Publications

11 Jun 2013
First Look

First Look: June 11

in 2007. A sizeable portion of the growth can be explained by rising asset management fees, which in turn were driven by increases in the valuation of tradable assets, particularly equity. Another important factor was growth in fees... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

06 Oct 2009
First Look

First Look: October 6

double the company's size and take it to new geographies, he wonders if the right capabilities are in place for what should be changed to manage the integration process effectively. Purchase this case:... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

10 Mar 2021
News

Vision: A Unicorn Evolves

product sped up the process of creating and following up on sales pitches, which resulted in 10 times more meetings for GroupTalent’s two sales reps, Medina says. But the influx of interest overwhelmed the small startup, and they were unable to effectively convert the... View Details

Keywords: April White; entrepreneurship; technology; startups; leadership

Blog

Inside the Learning: How Faculty Prepare for Class

Managing Sales Teams and Distribution Channel, Leading in the Digital Era): I always make sure to stay in touch with practitioners and leaders, read trade magazines, news, and journals, and continue to be informed of what's going on in... View Details

November 2010 (Revised October 2011)
Case

Oriflame S.A. (A)

By: David F. Hawkins, Karol Misztal and Daniela Beyersdorfer

A direct-selling cosmetics company involved in emerging markets exhibits significant foreign exchange risk exposure and profitability swings in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. Students must review the company's use of derivative instruments and other hedging... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Financial Crisis; Currency Exchange Rate; Financial Strategy; Investment; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Risk Management; Emerging Markets; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

March 2020 (Revised April 2021)
Case

Odebrecht's 'Transformation Journey' (A)

By: Suraj Srinivasan, Lynn S. Paine, Ruth Costas and Mariana Cal

At the center of one of the largest corruption scandals in Latin America, Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht signed a leniency agreement with American, Swiss and Brazilian prosecutors in 2016 admitting to paying bribes in 12 countries. In an effort to regain financial... View Details

October 2018 (Revised August 2023)
Case

Safecast: Bootstrapping Human Capital to Big Data

By: Ethan Bernstein and Stephanie Marton

On March 11, 2011, at 2:46pm, a 9.1-on-the-Richter-scale, six-minute long earthquake unleashed a tsunami that ravaged the Tohoku region of Japan, damaging the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power facility and releasing sufficient radioactive material into the air and ocean... View Details

March 2011
Case

Grand Circle Travel: Where Risk Comes with the Territory

By: Herman B. Leonard

A worldwide travel company is intrinsically exposed to risks of natural and man-made disasters. How do you organize a business for success when it must on a nearly daily basis cope with hazards ranging from minor mishaps to large-scale catastrophes? Alan and Harriet... View Details

Keywords: Crisis Management; Risk and Uncertainty; Safety; Transportation; Organizational Design; Decision Choices and Conditions; Organizational Structure; Mission and Purpose; Competitive Advantage; Travel Industry

01 Dec 2003
News

Alumni Luminaries Discuss Careers, Values with HBS Students

77abe8cba3eedbccfb190e7c02022d30 The headlines scream of scandal and crisis in corporate governance. It’s no wonder, then, that HBS students are concerned about responding properly to ethical and leadership issues during their business... View Details

07 Sep 2021
News

Immelt in the Hot Seat: Episode 1

on, I got a job fixing rotary compressors in refrigerators. DM: Mm-hmm [affirmative]. JI: I was leading, kind of, 7,000 people. I was 32 years old. It was the biggest product recall in the history of GE. So it was a crisis every day. And... View Details

30 May 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, May 30

2017 Advances in Strategic Management Geography, Location, and Strategy By: Alcácer, Juan, Bruce Kogut, Catherine Thomas, and Bernard Yin Yeung, eds. Abstract—Changes in both technology and global political economy have vastly accelerated... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Web

Podcast - HBS Online

Crisis Brings Out Extraordinary Leadership 16 DEC 2024 | The Parlor Room Harvard Business School Professor Nancy Koehn joins host Chris Linnane to provide a unique insight into how crisis brings out... View Details

March 2006 (Revised February 2017)
Case

Rwanda: National Economic Transformation

By: Michael E. Porter, Kaia Miller, Michael McCreless, Kjell Carlsson, Jem Hudson and Haviland Sheldahl-Thomason

Set in the year 2004, when Rwanda commemorated the 10th anniversary of a genocide that had claimed the lives of over 10% of its population. Focuses on the formulation of an economic strategy to rebuild the economy and its institutions after the devastation. Rwanda, one... View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Developing Countries and Economies; Policy; Government Administration; Crisis Management; Strategy; Rwanda

January 2000
Case

Talbots - A Classic

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Marie Bell

This case traces why the $1 billion women's clothing retailer decided to attract younger customers, what went wrong, and the actions taken to recover. By the end of 1999, the company has reestablished itself and faces several growth opportunities and must decide on the... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Decisions; Crisis Management; Product Positioning; Problems and Challenges; Segmentation; Fashion Industry

November 1996
Case

Del Webb Corporation (B), The

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Samanta Graff

On November 16, 1987, the Del Webb board appointed Phil Dion chairman and CEO. This case outlines the development and implementation of a strategy to focus exclusively on real estate development and to liquidate all other assets. Discusses the appointment of two new... View Details

Keywords: Crisis Management; Management Succession; Strategic Planning; Governing and Advisory Boards; Business and Shareholder Relations; Conflict of Interests; Real Estate Industry

June 2012
Case

Perfect Storm over Zurich Airport (A) (Abridged)

By: Michael L. Tushman and Carin-Isabel Knoop

Josef Felder, CEO of Zurich Airport, faces several crises as he tries to transform the Airport from a slow-moving, conflict-ridden, government-owned entity into a privatized, world-class airport. View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Transformation; Leading Change; Crisis Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; State Ownership; Privatization; Air Transportation Industry