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Stop Trying to Delight Your Customers
Customer experience Magazine ArticleTo really win their loyalty, forget the bells and whistles and just solve their problems. -
What Professional Service Firms Must Do to Thrive
Organizational Development Magazine ArticleDuring economic slowdowns, consulting, law, and accounting firms often start offering services and taking on clients they really shouldn't, just to keep... -
High-Performance Marketing: An Interview with Nike's Phil Knight
Leadership & Managing People Magazine ArticleBehind Nike's catchy slogans and flashy TV commercials is the vision of founder, chairman, and CEO Phil Knight. Knight has taken Nike from a small-time... -
How E-Commerce Will Trump Brand Management
Marketing Magazine ArticleThe Internet promises to give marketing the same boost in productivity that new operational strategies have given to manufacturing. -
Shrinking Fast and Smart in the Defense Industry
Government Magazine ArticleAuthor’s note: Alistair Hanna, Michael Reopel, and Stuart Flack, all of McKinsey & Company, contributed to this article. The U.S. defense industry is struggling to reorganize itself for growth, if not for survival. The disappearance of the communist threat and the desperate need to revive the U.S. economy have taken the defense industry for a […] -
A Blueprint for Financial Reconstruction
Government policy and regulation Magazine ArticleAmerica’s banking crisis presents choices both perilous and promising. Perilous, because the failure to act intelligently will lead to the most serious economic collapse since the Great Depression. As much as 25% of the U.S. banking system—representing assets of more than $750 billion—has begun to post such massive loan losses that it must focus on […] -
Will She Fit In? (HBR Case Study)
Leadership & Managing People Magazine ArticleSusan Carter, a partner at a prestigious strategy consulting firm, is caught in a dilemma she never expected: her firm's most important client has made... -
Don’t Assume the Shoe Fits
Corporate social responsibility Magazine ArticleMost businesspeople will serve on the board of a nonprofit organization at some point. But the governance of nonprofits can differ dramatically from the governance of businesses. Even the best intentions can prove disastrous when new board members fail to understand that their traditional business experience can carry them only so far. -
Get Your Money's Worth from Consultants
Leadership & Managing People 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,... -
The Mismanagement of Advertising
Marketing Magazine ArticleCompanies are spending more money than ever on advertising. So why are the results so disappointing? -
The Staying Power of the Public Corporation
Finance and investing Magazine ArticleReports of the “eclipse of the public corporation” underestimate its institutional staying power and unique capacity for renewal. In his recent HBR article, Michael C. Jensen, a distinguished scholar of corporate finance and governance, argues for a revolution in the structure of ownership and control in the U.S. economy.1 I share many of his criticisms […] -
Are You Undervaluing Your Customers?
Customer experience SpotlightIt’s time to start measuring and managing their worth. -
WPP's CEO on Turning a Portfolio of Companies Into a Growth Machine
Leadership & Managing People Magazine ArticleIn 1985 WPP was a small, publicly traded company, worth about $1.3 million. It manufactured shopping carts and other wire and plastic products. Today... -
In Praise of Uncertainty
Technology & Operations Magazine ArticleThe tech industry has a really good grasp of what works and how its products will be used--and that's killing innovation, says the Berkman Center's Jonathan... -
Who Is Them?
Global strategy Magazine Article“We” are seated at a negotiating table. “They” are seated across from us. The outcome of these talks will shape America’s future competitiveness and economic well-being. But “us” is not necessarily companies based in the United States. “Them” is not foreign nations. Rather, us is the people—most prominently, the work force—of the United States. And […] -
Consultant's Comeuppance (HBR Case Study and Commentary)
Sales & Marketing Magazine ArticleFor ten years, Jeff Patterson's firm, Flynn Fuller Consulting, has worked on projects for financial services giant GloBank. Now Jeff's contact, Bill Holland,... -
Can Nice Guys Finish First? (HBR Case Study and Commentary)
Leadership & Managing People Magazine ArticleAdam Baker is a promising young COO at Straus Event Specialists and the protege of CEO Merwyn Straus, who acquired him along with his failed company,... -
Effective Public Management
Strategic planning Magazine ArticlePolitical scientists, legislators, educators, business executives, lawyers, consumerists—practically everyone, it sometimes seems—is calling for better public management. For businessmen, the need is especially important because they feel surrounded by government institutions with which they are legally required to interact. But enthusiasm for good government is one thing; understanding the nature of it, to say nothing […] -
If Humble People Make the Best Leaders, Why Do We Fall for Charismatic Narcissists?
Leadership & Managing People Digital ArticleHuman beings hunger for superheroes. -
The Social Cost of Bad Online Marketing
Marketing Digital ArticleStop feeding the bears.
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Innovation in Urban Healthcare: Health Kiosks
Leadership & Managing People Case Study8.95View Details Urban Health was emerging new priority in the healthcare sector in India owing to unprecedented migration of people to urban areas and the rapid growth... -
Americhem: The Gaylord Division (A-1)
Leadership & Managing People Case Study6.95View Details The Gaylord Division of Americhem, a large chemical company, is in the midst of the first use of a new zero-base budgeting system. The general manager... -
Tom Tierney at Bain & Co. (B)
Technology & Operations Case Study5.00View Details Supplements the (A) case. -
Analytical Space: The Next Frontier?
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study8.95View Details With one satellite aloft and in the midst of beta testing in late 2018, Analytical Space founders Justin Oliveira and Dan Nevius turned to critical questions... -
Quigley-Simpson & Heppelwhite: The Ad Agency Model in the Age of AI
Management Case Study8.95View Details In October 2022, Quigley-Simpson & Heppelwhite CEO Carl Fremont considers how the advertising agency will integrate artificial intelligence tools into... -
Information Technology and Public Education: The Debate About Computers in Classrooms and the Role of Business Interests
Leadership & Managing People Case Study6.95View Details Provides four separate excerpts from published materials that illuminate the issues involved in the debate surrounding deployment of information technology... -
In-housing Digital Marketing at Sprint Corp.
Sales & Marketing Case Study15.05View Details In the fall of 2019, Sprint's Chief Digital Officer Rob Roy reflected on the telecom's efforts to improve the effectiveness of its digital marketing campaigns.... -
Confronting a Necessary Evil: The Firing of Alex Robins (B), Spanish Version
Organizational Development Case Study5.00View Details A manager recounts his experience firing the person he was asked to replace and reflects on the challenges of the experience. Teaching Purpose: To role-play... -
Amelia Rogers at Tassani Communications (A), Spanish Version
Leadership & Managing People Case Study8.95View Details Describes a conflict that has arisen between an account manager and a creative director at Tassani Communications, a Chicago-based advertising agency... -
Shell: A Company of Opportunity?
Leadership & Managing People Case Study8.95View Details The Opportunity Hub was a cloud-based platform that enabled managers to market projects they were working on and associated resourcing needs as 'Opportunity... -
What Went Wrong with Boeing's 737 Max?
Leadership & Managing People Case Study8.95View Details This case describes the development of the Boeing 737 Max airplane model and the events leading up to two tragic plane crashes, in which a total of 346... -
Ureed.com: The Marketplace for Language
Organizational Development Case Study8.95View Details Jordanian entrepreneur, Nour Al Hassan, founded Tarjama in 2008, tapping into an underserved and high demand need: Arabic translation service. Its lean... -
JCDecaux, 2016: Global Leader ... Again
Strategy & Execution Case Study5.00View Details In 2016, JCDecaux was number one in the world in outdoor advertising. This was a far cry from the situation in 2003; at that time, JCDecaux had been unseated... -
Clarasys: Born agile by taking groups seriously
Organizational Development Case Study8.95View Details In March 2015 London-based management consultancy Clarasys found itself in crisis. Established in 2011, the company had experienced consistent growth... -
Gardenburger Advertising Strategy (B)
Sales & Marketing Case Study5.00View Details In 1997, Lyle Hubbard, CEO of Gardenburger, a producer and marketer of veggie burgers and meat alternative products, had called together his executive... -
Glassdoor: The Fundraising Journey (B)
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study5.00View Details From his time as a young engineer at Microsoft in 1993, to the challenge of building Glassdoor from the ground up until it reached a valuation of over... -
V.Rose (B): Online Growth?
Global Business Case Study5.00View Details In contrast to the decision on business expansion in Case A, Case B focuses on the company's decision to narrow its business scope. Changing government... -
Building a Scalable Business with Small-Holder Farmers in Kenya: Honey Care's Beekeeping Model
Strategy & Execution Case Study8.95View Details Madison Ayer, Honey Care Africa (HCA) CEO, is looking to scale the business to generate more benefits for Kenyan small-holder farmers. He is seeking a... -
Personnel Problems
Organizational Development Case Study8.95View Details The CEO of an investment management firm must decide what to do about inappropriate actions by two different employees. While both employees are strong... -
Ellen Moore (B): Living and Working in Korea
Leadership & Managing People Case Study5.00View Details This case is a supplement to Ellen Moore (A): Living and Working in Korea, which ends with Ellen Moore working on one of the largest consulting projects...
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Stop Trying to Delight Your Customers
Customer experience Magazine ArticleTo really win their loyalty, forget the bells and whistles and just solve their problems. -
Career Crush: Is Consulting the Right Career for You?
Career planning Career CrushNo, it’s not all about PowerPoints. -
What Professional Service Firms Must Do to Thrive
Organizational Development Magazine ArticleDuring economic slowdowns, consulting, law, and accounting firms often start offering services and taking on clients they really shouldn't, just to keep... -
High-Performance Marketing: An Interview with Nike's Phil Knight
Leadership & Managing People Magazine ArticleBehind Nike's catchy slogans and flashy TV commercials is the vision of founder, chairman, and CEO Phil Knight. Knight has taken Nike from a small-time... -
How E-Commerce Will Trump Brand Management
Marketing Magazine ArticleThe Internet promises to give marketing the same boost in productivity that new operational strategies have given to manufacturing. -
Innovation in Urban Healthcare: Health Kiosks
Leadership & Managing People Case Study8.95View Details Urban Health was emerging new priority in the healthcare sector in India owing to unprecedented migration of people to urban areas and the rapid growth... -
Americhem: The Gaylord Division (A-1)
Leadership & Managing People Case Study6.95View Details The Gaylord Division of Americhem, a large chemical company, is in the midst of the first use of a new zero-base budgeting system. The general manager... -
Tom Tierney at Bain & Co. (B)
Technology & Operations Case Study5.00View Details Supplements the (A) case. -
Analytical Space: The Next Frontier?
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Case Study8.95View Details With one satellite aloft and in the midst of beta testing in late 2018, Analytical Space founders Justin Oliveira and Dan Nevius turned to critical questions... -
Quigley-Simpson & Heppelwhite: The Ad Agency Model in the Age of AI
Management Case Study8.95View Details In October 2022, Quigley-Simpson & Heppelwhite CEO Carl Fremont considers how the advertising agency will integrate artificial intelligence tools into...