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01 Jun 2002
News

New Fellowship Program Encourages Young MBAs to Work for Nonprofits

cochair of ISE and an expert on nonprofit organizations, “The carryover effects of a program like this are fantastic. The fellows will bring a culture of change to nonprofit organizations that can be tremendously helpful. In addition,... View Details

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

October 2009 (Revised March 2012)
Case

Nettwerk: Digital Marketing in the Music Industry

By: John A. Deighton and Leora Kornfeld

How is music marketed in the digital era? Nettwerk Music Group built on its foundation as a social, grassroots marketer of music and artists and emerged as a leader in the Internet-enabled social media environment. For most of the past decade Nettwerk CEO Terry McBride... View Details

Keywords: Music Entertainment; Product Marketing; Network Effects; Sales; Social and Collaborative Networks; Online Technology; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Music Industry

28 Nov 2011
Research & Ideas

Rethinking the Fairness of Organ Transplants

Transplantation Network (OPTN). This national registry and waiting list is managed by the private nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which has the unenviable task of making priority and... View Details

Keywords: by Dennis Fisher; Health

28 Nov 2012
What Do You Think?

Should Pay-for-Performance Compensation be Replaced?

went even further, commenting that "When you try to institutionalize pay-for-performance you actually ruin the concept." (In fact, there is some evidence that performance pay that is not institutionalized may often be more View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

September 22, 2023
Article

How Software Companies Can Avoid the Trap of Product-Led Growth

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Oliver Jay

Companies like Slack and Dropbox have pioneered the use of Product-Led Growth (PLG). They start by building a product that’s indispensable for small teams, then count on low friction and customer advocates to expand throughout the organization. PLG works, at least at... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Product; Network Effects; Business Strategy

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November 2003 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Federal Express: Early History

Describes key events in the start-up of Federal Express. Outlines the company's value proposition and provides an overview of key competitors in the air freight industry. This case is used with Teledesic (Abridged), HBS No. 9-804-096, which describes a failed project... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Network Effects; Business Startups; Transportation Industry; United States

November 2003 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Teledesic (Abridged)

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann

Describes plans for a failed project that proposed the use of 288 satellites to deliver high-speed data communications services anywhere in the world. View Details

Keywords: Communication Technology; Network Effects; Failure; Information Technology Industry; Telecommunications Industry

November 2021
Supplement

Ant Group (B)

By: Krishna G. Palepu, Feng Zhu and Susie L. Ma

Keywords: Information Technology; Value Creation; Network Effects; Strategy; Disruptive Innovation; Technology Industry; Financial Services Industry; China

27 Sep 2010
Research & Ideas

Customer Experts Lose Influence When Teams are Pressured

Effects of Performance Pressure on Teams' Knowledge Use and Performance". Her research on more than seventy audit and consulting teams—combining survey data, hundreds of interviews, and direct observation at... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert

01 Mar 2003
News

Books

tasks: strengthening links between portfolio objectives and overall company goals; ensuring that the relationship among projects creates greater value and efficiency; and making sure that projects build organizational capacity to respond View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg; Publishing Industries (except Internet); Information

Career Coach

Betsy Edwards

working with individuals on all aspects of the job search process and at every stage. She combines her years of coaching experience and industry expertise with her practical approach and extensive knowledge of HBS networks to help others... View Details

Keywords: Education; Fintech; Financial Services (All); Impact Investing; Financial Services (All); Government; Health Care; Social Enterprise

06 Jun 2005
Research & Ideas

Microsoft vs. Open Source: Who Will Win?

Clearly, a larger installed base implies that there will be stronger direct and indirect network effects, and this will enhance the value of the operating system to current and potential users. In addition,... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Technology

August 2004 (Revised August 2005)
Background Note

Online Auction Markets

eBay, Yahoo!, and Amazon.com entered the online auction market within four years of one another, along with a host of smaller Web sites. Five years later, eBay clearly outstripped its competitors, despite the fact that Yahoo! and Amazon both had a huge installed base... View Details

Keywords: Internet and the Web; Auctions; Network Effects