Publications

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September 2013 (Revised March 2014)
Case

Progress Energy and Duke Energy (A)

By: Guhan Subramanian and Charlotte Krontiris

Just as Duke Energy and Progress Energy announce their merger—forming the largest utility company in the United States, to be led by the current Progress CEO—a nuclear reactor owned by Progress suffers major damage and must be taken offline. While Progress grapples... View Details

Keywords: Duke; Progress; Nuclear Energy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Corporate Governance; Energy Sources; Energy Industry; United States

10 Apr 2013
Keynote Speech

Disrupting the Status Quo: From Economic Growth to Social Progress

By: Michael E. Porter

Filmed April 10, 2013, Opening Plenary of the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship 2013 in Oxford, UK. Professor Michael E Porter of Harvard Business School publicly announces the creation of the Social Progress Imperative and previews its first public product,... View Details

Keywords: Social Progress Index; Social Entrepreneurship

September 2013 (Revised March 2014)
Supplement

Progress Energy and Duke Energy (B)

By: Guhan Subramanian and Charlotte Krontiris

Keywords: Duke; Progress; Nuclear Energy; Corporate Governance; Energy Sources; Energy Industry

11 Apr 2013
Panel Discussion

From Per Capita to Pro Capita: Launch of the Social Progress Imperative

By: Michael E. Porter, Michael Green, Heather Hancock, Judith Rodin, Madhav Chavan and Ngaire Woods

What is a successful country? The global debate about development has, for decades, been focused on a single, economic measure of success: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Per Capita. But this tells us little about the real wellbeing of a nation or its sustainability. What... View Details

Keywords: Social Progress Index; Country; Measurement and Metrics; Social Issues

September 2018 (Revised August 2019)
Case

The Progressive Corporation, 2018

By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock

In early 2019, The Progressive Corporation (Progressive), the USA’s third-largest auto insurance writer, reported earned premiums were up 20% in 2018 compared to the previous year, and net income was up 64%. Direct sales of personal auto policies rose 21%, while agent... View Details

May 1997 (Revised May 1998)
Case

Progressive Corporation

By: Michael E. Porter and Nicolaj Siggelkow

Progressive is a leader in providing nonstandard (high-risk) automobile insurance to drivers across America, with a long record of extraordinary profitability. Progressive is facing a challenge in its segment from Allstate, the industry leader, and must decide how to... View Details

Keywords: Insurance; Business or Company Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Planning; Business Strategy; Competition; Competitive Strategy; Auto Industry; Insurance Industry; United States

October 2023
Supplement

Making Progress at Progress Software (B)

By: Katherine Coffman, Hannah Riley Bowles and Alexis Lefort

In this case, the Human Capital team at Progress Software has identified that some employees have a hard time understanding how to advance within Progress. This realization leads the team to develop several major people-process innovations: the introduction of... View Details

Keywords: Leading Change; Negotiation; Organizational Culture; Performance Evaluation; Prejudice and Bias; Talent and Talent Management; Employees; Technology Industry; United States; Bulgaria

October 2023
Case

Making Progress at Progress Software (A)

By: Katherine Coffman, Hannah Riley Bowles and Alexis Lefort

In this case, the Human Capital team at Progress Software has identified that some employees have a hard time understanding how to advance within Progress. This realization leads the team to develop several major people-process innovations: the introduction of... View Details

Keywords: Leading Change; Organizational Culture; Performance Evaluation; Prejudice and Bias; Personal Development and Career; Human Capital; Employee Relationship Management; Technology Industry; Bulgaria

August 2006 (Revised July 2008)
Case

The Progressive Corporation

By: John R. Wells, Marina Lutova and Ilan Sender

For decades, Progressive has proven to be one of the most innovative players in the US auto insurance industry, but can it maintain its lead? Progressive has moved up to the number three position in the industry in 2006, but competitors are finally waking up to the... View Details

Keywords: Competitive Advantage; Competitive Strategy; Innovation and Invention; Insurance Industry; Auto Industry; United States

By Teresa M. Amabile, and Steven J. Kramer.

Harvard Business Review Press, 2011.

The most effective managers have the ability to build a cadre of employees who have great inner work lives-consistently positive... View Details

July 2001 (Revised March 2002)
Case

Progressive Insurance: Disclosure Strategy

By: Amy P. Hutton and James Weber

Progressive Insurance had refused to play Wall Street's earning game. Progressive didn't manage reported earnings nor did management give guidance to analysts. Management then considered taking their unique disclosure strategy one step further to become the first to... View Details

Keywords: Earnings Management; Stocks; Corporate Disclosure; Insurance; Volatility; Insurance Industry; United States

09 Aug 2011
News

The Power of Progress

8 Apr 2014
Other Presentation

Social Progress Index 2014

By: Michael E. Porter, Scott Stern and Michael Green

Social Progress Index 2014 Launch View Details

Keywords: Society; Economics

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May 2002 (Revised February 2004)
Case

Innovation at Progressive (A): Pay-As-You-Go Insurance

By: Frances X. Frei and Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar

Consumer auto insurance is a price-sensitive industry in which customers rarely pay a premium to a provider even for additional service features. Progressive spends more on additional service features than its competitors do; consumers don't pay extra for these... View Details

April 1987
Case

Progressive Corp.--1986

By: Andre F. Perold

Keywords: History

Find at Harvard

June 2014
Case

Making Progress at IDEO

By: Teresa M. Amabile and Katrina Flanagan

This case focuses on different types of client relationships at IDEO, the value of these relationships for IDEO and clients, and the implications for IDEO designers' everyday experience of work. As new types of client work have shifted away from the more classic design... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Motivation and Incentives; Employees; Customer Focus and Relationships; Service Industry

23 Aug 2011
News

Book Review: The Progress Principle

December 1980 (Revised February 1981)
Case

Progressive Corp. (A)

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Robert G. Eccles Jr.

Find at Harvard

August 2008
Case

Progressive Corporation: Variable Dividends

By: Timothy A. Luehrman and Brenda W. Chia

In 2006, Progressive Corporation announced a change in its dividend policy. Henceforth, dividends would be paid annually rather than quarterly and, more importantly, would be set according to a formula that would result in considerably greater year-to-year variability... View Details

Keywords: Capital Structure; Policy; Goals and Objectives; Performance; Business and Shareholder Relations; Insurance Industry