Entertainment - Publications - Faculty & Research

Portrait Project

Adam Gassin

subtly whispers its doctrine of the month: Cosmopolitan promotes promiscuity, fame, and luxury as means to happiness. Time depicts presidents, executives, and entertainers at the pinnacle of power. Forbes preaches the gospel of wealth,... View Details

01 Sep 2003
News

Jackie Adams

competitors, and all three organizations saw news as a public trust. But by the mid-1980s, the networks had become divisions of large corporations, and profitability and entertainment value took center stage.” She notes that the advent of... View Details

Keywords: James E. Aisner; journalism; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information

04 Oct 2011
First Look

First Look: October 4

the right way to proceed? Designed to help students understand the decisions that helped propel Lady Gaga into one of the entertainment world's biggest names. Written from the perspective of her manager, the case provides rich insights... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

July 2024
Case

Wizards of the Coast and Magic: The Rebounding

By: Boris Groysberg and Tom Quinn

This case traces the history and growth of the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. From its development in 1993 by tiny studio Wizards of the Coast, to Wizards’ acquisition by toy giant Hasbro in 1999, to its evolution into a billion-dollar brand in 2023,... View Details

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01 Mar 2006
News

The Producers

who volunteers to teach dance in the New York City public schools. “I want to make movies that are entertaining and commercially successful but also have the potential to change someone’s outlook on life and make a difference in a good... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries; Information

01 Mar 2006
News

Last Look

began at HBS (because the parade’s mounted-police escorts needed a large parking lot for their horse vans) before crossing the river to the Pudding clubhouse, entertaining some 10,000 spectators along the way. Parry reports that the... View Details

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

01 Sep 2020
News

Alumni and Faculty Books for September 2020

Edited by Margie Kelley Alumni Books The Book of Esports: The Definitive Guide to Competitive Video Games by William Collis (MBA 2011) RosettaBooks Almost overnight, esports—or competitive video games—have exploded into the largest View Details

14 Jul 2015
Blog Post

On the Road: Zurich, Warsaw, and Istanbul

good books to read or movies to watch while traveling? Because we were traveling to three cities in six days, it was essential to have good travel entertainment material. Our book choices were: Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins and The... View Details

2023
Working Paper

Personalized Game Design for Improved User Retention and Monetization in Freemium Games

By: Eva Ascarza, Oded Netzer and Julian Runge

One of the most crucial aspects and significant levers that gaming companies possess in designing digital games is setting the level of difficulty, which essentially regulates the user’s ability to progress within the game. This aspect is particularly significant in... View Details

Keywords: Freemium; Retention/churn; Field Experiment; Field Experiments; Gaming; Gaming Industry; Mobile App; Mobile App Industry; Monetization; Monetization Strategy; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Customers; Retention; Product Design; Strategy

Citation

Read Now

April 2025
Case

Joe Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics (A)

By: Linda A. Hill, James I. Cash and Lydia Begag

Joe Mazzulla's leadership journey with the Boston Celtics began in 2016 when he served as an assistant coach for their NBA G-League affiliate. In 2019, he was promoted to a "behind-the-bench" assistant coaching role with the Celtics, before being asked to become the... View Details

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Educators

October 2016 (Revised January 2017)
Background Note

The U.S. Health Club Industry, 2005–2016

By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth

In 2015, the U.S. health-club industry generated revenues of $25.8 billion, up from $14.8 billion in 2004. Members of health clubs accounted for 17% of the population, up from 14%. The number of clubs had grown from 26,830 in 2004 to 36,180. In the process, the list of... View Details

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March 2011 (Revised August 2012)
Case

Caesars Entertainment: CodeGreen

By: George Serafeim, Robert G. Eccles and Tiffany A. Clay

The case describes the development of Caesar's sustainability initiative program, the effect of the initiative on employee engagement and motivation, and on customer satisfaction. View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Employees; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Motivation and Incentives; Accommodations Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

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September 2010 (Revised January 2014)
Supplement

Aspen Skiing Company (D)

By: Michael W. Toffel and Stephanie van Sice

Having begun improving the environmental performance of its own operations, Aspen Skiing Company is considering "greening" its supply chain and lobbying for greenhouse gas regulations. A world-renowned ski resort vulnerable to global climate change, Aspen's activities... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Supply Chain; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Sports Industry; Aspen

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November 2004 (Revised November 2004)
Supplement

Martha Stewart (B)

By: Lynn S. Paine and Christopher Bruner

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

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November 2003 (Revised July 2006)
Case

STAR 2003

By: Thomas R. Piper

A shift in strategy from broadcasting standardized programs throughout its footprint to localized programming necessitates a review of STAR's organizational structure. Growing complexity and a need for local responsiveness point toward adoption of a country-based... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Strategy; Organizational Structure; Management Teams; Decision Choices and Conditions; Organizational Design; Complexity; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

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July 2003 (Revised October 2003)
Case

Ottawa Voyageurs, The

By: Thomas J. DeLong, Scott Baldwin, Chris Strong, Andrew Feng, Eliza Moody and David Ager

Manuel Tertuliano, head coach of a professional soccer club, must make some difficult decisions about the compensation of six of his players. Specifically, he must decide how to allocate $850,000 among these six players in a way that will benefit his team, which has... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Compensation and Benefits; Performance; Motivation and Incentives; Sports; Groups and Teams; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Canada

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October 1997 (Revised June 2001)
Case

Disney (C): The Mouse in Times Square

By: Michael A. Wheeler, Thomas Dretler and Georgia Levenson

Disney's first foray into an urban environment, is the restoration and development of the landmark New Amsterdam Theater in New York's Times Square. Disney must negotiate with the city, state, and various nonprofit organizations focused on the redevelopment of Times... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Types; Urban Development; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

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October 1997 (Revised March 1998)
Case

Appalachian Mountain Club: Transforming Governance

By: Walter J. Salmon and Jaan Elias

Starting in 1988, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) began a controversial transformation in management and governance. For its first 112 years, the AMC's structure had resembled that of a country club--volunteer leaders directed the club's operations and its small,... View Details

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Transformation; Corporate Governance; Employee Relationship Management; Recruitment; Leading Change; Organizational Culture; Labor and Management Relations; Nonprofit Organizations; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

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September 2010 (Revised September 2013)
Supplement

Aspen Skiing Company (C)

By: Michael W. Toffel and Stephanie van Sice

Having begun improving the environmental performance of its own operations, Aspen Skiing Company is considering "greening" its supply chain and lobbying for greenhouse gas regulations. A world renowned ski resort vulnerable to global climate change, Aspen's activities... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Supply Chain; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Aspen

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