Publications

Herman B. ("Dutch") Leonard is Eliot I. Snider and Family Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and the George F. Baker, Jr. Professor of Public Sector Management at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. In... View Details

Keywords: education industry; federal government; health care; nonprofit industry; state government

February 2024
Case

SundaySky: Changing Customer Experiences through Personalized Video

By: David C. Edelman and James Barnett

In June 2023, SundaySky CEO Jim Dicso considers growth strategies. The software-as-a-service company provided software to create advertising videos, customer service videos, and other videos, like employee training modules, and had begun to pilot a new generative... View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Strategy; Technology Adoption; AI and Machine Learning; Applications and Software; Growth and Development Strategy; Advertising Industry; Technology Industry; United States

26 Jun 2000
Research & Ideas

Three Countries, Three Choices in Post-Soviet Eurasia

Lithuanian, Belarusian and Ukrainian nationalists had had their way, their states' foreign economic strategies during the 1990s would have been nearly identical. For him, the political economy of post-Soviet international relations... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

02 Jan 2024
Research & Ideas

10 Trends to Watch in 2024

The lightning-fast ascent of generative AI isn’t the only sea change on the horizon for businesses in the new year. The global economy is in flux as war, climate change, trade issues, and infrastructure problems demand attention. Many companies continue to struggle to... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

16 Jul 2024
Op-Ed

Corporate Boards Are Failing in Their No. 1 Duty

appointments go wrong Let’s begin by taking a look at three examples of poor leadership at public companies and addressing what went wrong. Then, I will recommend five ways boards can ensure they appoint the right leader as CEO: General... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

September 2022 (Revised February 2023)
Case

EnergyNow: Powering a New Market

By: Alexander MacKay and James Barnett

In August 2022, EnergyNow co-founder and CEO Stuart MacWilliam (MBA 2015) considers the company strategy for building solar panels to provide power in South Africa’s recently deregulated energy market. View Details

05 Jun 2019
Research & Ideas

If Your Customers Don't Care What You Charge, What Should You Charge?

consumer inertia is a big deal in your market, it could be the case that you are not pricing appropriately,” MacKay says. “You may want to reduce prices to attract repeat customers down the line.” Companies often internalize consumer inertia by setting pricing View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Energy

18 Aug 2008
Research & Ideas

How Disruptive Innovation Changes Education

How can schools around the world educate their students better? What does the future hold? Most researchers who study these questions in the field of education peer through the lenses of sociology and public policy. HBS professor Clayton M. Christensen and colleagues... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Education

February 2000 (Revised June 2001)
Case

Note on Home Video Game Technology and Industry Structure

Part of a series on the home video game industry that illustrates the underlying economics and competitive dynamics of the industry. This case provides general information about the industry, allowing for subsequent cases in the series to focus on competitive... View Details

Keywords: Competitive Advantage; Industry Structures; Video Game Industry

Find at Harvard

10 Jul 2000
Research & Ideas

The State of the Markets

and the United States: Dr. Werner G. Seifert, chairman of Deutsche Borse (the German Stock Exchange) and an architect of the planned merger between his Frankfurt-based organization and the London Stock Exchange; James L. Cochrane, senior vice president for View Details

Keywords: by James E. Aisner

September 2011
Module Note

Orientation to Leadership Intelligence Days, 2011

By: Joshua D. Margolis and Anthony J. Mayo

Julie Bornstein, senior vice president of Sephora Direct, is seeking to double her budget for social media and other digital marketing initiatives for 2011. A number of digital efforts implemented in the past two years seem to be bearing fruit and there is a desire to... View Details

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Borrowing and Debt; Investment Return; Resource Allocation; Marketing Communications; Marketing Strategy; Consumer Behavior; Online Technology; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

Program

Disruptive Innovation

around innovation initiatives Rethink your product, market and strategy Apply disruptive theories to complex problems and opportunities Build the skills and vision critical to leading change Make better decisions through strategic... View Details

August 2012
Case

Polar Sports, Inc.

By: W. Carl Kester and Wei Wang

Polar Sports, Inc. is a fashion skiwear manufacturing company in Littleton, Colorado. The company has a unique design for skiwear using a special synthetic material that improves insulation and durability. The ski apparel industry is highly competitive and the best way... View Details

Keywords: Production; Decision Choices and Conditions; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Finance; Manufacturing Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Sports Industry; Colorado

June 2019
Case

Athena Bancorp

By: Leonard A. Schlesinger and Sarah Abbott

Athena Bancorp was founded in 2016 by Beth Daniels, a banking professional with 15 years of experience in the industry. Daniels took advantage of what she perceived as a gap in the market caused by recent industry consolidation, a decreasing industry focus on branch... View Details

Keywords: Banks and Banking; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Culture; Human Resources; Strategy; Service Delivery; Banking Industry