Publications

December 2011 (Revised May 2014)
Case

ReSource Pro

By: Lynda M. Applegate, William R. Kerr, Elisabeth Koll and David Lane

Matt Bruno, founder and general manager of ReSource Pro, left his job working for a New York City-based insurance program shortly after the World Trade Center bombing and arrived in China. Initially he planned to teach English, but soon the entrepreneurial spirit of... View Details

Keywords: Geographic Location; Talent and Talent Management; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Insurance Industry; Service Industry; China

December 1998 (Revised May 2000)
Case

Lebenthal and Co., Inc.

By: Thomas J. DeLong and Susan Harmeling

Lebenthal and Co. has prospered in the bond business since 1924. Alexandra Lebenthal, granddaughter of the founders, has stepped up to lead the firm. She faces many challenges as the nature of the financial services business changes in dramatic ways. Can this firm... View Details

Keywords: Transformation; Talent and Talent Management; Bonds; Leadership Development; Service Operations; Problems and Challenges; Competition; Financial Services Industry

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Portrait Project

Paolo Tosato

Over time, I have come to realize that talents are rare and precious: "To one he gave five talents; to another, two; and to another, one; each according to his own ability." In my life, I have received many, many View Details

01 Dec 2016
News

Inside Modern HR

(think data analytics) as global competition for skilled workers increases. Matthew Breitfelder’s (MBA 2002) transition to the field came midcareer, after stints as an international economist at the US Department of Commerce, a corporate strategist, and a management... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna

Forthcoming
Article

Human Capital and the Managerial Revolution in the United States: Evidence from General Electric

By: Tom Nicholas

This paper estimates the returns to human capital accumulation during the first era of mega-firms in the United States by linking employees at General Electric—a canonical enterprise associated with the “visible hand” of managerial hierarchies—to the 1940 census. I... View Details

Keywords: Returns To Education; Management Practices; Hierarchies; Management Practices and Processes; Rank and Position; Human Capital; Talent and Talent Management; Business History; United States

September 2022
Case

Blake Sports: Evolution of the CEO and the Executive Team

By: Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly Baden

Cameron (Cam) Barker, CEO and Founder of Blake Sports Apparel, sat in his office at his company’s headquarters in Birmingham, England, feeling stunned and disappointed. Only a few minutes prior, he had wrapped up a meeting with CFO James Ryan, a highly-respected star... View Details

Keywords: Leadership And Managing People; Leadership Skills; Team Dynamics; Team Effectiveness; Team Leadership; Team Management; Leadership Style; Leadership; Management; Management Skills; Management Style; Talent and Talent Management; Groups and Teams; United Kingdom

Career Coach

Pamela Harder

Pam (HBS / HKS ‘13, Stanford ‘08 Economics) has spent the last 12 years working at the nexus of business and government. Currently, she runs Virginia's state-wide economic development talent investment strategy. As a Managing Director... View Details

Keywords: Consulting; Education; Emerging Markets; Government; Social Enterprise; Venture Capital; Financial Services (All); Energy; Consumer Finance; Financial Services (All); Impact Investing; Financial Services (All)

Career Coach

Eileen Stephan

at Morgan Stanley; with the Career Development team at HBS (1995-1999 and again 2004-2008); and as a member of the CareerLeader team. With experiences that include bridging the transition from academia to professional, to senior level View Details

Keywords: Education; Commercial Banking; Financial Services (All); Investment Management; Financial Services (All); Investment Banking; Financial Services (All); Private Equity; Financial Services (All); Venture Capital; Financial Services (All); Hospitality; Retail; Social Enterprise

01 Nov 2024
In Practice

Layoffs Surging in a Strong Economy? Advice for Navigating Uncertain Times

the layoff research of our colleagues as a touchpoint, we are troubled by the potential long-term costs of this trend, including reduced innovation, lower team engagement, and attrition of talented people. The path to competitive... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Technology; Information Technology

05 Feb 2009
What Do You Think?

Why Can’t We Figure Out How to Select Leaders?

Summing Up How do we close the gap between theory and results in selecting leaders? In discussing why our achievements in selecting leaders are less than stellar, contributors offered a rich set of ideas. Given their number, I've tried to categorize them into several... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

2016
Flash Talks

Lori Mackenzie

01 Sep 2003
News

Dean’s Award

Each year Dean Clark honors graduating MBA students whose daily lives and actions embody the School’s most important ideals. This year there were five Dean’s Award recipients (pictured above with Clark). Moon K. Lee (left) and Brandt B. Pyles (fourth from left), for... View Details

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

March 2002 (Revised August 2002)
Case

Microsoft.NET

By: Alan D. MacCormack and Kerry Herman

Set in the summer of 2000, following the unveiling of Microsoft's .NET initiative to the public. Three of the key figures in .NET's development are considering the next steps they would have to take to keep the initiative moving forward. Specifically, the challenges... View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Growth and Development Strategy; Change Management; Talent and Talent Management; Policy; Business Model; Computer Industry; Web Services Industry

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22 Jun 2011
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Motivation

Questions To Be Answered What's the best bonus program to boost sales productivity? Can companies inspire heroism in employees? Can employers promote moral behavior? Does money lead to creativity? What's The Best Bonus Program To Boost Sales Productivity? Do Bonuses... View Details

Keywords: Re: Multiple Faculty

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

Keywords: Talent and Talent Management; Resignation and Termination; Retention; Law; Service Industry

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November 2012 (Revised July 2014)
Case

Doing Deals and Leading Teams at XAF Partners

By: Boris Groysberg and Kerry Herman

Private equity firm XAF Partners, created out of the 2003 merger of Shanghai-based Xuan Partners and AF Group, a spin out of the Shanghai-based, emerging market-focused private equity arm of a large European bank, had grown steadily over the last decade, establishing... View Details

Keywords: Professional Service Firms; Leading Teams; Producing Managers; Delegation; Giving And Receiving Feedback; Managing Performance; Leadership; Work-Life Balance; Managerial Roles; Talent and Talent Management; Service Operations; Time Management; Performance; Financial Services Industry; Asia

A talented inventor of aviation equipment, Rentschler created and manufactured many revolutionary aircraft engines, including those used in the planes of Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart and James Doolittle. View Details

Keywords: Transportation

September 2000 (Revised December 2020)
Background Note

Identifying and Developing Capable Leaders

By: Clayton M. Christensen and Morgan McCall Jr

Presents a synopsis of High Flyers, by Morgan McCall. Offers a method for identifying and training managers with potential--to build management bench strength. View Details

Keywords: Leadership Development; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Human Resources; Talent and Talent Management