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Firing Back: How Great Leaders Rebound After Career Disasters
Business communication Magazine ArticleThe leader’s fall from “Who’s Who” to “Who’s that?” is full of stigma and shame. But the story doesn’t have to end there. -
In Praise of Uncertainty
Decision making and problem solving Magazine ArticleThe information technology explosion was set off by visionaries who thrive on uncertainty. Today that innovation-fueling uncertainty is in danger, a victim of its own success and excess. IT producers have historically built platforms that are useless standing alone, inviting others to parlay them into a variety of useful applications. The first PC makers shipped […] -
Crap Circles
Analytics and data science Magazine ArticleThe most dubious business plan can look solid—even smart—if it’s cast as a virtuous circle. “See, we invest our profits in innovation to create delightful products that customers buy—which generate profits that we invest in innovation!” Who could argue with that? Indeed, the merit of self-reinforcing systems seems so obvious that businesspeople instinctively describe their […] -
The Strategic Power of Saying No
Entrepreneurship Magazine ArticleThe hardest part of being an entrepreneur can be learning to turn down business. It is also the only way to survive—and grow. -
Getting 360-Degree Feedback Right
Motivating people Magazine Article360-degree feedback is all the rage in companies big and small. But it is frequently bureaucratic, politically charged, and agonizing. The good news is that by understanding four paradoxes inherent to peer appraisal, managers can take some of the pain out of the process—and get better results in. -
How to Buy/Sell Professional Services
Managing people Magazine ArticleIn recent years, there has been a marked increase in the buying of professional services by management. This is true for a broad range of advisory activities, such as financial, economic, public relations, advertising, legal, personnel, research, and many others. By the same token, there has been a marked growth in the firms selling these […] -
Mommy-Track Backlash (Commentary for HBR Case Study)
Organizational Development Magazine Article"Please don't tell me that I need to have a baby to have this time off." Those words were still ringing in the ears of Jessica Gonon an hour after a tense... -
Getting Your Team to Buy into a Big Change
Change management Digital ArticleResearchers studied backlash to change at five elite law firms — and how leadership eventually won the skeptics over. -
Research: Are Clients Loyal to Your Firm, or the People in It?
Talent management ResearchPredicting what happens when employees leave. -
Biogen Unchained
Marketing Magazine ArticleWhen the biotech pioneer had to get a blockbuster drug to market fast, it didn’t lock itself into a rigid supply chain. It joined with partners to become a virtual manufacturer. -
What Makes People Follow Reluctant Leaders
Leadership & Managing People Digital ArticleA new study finds three traits that help people rise to the top. -
Get Your Money's Worth from Consultants
Organizational Development Digital ArticleHave you ever hired a consultant or been asked to work with one? If not, you're a distinct minority. Management consulting is a $160 billion industry,... -
What Today's Rainmakers Do Differently
Sales & Marketing Magazine ArticleAs "doer-sellers," professional services partners are responsible for not just delivering services but also the entire business-development process. As... -
It Wasn’t About Race. Or Was It?
Accounting Magazine ArticleShe felt her safety had been threatened. He felt he’d been discriminated against. Will the company be torn in two by the aftermath of their encounter in a parking lot? -
Taking the Bias Out of Bean Counting
Accounting Magazine ArticleProposed changes by the SEC don’t go far enough to guarantee impartial audits by the accounting profession. -
Collaborating Well in Large Global Teams
Collaboration and teams Digital ArticleIt starts with a clear shared objective. -
Putting Products into Services
Product development Magazine ArticleA revenue-growth playbook for consultants and law firms -
Smarter Offshoring
Economics Magazine ArticleThe most popular offshore sites for service functions are overheating. Now is the time for companies to explore a world of opportunity beyond those hot spots and to base investment decisions not just on costs but also on talent, markets, strategic aims, and appetite for risk. -
Reckoning with the Pension Fund Revolution
Finance and investing Magazine ArticleFifteen years after it was first chronicled, the “unseen revolution” transforming corporate ownership in the United States is now visible to all. The 20 largest pension funds (13 of them funds of state, municipal, or nonprofit employees) hold around one-tenth of the equity capital of America’s publicly owned companies. All told, institutional investors—that is, primarily […] -
Cane Mutiny: Managing a Graying Workforce (HBR Case Study)
Organizational Development Magazine ArticleFrank Heberer, a human resources manager at Medignostics, has proposed a long-term HR strategy for the German midsize pharmaceutical company. All his...
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Marketing @ Microsoft: The Value of Customer Perception
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details Quantifying the efficacy of marketing is an age-old challenge. As John Wanamaker said a century ago, "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted;... -
Disability and Ageism: Three Cases of Diversity and Employment Discrimination
Management Case Study11.95View Details The case presents three mini-cases on employment discrimination. In the first, "(Un)See the Seen," a project manager faced the dilemma of how to support... -
Nnergix: The Path to Sustainable Growth
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study11.95View Details In December 2019, the founder and chief executive officer of Nnergix, a struggling Barcelona-based renewable energy analytics provider, came home from... -
Vignettes on Professional Service Firm Governance
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details The two vignettes within "Vignettes on Professional Service Firm Governance" (HBS No. 122-024) present various issues relating to governance in professional... -
Simplyk: From Volunteering to Fundraising for NPOs - Part A- Social Business Model I: A Volunteer Matching Program
Management Case Study11.95View Details This two-part case examines the major challenges faced by Simplyk, a start-up with a social mission related to volunteering and the non-profit ecosystem.... -
AccelleWell: Surviving a Toxic CEO
Management Case Study11.95View Details By September 2022, Elizabeth Hooper had been working for 100 days as chief human resources officer at AccelleWell, a contract development and manufacturing... -
Garanti Payment Systems: Digital Transformation Strategy (A)
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details Işıl Akdemir Evlioğlu, executive vice president of marketing at Garanti Payment Systems (GPS), a subsidiary of Garanti Bank, is grappling with three questions.... -
LKK Design: Rapid Growth of a Chinese Design House
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study11.95View Details This case is about the growth of one of China's top design companies. The design trade is a knowledge-intensive and traditional industry. The protagonist... -
DailyFish: Reinventing Customer Service Management
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details DailyFish was an emerging e-commerce enterprise that was started in 2016 by Baby Marine Ventures, one of the largest exporters of frozen seafood from... -
Operations Management Challenges at Heathrow Airport (Part B)
Management Case Study5.00View Details Airports are complex environments, with decision-making processes divided among numerous authorities, and many stakeholders pursuing their own interests.... -
Simplyk: From Volunteering to Fundraising for NPOs - Part B - Business Model II: Fundraising for NPOs
Management Case Study5.00View Details This two-part case examines the major challenges faced by Simplyk, a start-up with a social mission related to volunteering and the non-profit ecosystem.... -
Is PlayDate Just a Game? - PAL by Project PlayDate
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study11.95View Details On June 12, 2018, 29-year old PlayDate founder and CEO Amanda Raposo and advisor Michael Ryan-Southern considered an offer from "celebrity mom" and founder... -
Delwarca Software Remote Support Unit
Technology & Operations Case Study8.95View Details Delwarca Software provides business software to large corporate clients around the world. The firm serves customers who prefer to assemble corporate solutions... -
EY China (A): Strengthening Presence in a Critical Market
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Soon after being named regional managing partner for Ernst & Young (EY) China in September 2009, Albert Ng reflects on the enormity of challenges facing... -
Youth Villages
Leadership & Managing People Case Study11.95View Details Tennessee-based nonprofit Youth Villages had an impressive record of serving emotionally and behaviorally troubled youth and their families, with higher... -
Customer Relationship Management at Capital One (UK), Condensed
Sales & Marketing Case Study11.95View Details Capital One, a credit card company, has built its business on a strategy with a clear customer focus: The company systematically gathers and analyses... -
The Digital Transformation of a Business Model: The Impact of AI Technologies on a Translation Firm - Chapter 3: ChatGPT hits the stage (2023) (D)
{{MajorSubject}} Case Study5.00View Details This four-part case outlines the transformation of Alexa Translations triggered by its acquisition of an AI firm. The preface sets the stage, providing... -
Agilus Work Solutions: Back to the Office?
Management Case Study11.95View Details In April 2022, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Agilus Work Solutions (Agilus) was considering how to handle the future of work at the company. With... -
Moksha Data: Delivering Insights for Public Services
Strategy & Execution Case Study11.95View Details Moksha Data, a boutique consulting firm specializing in public sector work, started in January 2017 with a handshake between friends and a shared commitment... -
The Digital Transformation of a Business Model: The Impact of AI Technologies on a Translation Firm - Chapter 1: Moving to the tech space (2016-2018) (B)
{{MajorSubject}} Case Study5.00View Details This four-part case outlines the transformation of Alexa Translations triggered by its acquisition of an AI firm. The preface sets the stage, providing...
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Firing Back: How Great Leaders Rebound After Career Disasters
Business communication Magazine ArticleThe leader’s fall from “Who’s Who” to “Who’s that?” is full of stigma and shame. But the story doesn’t have to end there. -
Workplace Toxicity Is Not Just a Mental Health Issue
Management Digital ArticleWorkplace toxicity leads to a host of negative mental and physical health outcomes, particularly for women of color. Leaders can better support these... -
In Praise of Uncertainty
Decision making and problem solving Magazine ArticleThe information technology explosion was set off by visionaries who thrive on uncertainty. Today that innovation-fueling uncertainty is in danger, a victim of its own success and excess. IT producers have historically built platforms that are useless standing alone, inviting others to parlay them into a variety of useful applications. The first PC makers shipped […] -
Crap Circles
Analytics and data science Magazine ArticleThe most dubious business plan can look solid—even smart—if it’s cast as a virtuous circle. “See, we invest our profits in innovation to create delightful products that customers buy—which generate profits that we invest in innovation!” Who could argue with that? Indeed, the merit of self-reinforcing systems seems so obvious that businesspeople instinctively describe their […] -
The Strategic Power of Saying No
Entrepreneurship Magazine ArticleThe hardest part of being an entrepreneur can be learning to turn down business. It is also the only way to survive—and grow. -
Getting 360-Degree Feedback Right
Motivating people Magazine Article360-degree feedback is all the rage in companies big and small. But it is frequently bureaucratic, politically charged, and agonizing. The good news is that by understanding four paradoxes inherent to peer appraisal, managers can take some of the pain out of the process—and get better results in. -
How to Buy/Sell Professional Services
Managing people Magazine ArticleIn recent years, there has been a marked increase in the buying of professional services by management. This is true for a broad range of advisory activities, such as financial, economic, public relations, advertising, legal, personnel, research, and many others. By the same token, there has been a marked growth in the firms selling these […] -
Mommy-Track Backlash (Commentary for HBR Case Study)
Organizational Development Magazine Article"Please don't tell me that I need to have a baby to have this time off." Those words were still ringing in the ears of Jessica Gonon an hour after a tense... -
Getting Your Team to Buy into a Big Change
Change management Digital ArticleResearchers studied backlash to change at five elite law firms — and how leadership eventually won the skeptics over. -
Research: Are Clients Loyal to Your Firm, or the People in It?
Talent management ResearchPredicting what happens when employees leave.