Publications

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Sep 2014
Survey

An Economy Doing Half Its Job

As a start, business leaders must take action to address the structural problems that linger for the nation, even as the cyclical recovery continues. The survey delves into three elements of the business environment that play a key role in restoring U.S.... View Details

December 2018
Teaching Note

Autonomous Vehicles: The Rubber Hits the Road…but When?

By: William Kerr and James Palano

The autonomous vehicles have enormous implications for business and society. But, despite the headline-laden attention paid to the technology, there remain more questions than answers. Students will learn about the complex industry and have explicit discussions about... View Details

Keywords: Technology Management; Artificial Intelligence; General Management; Robotics; Technological Innovation; Transportation; Disruption; Information Technology; Management; Decision Making; AI and Machine Learning; Auto Industry; Technology Industry

April 1998 (Revised May 2001)
Supplement

Acquisition of Consolidated Rail Corporation (B), The

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Lori A. Flees and Mathew M Millett

Eight days after CSX announced it was going to buy Consolidated Rail (Conrail) for $88.65 per share, Norfolk Southern made a hostile $100 per share bid for Conrail. Over the next several months, the potential acquirers upped their bids while exchanging criticism in the... View Details

Keywords: Law; Valuation; Rail Transportation; Bids and Bidding; Governance Controls; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Strategy; Corporate Finance; Rail Industry; United States

01 Dec 2002
News

Straddling Two Worlds

one-year stint ended, Tierney joined the corporate finance division of White, Weld & Co. in New York and settled with his wife and three children in Connecticut. At White Weld, he developed a department that focused on transportation... View Details

Keywords: Susan Young

18 Jun 2024
Blog Post

Alumni Career Journey: Ben Schutzman (MBA 2016) - Driving Positive Impact on Community and Climate

transportation angle of cities and, more specifically, how we can positively impact people in communities with better infrastructure and transportation services. Tell us a little bit about your career... View Details

February 1991
Case

Burlington Northern: The ARES Decision (A)

By: Julie H. Hertenstein and Robert S. Kaplan

Burlington Northern's decision whether to invest in ARES, an automated train control system, is a ($350 million) strategic investment in information technology. Although set in a service industry (railroad) the issues around this decision arise in many organizations... View Details

Keywords: Investment; Rail Transportation; Information Technology; Competitive Strategy; Performance Evaluation; Performance Effectiveness; Cost vs Benefits; Technology Adoption; Technological Innovation; Customers; Quality; Rail Industry

March 2020
Case

Voi Technology

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport and Olivia Hull

Voi Technology, a fast-growing start-up out of Sweden, is competing in the highly contested European e-scooter sharing market. With a presence in nearly 40 cities in Europe by February 2020, the firm is working hard to improve its unit economics to reach profitability.... View Details

13 Feb 2020
Blog Post

Know Your Audience – Recruiting HBS Students for Manufacturing

responsibilities” said Renee. Kristen echoed this point and emphasized that “time to actual ownership matters.” For other subsectors of manufacturing including transportation & logistics, airlines, and aerospace & defense,... View Details

Keywords: Manufacturing

01 Nov 2018
Working Paper Summaries

Forecasting Airport Transfer Passenger Flow Using Real-Time Data and Machine Learning

Keywords: by Xiaojia Guo, Yael Grushka-Cockayne, and Bert De Reyck; Air Transportation; Air Transportation

10 Apr 2006
Research & Ideas

American Auto’s Troubled Road

For decades, the U.S. auto industry ruled America's economy, shaped the country's development, and influenced American culture and social mores. Now, buffeted by globalization and other powerful forces, it faces a moment of truth. The experts say it's a foregone... View Details

Keywords: by Garry Emmons; Transportation; Transportation; Transportation

February 1984
Case

Chicago-Midway (B): Midway (Southwest) Airlines

By: Richard H.K. Vietor

Keywords: Business and Government Relations; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Competition; Market Entry and Exit; Air Transportation Industry

Find at Harvard

June 1969
Case

Piper Aircraft Corp.

By: Malcolm S. Salter

Keywords: Air Transportation Industry

Find at Harvard

March 2023 (Revised May 2023)
Supplement

OneTen at Delta Air Lines: Catalyzing Family-Sustaining Careers for Black Talent (C)

By: Linda A. Hill and Lydia Begag

In February 2023, Delta Air Lines (Delta) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ed Bastian, celebrated the airline’s OneTen partnership in a room full of Atlanta’s prominent business leaders, educators, and public servants in Atlanta, at a OneTen/Delta Launch Event. To support... View Details

Keywords: Talent and Talent Management; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Business and Community Relations; Race; Leading Change; Air Transportation Industry; United States; Atlanta

2022
Working Paper

Innovation on Wings: Nonstop Flights and Firm Innovation in the Global Context

By: Dany Bahar, Prithwiraj Choudhury, Do Yoon Kim and Wesley W. Koo

We study whether, when, and how better connectivity through nonstop flights leads to positive innovation outcomes for firms in the global context. Using unique data of all flights emanating from 5,015 airports around the globe from 2005 to 2015 and exploiting a... View Details

Keywords: Nonstop Flights; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Patents; Research and Development; Air Transportation Industry

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April 14, 2017
Article

Companies Like United Need to Cultivate Good Judgment, and Free Their Employees to Use It

By: John A. Deighton

United Airlines has pledged to improve its training programs and empower its employees to put customers first in the wake of a video showing a passenger being dragged from a plane. Of all the U.S. air carriers, United should have known the power of social media and... View Details

Keywords: Crisis Management; Customer Focus and Relationships; Employees; Training; Air Transportation Industry

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May 2009 (Revised November 2010)
Case

Depreciation at Delta Air Lines: The "Fresh Start"

By: William J. Bruns Jr.

In estimating depreciation for accounting purposes, Delta Air Lines has changed its assumptions about aircraft lifespan and residual values four times in the last thirty years or so. In the most recent changes, Delta adopted fair value accounting as part of its fresh... View Details

Keywords: Accounting Policies; Accounting Procedures; Depreciation; Bankruptcy; Cost Accounting; Financial Reporting; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Policy; Air Transportation Industry

November 2010
Supplement

LAN Airlines in 2008: Connecting the World to Latin America (B)

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Jorge Tarzijan

Provides updated facts on Lan Airlines as of 2010. It is meant to be used as a supplement to "Lan Airlines in 2008: Connecting the World to Latin America" (Harvard Business School Case 709-410). View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Competitive Advantage; Air Transportation Industry; Latin America

July 2010
Teaching Note

Perfect Storm over Zurich Airport (TN) (A) & (B)

By: Michael L. Tushman and David Kiron

Teaching Note for 408023 and 408058. View Details

Keywords: State Ownership; Private Ownership; Crisis Management; Transformation; Air Transportation Industry; Switzerland

November 2008 (Revised May 2011)
Case

David Neeleman: Flight Path of a Servant Leader (A)

By: William W. George and Matthew D. Breitfelder

David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue, is forced to confront a crisis in customer confidence following operational difficulties on February 14, 2007. This becomes a vital test of his leadership. View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Leadership; Crisis Management; Trust; Air Transportation Industry