Publications

October 2023
Case

Shredder Setups or Straightlining into Risk?: Investing in What You Love

By: Lauren Cohen and Grace Headinger

Bob Hall, President of Green Gables Partners, evaluated whether to angel invest into an up-and-coming ski brand. As the son-in-law of the founder of Vera Bradley and having retired from a lengthy career on Wall Street, Hall was well-versed in both direct investing and... View Details

Keywords: Family Office; Angel Investors; Direct Investment; Family Business; Business Growth and Maturation; Small Business; Financial Strategy; Personal Finance; Investment Portfolio; Private Equity; Decision Choices and Conditions; Risk and Uncertainty; Consumer Products Industry; Montana; United States

April 2010 (Revised September 2011)
Case

The Dannon Company: Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility (A)

By: Christopher Marquis, Pooja Mehta Shah, Amanda Elizabeth Tolleson and Bobbi Thomason

At the end of 2009, The Dannon Company was considering pro actively communicating its CSR efforts to consumers. With the strong connection between Dannon's production of health foods and its commitment to health and nutrition-based CSR activities, communicating these... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Nutrition; Marketing Communications; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Risk and Uncertainty; Natural Environment; Food and Beverage Industry

08 Apr 2008
First Look

First Look: April 8, 2008

describes how they assessed their valuations and probabilistic views, and leaves them with a key decision. The (B) case describes their choice as well as the twists and turns leading to the conclusion. Purchase this case:... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

09 May 2012
Research & Ideas

Clayton Christensen’s “How Will You Measure Your Life?”

of our decisions, not the marginal costs, whether we like it or not.” It was a bold move: Netflix was the quintessential David going up against the Goliath of the movie rental industry. Blockbuster had billions of dollars in assets, tens of thousands of employees, and... View Details

April 2009 (Revised January 2011)
Case

Gucci Group: Freedom within the Framework

By: Francisco de Asis Martinez-Jerez, Elena Corsi and Vincent Marie Dessain

Gucci Group's CEO had to decide if his decentralized management style was the most effective philosophy in an economic downturn. The sharing of customer information across units and its use in the creative process are key initiatives analyzed in the case. CEO Robert... View Details

Keywords: Customer Relationship Management; Decision Choices and Conditions; Globalized Firms and Management; Knowledge Sharing; Leadership; Management Style; Management Systems; Brands and Branding; Apparel and Accessories Industry

17 Aug 2020
Research & Ideas

What the Stockdale Paradox Tells Us About Crisis Leadership

each person introduce themselves by their name, job title, mission, and their immediate tasks (e.g, “I’m Sarah, I’m a creative, I’m creating a brand for Client X, I’m in this meeting to present findings and receive feedback”). Emergency... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

28 Apr 2009
First Look

First Look: April 28, 2009

stakeholders. The specific design decision is to make a choice between thatch roofs, which are environmentally friendly, versus reinforced cement concrete roofs that the villagers desire for their functionality. Case (B) reveals and... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

22 May 2024
HBS Case

Banned or Not, TikTok Is a Force Companies Can’t Afford to Ignore

recommendation engine steers up to 95 percent of TikTok’s content to the user. It also presents choices the user may not have sought out in the first place to lengthen the time someone might be on the platform and the breadth of what they... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Technology

03 Aug 2010
First Look

First Look: August 3

Determination Through Brand Biography Authors:Neeru Paharia, Anat Keinan, Jill Avery, and Juliet Schor Publication:Journal of Consumer Research (forthcoming) Abstract We introduce the concept of an underdog View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

08 Apr 2014
First Look

First Look: April 8

Publications August 2013 Journal of Consumer Research Brand Tourists: How Non-Core Users Enhance the Brand Image by Eliciting Pride By: Bellezza, Silvia, and Anat Keinan Abstract—This research examines how... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

November 2020 (Revised February 2022)
Case

CommonSpirit Health: Integrating a Merger of Equals

By: Robert S. Huckman, Hise Gibson and Nicole Gilmore

Soon after closing the 2019 merger of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) and Dignity Health to create CommonSpirit Health, Lloyd Dean and Kevin Lofton-–jointly appointed to the role of CEO—must make several operational and strategic decisions related to the integration... View Details

Keywords: Health Care Delivery; Hospital; Merger; Merger Integration; Hospital Mergers; Health Information Technology; CEOs; Health Care and Treatment; Mergers and Acquisitions; Integration; Leadership; Customer Value and Value Chain; Decision Choices and Conditions; Governance; Information Technology; Health Industry; United States

01 Jun 2023
HBS Case

A Nike Executive Hid His Criminal Past to Turn His Life Around. What If He Didn't Have To?

attend college. “I hope when business leaders hear Larry’s story, it will make them rethink hiring people like him, so we can stop limiting people’s choices and provide them with a sense of dignity and a chance to access better jobs.”... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Apparel & Accessories

2007
Article

Pharmacovigilance and the Missing Denominator: The Changing Context of Pharmaceutical Risk Mitigation

By: Arthur A. Daemmrich

In the wake of Vioxx, Avandia, and other recent prominent cases of drugs found to cause side effects after marketing, the safety of pharmaceuticals has come to the forefront of American public policy. Press attention, congressional investigations, and legislative... View Details

Keywords: Brands and Branding; Policy; Risk Management; Government Legislation; Risk and Uncertainty; Goals and Objectives; Customers; Pharmaceutical Industry; Health Industry; United States

Find at Harvard

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17 Feb 2010
First Look

First Look: Feb. 17

critiques of prior work on ads as signals; namely, that ad content is irrelevant, ad exposure is unnecessary, and the choice of ads as signals is inherently arbitrary. The Consumer Psychology of Mail-in Rebates Authors:John T. Gourville... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

22 Jan 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, January 22, 2019

support. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=55515 January–February 2019 Harvard Business Review What Does Your Corporate Brand Stand For? By: Greyser, Stephen A., and Mats Urde Abstract— While most firms are... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

10 May 2011
First Look

First Look: May 10

http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/11-109.pdf When Smaller Menus Are Better: Variability in Menu-Setting Ability Authors:David Goldreich and Hanna Hałaburda Abstract The economics literature on choice focuses on individuals' decisions when... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

02 Jun 2020
Research & Ideas

Coronavirus Careers: Cloud Kitchens Are Now Serving

kitchens can test new restaurant concepts, menu items, and seasonal brands (for example, a salad brand in the summer) more easily without costly investments. It is still an emergent business model with lots... View Details

Keywords: by Lena Ye and Geoffrey Jones; Food & Beverage

27 Aug 2013
First Look

First Look: August 27

simplifies the retirement savings plan participation decision. Individuals received an opportunity to enroll in a retirement savings plan at a pre-selected contribution rate and asset allocation, allowing them to collapse a multidimensional problem into a binary View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

June 2007 (Revised March 2011)
Case

The CW: Launching a Television Network

By: Anita Elberse and S. Mark Young

In May 2006, Dawn Ostroff, president of entertainment of the newly formed CW Television Network, was faced with the task of choosing the final set of programs for the 2006 fall schedule, which she would present to advertisers at the annual "upfront" market in New York... View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Customer Relationship Management; Decision Choices and Conditions; Television Entertainment; Brands and Branding; Product Launch; Strategic Planning; Networks; Media and Broadcasting Industry