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HBS Strategy Research Conference October 26 – 27, 2007


The Strategy group at Harvard Business School will host its ninth annual Strategy Research Conference on Friday and Saturday, October 26-27, 2007. The conference is evolving towards a theme-based format. The plan is to explore, in greater depth, different themes each year.

This year the conference will focus on corporate strategy, specifically:

“What is the role of the CEO in multi-business corporations?"

We are interested in understanding the levers of value creation and capture that are available to leaders of diversified companies. Areas of particular interest include:
  • Role of the corporate center in adding value to individual businesses
  • Locus of responsibility for strategy formulation within multi-business firms
  • Portfolio selection and extent of diversification
  • Corporate strategy and organizational design
  • Resource allocation processes within diversified corporations
  • Impact of ownership and governance structures on strategy and performance
  • Relationships with, and responsibilities to, stakeholders
  • Personal characteristics of the CEO and the top management team
  • Impact of leadership on strategy, and vice versa