Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(2,513)
- Faculty Publications (184)
- February 2011
- Case
Chegg: Textbook Rental Takes Flight
By: Thomas R. Eisenmann, William A. Sahlman and Evan W. Richardson
In late 2010, Silicon Valley-based Chegg, the leading online college textbook rental company, is scaling rapidly. The case recounts Chegg's history from its origins as a distant competitor to Craigslist in college classified listings through a pivot into textbook... View Details
- June 2010
- Case
Managing the Client Portfolio
By: Nitin Nohria and Ashish Nanda
The German country managing partner of a global law firm must decide how to respond to a corporate mandate to restructure its client portfolio. The case enables a discussion of different types of clients in a global professional service firm in terms of relative... View Details
- April 2010
- Case
George Martin at The Boston Consulting Group (A)
By: Leslie A. Perlow and Kerry Herman
George Martin, managing partner at The Boston Consulting Group, is worried as some of his best performers have recently pulled him aside to discuss the challenges they face managing the demands of their work lives with their desire for more predictable time with their... View Details
- April 2010
- Supplement
George Martin at The Boston Consulting Group (B)
By: Leslie A. Perlow and Kerry Herman
George Martin, managing partner at The Boston Consulting Group, is worried as some of his best performers have recently pulled him aside to discuss the challenges they face managing the demands of their work lives with their desire for more predictable time with their... View Details
- April 2010 (Revised May 2010)
- Supplement
George Martin at The Boston Consulting Group (C)
By: Leslie A. Perlow and Kerry Herman
George Martin, managing partner at The Boston Consulting Group, is worried as some of his best performers have recently pulled him aside to discuss the challenges they face managing the demands of their work lives with their desire for more predictable time with their... View Details
- April 2010
- Case
Talent Agencies
By: Thomas R. Eisenmann, Toby E. Stuart and Lauren Barley
The case overviews the talent agency industry in Hollywood in 2009. Focuses on the role of the talent agent, the dynamics of professional service firms, the challenges facing agencies in light of major changes in the entertainment industries, and a possible merger... View Details
- December 2009 (Revised February 2010)
- Case
The Investment Fund for Foundations (TIFF) in 2009
By: Luis M. Viceira and Brendon Christopher Parry
In late June 2009, management at The Investment Fund for Foundations (TIFF) was considering expanding the footprint of the TIFF Diversified Fund (TDF), the first truly comprehensive endowment management vehicle offered under the TIFF banner. The recent large capital... View Details
- October 2009
- Article
Making Time Off Predictable—and Required
By: Leslie Perlow and Jessica L. Porter
People in professional services believe a 24/7 work ethic is essential for getting ahead—and so they work 60-plus hours a week and stay tethered to their BlackBerrys. This perpetuates a vicious cycle: Responsiveness breeds the need for more responsiveness. When people... View Details
- Article
Specialization and Success: Evidence from Venture Capital
By: Paul A. Gompers, Anna Kovner and Josh Lerner
This paper examines how organizational structure affects behavior and outcomes, studying the performance of different types of venture capital organizations. We find a strong positive relationship between the degree of specialization by individual venture capitalists... View Details
- July – August 2009
- Article
Hiring Stars and Their Colleagues: Exploration and Exploitation in Professional Service Firms
By: Boris Groysberg and Linda-Eling Lee
- March 2009 (Revised May 2011)
- Case
Addleshaw-Goddard LLP
By: Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson and James Weber
Addleshaw-Goddard (AG), the 15th largest law firm in the U.K., is seeking ways to serve larger clients on more important legal matters. Part of this strategy involves its "Client Development Centre (CDC)," an innovative idea and set of services launched by Dr. Jim... View Details
- February 2009 (Revised April 2011)
- Supplement
Mistry Architects (B)
By: Amy C. Edmondson, Robert G. Eccles and Mona Sinha
This case is a follow-up of Mistry Architects: Innovating for Sustainability (A) (Case 609-044). In Case (A) Sharukh and Renu Mistry found and run an architectural firm dedicated to being both client-oriented and environmentally responsible. The case uses a difficult... View Details
- February 2009 (Revised April 2011)
- Supplement
Mistry Architects (C)
By: Amy C. Edmondson, Robert G. Eccles and Mona Sinha
This case is a follow-up to "Mistry Architects: Innovating for Sustainability (A)" (Case 609-044) and (B) (Case 609-064). In Case (A) Sharukh and Renu Mistry founded and run an architectural firm dedicated to being both client-oriented and environmentally responsible.... View Details
- 2009
- Other Unpublished Work
Organizational Alignment in Professional Services
By: John J. Gabarro, Thomas J. DeLong and Robert Lees
- 01 Jan 2009
- Conference Presentation
The Current State of Professional Service Firms
By: Thomas J. DeLong
Keywords: Business Ventures
- June 2008 (Revised July 2008)
- Case
Kit Hinrichs at Pentagram (A)
By: Linda A. Hill and Emily Stecker
This case focuses on Kit Hinrichs, a 65-year-old partner at Pentagram, a privately owned multidisciplinary design firm. One of the world's most prestigious design firms, Pentagram was founded by five designers from different disciplines in London in the 1970s. By 2008,... View Details
- May 2008
- Background Note
The Producing Manager: A Double-Barreled Role
By: John J. Gabarro and Thomas J. DeLong
The purpose of this note is to ground and amplify on the characteristics and challenges of the producing manager role. It is in response to requests from participants for a piece of "take away" material that can be shared with colleagues in professional service firms... View Details
- December 2007 (Revised February 2009)
- Case
Don Jenkins: Resigning from the Firm
By: Boris Groysberg, Geoff Eckman Marietta and Steven Manchel
Don Jenkins, a star event planner at a large firm, resigns to take a position at a boutique firm. However, Don may have made some mistakes when departing that could be trouble later on down the road. The case can be used to teach the business and legal aspects of... View Details