Publications

October 1997 (Revised July 1999)
Case

Best Buy

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Balaji Chakravarthy

Documents the evolution of Best Buy, an electronics retailer, from its founding in 1966 to its very successful "Concept 2" strategy in 1996, boosting its sales ($7.2 billion) past industry #1 Circuit City. Its CEO Richard Schulze offers a new vision (Concept 3) to... View Details

Keywords: History; Business Model; Competitive Strategy; Adaptation; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customization and Personalization; Retail Industry

2012
Article

Organizational Identity as an Anchor for Adaptation: An Emerging Market Perspective

By: Andres Hatum, Luciana Silvestri, Roberto Vassolo and Andrew Pettigrew

There is little doubt that organizational identity—that which is central, distinctive, and enduring about an organization—mediates in adaptive processes. Exactly how this mediation takes place, and whether it is favorable or unfavorable to adaptation, must still be... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Identity; Emerging Economies; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture

Find at Harvard

October 2010 (Revised December 2010)
Case

Global Expansion at Sanford C. Bernstein (A) (Abridged)

By: Linda A. Hill and Dana Teppert

Sanford C. Bernstein, a premier sell-side research firm, is expanding globally, and has recently opened an office in Hong Kong. Global Director of Research Robert van Brugge must consider how best to organize the firm's research department to enhance cross-sector and... View Details

Keywords: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Globalized Firms and Management; Organizational Structure; Expansion; Financial Services Industry; Hong Kong

2023
Working Paper

Teams in the Digital Workplace: Technology's Role for Communication, Collaboration, and Performance

By: Jacqueline N. Lane, Paul Leonardi, Noshir Contractor and Leslie DeChurch

This paper addresses the need for theoretical advancements in understanding team processes and the impact of technology on teams. Specifically, it examines the use of digital collaboration technologies by organizational teams and their effect on team communication and... View Details

Keywords: Affordances; Groups and Teams; Communication Technology; Social Media; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Perception

SSRN

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November 2008 (Revised October 2009)
Case

American Cancer Society: Access to Care

By: Robert L. Simons and Kathryn Rosenberg

CEO John Seffrin decides to radically change the strategy of the American Cancer Society. The new Access to Care strategy relies on advocacy to change public policy and increase the number of Americans eligible for cancer prevention and treatment. The new strategy... View Details

Keywords: Values and Beliefs; Governance Controls; Leading Change; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Structure; Nonprofit Organizations; Business Strategy; Health Industry; United States

06 Feb 2018
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas: February 6, 2018

it is urgent. What does it mean to make capitalism a subject of historical inquiry? What is its potential across multiple disciplines, alongside different methodologies, and in a range of geographic and... View Details

December 2020 (Revised February 2021)
Case

Kerry Group: Inspiring Food, Nourishing Life

By: Forest L. Reinhardt, José B. Alvarez, Damien McLoughlin, Tonia Labruyere and Tonia Junker

The Irish company Kerry Group, one of the leading global players in the taste and nutrition industry, wants to ensure its future growth in developing and developed markets. Founded in 1972 as a dairy cooperative, it had grown into a provider of taste and nutrition... View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Environmental Sustainability; Food; Nutrition; Growth and Development Strategy; Global Range; Market Entry and Exit; Customer Relationship Management; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

Web

Leadership, Ethics, and Corporate Accountability Course | HBS Online

Mid-Career & Senior Professionals Entrepreneurs Determine and deliver on your responsibilities to investors, customers, employees, and society. "Don't lose hope. These courses helped View Details

04 Mar 2016
News

Startups Can’t Revolve Around Their Founders If They Want to Succeed

2009
Working Paper

Assess, Don't Assume, Part II: Negotiating Implications of Cross-Border Differences in Decision Making, Governance, and Political Economy

By: James K. Sebenius

When facing a cross-border negotiation, the standard preparatory assessments—of the parties, their interests, their no-deal options, opportunities for and barriers to creating and claiming value, the most promising sequence and process design, etc.—should be... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Corporate Governance; Negotiation Process; Organizational Culture; Business and Government Relations

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23 May 2017
First Look

First Look at New Ideas and Research: May 23, 2017

points. Pseudo-set framing changes gambling choices (Study 1), effort (Studies 2 and 3), giving behavior (Field Data and Study 4), and purchase... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

25 Feb 2013
Working Paper Summaries

Fostering Organizational Learning: The Impact of Work Design on Workarounds, Errors, and Speaking Up About Internal Supply Chain Problems

Keywords: by Anita L. Tucker

Web

Credential of Digital Innovation and Strategy | HBS Online

Professionals Entrepreneurs Develop the digital mindset and toolkit to guide your team or organization’s strategy in a rapidly changing business environment. I loved being able to learn the material through... View Details

20 Oct 2010
Research & Ideas

HBS Workshop Encourages Corporate Reporting on Environmental and Social Sustainability

emulated. How can organizations ensure that the reports are more than simply separate filings paper-clipped together, but rather that the financial and non-financial data interrelate with each other to tell... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Accounting

05 Nov 2024
Book

Building the Road to 'Small Business Utopia' with AI and Fintech

Matter in Remote Work How Humans Outshine AI in Adapting to Change What Happens When Business Owners Turn to ChatBots for Advice Feedback or ideas to share? Email the Working Knowledge team at hbswk@hbs.edu.... View Details

Keywords: by Karen G. Mills; Financial Services

24 Apr 2018
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, April 24, 2018

handle the legal and political queries regarding its governance and finances in an era of increasing scrutiny of big businesses? How would changing Chinese government policies... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

August 2010 (Revised July 2012)
Supplement

Leaders Who Make a Difference: Joel Klein Brings Accountability to NYC DOE: Day 2

By: Joseph L. Bower and Sonja Ellingson Hout

Joel Klein took over the NYC Department of Education in 2002 and radically transformed the strategy and organization remarkably with improvements in performance. Day 2 focuses on Klein as a strategist, organization builder and driver of performance. Supplementary... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leading Change; Organizational Structure; Corporate Strategy; Education; Performance Improvement; Public Administration Industry; Education Industry