Similarity - Publications - Faculty & Research

08 Sep 2008
HBS Case

The Value of Environmental Activists

There are many methods, most financial, to measure the success of companies in meeting goals. But the question becomes a lot harder at Harvard Business School when MBAs are challenged to measure the efforts of environmental organizations like Greenpeace and the World... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Energy; Utilities

26 Jun 2017
Research & Ideas

How Cellophane Changed the Way We Shop for Food

cellophane accounted for 10 percent of DuPont’s sales and 25 percent of its profits. “Between 1925 and 1938, its return on investment averaged 36 percent, over twice that of chemically similar rayon,” says Hisano, citing the book Science... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Food & Beverage; Retail; Advertising

13 Apr 2009
Research & Ideas

Kind of Blue: Pushing Boundaries with Miles Davis

says. Adds Størmer, "There are probably business benefits in relying on radical simplicity to free and empower employees in a similar way." Our e-mail Q&A follows. Martha Lagace: Miles Davis defied the critics who thought he... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Music

10 Sep 2020
Research & Ideas

The COVID Two-Step for Leaders: Protect and Pivot

try to understand it. When you thoroughly examine the assumptions behind their current use, you will likely make surprising discoveries with a capacity for large changes. When you get to the root cause, you are not only solving this symptom, but a whole family of View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly Baden

13 Apr 2016
Research & Ideas

Why Your Company Wants to be a 'Cognitive Referent' (Hint: SpaceX)

IMPRESSION McDonald focused on the startups’ cultural strategies—rhetorical activities in terms of what they said and how that mapped to what they did, and symbolic activities like using labels or analogies to similar players in other... View Details

Keywords: by Roberta Holland; Aerospace; Food & Beverage; Retail

01 Dec 2014
Research & Ideas

The Big Influence of Small Countries in the United Nations Secretariat

was punching above their weight," says Werker. When they did so, a small number of demographically similar countries came out on top. The Small, The Rich, The Nordic "We found a handful of smaller, richer democracies most... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

30 Mar 2018
What Do You Think?

What Should Mark Zuckerberg Do?

The company is facing its largest crisis since its inception in 2004. What should it do next? The genius of the Facebook business model, similar to strategy used by other internet giants, was that it was free, paid for by advertising... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Web Services; Information Technology

January 15, 2025
Article

Innovations in Evaluating Ambulatory Costs of Cystic Fibrosis Care: A Comparative Study Across Multidisciplinary Care Centers in Ireland and the United States

By: Robert S. Kaplan, Emma Brady, Ryan C. Perkins, Kate Cullen, Gregory S. Sawicki and Gerardine Doyle

Cystic fibrosis (CF) affects more than 160,000 individuals globally and has seen improved survival rates due to multidisciplinary care models and pharmacotherapy innovations. However, the associated costs remain substantial, prompting the authors to study and evaluate... View Details

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Cost; Health Industry

Citation

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12 Oct 2022
Research & Ideas

When Design Enables Discrimination: Learning from Anti-Asian Bias on Airbnb

the experience at Airbnb provides an important lesson for other businesses with similar web platforms. Companies should be reviewing their web design and building in more anonymity. If it’s necessary to provide identifying information of... View Details

Keywords: by Pamela Reynolds; Technology; Travel

25 Mar 2019
Research & Ideas

The Secret Life of Supply Chains

than squeezing every last dime out of them,” she says. “Being sure that suppliers have access to the workers and the capital they need is good for everyone.” In ongoing research, Delgado and Mills are extending their analysis to other countries, many of which have... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Manufacturing; Service

05 Nov 2021
Op-Ed

Is the Business World Finally Ready for the Wisdom of Shibusawa?

he created Japan’s first modern bank, Dai’ichi Bank (First National Bank). Its successor, Mizuho Bank, remains one of Japan’s largest banks. Observers might consider Shibusawa as Japan’s Alexander Hamilton, whose similar pop culture... View Details

Keywords: by Geoffrey Jones and Rei Morimoto; Financial Services; Retail

27 Oct 2002
Research & Ideas

Want a Happy Customer? Coordinate Sales and Marketing

individuals in the business, their individual motivation, and their ability to work together harmoniously. Nowhere is the need to work together more important than in the twin customer-facing functions of marketing and sales. Sales and marketing look View Details

Keywords: by Benson Shapiro

Research Summary

Current Research

Ian studies extrinsic rewards -- monetary incentives from formal compensation systems, as well as other formal and informal external rewards-- in order to help businesses understand the tensions and tradeoffs inherent in motivating employees. His research takes a... View Details

30 Aug 2004
Research & Ideas

Real Estate: The Most Imperfect Asset

own homes in a quarter of the time and a third of the cost. They hope to expand the program ten-fold over five years and hope to launch similar programs in other countries including Egypt, the Philippines, and Venezuela. I think by... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Johnston; Construction; Real Estate

18 Aug 2008
Research & Ideas

How Disruptive Innovation Changes Education

to study education through the lenses of your research on innovation. How did you come to approach the problem in this way, and what makes the analysis of public education similar to, and different from, other industries you have studied... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Education

26 Nov 2001
Op-Ed

Why Corporate Budgeting Needs To Be Fixed

people to act in ways that run counter to the best interests of their companies.—Michael C. Jensen Such cases of distorted decision making are legion in business. No doubt, you could list similar instances that you've observed—or perhaps... View Details

Keywords: by Michael C. Jensen

02 Aug 2007
What Do You Think?

How Will Millennials Manage?

their leaders for the coming years." Generational differences related to the development of millennials comprise, according to Muder Chiba, "a global phenomenon." Amy Lynch concurred, saying, "When I talk with recruiters for international firms,... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

13 Oct 2009
Research & Ideas

7 Lessons for Navigating the Storm

encourages similar candidness and humility in others. By taking the first step in revealing their vulnerabilities, leaders encourage an atmosphere where concerns and doubts are voiced. Potentially unforeseen problems can be addressed... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

Research Summary

Reverse Innovation

VG and Chris Trimble reveal a bold discovery with far-reaching implications in REVERSE INNOVATION: Create Far From Home, Win Everywhere (Harvard Business Review Press; April 10, 2012;... View Details

28 May 2020
Research & Ideas

Coronavirus Could Create a 'Bankruptcy Pandemic'

that have other so-called executory contracts like supply agreements and collective bargaining agreements which receive similar favorable treatment under the Bankruptcy Code; and those that have deeper business problems that might benefit... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Financial Services; Banking

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