Publications

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February 2014 (Revised August 2015)
Case

Mission Produce

By: Jose B. Alvarez and Mary Shelman

As the leading distributor of fresh avocados in the U.S., Mission Produce was at a crossroads in late 2013. Avocado consumption was booming and CEO Steve Barnard wanted to acquire additional land in Peru and develop new avocado farms to help fill a projected supply... View Details

Keywords: Fresh Produce; Food; Peru; Vertical Integration; Supply Chain; Agriculture; Agribusiness; Food and Beverage Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; United States; Peru

April 2004 (Revised May 2010)
Case

Columbia's Final Mission

By: Richard M.J. Bohmer, Amy C. Edmondson, Michael Roberto, Laura Feldman and Erika Ferlins

Describes the 16-day final mission of the space shuttle Columbia in January 2003 in which seven astronauts died. Includes background on NASA and the creation of the human space flight program, including the 1970 Apollo 13 crisis and 1986 Challenger disaster. Examines... View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Crisis Management; Management Skills; Organizational Culture; Groups and Teams; Behavior; Aerospace Industry

11 Apr 2024
News

Mission Control

founder and CEO of Spire, a global provider of space-based data, analytics, and space services.Making good on those long-term goals, Platzer says, was the result of building a very specific mission for himself while he was at HBS: "To... View Details

March 2005 (Revised May 2009)
Case

Columbia's Final Mission

By: Michael Roberto, Amy C. Edmondson, Richard M.J. Bohmer, Laura Feldman and Erika Ferlins

On February 1, 2003, the Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, and the seven astronauts onboard lost their lives. Explores Columbia's final mission from the perspective of six key managers and engineers associated with NASA's Space... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Leadership; Crisis Management; Management Teams; Organizational Culture; Aerospace Industry

May 2024
Case

Mission Veterinary Partners

By: Boris Groysberg, Zeeshan Ali and Annelena Lobb

After five successful years, Mission Veterinary Partners (MVP) had to decide on the best way to scale. MVP owned 300 animal hospitals and competed with other consolidators to buy more small veterinary practices. MVP had to distinguish itself as the buyer of choice but... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Retention; Growth and Development Strategy; Competitive Strategy

December 2022
Case

Mission Produce in 2022

By: Forest Reinhardt, Jose B. Alvarez and Natalie Kindred

Founded by CEO Steve Barnard in 1983, California-based Mission Produce was a leading supplier of Hass avocados with a global sourcing, marketing, and distribution network and $892 million in 2021 sales. Barnard had been influential in the global avocado trade’s... View Details

Keywords: Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Retail Industry; Consumer Products Industry; United States; California; Peru; Guatemala; Colombia; Mexico; Chile

01 Jun 2012
News

Global Mission

Just in case “global” isn’t an adjective you readily ascribe to HBS, consider this. Nearly 30 percent of the School’s more than 78,000 alumni live abroad, scattered across 167 countries. That means there’s almost no nation you can visit that isn’t home to at least one... View Details

Keywords: Roger Thompson; meta

19 Mar 2019
News

Mission Critical

all the things that I probably should not have been doing and learned the opportunities that I had to redefine my leadership. “In our industry, just like any other industry, you really have to inspire and engage your teammates in order to be successful. We have the... View Details

Keywords: Health, Social Assistance

March 2002 (Revised October 2007)
Background Note

Major Dimensions of Company Mission

Having a clear company mission has great managerial benefits. This note describes what a useful company mission should include. View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose

Find at Harvard

01 Jun 2007
News

Mission Possible

tap the best minds in genetic research. Fresh out of HBS, Cindy Ko (MBA ’05) joined a nonprofit economic-development organization dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Although their missions are different, these... View Details

Keywords: Roger Thompson; Margie Kelley; Business Schools & Computer & Management Training; Educational Services; Social Assistance; Health, Social Assistance

13 Nov 2014
News

Turning Missions into Movements

October 2019
Case

David Yin's Vegetarian Mission

By: Boris Groysberg and Evan M.S. Hecht

After the establishment of his critically-acclaimed upscale vegetarian restaurant, King’s Joy, in Beijing, chef and entrepreneur David Yin must decide whether or not to expand to other locations or continue to invest in his existing location in order to fulfill his... View Details

Keywords: Restaurant; Restaurant Industry; Creative Ability; Creative Industries; Values; Entrepreneurship; Creativity; Food; Values and Beliefs; China

31 Jan 2019
News

A Global Mission

the Soviet Union. “I negotiated that when there were still tanks around the Lithuanian parliament,” he recalls. “The university’s mission is to promote democracy and civil society in a challenging part of the world,” he says. “LCC is a... View Details

Keywords: April White; human rights

May 2025
Case

Mission First at Coinbase

By: Charles CY Wang and Brian K. Baik

This case study examines the organizational tensions at cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase as executives Brian Armstrong, Emilie Choi, and L.J. Brock implemented controversial talent management strategies to support their mission of increasing economic freedom through... View Details

Keywords: Cryptocurrency; Management Control; Talent and Talent Management

May 2012
Case

Columbia's Final Mission (Abridged) (A)

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Kerry Herman

This case documents decision-making processes, organizational culture, and other contributors to NASA's failed Columbia mission in 2003. Addresses the question of how organizations should deal with "ambiguous threats" - weak signals of potential crisis - and explores... View Details

Keywords: Cognitive Biases; Teams; Organizational Learning; Ambiguous Threat; Leadership; Organizational Culture; Decision Making; Failure; Crisis Management; Aerospace Industry

Web

Our Mission | About

Our Mission We educate leaders who make a difference in the world. As explained by Nitin Nohria , dean of Harvard Business School from 2010 to 2020: Each element of the School’s mission—to educate leaders who make a difference in the... View Details

February 2003 (Revised January 2004)
Case

Mission to Mars (A)

By: Alan D. MacCormack and Jay Wynn

This case is set in spring 2000, several months after two successive, failed missions to the planet Mars. Students are asked to evaluate the reasons for these failures in the context of NASA's "Faster, Better, Cheaper" program, which was initiated in 1992. They are... View Details

Keywords: Failure; Change Management; Innovation Strategy; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Projects; Management; Risk Management; Risk and Uncertainty; Aerospace Industry; Technology Industry