Japanese Version

Newsletter No. 10 August 2007

Summary of activities during the first half of 2007

Cases

Secom: Managing Information Security in a Risky World

Professors Rob Austin (Technology and Operations Management) and Warren McFarlan (General Management) have developed a case on Secom, Japan's largest security service provider.  The case focuses on Mamoru Sekine, CEO of Jashopper, (an electronic commerce site), as he analyzes a proposal from Secom and considers how he might establish a security strategy for his fledgling IT venture.  The case examines the recent change in the Japanese business environment where increased sensitivity to IT security is required of corporate executives due to the Japanese government's enactment of the Personal Information Protection Law. 

Research Projects

We have worked with faculty on the following research projects:

• Professors Rohit Deshpande (Marketing), Josh Margolis (Organizational Behavior) and Lynn Paine (General Managing) are engaged in a Global Business Standards Survey to study the ethical standards of leading global firms. We assisted in a large-scale field survey involving two Japanese companies.
• We assisted Debora Spar (BGIE) and Research Associate Anat Holtzman on a comparative study of stem cell research.
• We supported Professor Geoffrey Jones (Entrepreneurial Management) with his research on the globalization of the beauty industry.
• We facilitated Professor Robin Greenwood (Finance) in his research on arbitrage activities and anomalies in the Japanese stock market.

Research Symposium in Tokyo

The Harvard Business School Japan Research Symposium was held in Tokyo on March 23, 2007 at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo. The theme of the Symposium was "Corporate Japan's New Challenges". Dean Jay O. Light and Krishna Palepu made opening remarks. Andrei Hagiu (Strategy), Tarun Khanna (Strategy), Richard Vietor (BGIE) and Michael Yoshino (General Management) made presentations. Click here for more information on the Research Symposium.

Visitors from Boston

During the first half of 2007, in addition to the faculty members who spoke at the Research Symposium, Joe Bower (General Management), Mihir Desai (Finance), David Godes (Marketing), Geoffrey Jones (Entrepreneurial Management), Carl Kester (Finance), Anthony Mayo (Organizational Behavior), Lynn Paine (General Management), Mikolaj Piskorski (Strategy), Debora Spar (BGIE) and her Research Associate, Anat Holtzman, visited Japan to engage in research and case development.

Nancy Boccia (Director, Special Events), Michael Chen (Executive Director, Asia-Pacific Research Center), Andrew Elrick (Associate Director, Global Initiative), Stephanie Goff (Senior Director for Alumni Relations), Gustavo Herrero (Executive Director, Latin America Research Center), Kelly MacMillan (Assistant Director, Alumni Relations) Josh Merrow (Managing Director, Development) and Victoria Winston (Executive Director, Global Initiative) visited Tokyo for the Japan Research Symposium.

Jorge Domínguez (Vice Provost for International Affairs, Harvard University) visited Tokyo to enhance the University's global activities and engage in discussions with academic institutions and alumni in Japan. He was accompanied by Anders Yang (Regional Director, Asia-Pacific, FAS Capital Giving) and Paul Keenan (Associate Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences Development and Associate Director of University Development).

Loredana George (Director, International Experience Program, Office of Career Services, Harvard University) visited Tokyo to explore internship and career opportunities for Harvard College students.