Publications

27 Jun 2011
Research & Ideas

Recovering from the Need to Achieve

Flying without a Net: Turn Fear of Change into Fuel for Success. “At the end of the day what I'm suggesting is that vulnerability in context is the most powerful thing you can have.” DeLong believes the tendency to be a... View Details

Keywords: by Kim Girard

August 2009
Case

Intuit

By: Frank V. Cespedes

This case study provides an overview of Intuit's growth and, in particular, the sales and service initiatives that historically fueled the company's growth from start-up to a corporation. It also outlines certain processes and cultural values, as well as specific... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Product; Service Delivery; Business Processes; Organizational Culture; Sales; Business Strategy

01 Nov 2010
News

The Mental Game of Breast Cancer: Part Two

October 2006 (Revised September 2014)
Case

Summit Partners - The FleetCor Investment (A)

By: Michael J. Roberts

Part of a 3-case series in which students get to see the unfolding of due diligence on private equity (buy out) deal. In this, the A case, the deal team has negotiated a letter of intent with FleetCor, a firm that operates a fuel payment network for vehicle fleets.... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Preparation; Private Equity; Leveraged Buyouts; Investment; Negotiation Offer; Service Industry

In a heating transformation study presented to Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo,... View Details

April 2008 (Revised March 2014)
Case

Flying J (A)

By: Rohit Deshpande and Lauren Barley

The largest retailer of diesel fuel in the U.S., Flying J, is rethinking its growth strategy as the economy goes into a recession. Its major customer base, owner-operated truck drivers, are facing increasing costs of doing business. Yet Flying J is considering whether... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Growth and Development Strategy; Price; Consumer Behavior; Non-Renewable Energy; Energy Industry; United States

30 Aug 2016
News

Extracting Insights from Vast Stores of Data

9 AM – 10 AM EDT, 14 Oct 2015
Webinars: Trending@HBS

Why Smart People Won't Change

Many people with a high need for achievement find the process of individual change very difficult. Some professionals resign themselves to organizational, personal, and life situations that are miserable or where they feel caught. Professor Thomas DeLong discusses... View Details

June 18, 2015
Article

What Makes FC Barcelona Such a Successful Business

By: Andres Hatum and Luciana Silvestri

This article explores how FC Barcelona's identity as "more than a club" fuels the team's impressive performance on the field. We focus on the role of La Masía, the club's youth academy, to explain how a strong sense of organizational identity underlies the team's style... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Identity; Organizational Culture; Performance; Sports Industry; Barcelona

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29 Jan 2022
News

How Companies’ Business Models Put Workers in a ‘Low-Wage Trap’—and How to Break the Cycle

March 2002 (Revised October 2005)
Case

Wal-Mart in 2002

By: David B. Yoffie and Yusi Wang

In its first quarter of 2002, Wal-Mart became the largest company on the globe (by sales) and expanded into Japan. Was the giant retailer unstoppable? This case explores Wal-Mart's top issues in fueling top- and bottom-line growth: diversification into groceries, new... View Details

Keywords: Diversification; Expansion; Multinational Firms and Management; Corporate Strategy; Global Strategy; Retail Industry; Japan; United States

November 1990 (Revised June 1991)
Case

American Airlines (A): Strategy in the 1990s

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Gary W. Loveman

American Airlines is pursuing a growth strategy through international and domestic route expansion. At the same time, the airline is working hard to cut costs while trying to provide the best customer service possible. Is this strategy achievable given the recent surge... View Details

Keywords: Expansion; Air Transportation; Cost Management; Customer Focus and Relationships; Growth and Development Strategy; Air Transportation Industry; United States

Find at Harvard

08 Jun 2021
News

Plexiglass Is Everywhere, With No Proof It Keeps Covid at Bay

January 2018
Case

Under Armour

By: Rory McDonald, Clayton M. Christensen, Daniel West and Jonathan E. Palmer

After 20 years of growth unprecedented in the sports apparel industry, Under Armour finds itself with a new record to beat: making the leap from $5 to $10 billion in sales—a feat only accomplished to date by competitors Nike and Adidas. At the heart of this challenge... View Details