Publications

April 1992 (Revised March 1993)
Case

Brigham and Women's Hospital in 1992, The

Brigham and Women's Hospital is a highly successful teaching hospital in 1992. However, the hospital sector is undergoing a major transition and the hospital faces uncertainty about changing demographic trends, new types of competitors, and technological and scientific... View Details

Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Change Management; Social Entrepreneurship; Decision Making; Health Care and Treatment; Business Strategy; Education Industry; Education Industry; Massachusetts

02 Jan 2008
Research & Ideas

Most Popular Stories 2007

retention in this Q&A. Making the Move to General Manager Managers face a critical transition when they rise from functional expert to general manager. It's an exciting shift but it's also fraught with pitfalls. A new executive View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

23 Jun 2003
Research & Ideas

Historically Speaking: A Roundtable at HBS

development of the U.S. railroad industry in the latter half of the 19th century. Al went straight to the sources and expanded upon them in a series of important articles in the Business History Review. That work developed into his... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Aisner

02 Aug 2011
First Look

First Look: August 2

the world stage. It is a story that holds many important lessons for the current generation of emerging giants seeking to do the same. Book: http://hbr.org/2011/07/the-globe-the-paradox-of-samsungs-rise/ar/1 Working PapersBig BRICs, Weak Foundations: The Beginning of... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

30 Mar 2015
Research & Ideas

Managing the Family Business: Preparing to Sell

companies, and those that do sell generally part with them very reluctantly, given all that selling represents. We sympathize with a family's emotional attachment to its company. But given how fast industries are changing and other... View Details

Keywords: by Jonathan Pellegrin; Food & Beverage; Retail

May 2024
Supplement

Forest Park Capital (A)

By: Richard S. Ruback and Royce Yudkoff

During the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020, Betsy Harbison formed the search fund Forest Park Capital with the intention of purchasing a small business. The case conveys the details of Betsy’s final decision at the terminus of her search, between a software company... View Details

Keywords: Search Fund; Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition; Acquisition; Small Business; Cost vs Benefits; Decisions; Business Education; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Leadership Style; Business or Company Management; Problems and Challenges; Tourism Industry; Tourism Industry; North America; Missouri

03 Apr 2017
What Do You Think?

How About Investing in Human Infrastructure?

Hare said, “Should we do better in investing in people? They’re an asset of course we should!” Guy Higgins and Lewisman agreed, with conditions: “ (as with the GI Bill) make the offer to men and women who have some life experience and emotional maturity (and ensure)... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Construction

May 2024
Supplement

gWorks (B)

By: Richard S. Ruback and Royce Yudkoff

In January of 2019, Joe Heieck, CEO of gWorks, was deciding whether to proceed with his acquisition of Data Tech, that was a business roughly the same size as gWorks. gWorks, which provided geospatial software to small city and rural county governments, was acquired by... View Details

February 2014
Teaching Note

Community Health Workers in Zambia: Incentive Design and Management

By: Nava Ashraf and Kristin Johnson

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Training; Health Care and Treatment; Compensation and Benefits; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Mission and Purpose; Non-Governmental Organizations; Motivation and Incentives; Health Industry; Zambia

February 2023
Case

Enstitute

By: Lindsay N. Hyde, Thomas R. Eisenmann, Kumba Sennaar and Sarah Mehta

Shaila Ittycheria (MBA ’10) founded the nonprofit organization Enstitute, in 2012 in New York City. Determined to challenge the status quo within higher education, Shaila and her cofounder sought to expand opportunities for talented young people by placing them in... View Details

Keywords: Social Entrepreneurship; Operations; Business Startups; Business Growth and Maturation; Education Industry; Education Industry; United States

June 2018
Case

Candor at Clever

By: Ethan Bernstein and Om Lala

Clever, a high-growth EdTech company based in San Francisco, had grown quickly in market share and headcount. As with many high-growth companies, however, early employees (many of whom had never managed people before) had been given the opportunity to manage teams, and... View Details

June 2013
Supplement

AME Learning Inc. (Video Supplement)

By: Jim Sharpe

This is the Video Supplement for AME Learning, Inc., HBS Case #810065. View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Management; Entrepreneurs; Angels; Angel Investors; Growth Planning And Management; Growth Strategy; Family Businesses; Family-owned Business; Careers; Venture Capital; Entrepreneurship; Personal Development and Career; Family and Family Relationships; Family Business; Publishing Industry; Publishing Industry; Canada; United States

August 2001 (Revised October 2001)
Case

What a Great Idea

By: Myra M. Hart and Susan Harmeling

Charles "Chic" Thompson has created a successful business as a professional speaker, consultant, and author of two books on creativity. He is challenged to institutionalize his knowledge and brand in an organization that will outlive his involvement. This case examines... View Details

Keywords: Knowledge Management; Entrepreneurship; Management Teams; Organizational Design; Technological Innovation; Technology Adoption; Service Industry; Service Industry

05 Oct 2016
What Do You Think?

Can the US Economy Regain the Growth and Prosperity of the Past?

accomplished, including more freedom for business, more immigration, and big bets by the government and industry to meet imposing infrastructure needs. Ron Kurtz said, “I am concerned that we are facing a decline in the size and spending... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

25 Mar 2014
First Look

First Look: March 25

performance. We measure close ties using the education network between fund managers and managers of the investee firms. We find that having close ties to an investee leads to more timely investments only when the funds are closely... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

14 Jan 2014
First Look

First Look: January 14

Education Leveraging Crowdsourced Peer-to-Peer Assessments to Enhance the Case Method of Learning By: Avery, Jill Abstract—Many marketing educators use the case method to help their students strengthen their... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

20 Sep 2012
Research & Ideas

US Competitiveness at Risk

skilled workforce, an educated populace, vibrant local suppliers, basic rule of law, and so on. Historically, American businesses invested in these resources deeply, and that helped to build many of America's strengths. Then, in a world... View Details

Keywords: Re: Michael E. Porter & Jan W. Rivkin

March 2022
Case

The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program: 2009-2021

By: Leonard A. Schlesinger and Julia Kelley

In December 2021, more than a decade after its founding, Goldman Sachs’s 10,000 Small Businesses program was still going strong — and the firm now needed to evaluate potential program modifications to reach a wider group of small business owners. Launched in the... View Details