Publications

May 2013 (Revised April 2015)
Case

Ron Johnson: Retail at Target, Apple, and J.C. Penney

By: Das Narayandas, Kerry Herman and Lisa Mazzanti

In April 2013, Ron Johnson (HBS '84) stepped down after just 18 months as CEO of J.C. Penney. In his brief tenure, Johnson, an acclaimed retailer respected for his innovation and success in shaping the retail image at Target and Apple, introduced dramatic departures... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Innovation Leadership; Situation or Environment; Failure; Management Teams; Brands and Branding; Retail Industry; United States

October 2008 (Revised February 2014)
Case

The Northwest Passage

By: Herman B. Leonard and Peter Brannen

Following dozens of failed expeditions to "discover" the NW passage, a Norwegian adventurer employs a new approach that emphasizes rigorous preparation, a lighter, quicker style, and a willingness to adapt to the inhospitable Arctic environment and its people. The case... View Details

Keywords: Independent Innovation and Invention; Planning; Problems and Challenges; Risk and Uncertainty; Decision Choices and Conditions; Leadership Style; Adaptation; Canada

Article

Making a Difference: Developing Actionable Knowledge for Practice and Theory

By: Michael Beer

There is a widely acknowledged gap between academic research and practice. While the field of organizational studies and development has had an impact on management practice in some organizations, it has had only a modest impact on widely accepted management practice... View Details

Keywords: Actionable Knowledge; Actionable Practice; Normal Science; Scholar-consultant; Management Practices and Processes; Theory; Innovation Leadership; Organizations; Performance Effectiveness

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Web

Online Business Courses & Certifications | HBS Online

experience with a diverse global network. 1 year, 5-9 hrs/week Apply by September 10th, Enroll by September 13 $15,000 (four installments of $3,750) Credential New Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy Build the skill set and... View Details

24 Apr 2009
Working Paper Summaries

Corporate Social Entrepreneurship

Keywords: by James E. Austin & Ezequiel Reficco

22 Nov 2010
Research & Ideas

Seven Strategy Questions: A Simple Approach for Better Execution

are tracking the right performance goals and controlling strategic risk, it's time to turn to the fifth implementation imperative: spurring innovation. This imperative is woven into the fabric of every healthy organization, and we all know that companies that fail to... View Details

Keywords: by Robert Simons

13 Apr 2021
Blog Post

2021 48th Annual H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference Honors Black Women Leaders

“Good morning!” welcomed Lillian Lincoln Lambert (MBA 1969) in her address to the African American Student Union’s (AASU) 48th Annual H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference on February 27, 2021. The conference was the central day in Elevate: Uplifting Black View Details

31 Oct 2018
What Do You Think?

What is the Function of Fear in Leadership?

culture, won’t even scratch the surface of the performance problem.” As Jerry put it, “My experience with fear based management was that employees were reluctant to innovate because there was a risk that if anything went awry they would... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

01 Dec 2023
News

In My Humble Opinion: Plugged In

In a career spent investing in innovative startups at Intel, leading National Grid’s innovation and investment operations, and founding a nonpro t dedicated to advancing women and minorities to positions of top corporate leadership, Lisa Lambert (MBA 1997) always has... View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg

November 1990 (Revised March 1994)
Case

Digital Equipment Corp.: The Kodak Outsourcing Agreement (A)

By: Lynda M. Applegate and Herminia M. Ibarra

Describes grassroots effort which culminated in Digital's winning a competitive bid for the outsourcing of Kodak's internal telecommunications business. Describes the "Telstar" project, from the initial identification of the business opportunity to the process of... View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Management; Partners and Partnerships; Leading Change; Agreements and Arrangements; Business or Company Management; Bids and Bidding; Decision Making; Management Teams; Telecommunications Industry

October 2022
Article

How Leaders with Divergent Visions Generate Novel Strategy: Navigating the Paradox of Preservation and Modernization in Swiss Watchmaking

By: Ryan Raffaelli, Rich DeJordy and Rory M. McDonald

How do leaders with divergent visions for their organization come together to create a novel strategy? This paper employs paradox as a lens to investigate how leader-dyads can integrate opposing strategies to produce a new, generative approach. Drawing on a qualitative... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Paradoxes; Senior Leaders; Organizational Reinvention; Leadership; Technological Innovation; Innovation and Management; Innovation Strategy; Change; Manufacturing Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Switzerland

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April 2025
Case

Kleiner Perkins (2019)

By: Jo Tango and Srimayi Mylavarapu

Kleiner Perkins, founded in 1972, quickly rose to prominence as one of Silicon Valley’s leading venture capital firms, earning a reputation for early investments in industry giants like Google, Amazon, and Citrix. However, a bold, strategic pivot to cleantech investing... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Investment Funds; Technological Innovation; Entrepreneurial Finance