Decentralized Autonomous Organizations - Publications - Faculty & Research

March 2024 (Revised September 2024)
Case

Supercell 2.0: Clash of Plans

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport and George Gonzalez

Founded in 2010, Supercell was a Helsinki, Finland-based mobile gaming company that had developed and launched five global hit mobile games: Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Hay Day, Brawl Stars, and Boom Beach. The company’s early philosophy was that it could produce... View Details

Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation; Restructuring; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Corporate Strategy; Video Game Industry; Finland

Citation

Educators

Purchase

April 2002 (Revised September 2002)
Case

Transformation of Seattle Public Schools, 1995-2002

Investigates the reform of the Seattle Public Schools from 1995 to 2002. To initiate reform in 1995, the district hired John Stanford, an Army general, and Joseph Olchefske, an investment banker, as the district's superintendent and chief financial officer,... View Details

Keywords: Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leading Change; Organizational Structure; Education; Business Strategy; Public Administration Industry; Education Industry; Seattle

Citation

Find at Harvard

25 Oct 2011
Research & Ideas

Chasing Stars: Why the Mighty Red Sox Struck Out

performance decline when they move from one team to another; they operate fairly independently. (In the corporate world, the somewhat autonomous position of the chief financial officer is analogous to that of the punter, Groysberg says.)... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Sports; Banking

Web

Business & Environment

explores the critical role of policy—especially extended producer responsibility(EPR) laws—in driving investment and highlights emerging technologies like AI-powered waste stream analysis and autonomous electronics disassembly that are... View Details

Research Summary

Capitalism as a System of Governance

My research interest is in further exploration of the analytic utility of an original conception of capitalism as an indirect, three level system of governance for the economic relationships within political entities, and mostly within nation states. This three level... View Details

24 Oct 2023
HBS Case

From P.T. Barnum to Mary Kay: Lessons From 5 Leaders Who Changed the World

believed you could praise people to success.” Bill Wilson: Eliminate ego Bill Wilson isn’t a household name in business circles—and that’s intentional. The founder of Alcoholics Anonymous was adamant that successful organizations need a... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman

Web

Placement - Doctoral

Laboratory for Innovation Sciences at Harvard (LISH), Post-Doctoral Fellow Dissertation: Top-Down Sabotage in Organizations Advisors: V.G. Narayanan (Co-Chair), Tatiana Sandino (Co-Chair), Susanna Gallani , and Karim R. Lakhani 2021... View Details

14 May 2018
Research & Ideas

Amazon vs. Whole Foods: When Cultures Collide

Jamie_Hall Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods last August was the corporate equivalent of mixing tap water with organic extra virgin olive oil. You’d be hard-pressed to find two companies with more different value propositions. Even so,... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Food & Beverage

29 Jul 2019
Research & Ideas

How Companies Benefit When Employees Work Remotely

the need for office “face time” and the benefits of spontaneous interaction among reasons to avoid remote work, even for highly skilled, autonomous employees. To Choudhury, a deeper factor might underlie their reluctance. “It’s trust—it’s... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz

06 Dec 2017
Blog Post

The 23rd Annual Harvard Business School Tech Conference

inspire and educate the HBS community, but who are leading organizations that will likely dominate the next decade in technology. Our group of 70 speakers (largest ever) included Corporate Executives (CXOs), founders, and senior... View Details

Keywords: Technology

21 Sep 2010
First Look

First Look: September 21, 2010

organization that implemented a highly decentralized business model. I exploit variation in this organization in whether or not employees are selected via channels that are... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

12 Sep 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, September 12, 2017

forthcoming Research in Organizational Behavior Self-Managing Organizations: Exploring the Limits of Less Hierarchical Organizing By: Lee, Michael Y., and Amy C. Edmondson Abstract—Fascination with View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

Web

Marketing - Faculty & Research

community's annual 'Oscars'. The winners of this category are the Marketing cases that were used in the largest number of organizations across the globe in the preceding calendar year. Featured Case FARM Rio: Bringing a Brazilian Fashion... View Details

25 Jan 2012
Working Paper Summaries

Who Lives in the C-Suite? Organizational Structure and the Division of Labor in Top Management

Keywords: by Maria Guadalupe, Hongyi Li & Julie Wulf

27 Apr 2016
Research & Ideas

How the FBI Reinvented Itself After 9/11

identity are aligned, in the sense that each supports the other. In particular, decentralized decision making requires that individuals have the correct sense of “who we are.” At the outset of a change effort, management often does not... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

26 Jun 2023
Research & Ideas

Want to Leave a Lasting Impression on Customers? Don't Forget the (Proverbial) Fireworks

illustrate them: Improve the experience steadily over time. Think about the NCAA tournament or FIFA World Cup, in which stakes get higher and the games get more exciting with each round, from quarterfinals to semifinals to the finals. A marketer should think about... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Entertainment & Recreation

07 Feb 2022
Research & Ideas

Digital Transformation: A New Roadmap for Success

of them in the digital era. Without it, employees, especially Millennials and Gen Z talent, don’t find their work as meaningful. They don‘t develop the sense of belonging they need to collaborate and deliver innovative solutions to customers. A shared sense of purpose... View Details

Keywords: by Linda A. Hill, Ann Le Cam, Sunand Menon, and Emily Tedards

Web

Podcast - Business & Environment

AI-powered waste stream analysis and autonomous electronics disassembly that are accelerating progress. She closes with advice and resources for students and professionals interested in careers at the intersection of circular economy,... View Details

12 Apr 2017
Research & Ideas

Why Productivity Suffers When Employees Are Allowed to Schedule Their Own Tasks

Source: rawpixel Many jobs involve completing a series of sequential, independent, prearranged tasks. Physicians see patients; teachers grade papers; insurance agents process stacks of claims. In the interest of productivity, some View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Health

17 Jan 2023
In Practice

8 Trends to Watch in 2023

As 2023 begins, businesses and employees face an uncertain economy and labor market, as the twin dilemmas of inflation and interest rates weigh on forecasts. Harvard Business School faculty share the top trends that they believe will shape the workplace and markets... View Details