Publications

SSRN

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14 Jan 2019
Op-Ed

These 4 CEOs Created a New Standard of Leadership

how food and beverages were impacting consumer health. In early 2007, she launched PepsiCo’s new mission, “Performance with Purpose.” She committed to reduce the sugar and sodium in PepsiCo’s core snacks and sodas, which generated most of... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George; Food & Beverage; Food & Beverage; Food & Beverage; Food & Beverage

September 2024
Case

Topaz: Navigating Governance, Legacy, and Change

By: Christina R. Wing and Carla Larangeira

Since its founding in 2011, the Garza Sada brothers and their father positioned Topaz among leading family offices in Monterrey, Mexico, with several assets under management. Topaz aspired to have a transformative impact across multiple Mexican industries. An industry... View Details

Keywords: Business Conglomerates; Family Business; Governing and Advisory Boards; Managerial Roles; Management Succession; Family Ownership; Corporate Governance; Organizational Structure; Adoption; Financial Services Industry; Real Estate Industry; Education Industry; Energy Industry; Latin America; Mexico

September 2021 (Revised March 2024)
Case

Bühler: Mobilizing Industry around a Common Purpose

By: Ranjay Gulati, Franz Wohlgezogen and Malini Sen

Bühler Group, a Swiss multinational processing technology provider, started by selling machines for processing grains and later transitioned into selling food processing solutions. A family-owned business in the fifth generation, Bühler’s high-end milling, grinding,... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Customer Focus and Relationships; Machinery and Machining; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Innovation Leadership; Switzerland

29 Sep 2014
Research & Ideas

Why Do Outlet Stores Exist?

says both about companies' selling strategy and about their customers' buying preferences. His latest research explores grocery stores—a much more complicated and competitive environment than apparel. "I want to see what happens, for example, when Whole View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Apparel & Accessories; Fashion; Retail

2021
Working Paper

'Just Letting You Know…': Underestimating Others' Desire for Constructive Feedback

By: Nicole Abi-Esber, Jennifer Abel, Juliana Schroeder and Francesca Gino

People often avoid giving feedback to others even when it would help fix a problem immediately. Indeed, in a pilot field study (N=155), only 2.6% of individuals provided feedback to survey administrators that the administrators had food or marker on their faces.... View Details

Keywords: Feedback; Helping; Prosocial Behavior; Relationships; Social Psychology; Theory; Perception

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January 2020
Article

The Market Reacts Quickly: Changes in Paclitaxel Vascular Device Purchasing Within the Ascension Healthcare System

By: Peter P. Monteleone, Subhash Banerjee, Priya Kothapalli, Ariel Dora Stern, Daniel Fehder, Ron Ginor, Dominic Vollmar, Edward T. A. Fry and Mark J. Pirwitz

Background. A meta-analysis of trials in endovascular therapy suggested an increased mortality associated with treatment exposure to paclitaxel. Multiple publications and corrections of prior data were performed, and the United States Food and Drug Administration has... View Details

Keywords: Medical Devices; Health Testing and Trials; Analysis; Sales

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HBS - The year in Review

positive labor relations management, was deemed best to support the School’s brand and its educational mission. Its collaboration with Thompson Hospitality, the largest minority-owned food service management company in the country,... View Details

18 Jun 2024
Research & Ideas

Central Banks Missed Inflation Red Flags. This Pricing Model Could Help.

increase. Additionally, this approach can better detect when prices start to decline, as firms are often cautious and slower to reduce prices once a crisis begins to subside, says Cavallo. What happens when food costs jump 20 percent? To... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Financial Services; Banking

26 Aug 2019
Research & Ideas

Lipstick Tips: How Influencers Are Making Over Beauty Marketing

Maybe that’s because influencers don’t post only about makeup; they often provide glimpses into their personal lives through photos of the clothes they wear, the food they eat, the places they travel, and even their spouses, kids, and... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Consumer Products; Beauty & Cosmetics

Web

Leadership - Faculty & Research

company, including in-store grocery technology and expanding partnerships across the grocery sector. Keywords: Change ; Change Management ; Transformation ; Customers ; Food ; Growth and Development ; Health ; Labor ; Working Conditions ;... View Details

09 Nov 2023
News

A Third Act for Ron Shaich (MBA 1978)

Widely credited with pioneering the concept of the restaurant industry’s $80 billion “fast casual” segment, Ron Shaich (MBA 1978) started small: a 400-square-foot business in Boston’s Downtown Crossing that sold cookies. From those humble but tasty beginnings, Shaich... View Details

June 2014
Case

Starbucks Coffee Company: Transformation and Renewal

By: Nancy F. Koehn, Kelly McNamara, Nora N. Khan and Elizabeth Legris

Starbucks Coffee Company: Transformation and Renewal analyzes the turnaround and reconstruction of Starbucks Coffee Company from 2008 to 2014 as led by CEO and co-founder Howard Schultz. The case offers executives and students an opportunity to examine in depth how... View Details

10 Jan 2024
Research & Ideas

Technology and COVID Upended Tipping Norms. Will Consumers Keep Paying?

If you’ve recently ordered food or coffee on an app, you’re probably familiar with the prompt to tip your barista, delivery driver, or sandwich maker. Or even more commonly, when ordering at a casual dining counter, you’ve been asked to... View Details

Keywords: by Anna Lamb, Harvard Gazette

Web

Careers Blog

entrepreneurship, launching the healthy snack brand 88 Acres with no background in the food industry. She reflects on the challenge of building a new network from scratch and the circuitous path that led her to a purpose-driven career.... View Details

Web

Adding a Social Dimension to Strategy - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

their value proposition, they tap into the potential for a competitive advantage that is more sustainable versus competitors than conventional cost and quality advantages. Whole Foods, the most economically successful food retailer in... View Details

24 Apr 2018
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: What Mark Zuckerberg Can Learn About Crisis Leadership from Starbucks

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson (left) meets with employees and community members in this file photo. (Photo courtesy Starbucks.) Johnson & Johnson CEO Jim Burke’s leadership during the 1982 Tylenol crisis is what we at Harvard Business School teach as the standard for... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George; Food & Beverage; Food & Beverage

November 1972 (Revised July 2023)
Case

Benihana of Tokyo

By: W. Earl Sasser

Discusses the development of a chain of "theme" restaurants. The student is asked to evaluate the current operating strategy and suggest a long-term expansion strategy. View Details

Keywords: Expansion; Business Strategy; Brands and Branding; Food and Beverage Industry; Food and Beverage Industry