Publications

July 2018
Case

Leading Open Innovation at BT

By: Amy C. Edmondson, Jean-François Harvey and Johnathan R. Cromwell

This case focuses on the genesis and development of the open innovation unit at BT, the strategic value of the unit, and its operating model. As the business environment becomes increasingly dynamic and firms are pressured to achieve faster innovation rates, there may... View Details

Keywords: Collaboration; Open Innovation; Inter-organizational Relationships; Organizational Culture; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Information Technology Industry; Technology Industry; United Kingdom; United States

February 2018
Case

Aetna and the Transformation of Health Care

By: Rebecca M. Henderson, Russell Eisenstat and Matthew Preble

Mark Bertolini, chairman and CEO of the health insurer Aetna, faces a number of questions as he seeks to transform Aetna from a classic insurance company into a business that will engage much more deeply with its members around their personal health goals. His strategy... View Details

Keywords: Health Care and Treatment; Insurance; Transformation; Behavior; Leading Change; Strategy; Insurance Industry; Health Industry; United States; Connecticut

2017
Mimeo

Innovation in Tradition: Rural Livelihood Creation in the Indian Craft Sector

By: Mukti Khaire, Shashank Shah and Kundan Madireddy

This publication is a study of the Indian Crafts Sector. It is an outcome of the team's research, engagement, and interactions with over 75 crafts enterprises across India. It documents the research process, insights generated, the impact, and policy recommendations... View Details

Keywords: Jobs and Positions; Creativity; Business and Community Relations; Rural Scope; India

Find at Harvard

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August 2013
Article

Customer-Driven Misconduct: How Competition Corrupts Business Practices

By: Victor Manuel Bennett, Lamar Pierce, Jason A. Snyder and Michael W. Toffel

Competition among firms yields many benefits but can also encourage firms to engage in corrupt or unethical activities. We argue that competition can lead organizations to provide services that customers demand but that violate government regulations, especially when... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Crime and Corruption; Management Practices and Processes; Ethics; Consumer Behavior; Customer Satisfaction; Auto Industry; Service Industry

2007
Working Paper

Hedge Fund Investor Activism and Takeovers

By: Robin Greenwood and Michael Schor

We examine long-horizon stock returns around hedge fund activism in a comprehensive sample of 13D filings by portfolio investors between 1993 and 2006. Abnormal returns surrounding investor activism are high for the subset of targets that are... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Private Equity; Investment Return; Investment Activism; Investment Portfolio; Corporate Governance

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February 2020 (Revised June 2020)
Background Note

China Commerce 2020

By: William R. Kerr, Daniel O'Connor and Nathaniel Schwalb

China's digital commerce platforms engage billions of consumers daily across a number of routine tasks from banking, retail purchases, travel, gaming, payments, and more. These platforms are the most sophisticated/informed and highest performing/capable in the world.... View Details

Keywords: Platforms; Strategy; Leadership; E-commerce; Digital Platforms; Retail Industry; Technology Industry; Consumer Products Industry; China

Clubs - Alumni

Engagement in Pro Bono Consulting 15 CLUBS 32K HOURS $14M+ Annual in-kind contributions to local nonprofits Connect with fellow alumni in over 100 alumni clubs and associations Find your Alumni club Clubs Calendar Clubs Stories Contact... View Details

November 2009 (Revised March 2013)
Case

Miles Everson at PricewaterhouseCoopers

By: Robert G. Eccles and David Lane

Miles Everson, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), is the Global Engagement Partner (GEP) for a large U.S. financial institution and about to take over this role for a much larger global financial institution. The GEP role is a critical one at PwC. GEPs have... View Details

Keywords: Experience and Expertise; Customer Relationship Management; Globalized Firms and Management; Managerial Roles; Consulting Industry

MBA Experience - Health Care

DMD/MBA Harvard School of Dental Medicine MBA/MPP Harvard Kennedy School MS/MBA Biotechnology: Life Sciences Harvard Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology MS/MBA Engineering Sciences Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 600+... View Details

Strategy - Faculty & Research

Nanda, Henrique Castro-Pires, Carolyn Fu, and Quan Le. "Introduction to the RC Strategy Course, Fall 2025." Harvard Business School Course Overview Note 726-356, July 2025. Beefing IT Up for Your Investor? Engagement with Open Source... View Details

Teaching by the Case Method - Christensen Center for Teaching & Learning

Teaching Questions for Class Discussions Teaching Quantitative Material Strategies and Tactics for Sensitive Topics Curriculum Innovation The case method has evolved so students may act as decision-makers in new engaging formats: Game... View Details

About - Case Method Project

History of American Democracy, developed mainly for undergraduates. The course quickly became one of the highest-rated classes at Harvard College. Students described the teaching method as highly engaging and credited it with helping them... View Details

30 Jan 2024
Research & Ideas

‘Intrinsic Joy’ Sparks Ideas Better than Cash

contributed far more “repos” (software packages placed and held in a repository) during the run-up to their payout than those who didn’t participate. Yet, once paid, a sponsored user’s community-driven contributions and long-term View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Technology

25 Jul 2006
First Look

First Look: July 25, 2006

plans, we find collaborative engagement of the functions to be a consistent process feature and operational norm encouraged and maintained by integrators. In particular, the information processing nature of the sales and operations... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Rock Summer Fellows - Entrepreneurship

encourage you to apply to the General Summer Fellows Joiner track. Student founders have the opportunity to select from two tracks: 1) Rock Summer Fellows – Independent track Engage in a peer exchange network of students committed to... View Details

05 Jul 2023
What Do You Think?

How Are Middle Managers Falling Down Most Often on Employee Inclusion?

career. 2. The reliance on policies allowing work away from the office has created new challenges for managers. A better reason backed by research is that organizations are failing to engage their employees. Why? In large part because... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

November 2015
Case

Wynton Marsalis & Jazz at Lincoln Center

By: Rohit Deshpandé

Under the leadership of artistic director Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) hosts performances and education events year-round for audiences in New York and across the United States. Despite the popularity of JALC's events, however, the U.S. audience for... View Details

Keywords: Nonprofit Organizations; Management; Music Entertainment; Marketing; Brands and Branding; Growth and Development Strategy; Music Industry

November 2014 (Revised March 2016)
Background Note

Mental Health and the American Workplace

By: John A. Quelch and Carin-Isabel Knoop

Mental illness has been described as an epidemic affecting nearly a quarter of all Americans in their lifetimes, often during their most productive working years. Managers who can design organizations that maximize mental health can minimize these risks and boost... View Details

Keywords: Public Health; Productivity; Competitiveness; Stress Management; Depression; Absenteeism; Presenteeism; Work Culture; Business or Company Management; Work-Life Balance; Performance Productivity; Organizational Culture; Medical Specialties; Health Care and Treatment; Health Industry; United States

April 2015
Article

Self-serving Justifications: Doing Wrong and Feeling Moral

By: Shaul Shalvi, F. Gino, Rachel Barkan and Shahar Ayal

Unethical behavior by "ordinary" people poses significant societal and personal challenges. We present a novel framework centered on the role of self-serving justification to build upon and advance the rapidly expanding research on intentional unethical behavior of... View Details

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Moral Sensibility