Publications

Rebecca Karp is an Assistant Professor in the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School. She teaches Strategy in the MBA required curriculum. Professor Karp is a field researcher and ethnographer. Her research examines how companies formulate and... View Details

April 2009 (Revised November 2012)
Case

Sermo, Inc.

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Lars Peter Christian Nielsen

Sermo operates the leading online professional network for physicians in the United States. Doctors use Sermo free of charge to post surveys regarding diagnostic and treatment concerns and to discuss these concerns, as well as challenges with managing their practices.... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Health Care and Treatment; Knowledge Sharing; Two-Sided Platforms; Conflict and Resolution; Social and Collaborative Networks; United States

10 Jul 2020
Working Paper Summaries

Making Economics More Useful: How Technological Eclecticism Could Help

Keywords: by Amar Bhidé

28 Jan 2020
Book

Advanced Leadership Requires More Than Outside-The-Box Thinking

uses examples and stories from dozens of high-performing managers and entrepreneurs. Is there one person, one quote, that you think most brilliantly captures the spirit of Think Outside the Building? Kanter: Doug Rauch, former president... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

March 2021
Article

Increasing the Level of Abstraction as a Strategy for Accelerating the Adoption of Complex Technologies

By: Willy C. Shih

Many new technologies are complex and embody high levels of technical sophistication, and applying them should require significant knowledge and experience. Yet, the rapid adoption and incorporation of these technologies into other innovations seems inconsistent with... View Details

Keywords: Abstraction; Technological And Scientific Innovation; Technological Progress; Diffusion Of Innovation; Technology Adoption; Technological Innovation; Complexity; Information Technology; Strategy

June 2023
Case

Barton Malow: Building From the Top-Down

By: Hise O. Gibson and Alicia Dadlani

In 2023, Detroit-based Barton Malow completed the first high-rise building in the U.S. built from the top-down using LIFTbuild, a patented methodology that aimed to make construction safer and more efficient. By completing building work at ground level and then... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Innovation and Invention; Construction Industry

16 Jul 2001
Research & Ideas

How to Compete Like a Judo Strategist

importance of being prepared to "pulse" or flexibly engage new issues as they arise. By being constantly prepared to make quick adjustments in response to new competitive situations, Ballmer... View Details

Keywords: by David B. Yoffie & Mary Kwak

28 May 2014
Working Paper Summaries

Leveraging Market Power Through Tying and Bundling: Does Google Behave Anti-Competitively?

Keywords: by Benjamin Edelman

May 1995 (Revised March 1996)
Case

ToyWorld, Inc.: Information Technology Planning

By: Lynda M. Applegate

ToyWorld, a fast growing retailer, was revitalizing its information technology (IT) infrastructure and called in AT&T to help plan for the future. Five strategic alternatives for use of information and communications technology were identified through value chain... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Planning; Information Technology; Growth and Development; Expansion; Partners and Partnerships; Retail Industry

November 2006 (Revised December 2006)
Case

Pitney Bowes Inc.

By: Clayton M. Christensen and Ho Howard Yu

Pitney Bowes, the world's dominant maker of equipment used in generating and handling mail, is facing flattening growth in its core businesses and needs to create new growth products and businesses. Describes how a group of employees use state-of-the-art techniques for... View Details

Keywords: Expansion; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Distribution Channels; Growth and Development Strategy; Manufacturing Industry

September 1992 (Revised November 1996)
Case

Royal Automobile Club Rescue Services Division: Transformation Through Technology

By: W. Earl Sasser and Roger H. Hallowell

The Royal Automobile Club uses a new computer and telephone system to improve its service standards and profitability. After the initial impact of changes from technology, the organization faces a need to choose between future technological development or... View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Decision Choices and Conditions; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Information Technology; Corporate Strategy; Service Industry; Auto Industry; United Kingdom

Find at Harvard

23 Apr 2012
Research & Ideas

How to Brand a Next-Generation Product

people will be led to believe that there are massively new features in there, and you'll just lead them to disappointment." On the other hand, a brand sequencing approach can be tricky in a crowded marketplace where competitors are... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

17 Oct 2023
Blog Post

HBS Section I Celebrates Parents, Mentors, and Partners Day

a potluck with our other professors joining us, where everyone was eager and proud to introduce their guests to one another. I feel so fortunate to have gotten to know my sectionmates more through the eyes of the people who know them best, and at the same time be able... View Details

April 2019
Case

American Ballet Theatre

By: Anita Elberse, Tsubasa Nakajima and Melissa Rodman

Kara Medoff Barnett, executive director of American Ballet Theatre (ABT), widely regarded as one of the world’s premier ballet companies, faces several challenges. It is June 2018. Despite its prestige, the company’s $45 million annual budget and $22 million endowment... View Details

Keywords: Performing Arts; Superstars; Talent; Talent Development; Non-profit; Contracts; Labor Economics; General Management; Arts; Entertainment; Media; Talent and Talent Management; Nonprofit Organizations; Marketing; Strategy

18 Nov 2014
First Look

First Look: November 18

television advertising influences online shopping. We construct a massive dataset spanning $3.4 billion in spending by 20 brands, including measures of brands' website traffic and transactions as well as ad content measures for 1,224 commercials. We View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

18 Oct 2022
Research & Ideas

When Bias Creeps into AI, Managers Can Stop It by Asking the Right Questions

can amplify bias. Some companies try to address the issue by making sure that their algorithms don’t use data on protected characteristics such as race or gender. Yet, eliminating factors like race from an algorithm doesn’t address the... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

April 1999 (Revised August 2000)
Case

Compaq Computer: Focus Groups

By: David E. Bell and Ann Leamon

Gives the final report, both results and methodology, of the focus group on Compaq Computer's new consumer notebook. Describes the groups, selection method, and methodology in detail. Should Compaq base its product design on the opinions of 64 people? Must be used with... View Details

Keywords: Selection and Staffing; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Product Design; Outcome or Result; Corporate Strategy; Computer Industry