Publications

27 Sep 2004
Research & Ideas

How Leaders Build Winning Streaks

official responsibility for Continental Airlines' decision to keep flying during the power blackout in August 2003, but that decision was foreordained by the actions of all the other people who claimed leadership on the ground, and knew... View Details

Keywords: by Rosabeth Moss Kanter

October 2017 (Revised November 2017)
Case

NYC311

By: Constantine E. Kontokosta, Mitchell Weiss, Christine Snively and Sarah Gulick

Joe Morrisroe, executive director for NYC311, had some gut instincts but no definitive answer to the question he was just asked by one of the mayor’s deputies: “Are some communities being underserved by 311? How do we know we are hearing from the right people?” Founded... View Details

04 Sep 2001
Lessons from the Classroom

Getting Back on Course

Superwoman Thanks to intense discussions over dinners with alumnae—the first of which was hosted by Welsh in New York—and to later conversations with faculty and other colleagues at HBS, Hart came up with a plan. The result is Charting... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

31 Oct 2004
What Do You Think?

Should the Wisdom of Crowds Influence Our Thinking About Leadership?

priorities—things for which leaders are required ... And I certainly would not want large groups involved in developing vision, innovation, or strategy ...." Joe Violette added, " ... getting those ideas and solutions to... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

06 Jun 2012
What Do You Think?

Is Something Wrong with the Way We Work?

created by customers and clients and their increasing expectations that we be available day and night. Even more can be laid at the feet of leadership. But ultimately the primary culprit is us. That's my sense of the comments concerning... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Consulting

01 Aug 2008
What Do You Think?

Has the Time Come for “Stretch” in Management?

mistakes") while attempting to achieve the goals. Joe Violette advised that, in his experience, stretch goals "have only succeeded (when) they are developed by the project team" (vs.... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

04 Jan 2012
What Do You Think?

Income Inequality: What’s the Right Amount?

productivity flourishes where income disparity exists to a greater extent." Susan Rushworth offered "food for thought" in citing research that led her to conclude that "the faster the economy grew (as measured by GDP),... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

20 Apr 2020
Book

Why COVID-19 Raises the Stakes for Healthy Buildings

commissioning stems from years of observations by John during his building projects, by Joe during his forensic investigations, and by nearly... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Real Estate; Health

02 Aug 2021
What Do You Think?

Can Companies with Remote Management Succeed?

experiences is done, the position of CXO will be eliminated. The first point was made by Yale Schwartz, who commented that, “It all starts with the organization’s desire to improve the overall customer experience and become the brand that... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

10 Sep 2020
Research & Ideas

The COVID Two-Step for Leaders: Protect and Pivot

and complements perfectly the physical business we have built so far.” Another example is MyoMaster, a company that specializes in recovery products and knowledge for athletes. Founded by couple Joe Gray and... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly Baden

22 Feb 2011
Research & Ideas

Most Popular Articles, Papers of the Decade

the Service Profit Chain to Work for Unbeatable Competitive Advantage by HBS professors Jim Heskett and W. Earl Sasser and coauthor Joe Wheeler. Updating a Classic: Writing a Great Business Plan Published:... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

20 Jul 2020
Op-Ed

It's Time for a Bipartisan Health Plan for Employers and Employees

propose a way to alter our health insurance benefits universe for insured employees and the self-insured by combining the best of Republican and Democratic ideas about health insurance. More choice, affordability, and personal control A... View Details

Keywords: by Regina E. Herzlinger and Richard J. Boxer; Health; Insurance

January 2017 (Revised October 2018)
Case

Novartis: A Transformative Deal

By: David Collis and Ashley Hartman

When Joe Jimenez became CEO of Swiss-based Novartis in 2010, replacing longtime CEO Dan Vasella, he assumed control of one of the top pharmaceutical companies in the world. Vasella, an avowed advocate of diversification, had expanded the scope of the company and... View Details

Keywords: Novartis; GlaxoSmithKline; Asset Swap; Acquisitions; Divestiture; Strategy Alignment; Pharmaceuticals; Strategy; Business Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Diversification; Consolidation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Pharmaceutical Industry

January 2001
Background Note

Country Analysis in a "Global Village"

By: Bruce R. Scott

Substantially rewritten to establish the relevance of countries in the global context. It does so in terms of their differing economic performance in recent decades, and also by contrasting those that have "converged" toward the rich country norm (as theory would... View Details

Keywords: Globalized Economies and Regions; Macroeconomics; Trade; Business Strategy; Performance Evaluation; Industry Growth; Currency; Policy; Development Economics

August 1998
Case

Electronic Commerce at Air Products

By: F. Warren McFarlan and Melissa Dailey

In 1998,chief information officers (CIOs) in the highly competitive international gases and chemicals business faced the reality that electronic commerce capability was a strategic necessity. The results of annual surveys of technology officers in the chemical industry... View Details

Keywords: Management Teams; Information Technology; Globalized Markets and Industries; Infrastructure; Internet and the Web; Technology Adoption; Business Strategy; Chemical Industry; United States

Find at Harvard

16 Jan 2019
Research & Ideas

What Football Firings Teach Managers About Staying Relevant

Six National Football League head coaches were fired on December 31, or “Black Monday,” as it’s known in the sport. The infamous tradition begins immediately after the conclusion of each NFL regular season and represents efforts by... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg, Evan M.S. Hecht, and Abhijit Naik; Sports

03 Jan 2016
Research & Ideas

NFL Black Monday: How Much Do Coaches Really Matter?

changes on Black Monday for the 2014-15 season, seven for the 2013-14 season, and eight for the 2012-13 season. This year Black Monday is on January 4, 2015. Three coaches, Ken Whisenhunt of Tennessee Titans, Joe Philbin of Miami... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg & Abhijit Naik; Sports

May 2023 (Revised June 2023)
Supplement

Novartis (C): Reimagining Medicine

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Claudio Feser, Karolin Frankenberger and David Redaschi

This case unfolds around the first-ever approved personalized cancer treatment, how Novartis wrapped it into a new business model design, and how Novartis scaled it. Novartis — one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world — is, among other ventures,... View Details

Keywords: Health Testing and Trials; Health Care and Treatment; Business Model; Problems and Challenges; Pharmaceutical Industry; Switzerland