Publications

February 2009 (Revised September 2009)
Case

Investing in Early Learning as Economic Development at the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank

By: Stacey M. Childress and Geoff Eckman Marietta

In his role as Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (Minneapolis Fed), Art Rolnick and his colleague, Rob Grunewald, had written "Early Childhood Development: Economic Development with a High Public Return." The... View Details

Keywords: Development Economics; Early Childhood Education; Investment Return; Demand and Consumers; Supply and Industry; Performance Effectiveness; Nonprofit Organizations; Minneapolis; Saint Paul

Article

A Blueprint for Pharmacy Benefits Managers to Increase Value

By: William Shrank, Michael E. Porter, Sachin H. Jain and Niteesh K. Choudhary

Pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) have a unique opportunity to promote public health and generate value in the healthcare system. However, PBMs are largely evaluated on their ability to control costs rather than improve health. PBMs should be evaluated along three... View Details

Keywords: Opportunities; Health; System; Cost Management; Partners and Partnerships; Motivation and Incentives; Value; Innovation and Invention; Performance Effectiveness; Health Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry

Find at Harvard

May 1998 (Revised October 2001)
Case

Taco Bell Inc. (1983-1994)

By: Lynda M. Applegate, Leonard A. Schlesinger and Dave DeLong

Details the actions of John Martin, newly named CEO, as he leads Taco Bell through a decade of incremental and radical changes. By the end of the case, total system sales within Taco Bell, a Mexican style fast-food restaurant chain and a division of PepsiCo, have grown... View Details

Keywords: Business Subsidiaries; Transformation; Economic Growth; Food; Leadership Style; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Design; Performance Effectiveness; Food and Beverage Industry; Service Industry; Mexico

December 2010
Teaching Note

Cresud S.A., Farmer or Real Estate Developer? (TN)

By: Arthur I Segel and Andrew Pierson Terris

Teaching Note for 211-011. View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Decision Choices and Conditions; Risk Management; Competition; Motivation and Incentives; Corporate Strategy; Opportunities; Decisions; Performance Effectiveness; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Argentina; Bolivia; Brazil; Paraguay

August 1992 (Revised September 2002)
Case

Star Distributors, Inc. (A)

By: David A. Thomas

Depicts the conflict and organizational problems that emerged in a franchise operation owned by Paul Logan, an African American, and John Heyman, a white American. Provides the opportunity to examine the ways in which race influences managerial behavior and... View Details

Keywords: Conflict Management; Performance Effectiveness; Franchise Ownership; Race; Management Style; Conflict and Resolution; Business and Stakeholder Relations

November 2001 (Revised April 2002)
Case

Taking Charge at Dogus Holding (A)

By: Rakesh Khurana, Gina Carioggia and Simon Johnson

Describes 37-year-old Ferit Sahenk's challenges in taking over his father's traditionally managed $14 billion Turkish conglomerate in a period of economic instability. Leading the large holding company into the 21st century will require the establishment of a more... View Details

Keywords: Business Conglomerates; Trade; Competitive Strategy; Decision Making; Leadership; Performance Effectiveness; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Family Business; Change Management; Turkey

19 Dec 2012
Research & Ideas

How to be Extremely Productive

the meeting starts, it's a signal that the person in charge hasn't laid the groundwork for a productive use of time. There should be adequate time in advance for everyone to prepare for a thoughtful discussion. All meetings should have an View Details

Keywords: by Deborah Blagg

01 Sep 2003
News

Fred Newman

traveling “sound effects guy” on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion radio show, “doing what I used to do behind teachers’ backs.” He uses acoustic technology to enhance the art of storytelling. “Information is in words,” says... View Details

Keywords: Susan Young; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries

November 1998 (Revised December 1998)
Case

Asea Brown Boveri (Condensed)

By: Robert L. Simons

The merger of Asea AB and BBC Brown Boveri required a restructuring of operations and a change in organizational cultures. Competitive success also necessitated the benefits of scale while remaining "local" for political and customer-responsiveness reasons. The case... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Mergers and Acquisitions; Restructuring; Cost vs Benefits; Competitive Strategy; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Growth and Development; Performance Effectiveness; Consumer Products Industry

February 2004 (Revised January 2005)
Case

Hewlett-Packard: Culture in Changing Times

By: Michael Beer, Rakesh Khurana and James Weber

HP had been a highly successful and respected company for decades. It was well known for its company culture and management practices--the HP way--which emphasized both profits and people. Changing markets, strong competitors, and the growth of its computer business,... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Decision Choices and Conditions; Human Resources; Leading Change; Managerial Roles; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Performance Effectiveness; Adoption; Competition

December 1989 (Revised February 1993)
Case

Frito-Lay, Inc.: A Strategic Transition (C)

By: Lynda M. Applegate

In 1989, Frito-Lay designed an information technology infrastructure to support time-based competition and organizational restructuring. The company planned to provide timely flexible information to all major decision makers at all levels. This case describes the... View Details

Keywords: Design; Information Technology; Information Infrastructure; Competitive Strategy; Time Management; Organizational Structure; Information Management; Strategic Planning; Performance Effectiveness; Decision Choices and Conditions; Food and Beverage Industry; Manufacturing Industry

25 Feb 2002
Research & Ideas

The Country Effect: Does Location Matter?

be a country's culture that prevents companies from succeeding. For example, Japanese companies may not be able to easily transcend that country's consensual culture. Establishing just what that country effect is on View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

02 Feb 2009
Research & Ideas

The Success of Persistent Entrepreneurs

likely to be successful in their next venture-backed firm. “There is support for the view that some component of performance persistence stems from 'success breeding success.'” These effects are large and... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert

04 Oct 2004
Research & Ideas

Start to Measure Your E-commerce Success

payoffs of e-commerce operational and capital investments are necessary to demonstrate the value creation of e-commerce initiatives and to obtain additional resources for critical e-commerce projects. The measures are essential to monitor the key View Details

Keywords: by Marc J. Epstein

01 Dec 2011
News

Faculty Books

organizational performance is substantial and quantifiable. An effective business culture can account for up to half of the performance differential between organizations in... View Details

Keywords: Utilities

13 Oct 2003
Research & Ideas

Negotiating Challenges for Women Leaders

Women don't have a problem developing an effective leadership style. What they do struggle with more than men, however, is claiming the authority to lead, according to Hannah Riley Bowles and Kathleen L. McGinn. The gender gap in... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

04 Jan 2010
Research & Ideas

Best of HBS Working Knowledge 2009

Goals Gone Wild: The Systematic Side Effects of Over-Prescribing Goal Setting (Working Paper) A working paper made the Top 10! For decades, goal setting has been promoted as a halcyon pill for improving employee motivation and View Details

Keywords: by Staff

January 2010
Teaching Note

Transforming ASUSTeK: Breaking from the Past (TN)

By: Willy C. Shih

Teaching Note for [610041]. View Details

Keywords: Information Infrastructure; Transformation; Contracts; Production; Product Design; Customers; Competition; Management Practices and Processes; Value; Performance Effectiveness; Brands and Branding; Disruptive Innovation; Computer Industry; Electronics Industry