Publications

24 May 2011
First Look

First Look: May 24

responsibility. Working PapersInducement Prizes and Innovation Authors:Liam Brunt, Josh Lerner, and Tom Nicholas Abstract We examine the effect of prizes on innovation using data on awards for... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

20 Dec 2010
Research & Ideas

Panama Canal: Troubled History, Astounding Turnaround

no longer hurt American interests—its incidence would fall on Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese manufacturers trying to sell into the highly competitive American market. Q: President Jimmy Carter ceded formal control. Why did our interest... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Transportation

28 Jul 2009
First Look

First Look: July 28

into significant growth in net income or share price. In closing, students are asked what Kindler should write in the letter to shareholders to open Pfizer's 2008 annual report. Purchase this case:... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

12 Dec 2006
First Look

First Look: December 12, 2006

Market, Toyota, and Volvo have done, that CSR can be much more than a cost, a constraint, or a charitable deed—it can be a potent source of innovation and competitive advantage. In this article, Michael... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

09 Mar 2015
Research & Ideas

Why Entrepreneurs Should Go Work for Government

other projects produced the nation's first big-city 311 app that allows citizens to alert government to potholes and graffiti. He also helped cut through zoning laws to create the Boston Innovation District on a vast and underdeveloped... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

08 Aug 2005
Research & Ideas

Decision Rights: Who Gives the Green Light?

sure to involve all the key stakeholders. To address these concerns, GM's Pudar employs an innovative approach to consensus building. Prior to making major decisions about a new initiative, he says, "I meet individually with each... View Details

Keywords: by Peter Jacobs

March 2019 (Revised May 2019)
Case

Philips Lighting: Light-as-a-Service

By: Mark R. Kramer, Thijs Geradts and Bhanuteja Nadella

As LEDs with a 25-year lifespan replace incandescent lightbulbs, Philips Lighting faced major disruption and began to explore a new shared value business model of selling light as a service. Although it offers better profit margins and a reduced environmental... View Details

Keywords: Disruptive Innovation; Business Model; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Competitive Strategy

01 Mar 2016
First Look

March 1, 2016

economic conflicts behind the arguments put forward by the different parties. We also identify several key open questions. Download working paper: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=50676 Credit-Market Sentiment and the... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

April 2022
Case

Mastercard: Creating a World Beyond Cash

By: Sunil Gupta, Linda A. Hill, Julia Kelley and Emily Tedards

In late 2021, Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach and Chairman and former CEO Ajaypal “Ajay” Banga considered how Mastercard could best position itself for continued success in the years to come. Since Mastercard’s initial public offering in 2006, the company had grown and... View Details

September 2011 (Revised July 2012)
Case

Building Watson: Not So Elementary, My Dear!

By: Willy Shih

This case is set inside IBM Research's efforts to build a computer that can successfully take on human challengers playing the game show Jeopardy! It opens with the machine named Watson offering the incorrect answer "Toronto" to a seemingly simple question during the... View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Standards; Product Development; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Mathematical Methods; Research and Development; Information Technology

September 2023 (Revised January 2024)
Case

AI21 Labs in 2023: Strategy for Generative AI

By: David Yoffie, Orna Dan and Elena Corsi

Israeli generative artificial intelligence company AI21 Labs was founded in 2017 to realize the vision of true machine intelligence. It sought to reinvent writing and reading and in 2020 it launched Wordtune, an app using GenAI software to offer alternate text... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; AI and Machine Learning; Innovation Strategy; Growth and Development Strategy; Applications and Software; Competitive Strategy; Technology Industry; Israel

05 Feb 2018
What Do You Think?

Should Companies Disclose Employee Compensation?

several arguments. Individual pay transparency would eliminate a source of distraction (Srishti Mehra) and "would do more to eliminate gender and racial pay inequity than any other action," according to Miki Saxon. Will Quandt added that "the practice of... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Financial Services

28 Apr 2009
First Look

First Look: April 28, 2009

are discussed. Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/08-080.pdf Turning Waste into By-Product (revised) Author:Deishin Lee Abstract We determine, in a competitive setting, the optimal operating regimes for a firm that... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

May 2007 (Revised November 2019)
Case

Dollar General (A)

By: Willy Shih, Stephen P. Kaufman and Rebecca McKillican

Dollar General Corporation (DG) operates one of the leading chains of extreme value retailers in the United States. 2006 revenues reached $9.2 billion, making DG the 6th largest mass retailer in the country. With revenues growing at 9% annually over the five-year... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Family Business; Disruptive Innovation; Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Retail Industry; United States