Publications
Publications
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- All HBS Web
(1,040)
- Faculty Publications (141)
- November 2008 (Revised January 2009)
- Case
The Restructuring of Daiei
In 2004, the Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan (IRCJ) was given the task of restructuring Daiei, one of the largest Japanese retailers and the country's most prominent zombie companies. The IRCJ was a government-sponsored organization that was funded with... View Details
- 2006
- Working Paper
Defining the Attributes and Processes that Enhance the Effectiveness of Workforce Diversity Initiatives in Knowledge Intensive Firms
By: Modupe Akinola and David A. Thomas
Workforce diversity continues to be a key focus for organizations, driven by globalization of the U.S. economy and the desire for organizations to more accurately reflect the demographic diversity of the US population. Yet, most research on diversity in organizations... View Details
Keywords: Diversity; Globalization; Employees; Retention; Knowledge Sharing; Research; United States
- November 2004
- Case
IBM's Diversity Strategy: Bridging the Workplace and the Marketplace
By: David A. Thomas and Ayesha Kanji
Explores how IBM incorporated diversity into its business strategy, making the case that workforce diversity is critical to marketing its products and services to its customers. In the early 1990s, Ted Childs, vice-president of Workforce Diversity, proposed to CEO Lou... View Details
- May 2003 (Revised March 2006)
- Case
Carol Fishman Cohen: Professional Career Reentry (A)
By: Myra M. Hart, Robin J. Ely and Susan Wojewoda
Explores the career challenges facing highly successful women who leave the full-time workforce for several years to manage family commitments. Carol Cohen is a 1985 Harvard MBA who has professional line experience in a manufacturing environment, followed by a... View Details
- February 2003 (Revised October 2003)
- Case
Cable Data Systems
By: Paul W. Marshall and Todd H Thedinga
Describes the operating challenges of Cable Data Systems (CDS), a minority-owned cable installation company with a dual mission of maximizing profits and providing employment opportunities to minorities in urban markets. Following the merger of two cable installation... View Details
- January 2003 (Revised April 2004)
- Case
Cat is out of the Bag, The: KANA and the Layoff Gone Awry (A)
By: Leslie A. Perlow and David Ager
Vicki Amon-Higa, vice president of KANA, a publicly traded, midsize development company, was working with Bryan Kettle, KANA's CFO, to plan a layoff in which KANA would reduce the size of its workforce by nearly 40%. Despite the best of intentions, news of the layoff... View Details
- February 2001 (Revised January 2002)
- Case
Tracmail
By: Paul W. Marshall, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Suma Raju
Tracmail, an online customer service company based in India, is trying to handle support services (e-mail and chat) for companies worldwide. In its quest to break into global markets, Tracmail is contemplating a joint venture with a U.S. call center. Tracmail is also... View Details
- March 2000 (Revised June 2001)
- Case
AES: Hungarian Project (A)
By: Lynn S. Paine and Ann Leamon
The AES Corp., the world's largest independent power producer, has put out a request for bids to build a new power plant in Hungary. Just after the closing date for submitting bids, one of the contractors calls to request an opportunity to "improve" its bid. Although... View Details
- August 1999 (Revised October 2000)
- Case
Millennium Media, Inc. and John Voorenberg
By: David A. Thomas
Millenium Media's CEO reviews the company diversity report and considers the challenges of maintaining a diverse workforce in light of the news that three individuals, two of whom are people of color, are leaving for opportunities with a competitor. View Details
- February 1997 (Revised April 1998)
- Case
first direct (A)
Describes the operations and strategy of the world's largest, fastest growing branchless bank. Using a person-to-person interface over conventional phone lines, First Direct provides standard banking and related financial products to nearly 700,000 customers throughout... View Details
- February 1996 (Revised November 1996)
- Case
Wainwright Industries (A): Beyond the Baldrige
By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Norman Klein
Traces the growth of Wainwright, a small automotive supply company, focusing on its commitment to quality in 1981 and the evolution of its quality culture. Breakthrough programs that stress "trust and belief" in the workforce and commitment to customers result in... View Details
- February 1996 (Revised February 2008)
- Case
Toshiba: Ome Works
By: H. Kent Bowen, Janice H. Hammond, Sylvie Ryckebusch and Hiroshi Uchikoga
In 1995, Toshiba was the market leader in portable computer sales worldwide. This case describes the assembly of portable notebook computers in Toshiba's Ome factory in Ome, Japan, providing insights into some of the reasons for Toshiba's success. In addition to... View Details
Keywords: Factories, Labs, and Plants; Employees; Job Design and Levels; Production; Hardware; Japan
- August 1995 (Revised September 1995)
- Background Note
Designing and Managing the Information Age IT Architecture
The co-evolution of technology, work, and the workforce over the past 30 years has dramatically influenced our concept of organizations and the industries within which they compete. No longer simply a tool to support "back-office" transactions, IT has become a... View Details
- August 1995
- Background Note
Managing in an Information Age: IT Challenges and Opportunities
The co-evolution of technology, work, and the workforce over the past 30 years has dramatically influenced our concept of organizations and the industries within which they compete. No longer simply a tool to support "back-office" transactions, IT has become a... View Details
- November 1994
- Case
Navistar International
By: Stuart C. Gilson and Jeremy Cott
As a consequence of laying off half its workforce in a massive downsizing program, the company--a large manufacturer of medium and heavy trucks--struggles with a huge ($2.6 billion) liability for retiree medical costs. Although the company has promised its retirees... View Details
- Research Summary
Experiential Learning and Knowledge Mentors
Dorothy Leonard’s research on innovation and knowledge transfer has always emphasized learning by doing. During the past several years, she has been exploring how organizations can foster faster skills learning. While there are generational differences in... View Details
- Research Summary
Hybrid organizing
By: Julie Battilana
While historically the commercial and social sectors have evolved on fairly separate tracks, over the last 30 years we have witnessed a blurring of the boundaries between these two sectors. In an effort to account for this transition, Professor Battilana’s second... View Details
- Teaching Interest
Managing the Future of Work (MBA Education—Elective Curriculum)
The nature and scope of work is changing rapidly, creating massive business challenges in the shadow of broader political and social shifts. HBS launched a major initiative in 2017 on Managing the Future of Work to define these workplace issues and... View Details