Publications

2011
Chapter

The Importance of Work Context in Organizational Learning from Error

By: Lucy H. MacPhail and Amy C. Edmondson

Keywords: Working Conditions; Situation or Environment; Organizational Change and Adaptation

2003
Chapter

Accountability Myopia: Losing Sight of Organizational Learning

By: Alnoor Ebrahim

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Corporate Accountability; Governance Compliance

1991
Chapter

Inter-organizational Bonds and Intra-organizational Behavior: How Alliances and Partnerships Change the Organizations Forming Them

By: R. M. Kanter and P. S. Myers

Keywords: Alliances; Partners and Partnerships; Organizational Change and Adaptation

September 1983 (Revised October 1984)
Case

Syntex Laboratories (A)

A consulting project involving a mathematical model of the sales force indicates that Syntex Labs should nearly double the size of their sales force and drastically alter their allocation of sales effort to the product line and physician specialties. The questions are... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Strategic Planning; Salesforce Management; Pharmaceutical Industry

15 Dec 2024
News

The Golden Thread

Teresa Amabile grew up near Buffalo, New York, the third of seven children. Her parents were first-generation Americans who used their childhood Italian language when they didn’t want the kids to understand what they were saying. Her father and his brothers were... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Illustration by Nigel Buchanan; retirement; careers; psychology

Web

Commencement 2013 Address | About

adapt to changes in their environment. We would all be well advised to follow their lead. At HBS, despite our storied history, we have always consistently worked to adapt to the changing world. When I... View Details

01 Dec 2012
News

Faculty Books

Wells (Jossey-Bass) In fast-changing business environments, firms must adapt their strategies to remain at the top. But many firms fail to do so. Instead, they succumb to inertia and stick to their old strategies until it is too late. Why... View Details

April 2007
Case

Schibsted

By: Bharat N. Anand and Sophie Hood

In 2006, newspaper firms in developed markets were severely threatened on three fronts: the growth of online news, online classified advertising, and free newspapers. Schibsted, however, had managed to cope with these challenges successfully, and had become something... View Details

Keywords: Transition; Product Launch; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Adaptation; Competitive Advantage; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Scandinavia

September 1993 (Revised January 1996)
Case

Kumon Educational Institute USA

The vice president of operations at Kuman Educational Institute USA is faced with the pressures of transferring a successful Japanese educational service concept to the United States. Kumon, a for-profit after-school supplementary educative center, specializes in... View Details

Keywords: Service Delivery; Adaptation; Education; Education Industry; Japan; United States

21 Feb 2013
Research & Ideas

HBS Research Focuses on Gender Issues and Fixes

adaptation of one professional service firm to an increase in women in the professional workforce and the shifting discourse around gender and work. Research by Lakshmi Ramarajan, Kathleen McGinn, and Deborah Kolb. Related Videos Click to... View Details

01 Dec 2018
News

Researching Business and Politics in China and Southeast Asia

America, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. Fueled by a fascination with the means through which politicians control business and the ways businesses adopt and adapt to these controls, Rithmire is now engaged in a comparative study of... View Details

December 2019
Article

When Do We Punish People Who Don't?

By: Justin W. Martin, Jillian J. Jordan, David G. Rand and Fiery Cushman

People often punish norm violations. In what cases is such punishment viewed as normative—a behavior that we “should”or even“must”engage in? We approach this question by asking when people who fail to punish a norm violator are, themselves, punished. (For instance, a... View Details

Keywords: Punishment; Norms; Cooperation; Societal Protocols; Adaptation

Read Now

August 2008 (Revised July 2009)
Case

Repositioning CARE USA

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Katharine Lee

CARE USA, a large ($600 million) international nonprofit/NGO, had recently revamped its external branding and positioning in support of its international development work. The case lays out the challenges facing its new CEO, Helene Gayle, as she manages through the... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Management; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Product Positioning; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Non-Governmental Organizations; Adaptation; United States

November 2012 (Revised August 2014)
Case

Cisco in 2012: Reorganizing for Efficiency and Flexibility

By: Ranjay Gulati, Alison Berkley Wagonfeld and Luciana Silvestri

In 2012, Cisco was under intense pressure to show results: growth in its core business was decelerating and a number of exploratory ventures and acquisitions had not proven as profitable as expected. CEO John Chambers vowed to restore the company's health in a way that... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Restructuring; Adaptation; Performance Efficiency; Emerging Markets; Information Technology Industry

24 Sep 2024
Blog Post

Climate Finance in Africa: Health, Self-Interest, Avoided Future Cost

needed. For example, a 2023 report from the Global Center for Adaptation suggests that over $100 billion per year is needed to invest in infrastructure, weather forecasting, and protecting agriculture in Africa to address both poverty and... View Details

1994
Chapter

Strategic Change: How to Realign the Organization to Implement Strategy

By: Michael Beer and R. A. Eisentat

Keywords: Strategy; Organizational Change and Adaptation

August 1999
Case

Rob Waldron at SCORE! Educational Centers

Describes Rob Waldron's actions upon assuming leadership of SCORE! Educational Centers, an after-school tutoring enterprise. Examines the issue of acquiring and growing a small, self-owned company into a professional organization. Focuses on the steps Waldron takes to... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Education

November 1987
Case

International Business Machines: Changes in Marketing Organization

By: Frank V. Cespedes

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Marketing; Computer Industry; Information Technology Industry

March 1986 (Revised May 1989)
Case

Wright Line, Inc. (B)

After working unsuccessfully for three years with the new sales and distribution channels organization, Wright Line's managers assess their experience and restructure their marketing organization. View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Marketing