Publications

May 2002 (Revised May 2003)
Case

Sa Sa Cosmetics

By: David E. Bell and Iris T. Li

Sa Sa Cosmetics has had spectacular success as a low-price retailer of branded cosmetics. But recently, growth has slackened. What are the causes? This case describes recent strategic initiatives and provides market research data to aid the students in diagnosis. View Details

Keywords: Crisis Management; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Distribution; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Fashion Industry

February 2005 (Revised May 2005)
Case

Nordstrom: The Turnaround

By: Rajiv Lal and Arar Han

After a period of turbulence, the fourth generation of Nordstroms are in control of the $7.1 billion apparel retailer. They have instituted a number of changes in buying and IT that have turned the business around. What can they do to ensure future growth? View Details

Keywords: Transformation; Crisis Management; Growth Management; Organizational Structure; Information Technology; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Retail Industry

01 Sep 2010
News

The Natural World

middle of the night wondering how I was going to get my job done,” recalled Tercek. “That never happened to me at Goldman Sachs.” Tercek has found that “a mission-driven nonprofit is harder to manage than you think,” in part because of... View Details

Keywords: Conservation; Securities, Commodities, and Other Financial Investments; Finance

September 2020 (Revised December 2020)
Case

Siba Mtongana: A Pioneering Chef in South Africa

By: Boris Groysberg, Susan Seligson, Katherine Connolly Baden and Robin Abrahams

For Siba Mtongana, South African celebrity chef, the year 2020 was fraught with challenges and unknowns. Her brand was strong and she was certain it would survive. But as she fine-tuned her growth and innovation strategy in a shaky, unpredictable economy in the midst... View Details

Keywords: Food; Crisis Management; Health Pandemics; Growth and Development Strategy; Food and Beverage Industry; South Africa

January 2021 (Revised March 2022)
Case

Into the Raging Sea: Final Voyage of the SS El Faro

By: Joseph B. Fuller and Mel Martin

Captain Michael Davidson of the container ship SS El Faro was determined to make his planned shipping trip on time—but a hurricane was approaching his intended path. To succeed, Davidson and his fellow officers must plot a course to avoid the storm in the face of... View Details

Keywords: Power Dynamics; Management; Leadership Style; Crisis Management; Failure; Groups and Teams; Rank and Position; Decision Choices and Conditions; Shipping Industry; United States

Profile

Mark Gundersen

of about two-hundred case discussions so far and have been able to see trends: what makes a good management team; what distinguishes wise decisions; which type of strategies tend to succeed." "I've learned as much or more from... View Details

May 2, 2024
Article

Require Hospitals to Disclose Their Pandemic Plans Now

By: Regina E. Herzlinger, Richard J. Boxer and Ben Creo

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that U.S. hospital and health care systems were ill-prepared for the surge of patients who overwhelmed available health care resources. An overlooked resource deserves more attention: the availability of intensive care unit (ICU)... View Details

Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Crisis Management; Knowledge Sharing; Governance Compliance; Planning; Health Industry; United States

Read Now

February 24, 2022
Article

Want to Prevent the Next Hospital Bed Crisis? Enlist the SEC

By: Regina E. Herzlinger and Richard Boxer

During the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, many U.S. hospitals could not provide enough beds to meet demand. Solving the problem of inadequate capacity is of utmost importance in the “new normal,” which requires recognizing the ongoing need for hospital-based... View Details

Keywords: COVID; COVID-19 Pandemic; Hospital Capacity; SEC Regulation; Health Pandemics; Crisis Management; Performance Capacity; Planning

Read Now

27 Dec 2010
Research & Ideas

HBS Faculty on 2010’s Biggest Business Developments

Bill George, Professor of Management Practice Social networking is the most significant business development of 2010, topping the resurgence of the U.S. automobile industry. During the year social networking morphed from a personal... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

December 1997
Case

Franco Bernabe at ENI (B)

By: Linda A. Hill, Jennifer Suesse and Mara Willard

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Leadership Style; Personal Development and Career; Management Teams; Management Style; Strategic Planning; Crisis Management; Privatization; Italy

Profile

Sheila Marcelo

money for college. “I was the eighth employee, and I consider that period my general management tour of duty,” says Marcelo, who found enthusiastic mentors at the young company and was soon asked to join the View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Technology; Services

13 Jul 2010
First Look

First Look: July 13

productivity improvement plus growth strategy? While they consider these options in September 2008, the credit markets are about to clamp shut as a global financial crisis is around the corner. Purchase this... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

26 Jun 2009
Research Event

Business Summit: Business and the Environment

Managing Partner, Generation Investment ManagementJames McCarthy, Harvard University faculty These experts shared their perspectives on global climate change. Professor McCarthy discussed scientific findings; Blood provided an investor's... View Details

Keywords: Re: Forest L. Reinhardt; Energy; Utilities

11 Apr 2018
News

Pushing the Next Generation Forward

working on crisis management with city officials. “We are working to end intergenerational poverty within a 100-block radius in central Harlem,” says Owusu-Kesse, who joined HCZ in 2008 and became COO in... View Details

August 2002 (Revised February 2003)
Case

Myteam.com

By: John T. Gourville, Joseph B. Lassiter III and Taslim Pirmohamed

Elliot Katzman is faced with the need to raise cash and cut spending to develop his online amateur sports software application, Myteam.com. Even with powerful allies such as Little League and Coca-Cola, "big deals with big players" had not kept the company from running... View Details

Keywords: Cash Flow; Financial Management; Leadership Style; Crisis Management; Resource Allocation; Alliances; Sports; Web Sites; Sports Industry; Web Services Industry

Find at Harvard

21 Dec 2016
Cold Call Podcast

Target's Expensive Cybersecurity Mistake

Keywords: Re: Suraj Srinivasan; Retail

August 2009
Teaching Note

U.S. Subprime Mortgage Crisis: Policy Reactions (TN) (A) and (B)

By: Laura Alfaro and Renee Kim

Teaching Note for [708036] and [709045]. View Details

Keywords: Mortgages; Crisis Management; Government and Politics; Financial Services Industry; United States

July 2020 (Revised September 2020)
Case

MobSquad

By: Prithwiraj Choudhury, William R. Kerr and Susie L. Ma

Irfhan Rawji (MBA 2004) launched MobSquad in October 2018 to help American tech start-ups retain hard-to-find talent, many of whom struggled with U.S. work visa issues, such as software engineers with experience in artificial intelligence, machine learning, or data... View Details

Keywords: Work Visas; H1-B; Business Ventures; Business Startups; Labor; Human Capital; Human Resources; Crisis Management; Employment Industry; Canada; United States