Publications

December 2007 (Revised August 2014)
Case

Xanadu on Broadway

By: Anita Elberse

Can one of Hollywood's biggest flops magically turn into a Broadway hit? Xanadu, an adaptation of a 1980 Olivia Newton-John roller-disco film described by one critic as "the epic failure to end all epic failures," opened on Broadway in July 2007. Producer Rob Ahrens,... View Details

Keywords: Theater Entertainment; Product Marketing; Product Launch; Demand and Consumers; Risk and Uncertainty; Creativity; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

23 Oct 2007
First Look

First Look: October 23, 2007

Review 49, no. 1 (fall 2007) Abstract The largely erroneous perception that breakthroughs are impossible to predict arises from the tendency to focus on just the breakthroughs while ignoring the iterative process of invention and its distribution of outcomes. When... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

May 2003
Case

Renault-Nissan Alliance, The

By: Michael Y. Yoshino and Perry Fagan

On Wednesday, May 29, 2002, the board of directors of Renault-Nissan BV (RNBV) met for the first time to discuss the state of the alliance between Renault SA and Nissan Motors-two of the world's largest automakers. RNBV was a 50/50 joint venture company established in... View Details

Keywords: Joint Ventures; Global Strategy; Organizational Culture; Alliances; Business or Company Management; Mergers and Acquisitions; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Auto Industry

Web

Rock Summer Fellows - Entrepreneurship

for accelerator or prefer to work independently should apply to the RSF – Independent track. All Rock Summer Fellows, regardless of track, are required to attend the RSF Kickoff in person on April 23rd. To learn more, join us at the Rock... View Details

Web

Entrepreneurial Management - Faculty & Research

Ownership ; State Ownership ; Privatization ; Public Ownership ; Media and Broadcasting Industry ; United Kingdom Citation Educators Related McGee, Henry. "The Future of the BBC: Public Ownership vs. Privatization." Harvard Business... View Details

29 Sep 2015
First Look

September 29, 2015

innovations from industry outsiders who saw economic opportunities where others didn’t—and how these mainstream firms had no choice but to innovate themselves. New models were tried: some succeeded, some failed. Commercial markets turned... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

July 2021 (Revised July 2022)
Case

Brigham & Women's Hospital: Using Patient Reported Outcomes to Improve Breast Cancer Care

By: Robert S. Kaplan, Navraj S. Nagra and Syed S. Shehab

Dr. Andrea Pusic, breast cancer reconstruction surgeon, wants to extend outcomes measurement beyond traditional surgical metrics of infections, complications, and survival rates. The case describes her development of a new mobile phone app, which collects patients’... View Details

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Outcome or Result; Cost Management; Activity Based Costing and Management; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Health Testing and Trials; Surveys; Health Industry; Boston

November 2018 (Revised June 2019)
Case

ofo

By: Mitchell Weiss

Dai Wei and his co-founders grew Beijing-based ofo from a school-based startup to a bike-share behemoth in a matter of months, topped an all-out market-share battle fueled with almost $1 billion in venture capital, provided 2 billion bicycle rides, soaked up the... View Details

January 2010
Case

Ledina Lushko: Navigating Health Care Delivery

By: Sachin H Jain, Michael E. Porter, Fatima Akrouh and Carolyn Daly

Ledina Lushko was diagnosed with Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma in 2008 and sought care at a highly regarded medical institution in the United States. This case lays out her journey through the health care system in detail and all of the effort involved in finding... View Details

Keywords: Health; Health Care and Treatment; Health Disorders; Service Delivery; Health Industry; United States

February 2007 (Revised April 2010)
Case

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals: Spurring Scientific Creativity with Metrics

By: Robert S. Huckman, Gary P. Pisano and Mark Rennella

Describes the reorganization of the drug discovery organization at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and focuses on the decisions to: (1) centralize decision-making within drug discovery and (2) institute numerical metrics--jointly affecting all R&D scientists--for the progression... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Measurement and Metrics; Business Processes; Organizational Structure; Research and Development; Science-Based Business; Creativity; Pharmaceutical Industry

Web

Students on the Job Market - Doctoral

85% of the participants in these calls. Faculty Advisor(s): John Campbell (Chair), Katherine B. Coffman , Samuel G. Hanson , Robin Greenwood , and Tarek Hassan Curriculum Vitae | Website | Email Jeff Gortmaker Abstract: Open Source Software Policy in View Details

January 2008 (Revised February 2011)
Case

Rubbish Boys

By: Noam Wasserman and Rachel Galper

It looked like founder-CEO Brian Scudamore might not be able to pursue franchising as a growth option for his junk-removal business after all. Over the years, he had overcome many hurdles, including buying out his "too-fiery" co-founder, firing all of his employees so... View Details

Keywords: Service Operations; Problems and Challenges; Brands and Branding; Business Model; Partners and Partnerships; Business Growth and Maturation; Franchise Ownership; Growth and Development Strategy; Service Industry; Canada; North America

01 Dec 2023
Blog Post

8 FAQs on the MBA Application

much detail as you would like). 2. How should I choose and prepare my recommenders? A good recommender knows you well and is able to speak to your specific strengths and abilities. We prefer to have one of your two recommenders be a current or former supervisor, but we... View Details

Web

Courses - Entrepreneurship

Courses First Year (Required Curriculum) During the first year at HBS, all students pursue the same course of study called the Required Curriculum. By studying under a common curriculum, students build a solid, broad foundation of general... View Details

15 Jan 2013
First Look

First Look: January 15

circumscribe citizen-employees, and they engage in production and trade. But individual corporations are no longer adequate to serve as the primary unit of analysis. Over the years, systems of distributed innovation-so-called business ecosystems-have become... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Web

Health Care Initiative - Health Care

and innovation, and to disseminate these works. Alumni Opportunities to participate in health care activities at the school, and through the ongoing development of the alumni health care network Executive Education Programs that disseminate knowledge and influence... View Details

October 2016
Case

Supercell

By: William R. Kerr, Benjamin F. Jones and Alexis Brownell

Supercell is a young Finnish smartphone game company with an unusual team structure and company philosophy. It is already one of Finland’s most valuable companies, and despite being only six years old, it has put up some impressive numbers: as of 2016, it has released... View Details

Keywords: Supercell; Finland; Video Games; Firm Structure; Startups; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Groups and Teams; Video Game Industry; Finland