Publications

September 2021 (Revised March 2024)
Case

Bühler: Mobilizing Industry around a Common Purpose

By: Ranjay Gulati, Franz Wohlgezogen and Malini Sen

Bühler Group, a Swiss multinational processing technology provider, started by selling machines for processing grains and later transitioned into selling food processing solutions. A family-owned business in the fifth generation, Bühler’s high-end milling, grinding,... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Customer Focus and Relationships; Machinery and Machining; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Innovation Leadership; Switzerland

June 2007 (Revised June 2011)
Case

TA Energy (Turkey): A Bundle of International Partnerships

By: William R. Kerr, Daniel J. Isenberg and Ant Bozkaya

Stimulates discussion of entrepreneurship in emerging economies, especially for entrepreneurs returning to their home countries to start businesses with global technologies and partners. Focuses on the partnership tensions between global firms and local... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Developing Countries and Economies; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Globalized Firms and Management; Partners and Partnerships; Conflict and Resolution; Turkey

15 May 2015
Research & Ideas

Kids Benefit From Having a Working Mom

stayed home full time, according to a new study. Men raised by working mothers are more likely to contribute to household chores and spend more time caring for family members. “There are very few things that have such a clear effect on... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

09 Apr 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, April 9, 2019

critiques of our work with empirical data and conceptual arguments. We agree with Wilson and Stolarz-Fantino that researchers seeking to understand a policy’s influence on consumers should test predictions about which strategies firms... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

11 Apr 2024
In Practice

Why Progress on Immigration Might Soften Labor Pains

achieve diverse national goals (employment needs, family reunification, humanitarian) with different types of visas. And many people move across skills or visa categories during their stay. Employment-based migration focuses on providing... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

January 2008 (Revised February 2010)
Case

Chocolates El Rey

By: Rohit Deshpandé, Gustavo Herrero and Regina Garcia-Cuellar

In late November 2006, Jorge Redmond, CEO of Chocolates El Rey, called a meeting with senior management to discuss the company's growth strategy. A relatively small firm with sales of around $14 million, El Rey produced top quality chocolate made with single origin... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Globalized Markets and Industries; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Segmentation; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Venezuela

18 Dec 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, December 18, 2018

firms face little competition, even after the end of formal periods of patent protection and market exclusivity. Additionally, the evolving technologies of drug development—in particular, the increasingly common use of auxiliary endpoints... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

21 Mar 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research, March 21

https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=52435 CEO Behavior and Firm Performance By: Bandiera, Oriana, Stephen Hansen, Andrea Pratt, and Raffaella Sadun Abstract—We measure the behavior of 1,114 CEOs in Brazil, France, Germany,... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Oct 2001
Research & Ideas

Organizing the Family-Run Business

Generational Changes In The Family Business Board The board of directors in the family firm usually changes over generations and as the ownership of the View Details

28 May 2024
In Practice

Job Search Advice for a Tough Market: Think Broadly and Stay Flexible

industry- or function-specific in focus, while other firms concentrate on small or family businesses, the public sector, and even private equity. By limiting your focus to the major strategic firms, you will... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

09 Jan 2024
In Practice

Harnessing AI: What Businesses Need to Know in ChatGPT’s Second Year

high-value ideas that blend human ingenuity with AI’s efficiency and analytical power. As we look ahead, it is clear that the competitive edge belongs to those firms that embrace this partnership. Picture a scenario where AI serves as the... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Information Technology

08 Sep 2010
First Look

First Look: September 8, 2010

by overseas Chinese in China. Our paper takes advantage of a large dataset—over 50,000 firms over a period of eight years—that is comprised of two types of foreign firms with investments in China—those owned... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

07 Jun 2023
HBS Case

3 Ways to Gain a Competitive Advantage Now: Lessons from Amazon, Chipotle, and Facebook

capital.” What is a competitive advantage? Some industries, such as airlines, may have low profit margins, while others, such as pharmaceuticals, have higher ones—but within each of those industries, some firms are better at generating... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

27 Jun 2005
Research & Ideas

Asian and American Leadership Styles: How Are They Unique?

holding group], for example, runs his companies closely and is planning to pass the leadership of his firms to his two sons. Similarly, the heads of some of America's largest firms, both publicly held and private, are the scions of the... View Details

Keywords: by D. Quinn Mills

29 Mar 2022
Book

5 Qualities That Help Companies Thrive for Decades—Even Centuries

How do companies survive not just for years, but for decades? For centuries even? During a global pandemic, researchers are studying anew what makes companies resilient, agile, and enduring. After all, Japanese construction firm Kongō... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

March 2006 (Revised November 2006)
Case

China: To Float or Not To Float? (C)- Esquel Group and the Chinese Renminbi

By: Laura Alfaro, Rafael M. Di Tella and Ingrid Vogel

In July 2005, China revalued its currency by 2.1% and adjusted its exchange rate regime toward a more market-based system. Esquel Group, a family-run, privately held textiles firm specializing in high-quality cotton shirts with its most significant manufacturing base... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Currency Exchange Rate; Private Ownership; Problems and Challenges; Value Creation; China

September 1998 (Revised July 1999)
Case

Spyder Active Sports, Inc. and CHB Capital Partners (A)

By: John A. Davis, Louis B. Barnes and Peter K. Botticelli

After establishing a small but profitable skiwear business, an entrepreneur decides to sell a minority stake in the firm to outside investors. His goal is to acquire the capital needed to grow the business, even though this will entail a substantial transformation of... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Private Equity; Family Business; Business Growth and Maturation; Entrepreneurship; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Sports Industry