Publications

March 1997 (Revised January 1999)
Case

Cambridge Technology Partners: Corporate Venturing (August 1996)

By: Paul A. Gompers and Catherine M. Conneely

Concerns the decision of Jim Sims, president and CEO of Cambridge Technology Partners (CTP) to form a corporate venture capital subsidiary. CTP is a fast-growing information technology consulting firm that has been presented with many investment opportunities from... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Venture Capital; Leadership; Information Technology; Investment; Opportunities; Customer Focus and Relationships; Business Startups; Business Subsidiaries; Information Technology Industry; Consulting Industry; Cambridge

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April 3, 2016
Guest Column

The Power of C.E.O. Activism: How Politically Outspoken Executives Sway Public (and Consumer) Opinion

By: Aaron K. Chatterji and Michael W. Toffel

Some CEOs are making news by taking public stances on controversial social issues largely unrelated to their core business. This article summarizes the insights from our research paper that shows that such "CEO activism" can influence public opinion and consumer... View Details

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August 1993
Case

You've Just Got to Fire Him (A)

A CEO has decided to fire his head of sales, but stumbles over the question of when and how? This case describes the background and the resolution that it had to be done in June of 1992 in a particular way. View Details

Keywords: Business or Company Management; Resignation and Termination

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16 May 2018
News

Salaries at this Boston company rank among highest in US

05 Mar 2012
News

Is JC Penney’s Makeover the Future of Retailing?

07 May 2014
Video

Donald Ralph, Ann Drake, Jane Garvey, and Tom Rice

12 Aug 2021
Video

Ouided Bouchamaoui

Ouided Bouchamaoui, the Nobel Prize winning co-founder of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet and CEO of Hédi Bouchamaoui Group, explains how she was able to improve the relationship between the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade, and Handicrafts and the... View Details

11 Sep 2020
Video

James Mwangi

James Mwangi, CEO of Kenya’s Equity Bank, which has one of the largest customer bases of any bank in Africa, explains the challenges faced by his bank as it expanded into neighboring countries, especially lack of infrastructure, security and politics View Details

February 2003 (Revised June 2003)
Case

Interface's Evergreen Services Agreement

In an attempt to reduce its ecological footprint, Interface Americas, a leading manufacturer of commercial carpet tile, has launched the Evergreen Services Agreement (ESA)--a lease agreement that provides would-be carpet purchasers with comprehensive floor-covering... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Product; Environmental Sustainability; Innovation and Invention; Leasing; Consumer Products Industry; Houston

February 2024
Case

SundaySky: Changing Customer Experiences through Personalized Video

By: David C. Edelman and James Barnett

In June 2023, SundaySky CEO Jim Dicso considers growth strategies. The software-as-a-service company provided software to create advertising videos, customer service videos, and other videos, like employee training modules, and had begun to pilot a new generative... View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Strategy; Technology Adoption; AI and Machine Learning; Applications and Software; Growth and Development Strategy; Advertising Industry; Technology Industry; United States

August 2016 (Revised May 2017)
Case

eBay vs. Carl Icahn, 2014

By: David B. Yoffie and Eric Baldwin

This case explores Carl Icahn's attack on eBay, starting in January 2014. The case examines how John Donahoe, CEO of eBay, should respond to Icahn's demand that eBay spin off PayPal and accept Icahn's two nominees to the board of directors. View Details

Keywords: Activist Shareholder; Activist Investors; Technology; Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Investment Activism; Financial Services Industry; Retail Industry

November 2007 (Revised March 2008)
Case

Tyco International: Corporate Governance

By: Rakesh Khurana and James Weber

Examines how Tyco and its board recovered from its corporate scandals. Describes how its CEO and board set out to institute processes, guidelines, and a culture that would make Tyco into a company widely recognized for its world class corporate governance. View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Corporate Governance; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Governing and Advisory Boards; Business Processes; Organizational Culture

April 1993 (Revised June 1993)
Case

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW)

By: Robert J. Dolan

In 1992, BMW attempts to revive its position in the United States market. In 1991, unit sales had fallen to 53,000 from 88,000 in 1987. The new CEO of North America considers a multifaceted plan to turn around the situation. View Details

Keywords: Product Positioning; Marketing Strategy; Multinational Firms and Management; Market Entry and Exit; Sales; Manufacturing Industry; Auto Industry; Germany; North America

08 Oct 2015
News

Leadership: Getting it right

12 Feb 2015
Video

Year Up: Why Investing in Young Adults Makes Sense

09 Nov 2006
Research & Ideas

Andy Grove: A Biographer’s Tale

decades of his life. Q: You spend a lot of time in the book talking about all of this—the impact of these early years on his middle and later years. A: The child is the father of the man and, you know, Andy Grove is the last CEO who will... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Computer

May 2021
Supplement

Paul Levy: Confronting a 'Corporate Campaign' (B)

By: James K. Sebenius and Isaac Silberberg

Paul Levy, CEO of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center hospital is faced with a formidable negotiation campaign to unionize staff at BIDMC. Armed only with his personal blog, does Paul stand a chance against the union's multi-million dollar organizing budget? View Details

Keywords: Healthcare; Healthcare Industry; Hospital Management; Unions; Negotiation Campaign; Blog; Health Care and Treatment; Labor; Labor Unions; Labor and Management Relations; Negotiation; Strategy; Social Media; Health Industry; Massachusetts; United States

July 2005
Case

Leading Anadarko

By: Nitin Nohria, Krishna G. Palepu and David Lane

Describes the challenges facing Jim Hackett, the newly appointed CEO of Anadarko Petroleum, an independent oil and gas exploration company. In addition to strategic and organizational issues, Hackett must address concerns about proper disclosure of the company's oil... View Details

Keywords: Management Teams; Strategy; Organizations; Corporate Disclosure; Problems and Challenges; Mining Industry; Energy Industry

October 1999
Case

CIBC Corporate and Investment Banking (B): 1992-1997

By: Joseph L. Bower and Michael Raynor

From 1992 to 1997, CIBC CEO Al Flood and head of investment banking John Hunkin integrate the struggling investment bank, Wood Gundy, with CIBC's corporate bank. The impact and interaction of organization design, compensation schemes, and communication initiatives are... View Details

Keywords: Investment Banking; Banks and Banking; Mergers and Acquisitions; Organizational Design; Business Plan; Communication; Banking Industry