Publications

April 1993
Background Note

Note on High-Commitment Work Systems

By: David A. Garvin and Norman Klein

Describes the history, theory, and practice of high-commitment work systems. The history reviews classical approaches (i.e. Frederick Taylor), the human relations movement, the human resources approach, quality of work life, and empowerment. The theory examines the... View Details

Keywords: Design; Human Resources; Innovation and Invention; Managerial Roles; Work-Life Balance; Problems and Challenges; Strategy

July 1996
Case

Bayside Controls, Inc.

By: H. Kent Bowen, Jennifer Kochman and Sylvie Ryckebusch

Two recent MBA graduates acquire a small and ailing metal-machining company that had manufactured small aerospace components. Through clever application of state-of-the-art manufacturing, engineering, and marketing/sales concepts, they turned the company into a growing... View Details

Keywords: Business Earnings; Leveraged Buyouts; Machinery and Machining; Leading Change; Growth and Development Strategy; Marketing Strategy; Production; Personal Development and Career; Sales; Aerospace Industry

17 Jul 2006
Lessons from the Classroom

Developing a Strategy for Digital Convergence

Following the dot-com bust at the turn of the century, the technology business went through a gloomy period, 2001-2002, when innovation dried up, MBAs looked for careers in finance, and investors put their funds in a holding pattern.... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Computer; Education

18 Sep 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, September 18, 2018

Monetary Fund (IMF). The case highlights the challenges and opportunities she faced during each phase of her career and how she managed them. Lagarde started her career in 1981... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

July 1991 (Revised June 1993)
Background Note

Conflicting Responsibilities

By: Joseph L. Badaracco

Presents a framework for resolving issues in which managers' responsibilities--to shareholders, employees, other stakeholder groups, and to their own values and commitments in life--conflict with each other. The framework analyzes these issues in terms of duties,... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Employees; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Management Practices and Processes; Organizational Structure; Personal Development and Career; Business and Shareholder Relations; Business and Stakeholder Relations

January 2006 (Revised May 2006)
Case

Akin Ongor's Journey

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter

A retired bank CEO, one of Turkey's most admired leaders, wants to start a leadership institute to develop emerging leaders in the eastern Mediterranean region. Describes his biography and values, the models he established for excellent financial performance and... View Details

Keywords: Leadership Development; Values and Beliefs; Partners and Partnerships; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business Startups; Environmental Sustainability; Retirement; Education Industry; Turkey; United States

23 Mar 2003
Research & Ideas

Putting the Project Puzzle Together

stayed aligned over a long time, as has Wal-Mart. Q: You have spent much of your career deeply involved in management information systems. What are some enduring characteristics of successful View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

04 Aug 2021
Research & Ideas

Worried About the Great Resignation? Be a Good Company to Come From

While managers feared that all the top talent would leave, instead Recruit grew to become a $20 billion tech company (roughly the equivalent of Salesforce) that employs 50,000 people globally. They have created a suite of products... View Details

Keywords: by Sandra J. Sucher and Shalene Gupta

05 Apr 2016
First Look

April 5, 2016

2016 Harvard Business Review Press HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business: Think Big, Buy Small, Own Your Own Company By: Ruback, Richard S., and Royce Yudkoff Abstract—Find, acquire, and run your own business. Are you looking for an alternative to a View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthlorne

06 Aug 2014
Research & Ideas

Climbing Down from the Ivory Tower

elective course, Managing Global Health: Applying Behavioral Economics to Create Impact, which she teaches to second-year MBA students at HBS and select students from Harvard Medical School and the Kennedy School of Government. The User's... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Education; Health

17 Dec 2020
Research & Ideas

The 10 Most Popular Stories of 2020

that eight of the 10 most-read HBS Working Knowledge stories of the year were COVID-focused. Readers sought insights from HBS faculty about everything from managing large-scale remote work to leading during a crisis. The year was also... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

May 2019
Case

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation: 'One CMHC' and Version 3.0

By: Boris Groysberg and Sarah L. Abbott

When Evan Siddall was appointed CEO of Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC) five years earlier, he had embarked on a major organizational restructuring. Now he is spearheading another round of changes. CMHC has adopted an ambition vision and five year strategic... View Details

August 1997 (Revised September 1997)
Case

GMIMCo Venture Capital: September 1996

By: Josh Lerner, Peter Wendell and Catherine M. Conneely

Kathryn Stokel must choose between three venture capital groups (if any) in which to invest the pension fund of General Motors Corp. Each has distinct strengths and weaknesses. View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Asset Management; Retirement; Investment Funds; Venture Capital; Financial Services Industry

07 Jul 2009
First Look

First Look: July 7

difficulty in obtaining further positive results for the class of solvable one-sided assignment problems in line with Sasaki's (1995) characterizations of the core for two-sided assignment problems. Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/09-146.pdf CEO and... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

29 Aug 2006
First Look

First Look: August 29, 2006

produce another cutting-edge device quickly? Purchase this case: http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=706496 Managing a Public Image: Cheri Mack Harvard Business School Case 406-096 Cheri Mack, an... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

09 Oct 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, October 9, 2018

forthcoming Strategic Management Journal When Does Advice Impact Startup Performance? By: Chatterji, Aaron, Solene Delecourt, Sharique Hasan, and Rembrand Koning Abstract—Why do some entrepreneurs thrive while others fail? We explore... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

July 1998 (Revised February 1999)
Case

Private Communications Corporation (A)

Ann Meceda is a soon-to-be MBA graduate. She has been working as the director of marketing in an Internet start-up, and now the founder wants her to become CEO. She must weigh the personal and business risks and assess her own objectives and tolerance for risks. View Details

Keywords: Risk Management; Internet and the Web; Management Succession; Marketing; Personal Development and Career; Business Startups; Service Industry

Find at Harvard

March 2018 (Revised September 2018)
Case

Gene Lee Navigates the Darden Takeover

By: Joshua D. Margolis, H. Lawrence Culp, James Barnett and Aldo Sesia

Following a full takeover of Darden Restaurant’s Board of Directors, Darden COO Gene Lee is weighing an offer to become interim CEO. View Details

Keywords: Shareholder Activism; Investment Activism; Crisis Management; Personal Development and Career; Decision Choices and Conditions; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

September 2003 (Revised March 2004)
Compilation

Max Green: Work Patterns at Ditto (C)

By: Leslie A. Perlow

According to his managers, Max, a software engineer on a product development team, is an organizational superstar. Describes his life and provides a log of how Max spends his time. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details

Keywords: Product Development; Time Management; Groups and Teams; Work-Life Balance; Information Technology Industry