Publications

December 1980 (Revised June 2006)
Case

University Health Services: Walk-In Clinic

The walk-in clinic for general outpatient care at a major university experiences complaints about excessive waiting times. The system is changed to provide for initial screening of arriving patients in order to route them to appropriate health care providers. The... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Service Delivery; Health Care and Treatment; Performance Evaluation; Health Industry

16 Jul 2016
News

Angie’s List Introduces 'Freemium' Model

Angie’s List CEO Scott Durchslag (MBA 1991) has made many changes to the venerable home-service review website since taking the helm in September 2015, including the creation of a new technology platform for the site. He announced the biggest shift to date last week:... View Details

Keywords: News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information

02 Apr 2015
Research & Ideas

Digital Initiative Summit: Big Messages, Small Screens, Many Choices

is, if the app is the way we interact with the brands, how do you get me to be one of your favorite apps?" Gupta said that a successful app must provide obvious, unique value—and meet consumers where they live. As an example, he cited the grocery chain Tesco, which... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Advertising

Web

Generative AI for Business Leaders - Course Catalog

a production scale Gen AI application using a no code platform. The HBS digital transformation (DTX) team will assist in the delivery fot he project. Learn about the basic foundations of the technology as well as the latest developments... View Details

25 Aug 2022
News

Turning Point: Dream Weaver

four decades ago, there’s been a technological shift from a local delivery platform to one that is global. In tandem, we’ve seen a transformation from a culturally and ethnically centralized world of actors, writers, and directors to one... View Details

Keywords: career; life experience; Hollywood; movies; film

02 Jan 2018
News

Reconsidering Retirement

store in New Jersey; the son accompanied him on buying trips to New York and watched him negotiate for the best merchandise and price. He had even launched his own successful business before arriving at HBS: a birthday cake delivery... View Details

Keywords: April White; Securities, Commodities, and Other Financial Investments; Finance

01 Oct 1996
News

An Atypical Case — Robin G. Berglund (MBA 1971)

At the Cedars-Sinai Hospital complex in Los Angeles, patients, visitors, doctors, nurses, and delivery people stream up and down the hallways on a busy summer afternoon. The bank of phones in the lobby is fully occupied. On one of them,... View Details

Keywords: Thomas Frick

December 2001 (Revised May 2003)
Background Note

Queueing Theory

By: V.G. Narayanan and George Batta

Explains the assumptions behind and the insights from a simple queueing model. View Details

Keywords: Mathematical Methods; Theory; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Motivation and Incentives; Service Delivery

October 1999 (Revised November 1999)
Case

VITAS: Innovative Hospice Care

VITAS, a for-profit hospice, has grown through acquisitions and start-ups. The company considers a rollup strategy, and Deirdre Lawe must decide whether to make a particular acquisition. View Details

Keywords: Value Creation; For-Profit Firms; Service Delivery; Health Care and Treatment; Acquisition; Service Industry