by Michael Ewens - Publications - Faculty & Research

09 Apr 2012
Research & Ideas

Who Sways the USDA on GMO Approvals?

Traditional Theories Break Down As Hiatt began investigating, he found that traditional theories of capture such as lobbying and campaign contributions had little effect on whether any particular GMO was approved. Even more direct means of influence such as scientific... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Food & Beverage; Biotechnology; Agriculture & Agribusiness

06 Jan 2012
Op-Ed

Where Green Corporate Ratings Fail

impossible feat, claimed by a growing number of companies, is achieved by calculating the greenhouse-gas emissions of the organization's operations, investing in energy efficiency and other methods to reduce... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Toffel & Auden Schendler; Information; Publishing

10 Mar 2002
Research & Ideas

Breakthrough Negotiation: Don’t Leave It On the Table

In a new book, Breakthrough International Negotiation: How Great Negotiators Transformed the World's Toughest Post-Cold War Conflicts, Harvard Business School professor Michael Watkins dissects the art of give-and-take. This excerpt... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Watkins

12 Sep 2016
Research & Ideas

What Brands Can Do to Monitor Factory Conditions of Suppliers

View Video Video by Amelia Kundhardt They keep on coming—corporate scandals involving revelations of deplorable working conditions at overseas factories. If it’s not the Foxconn factories that Apple employs in China, then it’s Gap’s... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

08 May 2020
In Practice

Nonprofits Hurt by COVID-19 Must Hoard Cash to Hold On

survey by the Charities Aid Foundation of America. A staggering 97 percent of respondents expect their funding to decline during the next 12 months as the struggling economy and social distancing hurts fundraising efforts. What can... View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost

December 2020 (Revised January 2022)
Supplement

Michael Ku and Global Clinical Supply at Pfizer Inc.: Bringing Hope to Patients (B)

By: Linda A. Hill and Emily Tedards

In 2011, Michael Ku became Pfizer’s Vice President of Global Clinical Supply (GCS) after the company had undergone three large-scale mergers and acquisitions. As Ku and his new leadership team set out to build a proactive, end-to-end, digital and physical clinical... View Details

Keywords: Digital Technology; Customer-centricity; Innovation; Customer Focus; Talent; Talent Management; Leadership; Innovation and Invention; Transformation; Organizational Culture; Customer Focus and Relationships; Change Management; Talent and Talent Management; Supply Chain; Mission and Purpose

Citation

Purchase

16 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

Restaurant Revolution: How the Industry Is Fighting to Stay Alive

It’s never been easy to make money in the restaurant industry. A highly fragmented sector dominated by 70 percent independent owners and operators, the average restaurant’s annual revenue hovers around $1 million and generates an... View Details

Keywords: by Michael S. Kaufman, Lena G. Goldberg, and Jill Avery; Food & Beverage

01 Aug 2005
Research & Ideas

How to Choose the Best Deal

million, though the price may be negotiable. The other site, a former apple orchard of about one hundred acres, was acquired by a local bank through a foreclosure. The bank is preparing to list the property but has yet to set an asking... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Wheeler

05 Jun 2013
Op-Ed

Corporate Leaders Need to Step Up on Climate Change

Green initiatives are ubiquitous these days, implemented with zeal at companies like Dupont, IBM, Walmart, and Walt Disney. The programs being rolled out—lighting retrofits, zero-waste factories, and carpool incentives—save money and provide a green glow. Most large... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Toffel & Auden Schendler

21 May 2012
Research & Ideas

OSHA Inspections: Protecting Employees or Killing Jobs?

inspectors find safety problems is not surprising," says Michael W. Toffel, an associate professor and the Marvin Bower Fellow at Harvard Business School. At the same time, when problems are resolved, there's no way of telling whether the... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

19 May 2020
Research & Ideas

Why Privacy Protection Notices Turn Off Shoppers

By now, it’s an expected right-of-passage. As you enter credit card information for an online purchase, up pops two familiar words: “Privacy Notice.” Does seeing those words make you more confident about the transaction, knowing that the... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Retail

16 Jul 2014
HBS Case

Marketing Obamacare

It's safe to say that the rollout of the Affordable Care Act was not pretty. Plagued by technical problems on Healthcare.gov, and stymied by a lack of political support in around half of the 50 states, the... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Health

24 Sep 2014
Op-Ed

The Climate Needs Aggressive CEO Leadership

Corporations are facing great uncertainty. For the world to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the United States eventually will have to put a price on carbon dioxide emissions, as has been done by Europe, parts of Canada, and California. To plan for the... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Toffel & Auden Schendler; Energy; Utilities

13 Mar 2005
Research & Ideas

Reinforcing Values: A Public Dressing Down

unfolded, without the usual biases and distortions that come from 20/20 hindsight. The story of how Levy tilled the soil for change provides lessons for any CEO in a turnaround situation. [...] Reinforcing Good Habits Without a doubt, the toughest challenge faced View Details

Keywords: by David A. Garvin & Michael A. Roberto

29 Jan 2014
Research & Ideas

Super Bowl Ads for Multitaskers

utilizes data from households across the country that install a set-top box alongside their television that analyzes second by second what family members watch. At the same time, Kantar records everything that is shown on every station,... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Advertising; Sports

10 Apr 2019
HBS Case

How Entrepreneurs Can Turn Lead Into Gold

through narratives and storytelling, or by seeking out members of a common group. One company that has succeeded in this regard, says Wu, is Cotopaxi, a Salt Lake City–based creator of outdoor apparel that Wu explored in a case study for... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Financial Services

06 Apr 2015
Research & Ideas

After Germanwings, More Attention Needed on Employee Mental Health

afterthought. "If you look at the allocation of resources in corporate wellness programs, you will find it heavily weighted towards physical health," says Quelch. Only rarely does a tragedy, such as a suicide of a top management executive or workplace shooting View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Health; Air Transportation

02 Apr 2018
Research & Ideas

Is 'Gut Feel' a Good Reason to Invest in a Startup?

published in the Academy of Management Journal. Behavioral psychologists typically divide decision-making processes into two types. Type 1 is characterized by impulsive, instinctual, emotional reactions, often made quickly and without... View Details