Publications

2013
Working Paper

Managing Firms in an Emerging Economy: Evidence from the Time Use of Indian CEOs

By: Raffaella Sadun

The success or failure of a company is often ascribed to the behavior of its CEO. Yet little is known about what top managers actually do, whether this matters for firm performance, and why it differs across firms. We provide some answers by developing a new survey... View Details

Keywords: Management Style; Performance; Outcome or Result; Management Teams; Manufacturing Industry; India

Read Now

01 Dec 1999
News

African-American Alumni Conference Considers Success and the Bottom Line

Jackson, Sr.; John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing; Robert Johnson, CEO of Black Entertainment Television; and Stuart Alden Taylor (MBA '87), senior managing director at Bear Stearns. Interactive sessions explored private equity deal... View Details

Keywords: Mary Ellen Gardner

25 Apr 2011
Research & Ideas

What CEOs Do, and How They Can Do it Better

what the boss is doing all day. For all of the minute-to-minute monitoring of employee performance from the time of Henry Ford onward, it's amazing how little any of us really know about how CEOs of major companies spend their time.... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

01 Apr 2001
News

Beyond the Rim: New Paths to Success in Asia

support, establishing contacts with leading CEOs in the region, and sharing expertise that comes from living and working in the Asian environment on a daily basis.” Under McFarlan’s guidance, seven new cases were prepared for the Tsinghua... View Details

Keywords: Alejandro Reyes and Deborah Blagg; David Lane; Educational Services

October 2024
Case

Sacoor Brothers: From Co-Family CEOs to No Family CEOs?

By: Lauren Cohen, David Ager and Alpana Thapar

Sacoor Brothers, a luxury clothing retail company, was founded in 1989 in Lisbon, Portugal, by four brothers—Malik, Salim, Rahimo, and Moez. After establishing a strong presence in Portugal, the brothers were drawn to the rapidly growing retail markets in the Middle... View Details

01 Feb 2016
Research & Ideas

CEOs and Coaches: How Important is Organizational 'Fit?'

misguided optimism. In truth, it is deceptively difficult to predict ex-ante the success of any union. We’re reminded of this as the Super Bowl approaches: when it comes to predicting the success of a... View Details

Keywords: by Boris Groysberg & Abhijit Naik; Sports

January 2025
Supplement

The VideaHealth AI Factory: CEO Florian Hillen on Speed, Scale, and Innovation (B)

By: Tsedal Neeley, Levi Stroud, Ruth Page and Dave Habeeb

Pre-abstract: This multimedia case should be assigned to students in advance of class. Instructors should consider the timing of making the (B) Case videos available to students, as they may reveal key case details.

Abstract: Florian Hillen, co-founder... View Details

Keywords: Diagnostics; Organization Design; Change Management; Disruption; Transformation; Health Care and Treatment; AI and Machine Learning; Technology Adoption; Technological Innovation; Management Style; Organizational Culture; Success; Technology Industry; Health Industry; United States

January 2025
Case

The VideaHealth AI Factory: CEO Florian Hillen on Speed, Scale, and Innovation (A)

By: Tsedal Neeley, Levi Stroud, Ruth Page and Dave Habeeb

Pre-abstract: This multimedia case should be assigned to students in advance of class. Instructors should consider the timing of making the (B) Case videos available to students, as they may reveal key case details.

Abstract: Florian Hillen, co-founder... View Details

Keywords: Diagnostics; Organization Design; Change Management; Disruption; Transformation; Health Care and Treatment; AI and Machine Learning; Technology Adoption; Technological Innovation; Management Style; Organizational Culture; Success; Technology Industry; Health Industry; United States

16 Apr 2015
News

How Bill Gates, Andy Grove, and Steve Jobs Found Success Without Business Training

June 2016 (Revised May 2017)
Case

Searching for a New CEO: TiVo 2016

By: David B. Yoffie

In 2015, TiVo initiated a search for a new CEO. This case provides a profile of the CEO search and background on the company. View Details

Keywords: Technological Change; Succession Planning; Information Technology; Strategy; Strategic Planning; Management Succession; Forecasting and Prediction; Change; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry

27 Jun 2007
Lessons from the Classroom

Learning to Make the Move to CEO

You're a successful senior executive with 20, 25 years of experience under your belt. You've made your mark and stand just 1 or 2 rungs from the position of CEO. Now what? As faculty chair of Harvard Business School's Advanced Management... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Education

16 Dec 2013
News

Ford 'Lifers' Get Second Chance as CEO Readies Exit

Keywords: Ford Motors; automotive industry; Mark Fields; Management of Companies and Enterprises; Management; Transportation Equipment Manufacturing; Manufacturing

09 Aug 2013
Research & Ideas

Read All About It: Digital CEO Buys Traditional Media!

that Bezos has shown in his leadership at Amazon, including constant commitment to the customer and a long-term approach to innovation, are good news for DC's paper of record. Three Ingredients For Success By: Bharat Anand Henry R. Byers... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Aisner; Journalism & News; Publishing

25 Apr 2014
News

The measure of business success is in how you add value

Adrian Beer (OPM 31, 2002), CEO of GrupoBeer, says success in business means adding value for your clients. (Published April 2014) View Details

Article

Creating High-Impact Coalitions: CEOs Can Lead the Charge on Society’s Biggest Problems

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Tuna Cem Hayirli

Traditionally, responses to crises and societal problems—the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, racial inequities—are considered the responsibility of the public sector and NGOs. But addressing the world’s most critical problems requires leadership, resources, and... View Details

Keywords: Coalition; Change; Problem Solving; Organization; Boundaries; Evolution; Mission; Moral Leadership; Balance; ＂Solutions Approach; Society; Problems and Challenges; Organizations; Mission and Purpose; Leading Change; Trust

Find at Harvard

May 2018
Case

Inditex: 2018

By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth

In 2018, Inditex, based in Spain, was the largest specialist fashion retailer in the world, generating sales of $31.5 billion in 2017 from a portfolio of eight retail brands selling through a total of 7,475 stores located in 96 countries and from websites in 49... View Details

Keywords: Fashion; Succession; IPO; Competition; Initial Public Offering; Multinational Firms and Management; Management Succession; Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Retail Industry; Fashion Industry

01 Aug 2012
What Do You Think?

Should CEOs Worry About ‘Too Big to Succeed?’

Summing Up Is There a "Right Size" for a Company? This month's question of whether "too big to succeed" should be a larger worry of CEOs than "too big to fail" as usual produced more questions than answers... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Manufacturing; Financial Services

12 PM – 1 PM EDT, 10 Apr 2025
Webinars: Career

Virtual Fireside Chat: Planning for a Successful Career Break and Return

Whether you're actively considering a break or simply want to be prepared for the unexpected, this conversation will provide valuable tools and strategies for navigating your career with confidence. View Details

2013
Working Paper

Management: Theory and Practice, and Cases

By: Richard L. Nolan

This working paper reports on a major Harvard Business School project designed to enhance MBA and practicing executives in case learning. The work is built on the foundation of HBS field cases employing the monomyth "hero's journey" classic story structure along... View Details

Keywords: Innovation; CIO; CEO; Hero's Journey; Monomyth; Management; Practice; Cases; Theory; Innovation and Invention