Publications

06 Jun 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas: June 6, 2017

question using a unique dataset of the gender of venture capital partners’ children. First, we find strong evidence that parenting more daughters leads to an increased propensity to hire female partners by venture capital firms. Second,... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 2000 (Revised September 2000)
Case

yesmail.com

David Tolmie wants yesmail.com to become a leader in "permission marketing." Yesmail sends clients promotional e-mail messages to targeted consumers who said "yes" when asked whether they wished to receive promotional offers in a set of categories of interest. Tolmie... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Communications

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15 Aug 2023
Research & Ideas

Why Giving to Others Makes Us Happy

When budgeting for expenses, people may want to consider including a line item for giving, since a growing body of research shows that spending money on others can provide a mental boost. Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Ashley Whillans recently View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

January 2024
Case

National Football League and Private 5G

By: Andy Wu, Grant Son and Shuoyu Chen

On September 9, 2021, the National Football League (NFL) designated Verizon as its official 5G partner in a 10-year deal, committed to enhance the experience for NFL teams, players, and fans in stadiums. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, “Verizon will help us... View Details

Keywords: Football; National Football League; 5G; Verizon; Communication Technology; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Technology Adoption; Risk and Uncertainty; Business Strategy; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Sports Industry; Telecommunications Industry

August 2020
Article

Workplace Knowledge Flows

By: Jason Sandvik, Richard Saouma, Nathan Seegert and Christopher Stanton

We conducted a field experiment in a sales firm to test whether improving knowledge flows between coworkers affects productivity. Our design allows us to compare different management practices and to isolate whether frictions to knowledge transmission primarily reside... View Details

Keywords: Knowledge Sharing; Interpersonal Communication; Employees; Performance Productivity; Sales; Motivation and Incentives

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Read Now

April 2024 (Revised July 2024)
Case

Unleashing Human Magic at Best Buy

By: Leonard A. Schlesinger, Sunil Gupta and Amram Migdal

The case examines the transformation of Best Buy under CEO Hubert Joly's leadership from 2012. Facing significant business challenges, including competition from online and physical retailers, Joly implemented the "Renew Blue" turnaround strategy, which focused on... View Details

March 2009 (Revised July 2010)
Case

IBM: The Corporate Service Corps

By: Christopher Marquis and Rosabeth M. Kanter

Describes the conception, development, and implementation of the Corporate Services Corps (CSC), an international community service assignment for high-potential IBM employees. The year 2008 was the pilot year of the CSC program, and 100 of IBM's best global employees... View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Global Strategy; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Structure; Partners and Partnerships; Non-Governmental Organizations

27 Sep 2006
Research & Ideas

Report From Egypt: Studying Global Influences

group of managers heading every function but also spoke with a cross-section of employees (with translators) and even several customers and partners. Since one of the companies—an IT giant—has been partnering with a major government... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

February 2025
Teaching Note

Influencer-Led Brand Building: Hairitage and the McKnights

By: William R. Kerr and James Palano

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 825-066. Mindy McKnight started in 2009 as an early influencer on social media whose videos of creative hairstyles for girls launched her family on an entrepreneurship journey. The McKnights transitioned from YouTube ad revenue to brand... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Social Media; Entrepreneurship; Brands and Branding; Product Launch; Power and Influence; Expansion; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

05 Aug 2022
Research & Ideas

Why People Crave Feedback—and Why We’re Afraid to Give It

feedback and appreciated it when they got it." In another experiment, the team ratcheted up the stakes by inviting two people who knew each other well—such as romantic partners and close friends—into the laboratory, and then randomly... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

28 Aug 2006
Research & Ideas

Online Match-Making with Virtual Dates

effectively." Online daters sitting behind a computer, says Frost, "have a lot of time to ruminate and form ideas about potential partners that may or may not coincide with reality, because they're not getting any social... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Publishing

28 Aug 2007
First Look

First Look: August 28, 2007

outdated. Instead, innovations are increasingly brought to the market by networks of firms, selected for their unique capabilities, and operating in a coordinated manner. This new model demands that firms develop different skills, in particular, the ability to... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

04 Sep 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, September 4, 2018

business’s success. Publisher's link: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=54913 in press Management Science Communicating Warmth in Distributive Negotiations is Surprisingly Counter-productive By: Jeong, M., J. Minson, M.... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

March 2025
Case

Taylor Guitars: Making Employee Ownership Work the Taylor Way

By: Dennis Campbell, Petros Kusmu and Stacy Straaberg

In 2013, guitar manufacturer Taylor Guitars’ co-founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug were considering several exit options including selling to a competitor or to a private equity firm. The co-founders decided, instead, to embark on a seven-year process to transfer 100%... View Details

10 Jan 2023
Research & Ideas

How to Live Happier in 2023: Diversify Your Social Circle

positively associated with well-being. On the other, interactions with random strangers can sometimes make us happier than interacting with our partner or spouse. “When people are with their significant other, they can be on cruise... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

12 Jun 2012
First Look

First Look: June 12

customer, there is no value. Instead of using pricing in a way that turns customers into adversaries, companies can use it to enlarge the pie. That means viewing customers as partners in value creation-a collaboration that increases... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

16 Jun 2015
First Look

First Look: June 16, 2015

particularly in the vaccine space, had begun to attract the attention of much larger pharmaceutical companies. While there was much appeal to working with these companies, these relationships could also challenge Crucell's independence. This issue is highlighted by the... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 2002 (Revised August 2006)
Case

September 11th Fund, The: The Creation

By: Jane Wei-Skillern

Describes the entrepreneurial process through which the September 11th Fund was created, developed, and operated, focusing primarily on the furst seven weeks of the fund. This case details the genesis of the fund as a partnership between the United Way of New York City... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Partners and Partnerships; Social Entrepreneurship; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving