Robert G. Eccles first joined the faculty in 1979 and received tenure in 1989. He left in 1993 to work in the private sector and rejoined the faculty in 2007. Right after receiving tenure, Professor Eccles started doing research on corporate reporting, a topic which remains of great interest to him from a research, managerial practice, and public policy perspective. He has written three books on this subject, The ValueReporting Revolution: Moving Beyond the Earnings Game (with Robert H. Herz, E. Mary Keegan and David M. H. Phillips), Building Public Trust: The Future of Corporate Reporting (with Samuel A. DiPiazza Jr.), and One Report: Integrated Reporting for a Sustainable Strategy (with Michael P. Krzus), which is the first book on this subject. One Report was the winner of the 2010 PROSE award in the category of Business, Finance, & Management. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the International Integrated Reporting Committee (http://www.integratedreporting.org/) and the Chairman of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) www.sasb.org. Dr. Eccles is the co-founder, with Professor George Serafeim of Harvard Business School, of the Innovating for Sustainability social movement (https://www.facebook.com/innovatingforsustainability).
Professor Eccles continues his active research program on integrated reporting. Within the past few years a new trend has begun for “integrated reporting” in which a company combines its financial and non-financial reports into “One Report” with varying degrees of integration. Examples of companies practicing integrated reporting in the United States are Southwest Airlines, American Electric Power, and United Technologies Corporation. Examples of companies in other countries include Philips in the Netherlands, BASF in Germany, Novo Nordisk in Denmark and Natura in Brazil. Of course, One Report doesn’t mean only One Report since the Internet can also be used to provide more detailed information and analytical tools of particular interest to different stakeholder groups. Importantly, integrated reporting is about more than a company’s external communications. It also involves leveraging the Internet to improve dialogue and engagement with all stakeholders.
In collaboration with Professor George Serafeim, Dr. Eccles teaches the MBA elective field course “Innovating for Sustainability” as well as the executive education program of the same name and the new executive education program “Building Client Management Capabilities in Professional Service Firms.” “Innovating for Sustainability” is focused on innovations in processes, products, and business models by both corporations and investors in order to improve both financial and sustainability (defined in terms of environmental, social, and governance issues) performance. Eccles and Serafeim also teach a doctoral seminar called “The Role of the Corporation in Society.” Together they have a broad and multimethod research program on how companies can create more sustainable strategies that contribute to a more sustainable society.
In collaboration with Professor Das Narayandas of Harvard Business School Dr. Eccles is also working on a book about professional service firms with the working title of Building Capabilities: Ensuring Long-Term Success in a Professional Service Firm. The key idea is that professional service firms need to balance short-term capacity utilization with long-term capability building. The latter is done at the individual and organizational level by properly managing the talent market and the client market in an integrated way.
In 2011, Dr. Eccles was selected as one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior - 2012 for his extensive, positive contribution to building trust in business.
Dr. Eccles received an S.B. in Mathematics and an S.B. in Humanities and Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1973) and an A.M. (1975) and Ph.D. in Sociology (1979) from Harvard University.
Featured Work
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Summit TV, South Africa
Bob Eccles and George Serafeim Harvard Business School on their investigation into the King Code of Governance and how it has impacted the way corporates do business in South Africa.
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Integrated Reporting: Supporting Sustainable Strategies for a Sustainable Society
 One Report - Integrated Reporting for a Sustainable Society
Robert G. Eccles & Michael P. Krzus
Integrated reporting begins with a single document, One Report, combining an organization’s financial and nonfinancial (environmental, social and governance) performance and illuminating the relationship between the two. But it also extends beyond a paper document, utilizing the Internet to facilitate the integration of performance reporting, as well as provide detailed information of particular interest to different stakeholders. It is about listening as much as talking - a conversation with all stakeholders about their expectations of the company's commitments and the performance metrics that ensure sustainability in economic, environmental, social and governance terms.
To learn more about integrated reporting, please visit the Web site of the International Integrated Reporting Committee at http://www.integratedreporting.org
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Excellence in Integrated Reporting Awards 2012
The Inaugural Excellence in Integrated Reporting Awards (EIA) took place on 5 September in Johannesburg. The guest speakers were Professors Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim of Harvard Business School. The EIA recognized the top 100 South African companies successfully integrating critical financial and non-financial performance measures into their reporting.
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Harvard Business School professor Robert G. Eccles and Grant Thornton partner Michael Krzus discuss the growing trend of integrated reporting worldwide and how their book ONE REPORT will help companies succeed in the transition to this new transparency.
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Global Reporting Initiative 2010: Justmeans' Martin Smith Interviews Robert Eccles,Senior Lecturer of Business Administration,Harvard and co-Author of "One Report"
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Harvard Business School professor Robert Eccles comments on a recent video interview with Gro Harlem Brundtland, a U.N. Special Envoy on Climate Change.
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Harvard Business School professor Robert Eccles comments on a recent video interview with Peter Brabeck, the Chairman of Nestle.
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Every major company is grappling with the meaning and application of sustainability in relation to its geographic location, industry and business model. Similarly, more and more institutional investors are incorporating sustainability into their resource allocation decision making process. As a result, we are seeing the emergence of a new view of the role of the corporation in society, one that simultaneously meets shareholders' and other stakeholders' objectives. This new model is only beginning to emerge, but some of its outlines are already clear such as a longer-term time horizon, more holistic performance measurement and reporting, more active corporate governance, and greater engagement with shareholders and other stakeholders.
Achieving sustainability - for corporations, investors, analysts, information intermediaries, and other forms of organisations - often requires innovations in processes, products, and business models in order to optimise both financial and nonfinancial (e.g., environmental, social, and governance [ESG]) outcomes. Innovation is a critical element, because in the absence of it managers often need to make trade-offs between financial and ESG goals. Therefore, innovation is the mechanism that allows companies to extend the performance frontier.
Publications
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Book
| 2010
The Landscape of Integrated Reporting
Robert G. Eccles, Beiting Cheng and Daniela Saltzman
Keywords: Integration;
Reports;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Beiting Cheng, and Daniela Saltzman, eds. The Landscape of Integrated Reporting. Boston: Harvard Business School, 2010. (Ebook, © by the Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College.)
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Book
| 2010
One Report: Integrated Reporting for a Sustainable Strategy
Robert G. Eccles and Michael Krzus
"One Report" refers to an emerging trend in business taking place throughout the world where companies are going beyond separate reports for financial and nonfinancial (e.g., corporate social responsibility or sustainability) results and integrating both into a single integrated report. At the same time, they are also leveraging the Internet to provide more detailed results to all of their stakeholders and for improving their level of dialogue and engagement with them. Providing best practice examples from companies around the world, One Report shows how integrated reporting adds tremendous value to the company and all of its stakeholders, including shareholders, and also ultimately contributes to a sustainable society. Filled with case studies and the most current trends on integrated reporting, this book is an invaluable guidebook on the future of reporting and how this future can lead to a sustainable society.
Keywords: Integration;
Reports;
Strategy;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Michael Krzus. One Report: Integrated Reporting for a Sustainable Strategy. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. (Winner of PROSE Award for Excellence in Business, Finance & Management "For Professional and Scholarly Excellence" presented by Association of American Publishers.)
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Book
| 2002
Building Public Trust: The Future of Corporate Reporting
Robert G. Eccles and Samuel A. DiPiazza, Jr.
Keywords: Trust;
Reports;
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Book
| 2001
The ValueReporting Revolution: Moving Beyond the Earnings Game
Robert G. Eccles, Robert H. Herz, E. Mary Keegan and David M.H. Phillips
Keywords: Value;
Reports;
Business Earnings;
Games, Gaming, and Gambling;
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Book
| 1994
Building the Information-Age Organization: Structure, Control, and Information Technologies
J. I. Cash Jr., R. G. Eccles, N. Nohria and R. Nolan
Keywords: Organizational Structure;
Information Technology;
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Book
| 1992
Networks and Organizations: Structure, Form, and Action
N. Nohria and Robert G. Eccles
Keywords: Networks;
Organizations;
Organizational Structure;
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Book
| 1992
Beyond the Hype: Rediscovering the Essence of Management
R. G. Eccles, N. Nohria and J. D. Berkley
Keywords: Management;
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Book
| 1988
Doing Deals: Investment Banks at Work
Robert G. Eccles and Dwight B. Crane
Keywords: Negotiation Deal;
Investment Banking;
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Book
| 1985
The Transfer Pricing Problem: A Theory for Practice
Robert G. Eccles
Keywords: Price;
Change;
Problems and Challenges;
Theory;
Practice;
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Book
| 1983
Managing Behavior in Organizations
Leonard A. Schlesinger, Robert G. Eccles and John J. Gabarro
Keywords: Behavior;
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Manual
| 1983
Instructor's Manual to Accompany Managing Behavior in Organizations: Text, Cases, Readings
Phyllis F. Schlesinger, Leonard A. Schlesinger, Robert G. Eccles and John J. Gabarro
Keywords: Management;
Behavior;
Organizations;
Information;
Cases;
Books;
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Article
| Journal of Applied Corporate Finance
|
The Need for Sector-Specific Materiality and Sustainability Reporting Standards
Robert G. Eccles, Michael P. Krzus, Jean Rogers and George Serafeim
Even though the supply of sustainability information has increased considerably in the last decade, companies are still failing to disclose material information in a comparable format. We believe this has two downsides. On the one hand, companies are not adequately managing important business issues. On the other hand, risks to investors' portfolios, such as exposure to climate change, remain hidden. If this disclosure void continues to exist, the competitiveness of U.S. companies and its capital market will be at risk. While not a panacea, we believe that developing sector-specific guidelines on what sustainability issues are material to that sector and the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for reporting on them would significantly improve the ability of companies to report on their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance.
Keywords: sustainability;
reporting;
accounting;
standard setting;
regulation;
Environmental Sustainability;
Accounting;
Standards;
Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Corporate Disclosure;
Competitive Advantage;
Capital Markets;
Accounting Industry;
United States;
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Article
| MIT Sloan Management Review
|
How to Become a Sustainable Company
Robert G. Eccles, Kathleen Miller Perkins and George Serafeim
Using field and survey data we identify the characteristics of sustainable companies, and we develop a two-stage model that can help companies develop a culture of innovation, trust, and the ability for transformational change.
Keywords: sustainability;
innovation;
trust;
leadership;
Leadership;
Environmental Sustainability;
Organizational Culture;
Innovation and Invention;
Trust;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
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Article
| Bloomberg.com
|
Top 1,000 Companies Wield Power Reserved for Nations
Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim
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Article
| Bloomberg.com
|
Companies and Investors Should See More of Each Other
Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim
Company executives and institutional asset managers are increasingly working sustainability into their strategy and operations. Similarly, institutional asset managers are doing the same in constructing their portfolios. Yet both groups are doing this relatively independently of each other. These two groups should and will be seeing more of each other as sustainability matures.
Keywords: sustainability;
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Article
| Journal of Applied Corporate Finance
|
Sustainability at Dow Chemical
Robert G. Eccles, Kathleen M. Perkins and Mark Weick
Dow Chemical Company, which was founded in 1894, is now the second-largest chemical company in the world. From the outset, the company has been committed to high-technology research and commercial innovation in chemistry, advanced materials, and agro-sciences. But if Dow's long history of innovation is impressive, the greatest change in the past few years has been the company's use of innovation to reinforce its commitment to sustainability. In 1996, the company produced its first set of 10-year sustainability-related goals. In an effort to meet such goals, the company invested a total of $1 billion in environmentally beneficial products such as new seeds and traits in Dow's AgroSciences business, solar shingles, and advanced battery technologies. Along with the social benefit of higher crop yields and reduced carbon emissions, the company's return on this investment has been estimated at $5 billion. The company was even more ambitious when setting its next set of 10-year goals in 2006. In this statement, Dow's leadership aimed to create a culture that saw sustainability as a business opportunity from the perspective of a "triple bottom line"—a performance evaluation scheme focused on "people, planet, and profit" that construes success in terms of social benefits, environmental stewardship, and economic prosperity. Dow is now starting the process of developing its third set of 10-year goals, with the aim of producing a plan that will ensure the viability of the company 50 years from now. With this end in mind, Dow's leaders understand their obligation to continue investing in the health and well-being of their employees, their communities, and the environment while still creating value for their shareholders.
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Kathleen M. Perkins, and Mark Weick. " Sustainability at Dow Chemical." Journal of Applied Corporate Finance 24, no. 2 (Spring 2012): 38–44.
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Article
| Ethical Corporation
|
Is There an Optimal Degree of Sustainability?
Robert G. Eccles, Ioannis Ioannou and George Serafeim
Corporate sustainability is not a one size fits all concept. A successful strategy balances all business pressures.
Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Strategy;
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Article
| Guardian
|
Is Sustainability Now the Key to Corporate Success?
Robert G. Eccles, Ioannis Ioannou and George Serafeim
Keywords: Success;
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Article
| European Business Review
|
Creating a Sustainable Society through Integrated Reporting Delivered via Cloud Computing
Kyle Armbrester and Robert G. Eccles
Keywords: Integration;
Reports;
Technology;
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Article
| TrustLaw
|
The Role of The Board in Creating a Sustainable Strategy
Robert G. Eccles, Ioannis Ioannou and George Serafeim
While conceptually elegant, the belief that a corporation's role is to maximize value for shareholders is under increasing challenge as society's expectations for companies change. An equally elegant new concept that takes account of these dual pressures has yet to emerge, but terms such as "corporate social responsibility," "shared value," "theory," and "sustainability" are being heard more and more. The high-level rhetorical gloss that good performance on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) dimensions results in good financial performance and value creation for shareholders is too simplistic. Sometimes this is indeed the case but often these decisions require tradeoffs, at least in the short-term. Moreover, these decisions involve great uncertainty due to the lack of information and an understanding of costs and benefits. We argue that it is now essential for companies to have a deliberate process for making the tough decisions that involve short- and long-term tradeoffs involving shareholders and other stakeholders and that it is the responsibility of the board of directors to ensure that this process exists, and it is effective.
Keywords: Value Creation;
Business and Stakeholder Relations;
Corporate Strategy;
Business and Shareholder Relations;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Performance Expectations;
Governing and Advisory Boards;
Management Practices and Processes;
Decisions;
Risk and Uncertainty;
Cost vs Benefits;
Information;
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Article
| Director Notes (The Conference Board)
|
The Role of the Board in Accelerating the Adoption of Integrated Reporting
Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim
This report examines the concept of integrated reporting and its current state of adoption around the globe. It also discusses the benefits to both companies and society and recommends ways boards can help their organizations accelerate the implementation of integrated reporting.
Keywords: Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Cost vs Benefits;
Governing and Advisory Boards;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Adoption;
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Article
| Journal of Applied Corporate Finance
|
Market Interest in Nonfinancial Information
R. G. Eccles, Michael P. Krzus and George Serafeim
Market interest in nonfinancial (e.g., Environmental, Social, and Governance [ESG]) information, including data produced by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), is growing. Using data from Bloomberg we analyze this interest from a variety of different perspectives, and in doing so are able to provide a level of granularity about market interest in nonfinancial information that has not yet been provided.
Keywords: Markets;
Data and Data Sets;
Perspective;
Environmental Sustainability;
Social Issues;
Corporate Disclosure;
Projects;
Interests;
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Article
| Stanford Social Innovation Review
|
Achieving Sustainability Through Integrated Reporting
Robert G. Eccles and Daniela Saltzman
Keywords: Integration;
Reports;
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Article
| HBS Working Knowledge
|
Leading and Lagging Countries in Contributing to a Sustainable Society
Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim
To determine the extent to which corporate and investor behavior is changing to contribute to a more sustainable society, researchers Robert Eccles and George Serafeim analyzed data involving over 2,000 companies in 23 countries. One result: a ranking of countries based on the degree to which their companies integrate environmental and social discussions and metrics in their financial disclosures.
Keywords: Change;
Society;
Corporate Disclosure;
Natural Environment;
Rank and Position;
Social Issues;
Financial Statements;
Behavior;
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Article
| CorporateRegister.com
|
Integrated Reporting: A Source of Competitive Advantage
Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim
Keywords: Reports;
Integration;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and George Serafeim. "Integrated Reporting: A Source of Competitive Advantage." CorporateRegister.com (March–April 2011).
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Column
| Economist: The Ideas Economy
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Learning from Sustainable Community Experiments
Amy Edmondson, Tiona Zuzul and Robert Eccles
Keywords: Learning;
Civil Society or Community;
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Article
| IESE Insight
|
Two Disruptive Ideas Combined: Integrated Reporting in the Cloud
Robert G. Eccles and Kyle Armbrester
Keywords: Disruption;
Integration;
Reports;
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Journal Article
| Échos (Paris)
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Concilier business et intérêt général: un défi pour les entreprises
Robert Eccles and Patrick d'Humieres
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Article
| World Federation of Exchanges, News & Views
|
Integrated Reports Voluntary Filing
Robert G. Eccles and Mervyn King
Keywords: Reports;
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Article
| Huffington Post, The Blog
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Going Green in Annual Reports
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Michael P. Krzus
Keywords: Environmental Sustainability;
Reports;
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Column
| IESE Insight
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One Report: Are You Ready?
Robert G. Eccles
Keywords: Reports;
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Article
| Responsible Investor
|
The Quest for the 'Holy Grail' of Integrated Financial and CSR Reporting
Robert Eccles and Michael Krzus
Keywords: Finance;
Integration;
Reports;
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Editorial
| Ethical Corporation
|
The Future of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting: Integration
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Michael P. Krzus
Keywords: Integration;
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Article
| Legal Week
|
The Capital Question
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Jay W. Lorsch
Keywords: Capital;
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Article
| Harvard Business Review
|
Reduce the Risk of Failed Financial Judgments
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Edward J. Riedl
When crucial financial estimates rely on judgment, companies can minimize their risk by turning to appraisers, actuaries, and evaluators, whether internal, external, or a combination.
Keywords: Financial Statements;
Judgments;
Financial Management;
Risk Management;
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Article
| Harvard Interactive Media Review
|
The Metaverse as a Business Platform
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Jonathan Reichental
Keywords: Business Ventures;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Jonathan Reichental. "The Metaverse as a Business Platform." Harvard Interactive Media Review 1, no. 1 (spring 2007): 14–17.
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Article
| Harvard Business Review
|
Here Comes XBRL
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Liv A. Watson and Mike Willis
Keywords: Online Technology;
Information;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., Liv A. Watson, and Mike Willis. " Here Comes XBRL." Harvard Business Review 85, no. 2 (February 2007): 33–34.
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Article
| Harvard Business Review
|
Reputation and Its Risks
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Scott C. Newquist and Roland Schatz
Keywords: Reputation;
Risk and Uncertainty;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., Scott C. Newquist, and Roland Schatz. " Reputation and Its Risks." Harvard Business Review 85, no. 2 (February 2007): 104–114.
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Article
| SENSEX
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Reputational Risk
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Scott C. Newquist
Keywords: Reputation;
Risk and Uncertainty;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Scott C. Newquist. "Reputational Risk." SENSEX 1, no. 4 (2007).
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Article
| Cartesis Whitepaper
|
New Format and Technology Drives Enhanced Business Reporting
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Liv A. Watson and James A. Fisher
Keywords: Technology;
Reports;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., Liv A. Watson, and James A. Fisher. "New Format and Technology Drives Enhanced Business Reporting." Cartesis Whitepaper (December 2006).
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Article
| Long Range Planning
|
Reputation and Transparency: Lessons from a Painful Period in Public Disclosure
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Robert M. Grant and Cees B.M. van Riel
Keywords: Reputation;
Learning;
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Article
| Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance: Issues and Practice
|
Media Reputation of the Insurance IndustryAn Urgent Call for Strategic Communication Management
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Matthias Vollbracht
Keywords: Media;
Reputation;
Insurance;
Strategy;
Communication;
Management;
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Article
| Media-Tenor
|
The Relevance of Reputational Risk
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Reputation;
Risk and Uncertainty;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr. "The Relevance of Reputational Risk." Quartal. Media-Tenor (2006).
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Article
| Funds Europe
|
How About a Little Help from Investors?
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Investment;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr. "How About a Little Help from Investors?" Funds Europe Supplement (April 2003): 24–25.
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Article
| Financial Times
|
Repairing Broken Relationships
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Relationships;
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Journal Article
| Investor Relations Quarterly
|
Optimal Transparency
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Ellen H. Masterson
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Ellen H. Masterson. "Optimal Transparency." Investor Relations Quarterly 6, no. 1 (2003): 10–20.
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Journal Article
| Nasdaq: The Magazine for International Investment
|
3D Reporter
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr. "3D Reporter." Nasdaq: The Magazine for International Investment, no. 37 (July 2002): 14–15.
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Article
| Nasdaq: The Magazine for International Investment
|
Solving the Corporate Information Puzzle
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Information;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr. "Solving the Corporate Information Puzzle." Nasdaq: The Magazine for International Investment, no. 35 (April 2002): 56–57.
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Article
| Harvard Business Review
|
Are You Paying Too Much for That Acquisition?
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Kersten Lia Lanes and Thomas C. Wilson
Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions;
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Article
| PW Review
|
In Pursuit of the Upside: The New Opportunity in Risk Management
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Lee Puschaver
Keywords: Opportunities;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Lee Puschaver. "In Pursuit of the Upside: The New Opportunity in Risk Management." PW Review (December 1996).
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Article
| MIT Sloan Management Review
|
Improving the Corporate Disclosure Process
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Sarah Clay Mavrinac
Keywords: Corporate Disclosure;
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Article
| Directors & Boards
|
Boards Need Better Information
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Governance;
Information;
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Article
| Accounting Today
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Gauging Business Success on More Than Money
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Success;
Money;
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Article
| MIT Sloan Management Review
|
Opinion: Consulting- Has the Solution Become Part of the Problem?
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Ellen C. Shapiro and Trina L. Soske
Keywords: Problems and Challenges;
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Article
| MIT Sloan Management Review
|
Information Politics
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Thomas H. Davenport and Laurence Prusak
Keywords: Information;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., Thomas H. Davenport, and Laurence Prusak. " Information Politics." MIT Sloan Management Review 34, no. 1 (fall 1992): 53–65.
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Article
| Management Accounting
|
Creating A Comprehensive Performance Measurement System
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Philip J. Pyburn
Keywords: Performance;
Measurement and Metrics;
System;
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Article
| Harvard Business Review
|
The Performance Measurement Manifesto
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Performance;
Measurement and Metrics;
Information;
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Article
| Annual Review of Sociology
|
Price, Authority, and Trust: From Ideal Types to Plural Forms
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Price;
Trust;
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Article
| American Journal of Sociology
|
Price and Authority in Inter-Profit Center Transactions
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Harrison C. White
Keywords: Price;
Profit;
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Journal Article
| Institutional Investor
|
Walking the Tightrope
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Dwight B. Crane
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Dwight B. Crane. " Walking the Tightrope." Global Capital Markets Forum. Institutional Investor (June 1988): 16–17.
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Article
| International Financing Review
|
Management Dilemmas in Securities Firms
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Dwight B. Crane
Keywords: Problems and Challenges;
Management;
Business Ventures;
Financial Instruments;
Financial Services Industry;
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Article
| Sociological Forum
|
Control via Concentration?: Political and Business Evidence
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Harrison C. White
Keywords: Government and Politics;
Business Ventures;
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Article
| Journal of Cost Management for the Manufacturing Industry
|
Analyzing Your Company's Transfer Pricing Practices
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Price;
Practice;
Business Ventures;
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Article
| Harvard Business Review
|
Control with Fairness in Transfer Pricing
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Fairness;
Price;
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Article
| Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization
|
The Quasifirm in the Construction Industry
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Construction Industry;
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Article
| Administrative Science Quarterly
|
Bureaucratic versus Craft Administration: The Relationship of Market Structure to the Construction Firm
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Relationships;
Markets;
Business Ventures;
Construction Industry;
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Chapter
| CSR Report 2013
| 2013
Luxembourg: A Sustainable Society Starts Here
Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim
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Chapter
| Constructing Green: Sustainability and the Places We Inhabit
| 2013
Beyond Platinum: Making the Case for Titanium Buildings
J Herron, Amy C. Edmondson and Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Buildings are the nation's greatest energy consumers. Forty percent of all our energy is used for heating, cooling, lighting, and powering machines and devices in buildings. And despite decades of investment in green construction technologies, residential and commercial buildings remain stubbornly energy inefficient. This book looks beyond the technological and material aspects of green construction to examine the cultural, social, and organizational shift that sustainable building requires, examining the fundamental challenge to centuries-long traditions in design and construction that green building represents.
The contributors consider the changes associated with green building through a sociological and organizational lens. They discuss shifts in professional expertise created by new social concerns about green building, including evolving boundaries of professional jurisdictions; changing industry strategies and structures, including the roles of ownership, supply firms, and market niches; new operational, organizational, and cultural arrangements, including the mainstreaming of environmental concerns; narratives and frames that influence the perception of green building; and future directions for the theory and practice of sustainable construction. The essays offer uniquely multidisciplinary insights into the transformative potential of green building and the obstacles that must be overcome to make it the norm.
Citation: Herron, J., Amy C. Edmondson, and Robert G. Eccles Jr. "Beyond Platinum: Making the Case for Titanium Buildings." Chap. 6 in Constructing Green: Sustainability and the Places We Inhabit, edited by Andrew Hoffman. MIT Press, forthcoming.
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Chapter
| Making Investment Grade: The Future of Corporate Reporting
| 2012
Capturing the Link between Non-financial and Financial Performance in One Space
Robert G. Eccles, Jess Schulschenk and George Serafeim
Keywords: integrated reporting;
sustainability;
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Chapter
| CSR Index
| 2011
Accelerating the Adoption of Integrated Reporting
Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim
This chapter describes the concept of integrated reporting, provides a brief history of its development, reviews the current state of practice, presents a strategy for institutional change that will accelerate the adoption of integrated reporting in order to meet the five-year objective, and concludes with a call to the reader to do whatever he or she can to speed the adoption of integrated reporting.
Keywords: Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Business History;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Practice;
Adoption;
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Chapter
| Infrastructure Sustainability and Design
| 2012
Sustainable Cities: Oxymoron or the Shape of the Future?
Robert G. Eccles, Annissa Alusi, Amy C. Edmondson and Tiona Zuzul
Two trends are likely to define the 21st century: threats to the sustainability of the natural environment and dramatic increases in urbanization. This paper reviews the goals, business models, and partnerships involved in eight early "ecocity" projects to begin to identify success factors in this emerging industry. Ecocities, for the most part, are viewed as a means of mitigating threats to the natural environment while creating urban living capacity by combining low carbon and resource-efficient development with the use of information and communication technologies to better manage complex urban systems.
Keywords: Environmental Sustainability;
City;
Urban Development;
Infrastructure;
Housing;
Urban Scope;
Business Ventures;
Business Model;
Green Technology Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Annissa Alusi, Amy C. Edmondson, and Tiona Zuzul. "Sustainable Cities: Oxymoron or the Shape of the Future?" Chap. 18 in Infrastructure Sustainability and Design, edited by Spiro Pollalis, Andreas Georgoulias, Stephen Ramos, and Daniel Schodek, 247–265. New York: Routledge, 2012.
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Chapter
| Effective Auditing for Corporates: Key Developments in Practice and Procedures
| 2012
Integrated Reporting Requires Integrated Assurance
Robert G. Eccles, Michael P. Krzus and Liv A. Watson
In the wake of the recent financial crisis, increasing the effectiveness of auditing has weighed heavily on the minds of those responsible for governance. When a business is profitable and paying healthy dividends to its stockholders, fraudulent activities and accounting irregularities can go unnoticed. However, when revenue and cash flow decline, internal costs and operations may be scrutinized more diligently, and discrepancies can emerge as a result. Effective Auditing for Corporates provides you with proactive advice to help you safeguard core value within a corporation and to ensure that auditing processes and key personnel meet the expectations of management, compliance, and stockholders alike. Aimed primarily at auditors (both external and internal), risk managers, accountants, CFOs, and consultants, Effective Auditing for Corporates covers the following: 1) compliance and the corporate audit, 2) fraud detection, 3) risk-based auditing, 4) the development of Sarbanes-Oxley, 5) cultural changes in external auditing, and 6) auditing management information systems.
Keywords: Financial Crisis;
Accounting Audits;
Governance Compliance;
Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Management Systems;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Michael P. Krzus, and Liv A. Watson. "Integrated Reporting Requires Integrated Assurance." In Effective Auditing for Corporates: Key Developments in Practice and Procedures, edited by Joe Oringel, 161–178. London: Bloomsbury Information Ltd., 2012.
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Chapter
| Kapitalmarkt in Theorie und Praxis
| 2010
Taking Sustainability Seriously: The Time Has Come for Integrated Reporting
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Michael P. Krzus
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Michael P. Krzus. "Taking Sustainability Seriously: The Time Has Come for Integrated Reporting." Chap. 9 in Kapitalmarkt in Theorie und Praxis, edited by Fritz H. Rau, and Peter Merk, 437–443. Deutsche Vereinigung für Finanzanalyse und Asset-Management (DVFA), 2010, German ed.
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Chapter
| Governance, Risk and Compliance Handbook
| 2008
How XBRL Will Dramatically Improve Reporting and Control Processes
Robert G. Eccles, Liv Watson and Mike Willis
Keywords: Financial Reporting;
Governance Controls;
Management Practices and Processes;
Standards;
Performance Improvement;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Liv Watson, and Mike Willis. "How XBRL Will Dramatically Improve Reporting and Control Processes." Chap. 25 in Governance, Risk and Compliance Handbook, edited by Anthony Tarantino, 353–365. John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
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Chapter
| Globalization, Technology, and Competition: The Fusion of Computers and Telecommunications in the 1990s
| 1993
Framework for Design of the Emerging Global Organization Structure
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Richard Nolan
Keywords: Globalized Firms and Management;
Organizational Design;
Organizational Structure;
Framework;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Richard Nolan. "Framework for Design of the Emerging Global Organization Structure." In Globalization, Technology, and Competition: The Fusion of Computers and Telecommunications in the 1990s, edited by S. P. Bradley, J. A. Hausman, and R. L. Nolan. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1993, Korean ed.
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Chapter
| Networks and Organizations: Structure, Form and Action
| 1992
Face-to-Face: Making Network Organizations Work
N. Nohria and R. G. Eccles
Keywords: Organizational Structure;
Networks;
Citation: Nohria, N., and R. G. Eccles. "Face-to-Face: Making Network Organizations Work." In Networks and Organizations: Structure, Form and Action, edited by N. Nohria, and R. C. Eccles. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1992.
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Chapter
| Principals and Agents: The Structure of Business
| 1991
Transfer Pricing as a Problem of Agency
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Price;
Agency Theory;
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Dictionary Entry
| The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economic Theory and Doctrine
| 1987
Producers' Market
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Harrison C. White
Keywords: Supply and Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Harrison C. White. "Producers' Market." In The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economic Theory and Doctrine, edited by John Eatwell, Murray Milgate, and Peter Newman, 984–986. London: Macmillan Press, 1987.
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Chapter
| Approaches to Social Theory
| 1986
Firm and Market Interfaces of Profit Center Control
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Harrison C. White
Keywords: Profit;
Markets;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Harrison C. White. "Firm and Market Interfaces of Profit Center Control." In Approaches to Social Theory, edited by Siegwart Lindenberg, James S. Coleman, and Stefan Nowak, 203–227. Russell Sage Foundation, 1986.
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Working Paper
| HBS Working Paper Series
| 2012
Pay for Environmental Performance: The Effect of Incentive Provision on Carbon Emissions
Robert G. Eccles, Ioannis Ioannou, Shelley Xin Li and George Serafeim
Corporations are increasingly under pressure to improve their environmental performance and to account for potential risks and opportunities associated with climate change. In this paper, we examine the effectiveness of monetary and nonmonetary incentives provided by companies to their employees in order to reduce carbon emissions. Specifically, we find evidence that the use of monetary incentives is associated with higher carbon emissions. This result holds both in cross-sectional and time-series analysis. Moreover, we find that the use of nonmonetary incentives is associated with lower carbon emissions. Consistent with monetary incentives crowding out motivation for pro-social behavior, we find that the effect of monetary incentives on carbon emissions is mitigated when these incentives are provided to employees with formally assigned responsibility for environmental performance. Furthermore, by employing a two-stage multinomial logistic model, we provide insights into factors affecting companies' decisions on incentive provision, as well as showing that the impact of monetary incentives on carbon emissions remains significant even when we control for potential selection bias in our sample.
Keywords: Motivation and Incentives;
Environmental Sustainability;
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Working Paper
| HBS Working Paper Series
| 2011
The Impact of a Corporate Culture of Sustainability on Corporate Behavior and Performance
Robert G. Eccles, Ioannis Ioannou and George Serafeim
We investigate the effect of a corporate culture of sustainability on multiple facets of corporate behavior and performance outcomes. Using a matched sample of 180 companies, we find that corporations that voluntarily adopted environmental and social policies by 1993—termed as High Sustainability companies—exhibit fundamentally different characteristics from a matched sample of firms that adopted almost none of these policies—termed as Low Sustainability companies. In particular, we find that the boards of directors of these companies are more likely to be responsible for sustainability and top executive incentives are more likely to be a function of sustainability metrics. Moreover, they are more likely to have organized procedures for stakeholder engagement, to be more long-term oriented, and to exhibit more measurement and disclosure of nonfinancial information. Finally, we provide evidence that High Sustainability companies significantly outperform their counterparts over the long-term, both in terms of stock market and accounting performance. The outperformance is stronger in sectors where the customers are individual consumers, companies compete on the basis of brands and reputation, and in sectors where companies' products significantly depend upon extracting large amounts of natural resources.
Keywords: Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Corporate Disclosure;
Policy;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Organizational Culture;
Performance Effectiveness;
Business and Stakeholder Relations;
Environmental Sustainability;
Social Issues;
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Working Paper
| HBS Working Paper Series
| 2010
Sustainable Cities: Oxymoron or the Shape of the Future?
Annissa Alusi, Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson and Tiona Zuzul
Two trends are likely to define the 21st century: threats to the sustainability of the natural environment and dramatic increases in urbanization. This paper reviews the goals, business models, and partnerships involved in eight early "ecocity" projects to begin to identify success factors in this emerging industry. Ecocities, for the most part, are viewed as a means of mitigating threats to the natural environment while creating urban living capacity, by combining low carbon and resource-efficient development with the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to better manage complex urban systems.
Keywords: Communication Technology;
Investment;
City;
Infrastructure;
Business and Government Relations;
Environmental Sustainability;
Urban Development;
Information Technology;
Green Technology Industry;
Real Estate Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
Innovation at the Boston Consulting Group
Robert G. Eccles, Das Narayandas and Penelope Rossano
This case is about how the Boston Consulting Group has approached innovation from its founding to the present day. It discusses the role of the firm's talent market and client market in developing these innovations.
Keywords: innovation;
strategy consulting;
professional service firm;
knowledge management;
client management;
product development;
leadership;
Customer Focus and Relationships;
Customer Value and Value Chain;
Independent Innovation and Invention;
Innovation and Management;
Innovation Leadership;
Innovation Strategy;
Value Creation;
Consulting Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Das Narayandas, and Penelope Rossano. "Innovation at the Boston Consulting Group." Harvard Business School Case 313-137, May 2013.
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
Natura Cosméticos, S.A. (TN)
Georgios Serafeim, Robert G. Eccles and Sydney Ribot
Citation: Serafeim, Georgios, Robert G. Eccles, and Sydney Ribot. " Natura Cosméticos, S.A. (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 113-103, February 2013.
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
(Revised from original 2013 version)
CalSTRS and Relational Challenge Occidental's Governance (C)
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Sarah E. Farrell
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
(Revised from original 2013 version)
CalSTRS and Relational Challenge Occidental's Governance (B)
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Sarah E. Farrell
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
(Revised from original 2013 version)
CalSTRS and Relational Challenge Occidental's Governance (A)
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Sarah E. Farrell
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
CLP: Powering Asia
George Serafeim, Robert G. Eccles and Dawn Lau
Citation: Serafeim, George, Robert G. Eccles, and Dawn Lau. " CLP: Powering Asia." Harvard Business School Case 113-099, January 2013.
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
Buro Happold (B)
Robert G. Eccles and Penelope Rossano
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Penelope Rossano. " Buro Happold (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 413-102, January 2013.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
(Revised from original 2013 version)
Developing the Materiality Matrix at Telefónica
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Asun Cano-Escoriaza
Telefónica, one of the largest telecommunication companies in the world and headquartered in Spain, has been issuing a corporate sustainability report since 2002. In its 2011 Sustainability report, the company included a "materiality matrix," and was one of only five of the 97 companies in Spain that produced a sustainability report that year. The case describes the purpose of the materiality matrix, how it was developed, and the opportunities the company sees for improving it.
Keywords: sustainability;
sustainability reporting;
sustainable strategy;
CSR;
corporate social responsibility;
Communication Technology;
Environmental Accounting;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Environmental Sustainability;
Telecommunications Industry;
Spain;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Integrated Reporting in South Africa
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Pippa Armbrester
This case presents a 20-year history of the evolution of corporate governance and corporate reporting in South Africa starting in 1992 with a focus on the three King codes of corporate governance (King I in 1994, King II in 2000, and King III in 2009). From a reporting perspective these reforms culminated in the "apply to explain why not" mandate for integrated reporting by all companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
Keywords: integrated reporting;
sustainability reporting;
stock exchanges;
South Africa;
corporate governance;
corporate reporting;
regulation;
nonfinancial performance;
History;
Corporate Disclosure;
Markets;
Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Performance;
Corporate Governance;
South Africa;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., George Serafeim, and Pippa Armbrester. " Integrated Reporting in South Africa." Harvard Business School Case 413-038, November 2012. (Revised from original September 2012 version.)
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Technical Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
A Note on the International Integrated Reporting Council: Towards An International Framework
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim, Pippa Armbrester and Jess Schulschenk
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., George Serafeim, Pippa Armbrester, and Jess Schulschenk. "A Note on the International Integrated Reporting Council: Towards An International Framework ." Harvard Business School Technical Note 413-072, November 2012.
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Foxconn Technology Group (A) and (B) (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Addleshaw Goddard LLP (Abridged)
Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson and James Weber
Addleshaw-Goddard (AG), the 15th largest law firm in the UK, is seeking ways to serve larger clients on more important legal matters. Part of this strategy involves its "Client Development Centre (CDC)," an innovative idea and set of services launched by Dr. Jim Hever who holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership Development. The mission of the CDC is to improve the capabilities of clients' in-house legal departments by making them better partners with the business units and improving their leadership skills. The CDC has adopted an innovative pricing structure. Rather than charging direct fees for these consulting services, it proposed to the client that it contract with the firm for five times this amount in legal fees that might otherwise have gone to another law firm. It is in this way, AG hopes to increase its position with its larger clients. AG has also developed a very systematic program for identifying and serving its key clients, developed in collaboration with Cranfield School of Management. It is these clients that will be the focus of the efforts for the CDC. In addition, the firm has co-developed a training program with Cranfield to improve the skills of its own partners. The case explores whether these initiatives will lead to a long-term competitive advantage. The firm believes what really will produce competitive advantage is its "Me-To-You Mindset" initiative that encourages partners to look at the world through their clients' eyes. At the end of the case Hever is reflecting on a proposal he submitted for providing CDC services to one of the largest UK companies. The general counsel wants to pay for these services in cash should he decide to accept the proposal, rather than hiring AG for more legal work. Hever is wondering if this is a good way to take advantage of recent reforms allowing law firms to provide other professional services, like consulting, or if this is "off-strategy" for the mission of the CDC.
Keywords: Price;
Innovation and Invention;
Service Operations;
Partners and Partnerships;
Competitive Advantage;
Diversification;
Legal Services Industry;
United Kingdom;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Amy C. Edmondson, and James Weber. " Addleshaw Goddard LLP (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 413-064, December 2012. (Revised from original September 2012 version.)
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Teaching Plan
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
Living PlanIT (TP)
Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson, John Macomber and Ryan Johnson
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Amy C. Edmondson, John Macomber, and Ryan Johnson. " Living PlanIT (TP)." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 413-039, August 2012.
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Shanghai Diligence Law Firm (B)
Robert G. Eccles and Catherine Zhang
Shanghai Diligence Law Firm continued with its approach to grow through a merger, rather than organically, and was eventually merged into a bigger law firm in China. After the merger, a refined A-B-C-D model is still in use as compensation system, although the challenge remains as for how to enhance both willingness and capabilities of associates to improve team performance at the firm.
Keywords: professional service firms;
compensation;
law firms;
motivating professionals;
client management;
developing professionals;
entrepreneurship;
China;
Mergers and Acquisitions;
Employee Relationship Management;
Compensation and Benefits;
Groups and Teams;
Legal Services Industry;
China;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Catherine Zhang. " Shanghai Diligence Law Firm (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 413-027, March 2013. (Revised from original July 2012 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Development Co., Ltd.
Robert G. Eccles, Catherine Zhang, Cheng-hua Tzeng, Liang Cheng and Penelope Rossano
This case is about the establishment, growth, and direction of the Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park ("Zhangjiang Park"), which is located in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai. Considered to be one of the most competitive hi-tech industry clusters in China, the combined business strategy of Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Development Co., Ltd. ("Zhangjiang Hi-Tech"), a key operator of Zhangjiang Park, included real estate development, hi-tech investment, and integrated services. As of the time of the case, members of the Board of Directors of Zhangjiang Hi-Tech were faced with open questions such as how Zhangjiang Park would be able to maintain its sustainable competitiveness in comparison with other hi-tech and industrial parks in China. Board members were also concerned with how Zhangjiang Hi-Tech would be able to meet the needs of both capital market and regional development.
Keywords: Industry Clusters;
Technology;
Capital Markets;
Urban Development;
Buildings and Facilities;
Competition;
Business Strategy;
Governing and Advisory Boards;
Technology Industry;
Real Estate Industry;
Shanghai;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
Buro Happold (Abridged)
Robert G. Eccles and Ryan Johnson
In 1996, Ted Happold, the founder of the engineering services firm Buro Happold, passed away, and Padraic Kelly became the firm's new managing director (MD). One of his first initiatives was "Aim for Growth," which was intended to help the firm grow beyond its current size, wherein it was constrained by a structure of having each of the firm's founding partners responsible for a group of 25 to 30 engineers. This initiative was very successful, but the firm then found itself with a lack of leadership skills at all levels of the organization to manage a company of a much larger size, growing by a factor of 10 over 10 years. The lack of leadership skills was recognized by clients who gave the firm feedback on this. In response, Buro Happold developed its first formal internal training programs under the name of "Archimedes Academy." The first two programs were (1) the Job Leader Program, targeted for senior engineers and designed to help them be more effective in working with clients and (2) the Project Leader Program, targeted for project leaders and designed to help them develop the "softer" management skills to complement their technical ones. A distinctive aspect of Archimedes Academy is that these first programs were developed and delivered by the cohorts who first attended them. Rather than partner with a university to develop an accredited program, the firm decided it would be better off developing the program itself, with the help of an outside consultant who had done something similar at his previous employer, in order to make sure the programs were specific enough to Buro Happold's needs and relevant to the firm's culture. The first two programs were a big success, and the firm expanded the training offerings under the Archimedes banner. The case ends with a client, a Middle Eastern city authority, asking Buro Happold Consulting, a new unit created by Padraid Kelly after stepping down as MD in 2006, asking the firm to develop a training program for them. This request raises the question of whether this internal training capability should become the basis of an external service offering.
Keywords: learning and development;
training;
entrepreneurship;
managing growth;
organizational design;
diversification;
client management;
leadership skills;
Entrepreneurship;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Leadership Development;
Management Skills;
Training;
Programs;
Customer Relationship Management;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Ryan Johnson. " Buro Happold (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 412-123, June 2012.
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
Rebranding at Oliver Wyman Group (TN)
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Penelope Rossano
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
GoodGuide
George Serafeim, Robert G. Eccles and Tiffany A. Clay
GoodGuide, a high-technology start-up company, founded by University of California Professor at Berkley Dara O'Rourke is at a critical junction. The venture capital funded company has yet to find the business model to monetize a very promising product that provides consumers and manufacturers with information about the sustainability of a product.
Keywords: Entrepreneurship;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Strategic Planning;
Venture Capital;
Goods and Commodities;
Business Model;
Technology;
Knowledge;
Education Industry;
California;
Citation: Serafeim, George, Robert G. Eccles, and Tiffany A. Clay. " GoodGuide." Harvard Business School Case 112-031, May 2012. (Revised from original September 2011 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
Aviva Investors
George Serafeim, Robert G. Eccles and Kyle Armbrester
The case describes Aviva Investors' engagement strategy with companies and stock exchanges to improve its sustainability performance and the flow of sustainability related information to markets. Aviva Investors, a GBP 259 billion fund, is the investment arm of the large British insurance company, Aviva plc. Aviva Investors is committed to sustainability under the leadership of its CEO, Paul Abberley, and head of sustainability research and engagement, Steve Waygood. The case describes Aviva Investors' policies on materiality, engagement, and its corporate responsibility voting policy. It then explores how the company is implementing these policies in the case of a particular company, the FTSE 100 diversified mining company Vendanta, and the Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative under the sponsorship of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment.
Keywords: Investment;
Business and Shareholder Relations;
Environmental Sustainability;
United Kingdom;
Citation: Serafeim, George, Robert G. Eccles, and Kyle Armbrester. " Aviva Investors." Harvard Business School Case 112-047, August 2012. (Revised from original December 2011 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
Allied Electronics Corporation Ltd: Linking Compensation to Sustainability Metrics
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim, Shelley Xin Li and Alan Knight
Keywords: Measurement and Metrics;
Electronics Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Tough Decisions at Marks and Spencer
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Kyle Armbrester
Keywords: Decision Making;
Retail Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., George Serafeim, and Kyle Armbrester. " Tough Decisions at Marks and Spencer." Harvard Business School Case 112-062, April 2012. (Revised from original January 2012 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Intel: Exploring Market Opportunities in Water
Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson, George Serafeim and Sarah E. Farrell
Keywords: Markets;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
InterfaceRAISE: Sustainability Consulting
Michael W. Toffel, Robert G. Eccles and Casey Taylor
InterfaceRAISE is a sustainability management consulting firm created to leverage the capabilities of its parent company Interface Inc., a carpet manufacturer recognized as a global leader in corporate environmental sustainability. This case illustrates the challenges of turning an internal capability into a client‐facing revenue stream. This is made especially difficult by the fact that the parent company is a manufacturing firm and InterfaceRAISE is a professional service firm (consulting). InterfaceRAISE is not being staffed by a traditional consulting firm model, relying instead on the part‐time availability of employees in the parent company. At the time of the case, InterfaceRAISE was grappling to identify the appropriate business model for the type of consulting firm it wants to be, to determine what its client portfolio should look like, and to set its pricing structure. InterfaceRAISE needed to decide how to accelerate its growth while better achieving its three objectives: improving its clients' sustainability performance, enhancing its parent company's brand image and sales, and increasing operating profits.
Keywords: Problems and Challenges;
Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Entrepreneurship;
Performance;
Environmental Accounting;
Profit;
Marketing Strategy;
Human Resources;
Business Model;
Leveraged Buyouts;
Salesforce Management;
Consulting Industry;
Manufacturing Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
Hassina Sherjan
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Pippa Eccles
Hassina Sherjan was born in Afghanistan but grew up and was educated in the United States. A trip to Afghanistan when she was an adult inspired her to move back to her home country with two missions. The first was to educate young women through a non-profit organization she started called Aid Afghanistan for Education and a for-profit company, Boumi, that manufactures and distributes products for the home such as curtains, cushion covers, tea cozies, coasters, bedclothes, and bathroom accessories. The mission of Boumi is to create jobs in Afghanistan, especially for women, based on traditional Afghani designs and using only locally grown cotton. Sherjan wants to grow Boumi so that it can be a substantial, if not major, funding source for Aid Afghanistan for Education. In order to grow Boumi, Sherjan must confront a number of challenges including funding, finding and managing skilled workers, and getting distribution for Boumi products in major markets such as Europe and the United States.
Keywords: Environmental Accounting;
Non-Governmental Organizations;
Nonprofit Organizations;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Social Entrepreneurship;
Leadership;
Innovation Leadership;
Development Economics;
Growth and Development;
Problems and Challenges;
Retail Industry;
Afghanistan;
United States;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., George Serafeim, and Pippa Eccles. " Hassina Sherjan." Harvard Business School Case 112-029, March 2012. (Revised from original September 2011 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2013
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Dow Chemical: Innovating for Sustainability
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Shelley Xin Li
Dow Chemical is one of the few major American industrial corporations that was founded in the late 19th century that is still in existence. From its origins producing bromine out of the brine underneath Midland, Michigan, the company has evolved from a diversified commodity chemical company to an advanced materials company whose products and services can make its clients more sustainable. During the 1960s and 1970s the company received a series of external shocks in the form of negative public opinion for some of its activities. These challenged the company's perception as being a "good company" and made it realize it needed to more proactively seek outside perspectives on how the company was viewed and what it should do. This led to the formation of the Corporate Environmental Advisory Council in 1992 which was renamed the Sustainability External Advisory Council (SEAC) in 2008. With substantial input from the SEAC, the company set two ambitious sets of ten-year goals: 1996-2005 and 2006-2015 and was largely successful in meeting them or on the way to doing so. In 2011, Neil Hawkins, Vice President of Sustainability and EH&S (Environmental, Health and Safety) is trying to decide what the content and format of the next ten-year goals should be to ensure the company's viability on its 200th birthday. Should they be incremental goals like the ones for 2005 or ambitious stretch targets like the ones for 2015? Or should they be broad statements of principles that encourage innovating for sustainability throughout the company? A further challenge facing the company is that it was rapidly globalizing with a large portion of its workforce outside its Midland, Michigan headquarters, making it even more difficult to preserve a common culture and commitment to sustainability.
Keywords: Innovation Strategy;
Environmental Sustainability;
Chemical Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
KKR: Leveraging Sustainability
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Tiffany A. Clay
The case describes KKR's Green Portfolio Program, one of the firm's environmental initiatives, which has achieved $160 million in cost savings. While pleased with its progress in achieving greater energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, the firm is looking for other ways to expand its sustainability initiatives, such as in its supply chain and incorporating sustainability into its due diligence and deal making processes.
Keywords: Private Equity;
Investment Portfolio;
Energy Conservation;
Cost Management;
Supply Chain Management;
Risk Management;
Social Enterprise;
Growth and Development;
Performance Efficiency;
Financial Services Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., George Serafeim, and Tiffany A. Clay. " KKR: Leveraging Sustainability." Harvard Business School Case 112-032, March 2012. (Revised from original September 2011 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2012
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Exeter Group, Inc. (A)
Robert G. Eccles, Das Narayandas and Kerry Herman
Jonathan Kutchins and Mark Cullen, managing partners of IT consulting firm Exeter Group, Inc., are considering four potential client engagements. Three of them involve prominent universities, an area of market strength for the firm, and one involves a top-tier strategy consulting firm, a new market for Exeter. Each of the projects has both attractive and unattractive attributes, with various degrees of upside and downside risk. As a relatively new and small IT consulting firm, Exeter needs to make careful choices about how it allocates resources to projects, and it is not clear if the firm has the capacity to add all four projects at once. Thus Kutchins and Cullen have to decide which, if any, of these projects to do. In some cases they must also decide whether they want to try to restructure the nature of the engagement to better fit the firm's service model. Although young and small, the firm has grown successfully and is optimistic about its future prospects. Kutchins and Cullen thus want to make decisions about these very specific client engagements in the context of their overall strategy and the contributions of these engagements in helping the firm achieve its long-term goals.
Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions;
Resource Allocation;
Market Entry and Exit;
Service Operations;
Performance Capacity;
Business Strategy;
Information Technology;
Consulting Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Das Narayandas, and Kerry Herman. " Exeter Group, Inc. (A)." Harvard Business School Case 409-001, February 2012. (Revised from original February 2009 version.)
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Background Note
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2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
A Note on Water
Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson, George Serafeim and Sarah E. Farrell
This note provides background on the complex issues regarding the supply and consumption of water and how this natural resource is at increasing risk, resulting in significant economic, political and environmental issues.
Keywords: Economics;
Government and Politics;
Demand and Consumers;
Supply and Industry;
Risk and Uncertainty;
Natural Environment;
Pollution and Pollutants;
Environmental Sustainability;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Amy C. Edmondson, George Serafeim, and Sarah E. Farrell. " A Note on Water." Harvard Business School Background Note 412-050, February 2012. (Revised from original August 2011 version.)
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Case
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2013
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Integrated Assurance at Philips Electronics N.V.
Robert G. Eccles and Daniela Saltzman
Philips Electronics is a leader in integrated reporting. In 2010 it produced its third generation report. Since its first report in 2008, Philips' integrated reports and its integrated reporting website had grown in sophistication. In planning for its integrated report for 2011, the company is exploring the issues that will need to be addressed in order to produce an integrated report. KPMG is the company's auditor for both the financial and nonfinancial information contained in the integrated report, but these are covered by separate assurance opinions. Among the challenges of providing an integrated audit is getting the internal measurement and control systems for nonfinancial information to be of the same quality as for financial information. A further challenge is that the cultures of the finance function and those who work in sustainability are very different.
Keywords: Accounting Audits;
Reports;
Organizational Culture;
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Case
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2013
(Revised from original 2011 version)
Natura Cosméticos, S.A.
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and James Heffernan
Rodolfo Guttilla, Director of Corporate Affairs for Natura Cosméticos S.A. (Natura), prepared for a meeting with key stakeholders to discuss the future of integrated reporting at Natura. A cosmetics company with a strong brand, robust growth in international and domestic markets, and premium price and margins, Natura was consistently rated as one of the preferred places to work in Brazil. Its focus on social and environmental responsibility was a source of innovation; strong employee motivation contributed to the company's superior productivity and market share gain in Brazil's cosmetics, fragrances, and toiletries (CF&T) industry. By 2009, Natura's direct sales business model generated income for over 1 million people in Brazil and Latin America. Natura was the first organization in Brazil to produce an integrated report. Senior leadership was convinced that Natura's success over the years had been aided by its corporate responsibility and strategy to continuously seek improvements in both financial and nonfinancial (e.g., environmental, social, and governance) performance. As he prepared for the meeting, Guttilla considered the future of integrated reporting for Natura. What should the future of integrated reporting be like at Natura? How could the organization increase society's participation in the collaborative effort to develop new solutions to today's most challenging problems? How could the report provide a clearer representation of the organization's strategy and its ability to create and sustain value over the long term? And finally, how could web-based technologies be used to promote the organization's integrated reporting and sustainable development objectives?
Keywords: Beauty and Cosmetics Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., George Serafeim, and James Heffernan. " Natura Cosméticos, S.A." Harvard Business School Case 412-052, April 2013. (Revised from original November 2011 version.)
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Case
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2013
(Revised from original 2012 version)
Chevron: A Stranded Asset?
George Serafeim, Robert G. Eccles and Phillip Andrews
Oil giant, Chevron, faced numerous challenges on environmental, social and governance (ESG) grounds in the first decade of the 21st century, including some major lawsuits and actions by NGOs. The case describes those challenges and raises questions about what is the optimal response on the part of the company in order to ensure future growth and profitability, and how those challenges are going to affect the future competitiveness of not only Chevron but of the whole oil and gas sector.
Keywords: Energy Industry;
Citation: Serafeim, George, Robert G. Eccles, and Phillip Andrews. " Chevron: A Stranded Asset?" Harvard Business School Case 112-065, January 2013. (Revised from original February 2012 version.)
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Case
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2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
Caesars Entertainment: CodeGreen
George Serafeim, Robert G. Eccles and Tiffany A. Clay
The case describes the development of Caesar's sustainability initiative program, the effect of the initiative on employee engagement and motivation, and on customer satisfaction.
Keywords: Customer Satisfaction;
Employees;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Environmental Sustainability;
Motivation and Incentives;
Accommodations Industry;
Entertainment and Recreation Industry;
Citation: Serafeim, George, Robert G. Eccles, and Tiffany A. Clay. " Caesars Entertainment: CodeGreen." Harvard Business School Case 111-115, August 2012. (Revised from original March 2011 version.)
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Case
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2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
Foxconn Technology Group (A)
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Beiting Cheng
The case describes the challenges that Foxconn faced after a series of suicides took place at its plants. The response of Foxconn's management is presented and the associated implications for Foxconn's stock price are discussed.
Keywords: Employee Relationship Management;
Leadership;
Stocks;
Social Issues;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Capital Markets;
Supply Chain Management;
Environmental Accounting;
Human Capital;
Human Resources;
Electronics Industry;
Manufacturing Industry;
China;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., George Serafeim, and Beiting Cheng. " Foxconn Technology Group (A)." Harvard Business School Case 112-002, February 2012. (Revised from original July 2011 version.)
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Supplement
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2012
(Revised from original 2011 version)
Foxconn Technology Group (B)
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Beiting Cheng
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., George Serafeim, and Beiting Cheng. " Foxconn Technology Group (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 112-058, February 2012. (Revised from original November 2011 version.)
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Case
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2013
(Revised from original 2011 version)
Novo Nordisk: A Commitment to Sustainability
Robert G. Eccles and Michael P. Krzus
The case describes the early commitment of a European pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk, to integrated reporting. Novo Nordisk is one of the pioneers of integrated reporting and it emerged out of its commitment to a "Triple Bottom Line approach to managing the company." The case describes the company's "Blueprint for Change Programme" designed to facilitate stakeholder engagement and communicate how the company delivered value to business and society. The case also provides an investor perspective on the company's integrated reporting efforts and its plans for how to improve it in the future.
Keywords: Strategic Planning;
Business Ventures;
Business or Company Management;
Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Business Strategy;
Pharmaceutical Industry;
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Case
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2011
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Weber Shandwick: The Client Relationship Leader Program
Robert G. Eccles and Kerry Herman
In 2002 Weber Shandwick, a leading global public relations agency, instituted a Client Relationship Leader (CRL) Program for its top 32 global accounts. The purpose of the program is to ensure that all of the firm's resources across geographies, practice areas, and specialty areas are coordinated and effectively delivered to Weber Shandwick's most important clients. Each of these clients is assigned a "Client Relationship Leader" and the case discusses the skills and abilities that are needed to be successful in this role in a very complex multidimensional organizational structure. There are two basic types of CRLs: hunters whose job is growing accounts with a lot of potential and farmers whose job is to maintain strong and broad-based relationships. CRLs must walk a fine line between being close to the client, even considered part of their team, and not being too close by "going native" and ignoring their responsibilities as Weber Shandwick employees. Unlike office managers, who are measured based on the bottom line, CRLs are measured on top-line growth. Another objective of the CRL program is to enable Weber Shandwick to differentiate itself in a highly competitive environment where it is very difficult for PR firms and their holding-company media conglomerate parents to do so. The public relations industry in the broadest sense has undergone a tremendous amount of consolidation through acquisitions over the past 20 years. It is also being challenged to adapt to new technologies like blogging and social networking, which both change and enhance existing service offerings. Another way that Weber Shandwick is adapting to new technologies is through an Internet-based platform called WeberWorks (3.0) that fosters communication and collaboration between the firm and the client and within the client team.
Keywords: Blogs;
Competency and Skills;
Customer Relationship Management;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Organizational Design;
Social and Collaborative Networks;
Competitive Advantage;
Public Relations Industry;
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Case
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2011
(Revised from original 2010 version)
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson, Marco Iansiti and Akiko Kanno
Ricoh, the Japanese copier manufacturer, is committed to reducing its environmental impact to one-eighth of its 2000 levels by 2050. It has already introduced three stages of environmental awareness to its operations, and its recycled copier business broke even in 2006. The company developed environmental accounting methods and produces annual environmental and sustainability reports, but Ricoh is concerned that investors may not take these efforts into account.
Keywords: Environmental Accounting;
Financial Reporting;
Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Investment;
Operations;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Environmental Sustainability;
Electronics Industry;
Manufacturing Industry;
Japan;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Amy C. Edmondson, Marco Iansiti, and Akiko Kanno. " Ricoh Company, Ltd." Harvard Business School Case 610-053, December 2011. (Revised from original February 2010 version.)
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Case
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2011
(Revised from original 2010 version)
Southwest Airlines One ReportTM
Robert G. Eccles, Beiting Cheng and Susan Thyne
In 2009, Southwest Airlines produced its first integrated annual report, the Southwest Airlines One Report, combing financial and nonfinancial performance information. This case examines Southwest's environmental and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports produced in the two years preceding 2009 and follows the company's decision to transition to a new reporting format. Preparing for the 2010 report, the Southwest reporting team contemplates how to improve the One Report. The case also allows for debate on the future of integrated reporting, including its impact on internal management processes, integrated audits, and mandated nonfinancial reporting.
Keywords: Environmental Accounting;
Financial Reporting;
Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Innovation and Invention;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Environmental Sustainability;
Air Transportation Industry;
United States;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Beiting Cheng, and Susan Thyne. " Southwest Airlines One ReportTM." Harvard Business School Case 411-042, December 2011. (Revised from original September 2010 version.)
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Background Note
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2011
An Aging Society
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim, Mayuka Yamazaki and Akiko Kanno
Keywords: Society;
Age Characteristics;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., George Serafeim, Mayuka Yamazaki, and Akiko Kanno. "An Aging Society." Harvard Business School Background Note 112-074, December 2011.
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Teaching Note
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2011
InterfaceRAISE: Sustainability Consulting (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Michael W. Toffel
Keywords: Consulting Industry;
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Teaching Note
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2011
One Firm One Future at Davis Langdon (TN) (A), (B), and (C)
Robert G. Eccles, Erin McFee and Penelope Rossano
Keywords: Corporate Strategy;
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Supplement
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2011
Exeter Group, Inc. (B)
Robert G. Eccles, Das Narayandas and Kerry Herman
This case presents a brief description of the decisions the company made regarding whether or not to pursue each of the four projects that are the basis of the (A) case.
Keywords: Customers;
Decision Choices and Conditions;
Projects;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Das Narayandas, and Kerry Herman. " Exeter Group, Inc. (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 412-035, September 2011.
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Background Note
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2011
(Revised from original 2010 version)
A Chronology of Integrated Reporting
Robert G. Eccles and Michael P. Krzus
This technical note traces the development of integrated reporting through published materials, research, and the formation of various committees. Readers will gain an understanding of how the topics of nonfinancial information, sustainable development, corporate disclosure, and integrated reporting, among others, overlap.
Keywords: Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Corporate Disclosure;
Product Development;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Environmental Sustainability;
Social Issues;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Michael P. Krzus. " A Chronology of Integrated Reporting." Harvard Business School Background Note 411-049, August 2011. (Revised from original September 2010 version.)
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Teaching Note
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2011
Exeter Group, Inc. (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Penelope Rossano
Teaching Note for 409001.
Keywords: Markets;
Projects;
Resource Allocation;
Corporate Strategy;
Goals and Objectives;
Performance Capacity;
Service Delivery;
Information Technology Industry;
Consulting Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Penelope Rossano. " Exeter Group, Inc. (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 412-024, August 2011.
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Teaching Note
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2011
Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Erin McFee
Teaching Note for 408-066.
Keywords: Investment;
Information Technology;
Opportunities;
Internet;
Business Model;
Risk and Uncertainty;
Employment Industry;
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Teaching Note
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2011
Shanghai Diligence Law Firm (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Penelope Rossano
Teaching Note for 409065.
Keywords: Problems and Challenges;
Opportunities;
Brands and Branding;
Competitive Strategy;
Innovation and Invention;
Compensation and Benefits;
System;
Talent and Talent Management;
Legal Services Industry;
Shanghai;
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Teaching Note
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2011
Miles Everson at PricewaterhouseCoopers (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Penelope Rossano
Teaching Note for 410062.
Keywords: Partners and Partnerships;
Employees;
Financial Institutions;
Opportunities;
Networks;
Managerial Roles;
Experience and Expertise;
Attitudes;
Leadership;
Service Industry;
United States;
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2011
Weber Shandwick: The Client Relationship Leader Program (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Penelope Rossano
Teaching Note for 408077.
Keywords: Service Delivery;
Organizational Structure;
Groups and Teams;
Employees;
Growth and Development;
Situation or Environment;
Consolidation;
Acquisition;
Technology Platform;
Blogs;
Social and Collaborative Networks;
Internet;
Public Relations Industry;
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Teaching Note
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2011
Mistry Architects (TN) (A), (B), and (C)
Robert G. Eccles and Penelope Rossano
Teaching Note for 609044, 609064, and 609086.
Keywords: Construction Industry;
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Teaching Note
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2011
Addleshaw Goddard LLP (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Penelope Rossano
Teaching Note for 409056.
Keywords: Innovation and Invention;
Corporate Strategy;
Leadership Development;
Business Units;
Price;
Contracts;
Training;
Competency and Skills;
Partners and Partnerships;
Competitive Advantage;
Mission and Purpose;
Legal Services Industry;
United Kingdom;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Penelope Rossano. " Addleshaw Goddard LLP (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 412-026, July 2011.
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Teaching Note
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2011
Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc. (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Erin McFee
Teaching Note for 408067.
Keywords: Management Practices and Processes;
Organizational Culture;
Leadership;
Employment Industry;
Service Industry;
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Teaching Note
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2011
Accenture's War for Talent in India (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Erin McFee
Teaching Note for 408095.
Keywords: Globalized Firms and Management;
Recruitment;
Consulting Industry;
Service Industry;
India;
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Teaching Note
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2011
a-connect: In Search of Talent Partners (TN) (A) and (B)
Robert G. Eccles and Penelope Rossano
Teaching Note for 409036 and 411085.
Keywords: Revenue;
Business Offices;
Attorney and Client Relationships;
Customer Focus and Relationships;
Initial Public Offering;
Organizations;
Change;
Consulting Industry;
Boston;
Hong Kong;
Singapore;
San Francisco;
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Teaching Note
| HBS Case Collection
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2011
Buro Happold (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Erin McFee
Teaching Note for 409021.
Keywords: Leadership Development;
Training;
Organizational Culture;
Service Operations;
Performance Effectiveness;
Management Skills;
Service Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Erin McFee. " Buro Happold (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 412-015, July 2011.
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Teaching Note
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2011
The Credit Suisse/Gerson Lehrman Group Alliance (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Penelope Rossano
Teaching Note for 409046.
Keywords: Competition;
Equity;
Alliances;
Competitive Advantage;
Leadership;
Research;
Business Model;
Quality;
Revenue;
Contracts;
Financial Markets;
Consulting Industry;
Service Industry;
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Case
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2013
(Revised from original 2011 version)
Mandatory Environmental, Social, and Governance Disclosure in the European Union
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Phillip Andrews
In 2011, the European Commission was deciding on how to best modify the existing European Union policy on corporate disclosure of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) information. Previous directives had recommended that European companies report ESG information, but now the EC was deciding if organizations should be required to disclose nonfinancial information. The EC had to determine what types of organizations would be required to disclose, which international framework would serve as a standard reporting guideline, and if ESG disclosure would be integrated with financial material in one annual report. This case outlines the history and trends of corporate social responsibility reporting to encourage a discussion around the decision points and implications of reporting regulations.
Keywords: Integrated Corporate Reporting;
Corporate Strategy;
Corporate Disclosure;
Environmental Accounting;
Competitive Strategy;
International Accounting;
Financial Reporting;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms;
Debates;
Europe;
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Case
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2011
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Cognizant Technology Solutions
Robert G. Eccles, David Lane and Prabakar 'PK' Kothandaraman
In the highly competitive information technology outsourcing industry, Cognizant Technology Solutions has developed a strategy to differentiate itself by emphasizing building very close client relationships through its "Two-in-a-box" (TIB) model. This model is based on having two people share complete responsibility for the client. In the U.S. or Europe, the "on site" person, along with his or her relationship management team, is responsible for understanding the client's needs, obtaining projects and properly scoping out the work. The "offshore" person in India or elsewhere, along with his or her delivery team, is responsible for completing the project in a high-quality and timely way. The same top- and bottom-line metrics are used to evaluate the performance of both the on-site and offshore managers. This strategy (as opposed to ones based on things like low cost and innovation used by Cognizant's competitors) is intended to build deep and strong client relationships that will maximize Cognizant's "share of wallet." One interesting aspect of TIB is Cognizant Business Consulting, a 1,700-person group which advises clients in the context of helping them develop IT solutions for their business challenges. More recently, and as the next evolution of the TIB model, Cognizant is developing what it calls "Cognizant 2.0" or C2. C2 is a delivery platform based on Web 2.0 technology that enables Cognizant to subdivide work into tasks that can be allocated wherever in the world the best resources within Cognizant exist based on cost, expertise and availability while at the same time maintaining collaboration and integration to ensure timely and high-quality delivery.
Keywords: Customer Relationship Management;
Knowledge Sharing;
Resource Allocation;
Competitive Advantage;
Information Technology;
Information Technology Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., David Lane, and Prabakar 'PK' Kothandaraman. " Cognizant Technology Solutions." Harvard Business School Case 408-099, May 2011. (Revised from original January 2008 version.)
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Background Note
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2011
(Revised from original 2008 version)
A Note on Compensation Research
Robert G. Eccles, Boris Groysberg and Ann Cullen
This note provides guidelines to consider and reviews the sources available for compensation research. Having an understanding of the “outside option,” that is effectively the average salary being offered for a position in a specific type of firm is an important component of conducting analysis for compensation decisions. The information in this note will help in locating the information necessary for this type of analysis.
Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions;
Compensation and Benefits;
Jobs and Positions;
Research;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Boris Groysberg, and Ann Cullen. " A Note on Compensation Research." Harvard Business School Background Note 408-114, May 2011. (Revised from original February 2008 version.)
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Case
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2011
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Accenture's War for Talent in India
Robert G. Eccles, David Lane, Namrata Arora and Prabakar 'PK' Kothandaraman
Keywords: Human Resources;
Recruitment;
India;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., David Lane, Namrata Arora, and Prabakar 'PK' Kothandaraman. " Accenture's War for Talent in India." Harvard Business School Case 408-095, May 2011. (Revised from original March 2008 version.)
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Case
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2011
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Addleshaw-Goddard LLP
Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson and James Weber
Addleshaw-Goddard (AG), the 15th largest law firm in the U.K., is seeking ways to serve larger clients on more important legal matters. Part of this strategy involves its "Client Development Centre (CDC)," an innovative idea and set of services launched by Dr. Jim Hever who holds a Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership Development. The mission of the CDC is to improve the capabilities of clients' in-house legal departments, such as by making them better partners with the business units and improving their leadership skills. The CDC has adopted an innovative pricing structure. Rather than charging direct fees for these consulting services, it proposed to the client that it contract with the firm for five times this amount in legal fees that might otherwise have gone to another law firm. It is in this way that AG hopes to increase its position in its larger clients. AG has also developed a very systematic program for identifying and serving its key clients, developed in collaboration with Cranfield School of Management. It is these clients that will be the focus of the efforts for the CDC. In addition, the firm has co-developed a training program with Cranfield to improve the skills of its own partners. The case explores whether these initiatives will lead to a long-term competitive advantage. The firm believes what really will produce competitive advantage is its "Me-To-You-Mindset" initiative that encourages partners to look at the world through their clients' eyes. At the end of the case Hever is reflecting on a proposal he submitted for providing CDC services to one of the largest U.K. companies. The general counsel wants to pay for these services in cash should he decide to accept the proposal, rather than hiring AG for more legal work. Hever is wondering if this is a good way to take advantage of recent reforms allowing law firms to provide other professional services, like consulting, or if this is "off-strategy" for the mission of the CDC.
Keywords: Price;
Innovation and Invention;
Service Operations;
Partners and Partnerships;
Competitive Advantage;
Diversification;
Legal Services Industry;
United Kingdom;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Amy C. Edmondson, and James Weber. " Addleshaw-Goddard LLP." Harvard Business School Case 409-056, May 2011. (Revised from original March 2009 version.)
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Case
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2011
(Revised from original 2009 version)
The Credit Suisse/Gerson Lehrman Group Alliance
Robert G. Eccles and Laura Winig
The equity research department of Credit Suisse and the expert network firm of Gerson Lehrman Group, historically competitors, have established a strategic alliance which both believe will give them a competitive advantage. Under the leadership of its head of equity research, Stefano NateIIa, Credit Suisse has responded to the continuing pressures on the sell-side research function with a focus on making it a revenue center. One pressure on sell-side research is the introduction of alternative business models for providing sell-side research, such as from expert networks like the Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG). GLG has established a network of nearly 200,000 experts who provide advice to institutional investors in a different way, which emphasizes private consultations with these experts about questions of very specific interest to the investor. Natella and Saint-Amand have agreed to a two-year alliance which gives the analysts at Credit Suisse access to the experts in GLG's network, as a way of improving the quality of their research. Credit Suisse can also get additional revenues by placing its analysis in the GLG network, although under some severe constraints. GLG gets additional revenues from its contract with Credit Suisse and from introductions to other potential clients that Credit Suisse will make. It also grows its network from the addition of the analysts at Credit Suisse. The alliance has been announced just before the financial markets began their meltdown in October of 2008, and both Natella and Saint-Amand are wondering what this means for the future of the alliance.
Keywords: Business Model;
Financial Crisis;
Investment Banking;
Innovation and Invention;
Alliances;
Social and Collaborative Networks;
Competitive Advantage;
Banking Industry;
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Supplement
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2013
(Revised from original 2011 version)
a-connect: In Search of Talent Partners (B)
Robert G. Eccles and Penelope Rossano
The a-connect: In Search of Talent Partners (B) case updates company changes since the (A) case. Key updates include leadership and management appointments and organizational changes.
Keywords: Business Model;
Selection and Staffing;
Leadership;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Organizational Structure;
Consulting Industry;
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Case
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2011
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Mistry Architects (A)
Amy C. Edmondson, Robert G. Eccles and Mona Sinha
Describes an architecture firm founded and run by a husband and wife team, Sharukh and Renu Mistry, that emphasizes "green" building. The firm presents an unusual mix of projects-spanning the spectrum from larger corporate projects to small private homes. The mix also includes more profitable work and projects deliberately selected for social good, including the design of orphanage communities for SOS Children's International and other nonprofit organizations. The mix engages teams of young architects in different kinds of learning opportunities and allows them to manage these projects with an unusually high level of independence. The firm's founders are dedicated to being both very client-oriented and environmentally responsible. This can lead to some difficult choices and the case illustrates one example. The firm has been commissioned by SOS to design homes for some villages destroyed in the December 24, 2004 tsunami. The preferred design is thatch roofs which is in keeping with the local environment. However, the villagers want a more functional (and more expensive) reinforced cement concrete roof. Sharukh must decide which of his principles is to dominate in this situation.
Keywords: Family Business;
Customer Focus and Relationships;
Design;
Housing;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Business and Community Relations;
Environmental Sustainability;
Nonprofit Organizations;
Conflict and Resolution;
Citation: Edmondson, Amy C., Robert G. Eccles, and Mona Sinha. " Mistry Architects (A)." Harvard Business School Case 609-044, April 2011. (Revised from original February 2009 version.)
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Supplement
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2011
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Mistry Architects (B)
Amy C. Edmondson, Robert G. Eccles and Mona Sinha
This case is a follow-up of Mistry Architects: Innovating for Sustainability (A) (Case 609-044). In Case (A) Sharukh and Renu Mistry found and run an architectural firm dedicated to being both client-oriented and environmentally responsible. The case uses a difficult design decision in a tsunami rehabilitation project to illustrate the challenges faced by professional services firms, and the role of innovation in meeting the needs of multiple stakeholders. The specific design decision is to make a choice between thatch roofs which are environmentally friendly, versus reinforced cement concrete roofs that the villagers desire for its functionality. Case (B) reveals and explains the firm's choice, while describing how the community rebuilds itself after the tsunami, as well as how the firms evolves.
Keywords: Problems and Challenges;
Emerging Markets;
Business and Stakeholder Relations;
Natural Disasters;
Environmental Sustainability;
Product Design;
Innovation and Invention;
Construction Industry;
Citation: Edmondson, Amy C., Robert G. Eccles, and Mona Sinha. " Mistry Architects (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 609-064, April 2011. (Revised from original February 2009 version.)
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2011
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Mistry Architects (C)
Amy C. Edmondson, Robert G. Eccles and Mona Sinha
This case is a follow-up to "Mistry Architects: Innovating for Sustainability (A)" (Case 609-044) and (B) (Case 609-064). In Case (A) Sharukh and Renu Mistry founded and run an architectural firm dedicated to being both client-oriented and environmentally responsible. The case uses a difficult design decision in a tsunami rehabilitation project to illustrate the challenges faced by professional services firms and the role of innovation in meeting the needs of multiple stakeholders. The specific design decision is to make a choice between thatch roofs, which are environmentally friendly, versus reinforced cement concrete roofs that the villagers desire for their functionality. Case (B) reveals and explains the firm's choice, while describing how the community rebuilds itself after the tsunami, as well as how the firm evolves. The (C) case discusses the future plans of the firm including growth and succession issues.
Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Management Succession;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Business and Community Relations;
Nonprofit Organizations;
Environmental Sustainability;
Citation: Edmondson, Amy C., Robert G. Eccles, and Mona Sinha. " Mistry Architects (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 609-086, April 2011. (Revised from original February 2009 version.)
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Case
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2013
(Revised from original 2010 version)
Heidrick & Struggles and Standard Chartered Bank: Managing Global Key Accounts
Robert G. Eccles and Kerry Herman
Daren Kemp, a partner at leadership consultancy and executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, is responsible for the firm's relationship with Standard Chartered Bank (Standard Chartered). Standard Chartered is one of 94 companies in Heidrick's strategic partners program (SPP). The purpose of the SPP is to build strategic, value-based relationships with clients. Kemp joined Heidrick in 2008 and by 2010 has successfully built a strong relationship with Standard Chartered. The case describes how Kemp and his team grew this relationship and raises questions about what can be learned from this experience and applied to the other accounts in the SPP.
Keywords: Customer Relationship Management;
Service Delivery;
Partners and Partnerships;
Business Strategy;
Consulting Industry;
Employment Industry;
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Case
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2011
(Revised from original 2008 version)
a-connect: In Search of Talent Partners (A)
Robert G. Eccles and Dilyana Karadzhova
a-connect was started in 2002 by three former McKinsey partners who wanted to develop an alternative business model consulting firm, which they have positioned as a high-end staffing company. The company has been very successful, growing to revenues of CHF 30 million with offices in Zürich, Düsseldorf, Boston, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Instead of hiring full-time employees, the company uses a pool of 700 independent professionals (IP) who are typically former consultants from firms like Bain, BCG, and McKinsey. These professionals are managed by Talent Partners who match up IPs with client needs. One of the biggest challenges the firm faces is finding people who can fill this Talent Partner role since it requires a wide range of interpersonal and business development skills. As a way of instilling discipline in processes and procedures, from the very beginning the company set the objective of doing an IPO as a staffing company, thereby hoping to get the multiple of that category. Achieving this will require substantial growth in order to get to revenues of CHF 100 million, which they think is the size they need to be. Through the "Crystal Initiative" the company reviewed the three strategic choices of leveraging the operating platform, expanding the service portfolio, and focusing on the Global Sliver . They chose the latter, which means they decided to focus on getting deeper penetration into their existing large accounts. At the end of the case the founders are wondering if an IPO is still the right thing to do.
Keywords: Business Model;
Decision Choices and Conditions;
Initial Public Offering;
Selection and Staffing;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Marketplace Matching;
Expansion;
Consulting Industry;
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Teaching Note
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2011
First Bostons Union Carbide Deal: Acquiring a New Client (TN)
Robert G. Eccles and Penny Rossano
Teaching Note for 897201.
Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards;
Negotiation Offer;
Investment Banking;
Relationships;
Revenue;
Capital Structure;
Chemical Industry;
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Case
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2011
(Revised from original 2010 version)
Cognizant 2.0: Embedding Community and Knowledge Into Work Processes
Robert G. Eccles and Thomas H. Davenport
Knowledge management has been a high priority for Cognizant Technology Solutions since its inception since its global delivery model requires the global sharing of knowledge. Its first major tool was called the Knowledge Management Appliance but as Web 2.0 tools came into wider use, this evolved into what the company called "Cognizant 2.0" (C2) which was designed to ensure that the KM Appliance capabilities for storing documents and participative tools such as blogs and wikis were directed towards supporting business goals. This required the development of a set of structured work process guidelines and tasks for each major type of work performed internally and for clients. Increasing awareness amongst its clients about C2 has led the company into considering whether it should turn this into a client-facing service offering itself. As its clients become more interested in knowledge management within their own companies, the interest in a C2-based offering could grow.
Keywords: Knowledge Management;
Knowledge Sharing;
Knowledge Use and Leverage;
Product Development;
Service Delivery;
Business Processes;
Organizational Structure;
Cooperation;
Information Technology Industry;
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Case
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2011
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Eden McCallum: A Network-Based Consulting Firm (A)
Heidi K. Gardner and Robert G. Eccles
Eden McCallum pioneered the network-based ("virtual") consulting firm model in the U.K. Contracting freelance consultants on a per-project basis keeps overheads lean so that Eden McCallum's fees are a fraction of the big firms' rates. Their flexible, low-cost model has attracted top-notch corporate clients, resulting in steady double-digit annual growth in its first nine years. In January 2009, however, the global economic crisis has dramatically reshaped the competitive landscape and the founders must decide between pursuing their high-growth strategy versus retrenching—including cutting costs and pulling out of their first international expansion that they had launched the prior year. This case explores how the elements of a firm's innovative model reinforce each other and what happens when the environment changes.
Keywords: Business Model;
Decision Choices and Conditions;
Financial Crisis;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Expansion;
Consulting Industry;
United Kingdom;
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Case
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2013
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Shanghai Diligence Law Firm (A)
Robert G. Eccles and Catherine Zhang
Shanghai Diligence Law Firm, started in January 2006, is a rapidly growing law firm in China's burgeoning legal services market. In addition to the usual challenges facing all professional service firms (picking and retaining talent and building a desired client portfolio), the firm faces some challenges and opportunities that are unique to its setting in China and the fact that the firm is not yet three years old. The legal profession in China is a new and rapidly growing one with a large number of small firms all trying to carve out a distinctive niche for themselves. One of the partners in the firm, Joseph Shang, has created an innovative compensation system he calls the "A-B-C-D Model" which enables even the most junior associates to earn compensation for bringing in new business. This model is a kind of hybrid between the typical compensation system found in a Chinese law firm and those found in U.K. and U.S. law firms. The goal of this approach to compensation is to enable the firm to get and keep promising lawyers while also giving them an incentive to help grow the business. Somewhat unusual for a typical law firm, or any type of professional service firm, this compensation model is only used in Shang's practice. The founder and CEO, Chenyao Wu, has his own version of an "A-B-C-D Model," and discussions are taking place about what the firm should be doing about compensation. In addition to compensation, the firm is grappling with issues regarding divergent views amongst the partners, building a brand in a very competitive marketplace, and the stability of the core team. Finally, the firm has been presented with an opportunity to join two other firms in a three-way merger and the partners are debating the risks and opportunities in going forward with this.
Keywords: Business Startups;
Compensation and Benefits;
Retention;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Service Operations;
Motivation and Incentives;
Legal Services Industry;
China;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Catherine Zhang. " Shanghai Diligence Law Firm (A)." Harvard Business School Case 409-065, March 2013. (Revised from original February 2009 version.)
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Case
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2012
(Revised from original 2010 version)
Talent Recruitment at frog design Shanghai
Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson and YiKwan Chu
This case illustrates the complexity and importance of hiring decisions in the Chinese operation of a global design and innovation firm.
Keywords: Selection and Staffing;
Recruitment;
Talent and Talent Management;
Decision Making;
Complexity;
Innovation and Invention;
Shanghai;
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Case
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2010
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Managing Creativity at Shanghai Tang
Roy Y.J. Chua and Robert G. Eccles
Shanghai Tang is a luxury brand that focuses on Chinese-inspired fashion, accessories, and home decoration products. In fall 2008, amidst a growing global economic crisis, Raphael Ie Masne, executive chairman of Shanghai Tang, had to decide what to do with the recently vacant creative director position. Did Shanghai Tang need to hire a new creative director at this uncertain economic time? Or could he take on the role of the creative director himself? In addition, Ie Masne had to grapple with balancing the perennial tensions between business imperatives and the creative aspirations of his designers. How could he better manage employees who see themselves as artists?
Keywords: Talent and Talent Management;
Financial Crisis;
Employee Relationship Management;
Selection and Staffing;
Creativity;
Apparel and Accessories Industry;
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Supplement
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2010
(Revised from original 2010 version)
DLA Piper and Christie's International (B)
Robert G. Eccles and Dilyana Karadzhova
Nigel Knowles, joint CEO and Managing Partner of international law firm DLA Piper, responds to Christie's complaint that the relationship between the two organizations has major shortcomings and needs to be improved or will otherwise be terminated. A number of actions taken in the course of several months lead Christie's to regain trust in its legal services provider and conclude that the relationship is back on track.
Keywords: Law;
Leadership Style;
Organizations;
Relationships;
Trust;
Attorney and Client Relationships;
Legal Services Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Dilyana Karadzhova. "DLA Piper and Christie's International (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 411-065, November 2010. (Revised from original October 2010 version.)
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Case
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2010
DLA Piper and Christie's International (A)
Robert G. Eccles and Dilyana Karadzhova
International law firm DLA Piper is selected as major legal services provider of renowned art business Christie's International. Nine months after the start of relationship, the client calls Nigel Knowles, DLA Piper joint CEO and Managing Partner, with a litany of complaints regarding the relationship. The list includes poor relationship management, disjointed billings and reporting, undelivered value-add, and local issues in several offices. Knowles has to find a way to rescue the relationship or otherwise risk the firm's reputation to manage global relationships.
Keywords: Attorney and Client Relationships;
Law;
Practice;
Reputation;
Ethics;
Risk and Uncertainty;
Legal Services Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Dilyana Karadzhova. "DLA Piper and Christie's International (A)." Harvard Business School Case 411-064, October 2010.
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Case
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2010
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Buro Happold
Robert G. Eccles and Kerry Herman
Padraic Kelly became Managing Director (MD) of the engineering services firm Buro Happold in 1996. One of his first initiatives was "Aim for Growth," which was intended to help the firm grow beyond its current size where it was constrained by a structure of having each of the firm's founding partners responsible for a group of 25-30 engineers. This initiative was very successful, but the firm then found itself with a lack of leadership skills at all levels of the organization to manage a company of a much larger size, growing by a factor of 10 over 10 years. In response, Buro Happold developed its first formal internal training programs under the name of "Archimedes Academy." The first two programs were (1) the Job Leader Program, targeted for senior engineers and designed to help them be more effective in working with clients and (2) the Project Leader Program, targeted for project leaders and designed to help them develop the "softer" management skills to complement their technical ones. A distinctive aspect of Archimedes Academy is that these first programs were developed and delivered by the cohors who first attended them. Rather than partner with a university to develop an accredited program, the firm decided it would be better off developing the program itself, with the help of an outside consultant who had done something similar at his previous employer, in order to make sure the programs were specific enough to Buro Happold's needs and relevant to the firm's culture. The first two programs were a big success, and the firm expanded the training offerings under the Archimedes Banner. The case ends with a client, a Middle Eastern city authority, asking Buro Happold Consulting, a new unit created by Padraic Kelly after stepping down as MD in 2006, to develop a training program for them. This request raises the question of whether this internal training capability should become the basis of an external service offering.
Keywords: Training;
Entrepreneurship;
Leadership Development;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Management Skills;
Organizational Culture;
Programs;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Kerry Herman. " Buro Happold." Harvard Business School Case 409-021, August 2010. (Revised from original April 2009 version.)
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Case
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2013
(Revised from original 2010 version)
One Firm One Future at Davis Langdon (A)
Robert G. Eccles and Kaitlyn A. Simpson
Senior Partner Rob Smith just led construction consultancy firm Davis Langdon through a major organizational change in Europe and the Middle East. In the past, compensation arrangements had not incentivized partners to collaborate across the firm to serve clients' increasingly global and complex needs. In 2007, under Smith's leadership, the partnership agreed to implement holistic change. This included a shift from geographical to sector structure and a new profit-sharing system that encouraged partners to work together for the benefit of the firm as a whole. Amidst the global economic crisis, Smith must decide how to extend on a global basis the alignment the firm has begun to achieve in Europe and the Middle East.
Keywords: Profit Sharing;
Global Strategy;
Compensation and Benefits;
Leading Change;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Partners and Partnerships;
Cooperation;
Expansion;
Consulting Industry;
Europe;
Middle East;
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Supplement
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2013
(Revised from original 2010 version)
One Firm One Future at Davis Langdon (B)
Robert G. Eccles and Kaitlyn A. Simpson
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Supplement
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2013
(Revised from original 2010 version)
One Firm One Future at Davis Langdon (C)
Robert G. Eccles and Kaitlyn A. Simpson
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Case
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2010
(Revised from original 2010 version)
The Greening of DUMBO
Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson and Abhijit Prabhu
The Brooklyn, New York, neighborhood Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass (DUMBO) has seen a revitalization since the late 1970s. The neighborhood's business improvement district (BID) is charged with supplementing New York City's efforts in several areas, including safety, sanitation, marketing, promotional programs, capital improvements, and beautification. Since 2007, the DUMBO BID has done "small things that are collectively big" to improve the area and are in line with New York City's "plaNYC," a blueprint to become a "sustainable city" by increasing water quality, energy efficiency, and open space while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. This year, the DUMBO BID must decide if it should continue its small actions or pursue a neighborhood-wide Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating while constrained by its budget, staff size, and the recession.
Keywords: Transformation;
Local Range;
Business and Community Relations;
Business and Government Relations;
Environmental Sustainability;
Wastes and Waste Processing;
Urban Development;
Public Administration Industry;
New York (city, NY);
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Amy C. Edmondson, and Abhijit Prabhu. " The Greening of DUMBO." Harvard Business School Case 410-079, June 2010. (Revised from original March 2010 version.)
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Case
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2010
(Revised from original 2010 version)
Arup: Building the Water Cube
Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson and Dilyana Karadzhova
Arup, an engineering firm, collaborated with PTW Architects and China Construction Design Institute to develop a design for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Aquatics Center design competition. Their winning concept for the Water Cube combined elements of Chinese culture with innovative materials and sustainability requirements. The multidisciplinary and cross-company team, based in Sydney, Australia with counterparts in Beijing, faced project management challenges and cultural differences. The Water Cube became an iconic image during the Olympics, and managers at Arup now wonder how to leverage the impact within the company.
Keywords: Buildings and Facilities;
Environmental Sustainability;
Design;
Construction;
Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues;
Projects;
Groups and Teams;
Real Estate Industry;
Sports Industry;
Beijing;
Sydney;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Amy C. Edmondson, and Dilyana Karadzhova. " Arup: Building the Water Cube." Harvard Business School Case 410-054, June 2010. (Revised from original February 2010 version.)
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Case
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2010
Qingdao Sea View Garden Hotel
Robert G. Eccles, Das Narayandas and Cheng-Hua Tzeng
Keywords: Accommodations Industry;
Travel Industry;
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Case
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2013
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Miles Everson at PricewaterhouseCoopers
Robert G. Eccles and David Lane
Miles Everson, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), is the Global Engagement Partner (GEP) for a large U.S. financial institution and about to take over this role for a much larger global financial institution. The GEP role is a critical one at PwC. GEPs have responsibility for the firm's largest and most important clients. They must manage a vast external network of client employees and an equally vast internal network of the firm's employees. The GEP needs to have a deep understanding of the client and its industry in order to identify opportunities and problems where the firm's resources can be brought to bear and to match the firm's capabilities to the client's needs. GEPs must be able to simultaneously manage a larger number of tasks, often under great time pressure. This case describes how a very effective GEP-Miles Everson, who was named one of the top 25 consultants for 2006 by Consulting magazine-performs this role and provides insights into the attitudes, skills, and subject matter expertise necessary to be successful in this role. Insights into how Everson does this job are provided by both PwC and client personnel. As is often the case, Everson is responsible for a business (in his case Governance, Risk, and Compliance), and so he has substantial internal management responsibilities as well. The case raises questions about whether he will be able to retain these internal management responsibilities when he takes over a much larger and more complex global client and becomes the Senior Engagement Partner (SEP) on his current client. (SEPs perform an oversight role for the work being done by the GEP and his or her team and are typically very senior members of the firm.) The case also raises areas where Everson can improve.
Keywords: Experience and Expertise;
Customer Relationship Management;
Globalized Firms and Management;
Managerial Roles;
Consulting Industry;
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Case
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2010
(Revised from original 2010 version)
Living PlanIT
Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson, Susan Thyne and Tiona Zuzul
Living PlanIT is a start-up company that has developed a new, innovative business model for sustainable urbanization. This model reflects the software and technology backgrounds of its founders, Steve Lewis and Malcolm Hutchinson, and is in vivid contrast to other models for green or smart cities that are variations on a massive real estate development project. The main economic engine driving Living PlanIT's model is a partner channel strategy adopted from the high technology industry. The case shows how the Living PlanIT business model has evolved from the original vision of Lewis and Hutchinson to radically transform the construction industry to a go-to-market partnership model using the real estate as a "showroom" for evolving sustainable urban technology—a $3 trillion global market over the next 20 years. Living PlanIT is developing its first project, a new city called PlanIT Valley, outside of Porto, Portugal. The company has clarified its vision and is moving into the implementation phase, which involves fundraising, signing up channel partners, and negotiating various issues with the Portuguese government for its pilot project. Success in PlanIT Valley will translate into a strong market position as global population and demand for new cities increases, particularly in developing countries such as China and India.
Keywords: Business Model;
Business Startups;
Development Economics;
Entrepreneurship;
City;
Technological Innovation;
Environmental Sustainability;
Urban Development;
Construction Industry;
Green Technology Industry;
Real Estate Industry;
Portugal;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Amy C. Edmondson, Susan Thyne, and Tiona Zuzul. " Living PlanIT." Harvard Business School Case 410-081, March 2010. (Revised from original February 2010 version.)
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Case
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2010
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Rebranding at Oliver Wyman Group
Robert G. Eccles and Kaitlyn Simpson
Keywords: History;
Integration;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Marketing Strategy;
Service Operations;
Organizational Structure;
Organizational Culture;
Brands and Branding;
Consulting Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Kaitlyn Simpson. " Rebranding at Oliver Wyman Group." Harvard Business School Case 409-055, February 2010. (Revised from original November 2008 version.)
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Case
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2009
(Revised from original 2009 version)
CalPERS' Emerging Equity Markets Principles
Robert G. Eccles and Aldo Sesia
The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CaIPERS)—the largest public pension fund in the U.S.—had adopted a new principles-based approach to investing in emerging market equities in November 2007. Previously, CalPERS internal and external money managers were prohibited from investing in certain developing countries because the countries failed to meet certain standards for political stability, human rights, market regulation, etc. The new principles-based approach would allow CalPERS money managers to invest in companies that were financially attractive and competitively positioned provided their business practices were sound from an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) perspective regardless of where they were located. By allowing investment in these types of companies regardless of where they operated, CalPERS had hoped to improve its investment returns. The case is set in January 2009, a little more than a year from the time the principles-based approach had been adopted. It is a good time to review the implementation process and how the new principles-based approach changed CaIPERS' emerging market equities portfolios and their returns. The case focuses on one of CalPERS' external fund managers, Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA), and a service provider to DFA and CalPERS, KLD Research and Analytics. One question facing CalPERS with this new approach is whether to invest in PetroChina, which had been off-limits previously due to the screening criteria that were used to identify which countries qualified for emerging markets investments. The case also raises the issue of the difference between "value" and "values" investing and the future importance of ESG investing.
Keywords: Values and Beliefs;
Investment Return;
Investment Funds;
Investment Portfolio;
Emerging Markets;
Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact;
Value;
Financial Services Industry;
Public Administration Industry;
China;
California;
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Case
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2009
(Revised from original 2007 version)
KPMG (A): A Near-Death Experience
Robert G. Eccles and Eliot Sherman
Describes the way in which "Big Four" auditor KPMG dealt with an indictment stemming from the firm's sale of tax shelters. In 2005 Tim Flynn has been KPMG Chairman for a matter of days when he learns that the government is preparing to indict the firm on charges of selling illegal tax shelters. Flynn has to decide whether to fight the charges and risk the dissolution of his firm, or cooperate with investigators, effectively keeping the firm safe but sacrificing the tax partners involved in the shelter sales. Further, the case describes the government's prosecution of former KPMG tax partners and asks students to determine whether prosecutorial tactics during the government's investigation were warranted or represented a case of overreaching.
Keywords: Accounting Audits;
Crime and Corruption;
Taxation;
Lawsuits and Litigation;
Crisis Management;
Partners and Partnerships;
Accounting Industry;
Service Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Eliot Sherman. " KPMG (A): A Near-Death Experience." Harvard Business School Case 408-073, June 2009. (Revised from original December 2007 version.)
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Supplement
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2009
Interview with Rob Smith, Senior Partner of Davis Langdon
Robert G. Eccles and Kaitlyn Simpson
Keywords: Information;
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Case
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2009
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.
Robert G. Eccles and David Lane
As CEO of leading executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles for the past 18 months, Kevin Kelly was pleased with his accomplishments so far but concerned about threats he perceived to Heidrick's position at the highest levels of the executive search business. In response, Kelly had begun making strategic investments in firms offering technology-based solutions, but had not yet made significant progress convincing Heidrick's search consultants about the significance of the threats, or the risks and opportunities being created by information technology and the Internet. The increased emphasis Kelly placed on building leadership consulting services was itself a big change. The case asks what levers Kelly can use, from culture to compensation, to make the challenges to Heidrick's traditional business model understood and how to implement the strategic initiatives he has launched.
Keywords: Business Model;
Recruitment;
Disruptive Innovation;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Organizational Culture;
Competition;
Competitive Strategy;
Employment Industry;
Service Industry;
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Teaching Note
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2009
Martha Schwartz Partners (A): Growing a Landscape Architecture Firm: A Multimedia Case (TN)
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Teaching Note for [409703].
Keywords: Construction Industry;
Syria;
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Teaching Note
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2009
Martha Schwartz Partners (B): The Damascus Project: A Multimedia Case (TN)
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Teaching Note for [409704].
Keywords: Partners and Partnerships;
Projects;
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Case
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2009
(Revised from original 2009 version)
The Carlyle Group
Robert G. Eccles and Carin-Isabel Knoop
This case describes the investment philosophy, organizational structure, management processes and culture of the largest private equity firm in the world measured in terms of assets under management ($89 billion). The Carlyle Group is distinctive in several ways, including its origins in Washington, D.C. and its early commitment to organizing the firm and its investment decision-making process along industry lines. The latter enables the firm to build deep knowledge and capabilities in particular sectors which makes it possible for it to identify investment opportunities that will not be apparent to others, such as in industries where the fundamentals do not look promising. Carlyle is also very geographically diverse with 33 offices around the world, giving it a higher overhead structure than some of its peers. Through the "One Carlyle" approach which emphasizes collaboration, information sharing and knowledge transfer across sectors and geographical locations, the firm seeks to leverage the vast array of capabilities it has built over time. It is attempting to improve on this through the use of information technology. The case describes the firm's foray into financial services, an industry largely neglected by PE firms due to the inability to use leverage to improve returns, and professional services, another largely-neglected sector because the primary asset is human capital. The case also describes how the firm had to learn to develop a different approach to PE investing in Asia. Looking forward, the firm faces huge challenges in delivering attractive returns to its investors given its size and the size of the PE industry as a whole. These challenges are compounded by the financial crisis happening at the time of the case and the prospects of a potentially severe economic recession, raising questions about the future prospects of the PE industry and its role in the capital markets.
Keywords: Financial Crisis;
Assets;
Private Equity;
Investment;
Global Strategy;
Innovation and Invention;
Knowledge Use and Leverage;
Management Practices and Processes;
Organizational Structure;
Information Technology;
Asia;
Washington (state, US);
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Carin-Isabel Knoop. " The Carlyle Group." Harvard Business School Case 409-050, April 2009. (Revised from original January 2009 version.)
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Case
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2009
Martha Schwartz (A): Growing a Landscape Architecture Firm
Robert G. Eccles and Kerry Herman
The landscape architecture firm of Martha Schwartz Partners (MSP) has been retained by the Danish architecture firm Henning Larsen Architects (HLA) to perform the public realm part of a project being done under the auspices of Her Excellency Mrs. Asma al-Assad the First Lady of Syria. HLA is responsible for the Discovery Center. The overall project is an important initiative for an NGO called Massar, whose mission is the educational and personal development of children in Syria between the ages of 5 and 15. This project is an extremely high-profile one given its setting and sponsorship. It is a complex project and of a scope and scale not done in Syria for decades. Neither the client (Massar and ultimately the First Lady) have experience with these projects or working with HLA and MSP. HLA and MSP have themselves never worked together before. The inherent complexity of the project and problems in the rapidly growing MSP (including having work done in both Cambridge, MA and London) and with Schwartz's leadership style and personality have contributed to a number of problems on the project, including delays, poor communications, and an almost constant state of crisis. In order to address these problems and to maintain the client for the next and more lucrative stages of the project, HLA has called for a meeting with MSP at their offices in Copenhagen. The purpose of this meeting is to understand and resolve the problems in this project. The case includes nearly 20 minutes of live and mostly unedited footage of this real meeting that vividly reveals personalities of the major actors involved from HLA and MSP, the perspectives each have on the causes of the problems on the project, their views on what should be done, and the process dynamics of the conversation. Such video material is extremely rare and provides a large variety of teaching opportunities.
Keywords: Leadership;
Business Strategy;
Adaptation;
Growth and Development Strategy;
Growth Management;
Strategy;
Construction Industry;
Syria;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2009
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc.
Robert G. Eccles and David Lane
This brief document presents the schedule of events for Russell Reynolds Associates 2007 New Associates Program, an opportunity for recent hires to spend time with each other and the firm's senior leadership while learning subtleties of the search process amid bonding to the corporate culture.
Keywords: Talent and Talent Management;
Learning;
Recruitment;
Leadership;
Organizational Culture;
Programs;
Consulting Industry;
Service Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and David Lane. " Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 408-067, February 2009. (Revised from original March 2008 version.)
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
2009
KPMG (B): Risk and Reform
Robert G. Eccles and Eliot Sherman
Under the leadership of Tim Flynn, Chairman and CEO of KPMG, the firm made a number of changes in compensation, governance, and culture in order to address the underlying reasons for actions that occurred prior to him becoming CEO that led to the accounting giant paying $456 million to the federal government over allegedly selling illegal tax shelters. These changes included a common compensation bonus pool for the entire firm and rewarding people for professionalism as much as for business development; strengthening governance by adding a lead director to the board, removing the chairman and deputy chairman from board member selection, and creating separate committees for professional practice, ethics, and compliance and operations; and enhancing its ethics and compliance program through human resource processes (e.g., recruiting, orientation, training, and exit interviews), implementing periodic and required ethics courses, active firm leadership in these courses, and establishing multiple channels of communication for employees to raise concerns with an explicit "no retaliation" policy. In January 2007, 86% of the employees were proud to work for the firm, compared to 60% in 2005. Employee turnover was at an all-time low. And the Tax Practice, the source of the problems, was the fastest growing such practice in the Big Four accounting firms at 18%.
Keywords: Communication Strategy;
Ethics;
Corporate Governance;
Governance Compliance;
Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms;
Governing and Advisory Boards;
Compensation and Benefits;
Employee Relationship Management;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., and Eliot Sherman. " KPMG (B): Risk and Reform." Harvard Business School Supplement 409-075, January 2009.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2008
Eden McCallum
Heidi K. Gardner and Robert G. Eccles
This case illustrates the leadership and management challenges of starting a new firm based on a new business model and how success creates pressures that challenge the work/life balance which was one of the original goals of its two founders. The case also raises issues about the changing nature of careers and changing preferences people have for structuring their personal and professional lives.
Keywords: Business Model;
Business Startups;
Entrepreneurship;
Leadership;
Work-Life Balance;
Citation: Gardner, Heidi K., and Robert G. Eccles. " Eden McCallum." Harvard Business School Case 409-060, November 2008.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2008
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Uría Menéndez (A)
Robert G. Eccles
Uria Menendez, the pre-eminent law firm in Iberia, is at a critical point in its long and distinguished history. Its newly appointed second generation co-managing Partners are facing some critical strategic decisions concerning how the firm should position itself in Iberia, geographical expansion to serve the needs of its clients, and its "Best Friends Network" with leading law firms in other countries. The firm must also address critical issues regarding the hiring, development per in work/life balance, and compensation of the top law school graduates the firm needs to maintain its position and reputation.
Keywords: Global Strategy;
Networks;
Selection and Staffing;
Work-Life Balance;
Compensation and Benefits;
Decision Making;
Expansion;
Legal Services Industry;
Iberian Peninsula;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G. " Uría Menéndez (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-088, March 2008. (Revised from original January 2008 version.)
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
2008
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Uría Menéndez (C)
Robert G. Eccles
The Uria Menendez C case describes the passing of the firm's founder, Rodrigo Uria, its continued success (including being one of the Top 10 MNA law firms in the world) and its decision to open an office in Warsaw.
Keywords: Business Offices;
Decisions;
Success;
Expansion;
Legal Services Industry;
Iberian Peninsula;
Poland;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G. " Uría Menéndez (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-090, March 2008. (Revised from original January 2008 version.)
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
2008
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Uría Menéndez (B)
Robert G. Eccles
The Uria Menendez (B) Cas describes the three major strategic options facing the firm. It can be used when the instructor wants to teach the case over two classes. The first class, based on the A case, explores the reason for the the firm's success. The B case describes the three main strategic options and the issues regarding each option. In the second class, students can debate each option.
Keywords: Geographic Location;
Law;
Success;
Strategic Planning;
Expansion;
Legal Services Industry;
Iberian Peninsula;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G. " Uría Menéndez (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-098, March 2008. (Revised from original January 2008 version.)
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
2008
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Uría Menéndez (B) (Abridged)
Robert G. Eccles
This one-page case, to be handed out in class, briefly lists the three major strategic options facing Uria Menendez.
Keywords: Corporate Strategy;
Law;
Geographic Location;
Expansion;
Strategic Planning;
Legal Services Industry;
Iberian Peninsula;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G. " Uría Menéndez (B) (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-089, March 2008. (Revised from original January 2008 version.)
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Exercise
|
2008
Gerson Lehrman Group
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and David Lane
Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) brought together decision makers in search of hard-to-find answers with specialized experts in nearly every imaginable field. Over time, GLG developed software to help minimize potential conflicts of interest among and between experts and their employers on the one hand, and the decision makers and their employers on the other. GLG CEO Alexander Saint-Amand needed to assess both whether the compliance mechanisms in place were adequate for all parties, and if so, how or whether the company could exploit them as a source of competitive advantage.
Keywords: Experience and Expertise;
Customer Focus and Relationships;
Governance Compliance;
Conflict of Interests;
Competitive Advantage;
Software;
Consulting Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and David Lane. " Gerson Lehrman Group." Harvard Business School Exercise 408-076, February 2008.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
2008
(Revised from original 2008 version)
Two Brattle Center: A Mental-Health Clinic in Search of a Viable Operating Model
Robert G. Eccles
Two Brattle Center (TBC) is a struggling for-profit private mental health clinic based in Harvard Square. Its founder, Dr. Joan Wheelis, is a nationally recognized practicing psychiatrist who has developed outpatient treatment programs based on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). These patients, typically adolescent girls and young women, struggle with emotional crises and are prone to destructive behaviors such as cutting, excessive use of alcohol, taking drugs and suicide attempts. These patients are very difficult to treat and TBC has developed programs that make a noticeable difference to these patients. DBT requires teams of people with different types of expertise and so the original operating model developed by Dr. Wheelis was one in which TBC was staffed by a large number of part-time clinicians, the "affiliate model." However, changes in the health care environment, particularly the advent of managed care, have put very real pressures on this model and the company is now in a state of crisis. Dr. Wheelis is trying to decide whether and how to keep it going. The key decision is whether to shift to a "staffing model" based on a larger number of full-time clinicians. This will require a larger patient population to make the economics of greater fixed capacity viable. Another constraint is the poor state of its basic financial systems. Morale is low and thus staff turnover is high, with many clinicians taking patients with them into their private practice when they go. TBC is trying to decide whether to join the Blue Cross Blue Shield network, which would increase its patient population but at rates much lower than it currently charges by only taking private patients. Dr. Wheelis is also pondering whether to start a non-profit foundation as a way of getting money to support its teaching and training programs, or even making the company a non-profit itself.
Keywords: Business Model;
For-Profit Firms;
Decision Choices and Conditions;
Financial Strategy;
Health Care and Treatment;
Health Disorders;
Medical Specialties;
Nonprofit Organizations;
Emotions;
Health Industry;
United States;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1995
(Revised from original version)
KPMG Peat Marwick: The Shadow Partner
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
KPMG Peat Marwick executives needed to decide whether to fund full development of "The Shadow Partner," the name coined to describe a worldwide information network that would link all KPMG professionals to each other and to a wealth of data bases and information services. Partners, by sharing and gathering information through the network, would be able to use the entire company's knowledge and experience to serve clients. Many partners felt that implementation of the shadow partner was vital, as clients had greater demands and competition in the accounting industry had escalated. Other partners questioned the necessity of the shadow partner. The firm had committed to establishing a technology committee to investigate shadow partner design and cost. Since the firm was a partnership, the partners eventually had to decide whether, and to what extent, to support shadow partner implementation.
Keywords: Information Management;
Data and Data Sets;
Knowledge Management;
Knowledge Use and Leverage;
Networks;
Partners and Partnerships;
Information Technology;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1994
MCI: From Mainframe to Metroplex
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Nitin Nohria and James Berkley
Keywords: Information Technology;
Management;
Organizational Culture;
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1994
Giddings & Lewis: In Search of the Cutting Edge (Consolidated) (B)
Nitin Nohria and Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Supplements the (A) case.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1993
(Revised from original version)
National Expansion at Neiman Marcus
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation;
Retail Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1993
Giddings & Lewis: In Search of the Cutting Edge (A)
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Nitin Nohria and Norman Klein
Keywords: Change Management;
Corporate Strategy;
Social Enterprise;
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1993
Giddings & Lewis: In Search of the Cutting Edge (B)
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Nitin Nohria and Norman Klein
Keywords: Industrial Products Industry;
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1993
Giddings & Lewis: In Search of the Cutting Edge (C)
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Nitin Nohria and Norman Klein
Supplements the (A) case. Intended as an in-class handout.
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1993
Giddings & Lewis: In Search of the Cutting Edge (D)
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Nitin Nohria and Norman Klein
Supplements the (A) case. Intended as an in-class handout.
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1993
Giddings & Lewis: In Search of the Cutting Edge (E)
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Nitin Nohria and Norman Klein
Supplements the (A) case, emphasizing issues of implementation.
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Background Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
1992
(Revised from original version)
Note on Control Systems
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr. " Note on Control Systems." Harvard Business School Background Note 491-084, January 1992. (Revised from original February 1991 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1991
Rethinking the Corporate Workplace: Case Managers at Mutual Benefit Life
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
In early 1991, a spirit of innovation and organizational change was in the air at Mutual Benefit Life, with the success of the new "case manager" program its most concrete manifestation. Using powerful computer workstations, case managers could see insurance applications through from start to finish, and many had been trained to do their own underwriting. The shift from manual bureaucracy to a new era of "Personalized Computing" would however present many new challenges to the company, particularly its human resources function. Objective is to explore the organizational changes necessitated by personal computer technology in the setting of a rapidly changing firm.
Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Technological Innovation;
Change Management;
Information Technology;
Insurance;
Human Resources;
Insurance Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1991
(Revised from original version)
Bankers Trust New York Corp.
Dwight B. Crane and Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Banking Industry;
New York (state, US);
Citation: Crane, Dwight B., and Robert G. Eccles Jr. " Bankers Trust New York Corp." Harvard Business School Case 286-005, July 1991. (Revised from original August 1985 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1991
(Revised from original version)
Paine Chemical Co., Inc.: What Is Market Price? (A)
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Price;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1991
(Revised from original version)
Compaq Computer Corp.
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Computer Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr. " Compaq Computer Corp." Harvard Business School Case 491-011, February 1991. (Revised from original November 1990 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1991
(Revised from original version)
AB Volvo: Organizational Development and Its Impact on Information Systems
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Organizations;
Growth and Development;
Information Technology;
Auto Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1991
Datapaq Ltd.: Getting Control
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1990
(Revised from original version)
Salomon Brothers: Managing the Firm
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Business or Company Management;
Financial Services Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1989
(Revised from original version)
Jacobs Suchard: Reorganizing for 1992
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Jacobs Suchard, the Swiss-based coffee and chocolate producer, is preparing for the common market and EEC 1992. At the time of the case, the company is still organized toward independent, local country markets, and believes it must move toward a more global organization structure. The case covers actions taken to date and plans for the future.
Keywords: History;
Organizational Change and Adaptation;
Expansion;
Markets;
Organizational Structure;
Global Strategy;
Food and Beverage Industry;
Switzerland;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1989
(Revised from original version)
Union Carbide Deal, The
Dwight B. Crane and Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Chemical Industry;
Citation: Crane, Dwight B., and Robert G. Eccles Jr. " Union Carbide Deal, The." Harvard Business School Case 288-065, February 1989. (Revised from original June 1988 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1988
(Revised from original version)
Hercules Incorporated: Anatomy of a Vision
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Jane C. Linder
Keywords: Strategic Planning;
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1987
Hercules Incorporated, Video
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Jane C. Linder
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Jane C. Linder. " Hercules Incorporated, Video." Harvard Business School Video Supplement 887-526, February 1987.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1986
(Revised from original 1980 version)
Progressive Corp.'s Divisionalization Decision (A)
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Describes a company that is considering whether to establish an experimental division as a relatively independent profit center under a general manager. Data relevant to this decision include the company's strategy, markets, products, current structure, size, and the perceptions and interests of individual managers. Illustrates how both objective and subjective factors influence organizational design decisions.
Keywords: Business Divisions;
Decision Making;
Data and Data Sets;
Managerial Roles;
Organizational Design;
Situation or Environment;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1986
Darth Research Co.: Managing the Technical Services Group (TSG)
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Information Technology;
Management;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1986
(Revised from original version)
Chemical Bank: Payments Automation Project (A)
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Banks and Banking;
Technology;
Banking Industry;
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1985
Paine Webber (A): Choosing a Corporate Strategy, Supplement
Dwight B. Crane and Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Corporate Strategy;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1985
Paine Webber (A): Choosing a Corporate Strategy
Dwight B. Crane and Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Corporate Strategy;
Decision Choices and Conditions;
Financial Institutions;
Financial Services Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1985
Paine Webber (B): Implementing a Corporate Strategy
Dwight B. Crane and Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Corporate Strategy;
Management;
Finance;
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1985
Chemical Bank: Payments Automation Project (A), Video
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
-
Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1985
Chemical Bank: Payments Automation Project (B), Video
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
-
Background Note
| HBS Case Collection
|
1985
(Revised from original version)
Note on Payment Systems
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Wages;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr. " Note on Payment Systems." Harvard Business School Background Note 485-030, August 1985. (Revised from original August 1984 version.)
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1985
Chemical Bank: Payments Automation Project (A) (Condensed)
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Banks and Banking;
Technology;
Banking Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1985
(Revised from original version)
Chemical Bank: Payments Automation Project (B)
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Banks and Banking;
Technology;
Banking Industry;
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1985
(Revised from original version)
Chemical Bank: Payments Automation Project (A), Supplement
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Wages;
Banking Industry;
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1984
(Revised from original 1980 version)
Progressive Corp.'s Divisionalization Decision (B)
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Supplements the (A) case. Designed as an in-class handout.
Keywords: Organizational Structure;
-
Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1984
(Revised from original 1980 version)
Progressive Corp.'s Divisionalization Decision (C)
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Supplements the (A) case.
Keywords: Organizational Structure;
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1984
Paine Chemical Co., Inc.: What Is Market Price? (B)
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Markets;
Price;
Chemical Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1983
(Revised from original version)
Visa International: The Management of Change
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Change Management;
Financial Services Industry;
-
Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1983
GenRad, Inc. (B-D) (Condensed): The Pursuit of Renascence Under the Ambivalence Born of the Confluence of Nascence and
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
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Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1982
Progressive Corp.'s Divisionalization Decision, Video
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
-
Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1982
GenRad, Inc. (B): The Pursuit of Renascence Under the Ambivalence Born of the Confluence of Nascence and Senescence
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
-
Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1982
GenRad, Inc. (C): The Pursuit of Renascence Under the Ambivalence Born of the Confluence of Nascence and Senescence
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Electronics Industry;
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1982
GenRad, Inc. (D): The Pursuit of Renascence Under The Ambivalence Born of the Confluence of Nascence and Senescence
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Keywords: Electronics Industry;
-
Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1982
GenRad, Inc. (A): The Pursuit of Renascence Under the Ambivalence Born of the Confluence of Nascence and Senescence
Robert G. Eccles Jr.
-
Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1981
Textile Corp. of America: Part I--What Happened, Video
Louis B. Barnes and Robert G. Eccles Jr.
-
Supplement
| HBS Case Collection
|
1981
Textile Corp. of America: Part II--In Retrospect, Video
Louis B. Barnes and Robert G. Eccles Jr.
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Case
| HBS Case Collection
|
1981
(Revised from original version)
Progressive Corp. (A)
Jay W. Lorsch and Robert G. Eccles Jr.
Citation: Lorsch, Jay W., and Robert G. Eccles Jr. " Progressive Corp. (A)." Harvard Business School Case 381-088, February 1981. (Revised from original December 1980 version.)
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Chapter
| Making Investment Grade: The Future of Corporate Reporting
| 2012
Capturing the Link between Non-financial and Financial Performance in One Space
Robert G. Eccles, Jess Schulschenk and George Serafeim
Keywords: integrated reporting;
sustainability;
-
Article
| Ideia sustentável
|
Brasil: uma sociedade sustentável. [Brazil: A Sustainable Society]
Robert G. Eccles, George Serafeim and Jorge Amar
-
Other Unpublished Work
| 1999
Pursuing Value: The Information Reporting Gap in the Dutch Capital Markets
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Jos A. Nijhuis
Keywords: Capital Markets;
Performance;
Financial Reporting;
Netherlands;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Jos A. Nijhuis. "Pursuing Value: The Information Reporting Gap in the Dutch Capital Markets." PricewaterhouseCoopers, January 1999.
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Other Unpublished Work
| 1999
Value and Reporting in the Banking Industry
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and John K. Fletcher
Keywords: Banks and Banking;
Financial Reporting;
Banking Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and John K. Fletcher. "Value and Reporting in the Banking Industry." PricewaterhouseCoopers, January 1999.
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Other Unpublished Work
| 1999
Value and Reporting in the Insurance Industry
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Michael P. Nelligan
Keywords: Insurance;
Financial Reporting;
Insurance Industry;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Michael P. Nelligan. "Value and Reporting in the Insurance Industry." PricewaterhouseCoopers, January 1999.
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Other Unpublished Work
| 1998
Information Needs of Analysts and Investors in the French Capital Markets
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Patrick Frotiee
Keywords: Capital Markets;
Information;
France;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Patrick Frotiee. "Information Needs of Analysts and Investors in the French Capital Markets." PricewaterhouseCoopers, January 1998.
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Other Unpublished Work
| 1998
Pursuing Value: The Information Reporting Gap in the Italian Capital Markets
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Luca Lupone
Keywords: Capital Markets;
Performance;
Financial Reporting;
Italy;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Luca Lupone. "Pursuing Value: The Information Reporting Gap in the Italian Capital Markets." PricewaterhouseCoopers, January 1998.
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Other Unpublished Work
| 1998
Pursuing Value: The Information Reporting Gap in the Swiss Capital Markets
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Peter F. Weibel
Keywords: Capital Markets;
Performance;
Financial Reporting;
Switzerland;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Peter F. Weibel. "Pursuing Value: The Information Reporting Gap in the Swiss Capital Markets." PricewaterhouseCoopers, January 1998.
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Other Unpublished Work
| 1998
Pursuing Value: The Information Reporting Gap in the U.S. Capital Markets
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Harold D. Kahn
Keywords: Capital Markets;
Performance;
Financial Reporting;
United States;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Harold D. Kahn. "Pursuing Value: The Information Reporting Gap in the U.S. Capital Markets." PricewaterhouseCoopers, January 1998.
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Other Unpublished Work
| 1998
Pursuing Value: The Information Reporting Gap in the United Kingdom
Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Ian Coleman
Keywords: Capital Markets;
Performance;
Financial Reporting;
United Kingdom;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., and Ian Coleman. "Pursuing Value: The Information Reporting Gap in the United Kingdom." PricewaterhouseCoopers, January 1998.
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Other Unpublished Work
| 1998
Reporting Gaps in the United Kingdom: The Chief Executives Perspective
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Dave Phillips and Heather Richards
Keywords: Capital Markets;
Performance;
Financial Reporting;
United Kingdom;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., Dave Phillips, and Heather Richards. "Reporting Gaps in the United Kingdom: The Chief Executives Perspective." PricewaterhouseCoopers, January 1998.
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Other Unpublished Work
| 1998
Value Reporting in Australia: Improving Competitiveness in Capital Markets
Robert G. Eccles Jr., Greg Morris and Ian Falconer
Keywords: Capital Markets;
Financial Reporting;
Competition;
Australia;
Citation: Eccles, Robert G., Jr., Greg Morris, and Ian Falconer. "Value Reporting in Australia: Improving Competitiveness in Capital Markets." PricewaterhouseCoopers, January 1998.
Research Summary
-
Overview
by
Robert G. Eccles
Keywords: sustainability;
innovation;
-
Research Summary
Integrated Reporting
by
Robert G. Eccles
All public companies are required to publish a financial report. An increasing number of companies are now publishing a corporate social responsibility or sustainability report on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. These reports on so-called "non-financial performance" are, with the exceptions of a few countries, done on a strictly voluntary basis although the number of companies doing this has been growing rapidly. Within the past few years a new trend has begun for "integrated reporting" in which a company combines its financial and non-financial reports into "One Report" with varying degrees of integration. Of course, One Report doesn't mean only One Report since the Internet can also be used to provide more detailed information and analytical tools of particular interest to different stakeholder groups. Examples of companies practicing integrated reporting in the United States are Southwest Airlines, American Electric Power, and United Technologies Corporation. Examples of companies in other countries include Philips in the Netherlands, BASF in Germany, Novo Nordisk in Denmark and Natura in Brazil. As of June 1, 2010 every company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange must file an integrated report. Professor Eccles has written the first book on this emerging phenomenon, One Report: Integrated Reporting for a Sustainable Strategy. In it he argues that a sustainable society requires that all of its companies be pursuing sustainable strategies that are based on a long-term focus in value creation for shareholders and all other stakeholders. Integrated reporting is the best way to communicate the results of such strategies; it is also a useful process for instilling the necessary internal discipline to make sure a sustainable strategy exists. Importantly, integrated reporting is about more than a company's external communications. It also involves leveraging the Internet to improve dialogue and engagement with all stakeholders. In addition to an active research program on integrated reporting, Professor Eccles is also working to help spread the rapid and broad adoption of the practice integrated reporting, He is a member of the Steering Committee of the International Integrated Reporting Committee ( www.integratedreporting.org) and is involved with groups all over the world helping to launch the integrated reporting movement.
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Research Summary
Innovative Business Models for Sustainable Urbanization
by
Robert G. Eccles
The world is experiencing two inexorable trends that are in conflict with each other: urbanization and sustainability. As the world's economy evolves, rural areas are less and less able to support the populations that live in them and so a massive wave of urbanization is happening that will continue for at least the next 50 years. At the same time, public consciousness about the need for sustainability--defined in economic, social, environmental and governance terms--is growing rapidly. If current cities grow and need cities are created in the same way that urbanization has happened in the past, the result will not be sustainable. Thus new models must be found for achieving urbanization in a sustainable way and cities will need to provided integrated reports of their economic, environmental, social and governance performance ( http://www.integratedreporting.org). Here a number of different "natural experiments" are taking place, such as new cities being built in Masdar, Abu Dhabi and Dongtan, China. Large companies such as Accenture, Cisco, IBM and Siemens are also developing products and services to help built "Smart" cities. One especially interesting experiment is taking place in the Municipality of Paredes, about 20 minutes outside Porto, Portugal. Here a start-up company called Living PlanIT, S.A. is building a green field research city called PlanIT Valley on 1,700 hectares of land in Paredes. This ambitious and innovative business model combines elements of innovation clusters, real estate development and professional services utilizing a "partner" model that involves a large number of major companies addressing the sustainable urbanization market. This includes both new cities and the "retrofit" of existing ones. If this model is successful, Living PlanIT and its partners plan to replicate this model all over the world. In collaboration with Professor Amy Edmondson, Dr. Eccles is studying this initiative on a real time basis with the full support of company and partner company executives, as well as all levels of the Portuguese government. Eccles and Edmondson will supplement this in depth research case study with studies of other "smart" and "eco" cities and major real estate developments, as well as other initiatives to create research and innovation clusters. This research project includes a large number of MBA and doctoral students and includes collaborations with faculty and students in other schools at Harvard University, including the Graduate School of Design and the Harvard Kennedy School. Their ultimate objective is to write a book on business models for sustainable urbanization.
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Research Summary
Building Capabilities in Professional Service Firms
by
Robert G. Eccles
One of the most distinctive aspects of professional service firms is that the vast majority of the people who work in them are directly involved in serving clients. Long-term success in a professional service firm requires obtaining and developing the right professionals (managing the talent market), obtaining and developing the right clients (managing the client market), and matching clients' needs with the professionals in the firm who have the appropriate capabilities. Another distinctive aspect of professional service firms is the extent to which working for clients is the basis upon which both its individual professionals and the firm itself builds capabilities in order to satisfy new needs of existing clients and the needs of new clients. This can occur in relatively modest and incremental ways, such as when a young associate is put on a project in an industry she hasn't worked in before. It can also occur in very major ways, such as when a client has a problem that has never been solved before and in helping the client solve this problem, the firm develops a major innovation that leads to a new service offering, not only for the firm but for the entire profession in which it operates. In collaboration with Professor Das Narayandas in the Marketing Unit, Dr. Eccles is using the insights gained from a number of new cases developed for the MBA elective course on "Leading Professional Service Firms" and the Executive Education program "Building Client Management Capabilities in Professional Service Firms, along with supplementary research, to develop the concept of "building capabilities" as a core principle for ensuring long-term success in a professional services firm.
Teaching
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Overview
Keywords: sustainability;
innovation;
Awards & Honors
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Robert G. Eccles: Won the 2010 PROSE Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence in the Business, Finance & Management category for his book with Michael Krzus, One Report: Integrated Reporting for a Sustainable Strategy (John Wiley and Sons, 2010). This award is given by the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American Publishers.
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Robert G. Eccles: Selected on January 31, 2011 as one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior by Trust Across America.
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