Publications

22 Feb 2010
Op-Ed

Tragedy at Toyota: How Not to Lead in Crisis

inquiry this week.) Meanwhile, he let serious product quality issues spiral out of control by understating safety risks and product problems. This left the media, politicians, and consumers to dictate the conversation, while Toyota... View Details

Keywords: by William George; Auto

September 2017
Case

Dr. William Carson— Intrapreneurial Innovation in the Pharmaceutical Industry

By: Steven Rogers and Alyssa Haywoode

Dr. William Carson, an African-American alum of Harvard University became the President and CEO of a multi billion dollar division of Otsuka, a Japan based pharmaceutical company. His ascension to this leadership position followed a thriving career in academic medicine... View Details

Keywords: Dr. Williams Carson; Otsuka America Pharmaceutical; Harvard; Abilify; Aripiprazole; Health Testing and Trials; Globalized Firms and Management; Globalized Markets and Industries; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Decision Choices and Conditions; Pharmaceutical Industry; Japan

Educators

June 2009
Supplement

F. William McNabb, Chairman, Vanguard Group, Interviewed by Professor John Quelch, April 2008

By: John A. Quelch

Professor John Quelch interviewed F. William McNabb, Chairman, Vanguard Group in April 2008 to review updates since the original case was published in 2004. View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Marketing Strategy; Financial Services Industry; United States

14 Sep 2017
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Google Engineer Deserved to be Fired by the CEO

correctly analyzed this as the issue, noting that Damore’s document “crosses the line by advancing harmful gender stereotypes in our workplace.” This violated Google’s code of conduct, thereby triggering his termination. In his manifesto,... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

August 2020 (Revised November 2022)
Case

George Soros: The Stateless Statesman

By: Geoffrey Jones and Wendy Ying

This case traces the business career and philanthropic activities of George Soros. The Hungarian-born Soros made a fortune as a hedge fund investor after establishing Quantum Fund on the tax haven island of Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles in 1973 where he was... View Details

Keywords: Hedge Fund; Philanthropy; Populism; Finance; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Political Elections; Personal Development and Career; Leadership Style; Financial Services Industry; Europe; Hungary; United Kingdom; North and Central America; United States

Educators

February 1991
Case

George B.H. Macomber Co.--1990

Details a fledgling president's attempt to build an information systems and manage the expertise base of the firm. Intrigued by the potential information technology holds for the construction industry, this general contractor has initiated the overhaul of the firm's... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Management Systems

fall 1981
Book Review

Book Review of Renegotiations in International Business Transactions, edited by William S. Stoever

By: Louis T Wells Jr

Keywords: Negotiation; Business Ventures

27 Jan 2023
Op-Ed

Have We Lost Sight of Integrity?

Every month, another leader creates an onslaught of media coverage for being dishonest. Have we lost sight of the importance of leaders with integrity? Why do failed leaders get so much more attention than those who are doing things the right way? Take, for example,... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

July 2022
Supplement

General Mills: Responding to the Killing of George Floyd (B)

By: Debora L. Spar and Alicia Dadlani

Jeff Harmening, CEO of General Mills, one of the world's largest manufacturers of breakfast cereals and packaged foods, was deeply disturbed and instantly aware that he and General Mills would need to respond. George Floyd, an African-American man who had been accused... View Details

Keywords: Race; Decisions; Social Issues; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Consumer Products Industry; Minneapolis; Minnesota; United States

14 Feb 2017
Research & Ideas

A Strategy For Steady Leadership in an Unsteady World

The world’s uncertainties can feel like a tsunami washing over your business. Bill George recommends navigating with a compass pointing to your own True North. Source: iStock With the events of 2016—Brexit, the election of Donald Trump,... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

06 Jan 2003
Research & Ideas

Why Expensing Options Doesn’t Solve the Problem

option grants, though not as liberal as many others. In fact, expensing options in Enron's accounts would have changed reported profits by only about 10%, whereas the change would have been around 30% for Microsoft, which has received no... View Details

Keywords: by William Sahlman

06 Jun 2011
Research & Ideas

Why Leaders Lose Their Way

compensation for their accomplishments, few leaders start out seeking only money, power, and prestige. Along the way, the rewards—bonus checks, newspaper articles, perks, and stock appreciation—fuel increasing desires for more. This creates a deep desire to keep it... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

24 Apr 2017
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Courage: The Defining Characteristic of Great Leaders

contrast to Mulally, General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner and his predecessors refused to transform GM’s product line, even as the company’s North American market share slid from 50 percent in the 1970s to 18 percent. When the automobile market collapsed in late 2008,... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George; Auto; Food & Beverage

05 Jan 2011
Op-Ed

Funding Unpredictability Around Stem-Cell Research Inflicts Heavy Cost on Scientific Progress

typical lab has 20 to 40 people, led by a senior researcher (the "principal investigator''). Most people in a lab are doctoral or postdoctoral students who are pursuing careers in science. Labs have many different projects under... View Details

Keywords: by William Sahlman; Biotechnology; Health; Pharmaceutical

24 Mar 2020
Research & Ideas

These Coronavirus Heroes Show Us How Crisis Leadership Works

Now, at 79, Fauci is the central figure that Americans depend upon to lead us through this crisis with his honest, candid advice and counsel. Last week he was on all five Sunday talk shows and then on a Facebook Live show with Mark Zuckerberg, followed View Details

Keywords: by Bill George; Health

July 2022
Case

General Mills: Responding to the Killing of George Floyd (A)

By: Debora L. Spar and Alicia Dadlani

Jeff Harmening, CEO of General Mills, one of the world's largest manufacturers of breakfast cereals and packaged foods, was deeply disturbed and instantly aware that he and General Mills would need to respond. George Floyd, an African-American man who had been accused... View Details

Keywords: Race; Decisions; Social Issues; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Consumer Products Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Minneapolis; Minnesota; United States

Educators

Book Review

Book Review of Headhunters: Matchmaking in the Labor Market by William Finlay and James E. Coverdill, Cornell University Press, 2002

By: Rakesh Khurana

Keywords: Relationships