katherine Stebbins

This case history describes the development of three generations of cephalosporins – antibiotics that have significantly reduced hospital infections. Specifically, we chronicle how: 1) Early (pre-cephalosporin) antibiotics were developed in the first half of the 20th... View Details

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Technological Innovation; Innovation Strategy; Technology Adoption; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Invention; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms

2024
Working Paper

Tamoxifen—Reducing Breast Cancer Risks: Case Histories of Transformational Advances

By: Amar Bhidé, Srikant Datar and Katherine Stebbins

We describe the development of tamoxifen, considered a “gold standard” treatment for millions of breast cancer patients. Specifically, we describe breast cancer treatments before tamoxifen’s development; the initial development of tamoxifen from 1960 to 1973;... View Details

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Technological Innovation; Innovation and Invention; Innovation Strategy; Technology Adoption; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms

2024
Working Paper

Laparoscopy—Minimally Invasive Surgery: Case Histories of Transformational Advances

By: Amar Bhidé, Caitlin N. Bowler and Srikant M. Datar

We describe how operations through laparoscopes – tubular instruments inserted into abdominal cavities – revolutionized gynecological and other surgeries inside the abdomen, such as gall bladder removal. Specifically, we chronicle the 1) foundational contributions of... View Details

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Technological Innovation; Innovation Strategy; Technology Adoption; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Invention; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms

2024
Working Paper

Computed Tomography (CT)--Beyond Traditional X-Rays: Case Histories of Transformational Advances

By: Amar Bhidé, Srikant M. Datar and Katherine Stebbins

This case history describes how Computed Tomography (CT) scanners - that combine Xrays and computers to image soft tissues of the brain and other organs -- have become a widely used diagnostic tool. Specifically, we chronicle the 1) initial development of CT... View Details

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Technological Innovation; Innovation Strategy; Technology Adoption; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Invention; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms