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Faculty & Research

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    • HBS Book

    Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies

    By: Ranjay Gulati

    This book offers a compelling reassessment and defense of purpose as a management ethos, documenting the vast performance gains and social benefits that become possible when firms manage to get purpose right. Few business topics have aroused more skepticism in recent years than the notion of corporate purpose, and for good reason. Too many companies deploy purpose, or a reason for being, as a promotional vehicle to make themselves feel virtuous and to look good to the outside world. Some have only foggy ideas about what purpose is and conflate it with strategy and other concepts like “mission,” “vision,” and “values.” Even well-intentioned leaders don’t understand purpose’s full potential and engage half-heartedly and superficially with it.

    • HBS Book

    Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies

    By: Ranjay Gulati

    This book offers a compelling reassessment and defense of purpose as a management ethos, documenting the vast performance gains and social benefits that become possible when firms manage to get purpose right. Few business topics have aroused more skepticism in recent years than the notion of corporate purpose, and for good reason. Too many...

    • Science 377, no. 6612 (September 16, 2022)

    A Causal Test of the Strength of Weak Ties

    By: Karthik Rajkumar, Guillaume Saint-Jacques, Iavor I. Bojinov, Erik Brynjolfsson and Sinan Aral

    The authors analyzed data from multiple large-scale randomized experiments on LinkedIn’s People You May Know algorithm, which recommends new connections to LinkedIn members, to test the extent to which weak ties increased job mobility in the world’s largest professional social network. The experiments randomly varied the prevalence of weak ties in the networks of over 20 million people over a 5-year period, during which 2 billion new ties and 600,000 new jobs were created. The results provided experimental causal evidence supporting the strength of weak ties and suggested three revisions to the theory.

    • Science 377, no. 6612 (September 16, 2022)

    A Causal Test of the Strength of Weak Ties

    By: Karthik Rajkumar, Guillaume Saint-Jacques, Iavor I. Bojinov, Erik Brynjolfsson and Sinan Aral

    The authors analyzed data from multiple large-scale randomized experiments on LinkedIn’s People You May Know algorithm, which recommends new connections to LinkedIn members, to test the extent to which weak ties increased job mobility in the world’s largest professional social network. The experiments randomly varied the prevalence of weak ties in...

    • Social Enterprise Initiative

    Southwick Social Ventures

    By: Henry McGee, Mel Martin and Amy Klopfenstein

    In 2021, the HBS Impact Investment Fund student team had found a promising potential investment in Southwick Social Ventures (SSV), a worker and management-owned trouser manufacturer. With a 100% immigrant workforce, the co-operative was focused on reviving manufacturing in Lowell, Massachusetts, a city that was once an economic hub but had witnessed many of its factories shut and their activities moved to lower-cost locations abroad. The student team was charged with recommending deal terms to an independent investment committee whose members had deep experience in the impact investment field.

    • Social Enterprise Initiative

    Southwick Social Ventures

    By: Henry McGee, Mel Martin and Amy Klopfenstein

    In 2021, the HBS Impact Investment Fund student team had found a promising potential investment in Southwick Social Ventures (SSV), a worker and management-owned trouser manufacturer. With a 100% immigrant workforce, the co-operative was focused on reviving manufacturing in Lowell, Massachusetts, a city that was once an economic hub but had...

    • Featured Case

    Dollar Tree: Breaking the Buck

    By: Jill Avery and Marco Bertini

    For thirty-five years, Dollar Tree, a discount retail chain selling general merchandise, had held its fixed price point steady, pricing all of its household items, food, stationery, books, seasonal items, gifts, toys, and clothing that made up its diverse and ever-changing assortment at $1.00. While all other dollar store chains had raised prices over the years to keep up with inflation, Dollar Tree had never budged on its price. However, in late 2021, the company announced that Dollar Tree was “breaking the buck” and raising prices on all goods to $1.25. Would the demise of the $1.00 price point bring about the downfall of Dollar Tree or could the retail chain weather its price change without alienating its price sensitive shoppers through smart marketing, pricing, and branding strategies?

    • Featured Case

    Dollar Tree: Breaking the Buck

    By: Jill Avery and Marco Bertini

    For thirty-five years, Dollar Tree, a discount retail chain selling general merchandise, had held its fixed price point steady, pricing all of its household items, food, stationery, books, seasonal items, gifts, toys, and clothing that made up its diverse and ever-changing assortment at $1.00. While all other dollar store chains had raised prices...

    • Featured Case

    Sian Flowers: Fresher by Sea?

    By: Willy C. Shih, Michael W. Toffel and Pippa Tubman Armerding

    The setting for this case is the Sian Flowers, a company headquartered in Kitengela, Kenya that exports roses to predominantly Europe. Because cut flowers have a limited shelf life and consumers want them to retain their appearance for as long as possible, Sian or its distributors used international air cargo to transport them to Amsterdam, where they were sold at auction or trucked to markets across Europe. The Covid-19 pandemic caused huge increases in the cost of shipping, so Sian launched experiments to ship roses by ocean using refrigerated containers. Chris Kulei, the Executive Director, was interested in not only the potential costs savings, but whether he could also market the reduced carbon footprint.

    • Featured Case

    Sian Flowers: Fresher by Sea?

    By: Willy C. Shih, Michael W. Toffel and Pippa Tubman Armerding

    The setting for this case is the Sian Flowers, a company headquartered in Kitengela, Kenya that exports roses to predominantly Europe. Because cut flowers have a limited shelf life and consumers want them to retain their appearance for as long as possible, Sian or its distributors used international air cargo to transport them to Amsterdam, where...

    • HBS Working Paper

    Private Equity Fund Valuation Management during Fundraising

    By: Brian K. Baik

    I investigate whether and how private equity fund managers (GPs) inflate their interim fund valuations (net asset values, or NAVs) during fundraising periods. Specifically, I study the extent to which the GPs inflate NAVs by managing valuation assumptions (e.g., valuation multiples), influencing the financial metrics (e.g., EBITDA and sales) reported by the private firms in their portfolios, or both. Using a sample of buyout funds and their portfolio firms in Europe, I find that funds managed by low reputation GPs show more dramatic forms of NAV inflation by managing upward not only valuation multiples but also portfolio firm earnings. The results are robust to a number of alternative explanations.

    • HBS Working Paper

    Private Equity Fund Valuation Management during Fundraising

    By: Brian K. Baik

    I investigate whether and how private equity fund managers (GPs) inflate their interim fund valuations (net asset values, or NAVs) during fundraising periods. Specifically, I study the extent to which the GPs inflate NAVs by managing valuation assumptions (e.g., valuation multiples), influencing the financial metrics (e.g., EBITDA and sales)...

    • Working Paper

    Banking on Transparency for the Poor: Experimental Evidence from India

    By: Erica M. Field, Natalia Rigol, Charity M. Troyer Moore, Rohini Pande and Simone G. Schaner

    Do information frictions limit the benefits of financial inclusion drives for the rural poor? We evaluate an experimental intervention among recently banked poor Indian women receiving government cash transfers via direct deposit. Treated women were provided automated voice calls confirming details of transactions posted to their accounts. The intervention increased women's knowledge of account balances and trust in their local banking agent. Indicative of improved consumption-smoothing by income-constrained women, administrative data show that treated women accessed government transfers faster when the service was active, with treatment effects dissipating after the notifications were discontinued.

    • Working Paper

    Banking on Transparency for the Poor: Experimental Evidence from India

    By: Erica M. Field, Natalia Rigol, Charity M. Troyer Moore, Rohini Pande and Simone G. Schaner

    Do information frictions limit the benefits of financial inclusion drives for the rural poor? We evaluate an experimental intervention among recently banked poor Indian women receiving government cash transfers via direct deposit. Treated women were provided automated voice calls confirming details of transactions posted to their accounts. The...

Initiatives & Projects

U.S. Competitiveness

The U.S. Competitiveness Project is a research-led effort to understand and improve the competitiveness of the United States. The project is committed to identifying practical steps that business leaders can take to strengthen the U.S. economy.
→All Initiatives & Projects

Seminars & Conferences

Oct 31
  • 31 Oct 2022

​Thomas Fetzer, Central European University

Oct 31
  • 31 Oct 2022

Luo Zuo, Cornell University

→More Seminars & Conferences

Recent Publications

Your Company Needs a Space Strategy. Now.

By: Matthew Weinzierl, Prithwiraj (Raj) Choudhury, Tarun Khanna, Alan MacCormack and Brendan Rosseau
  • November–December 2022 |
  • Article |
  • Harvard Business Review
Space is becoming a potential source of value for businesses across a range of sectors, including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, and tourism. To understand what the opportunities are for your company, the authors advise you to consider the four ways in which using space could create value: data, capabilities, resources, and markets. For most companies thinking about their space strategy over the next five to 10 years, data will be the dominant focus. For instance, many companies are turning to remote-sensing satellites for data that will inform business decisions. Whether it’s tracking the number of cars parked in retail locations, detecting costly and environmentally damaging methane leaks from natural-gas wells, or assessing soil type and moisture content to maximize crop yields, creative uses for data gathered from space abound. Companies looking further ahead will want to explore the value to be gained from conducting activities in space, utilizing space assets, and meeting demand from the new space age. Businesses engaging with commercial space should be willing to experiment and should look for partners.
Citation
Related
Weinzierl, Matthew, Prithwiraj (Raj) Choudhury, Tarun Khanna, Alan MacCormack, and Brendan Rosseau. "Your Company Needs a Space Strategy. Now." Harvard Business Review (November–December 2022).

Kindness in Short Supply: Evidence for Inadequate Prosocial Input

By: Jennifer E. Abel, Preeti Vani, Nicole Abi-Esber, Hayley Blunden and Juliana Schroeder
  • Article |
  • Current Opinion in Psychology
In everyday life, people often have opportunities to improve others’ lives, whether offering well-intentioned advice or complimenting someone on a job well done. These are opportunities to provide “prosocial input” (information intended to benefit others), including feedback, advice, compliments, and expressions of gratitude. Despite widespread evidence that giving prosocial input can improve the well-being of both givers and recipients, people sometimes hesitate to offer their input. The current paper documents when and why people fail to give prosocial input, noting that potential givers overestimate the costs of doing so (e.g., making recipients uncomfortable) and underestimate the benefits (e.g., being helpful) for at least four psychological reasons. Unfortunately, the reluctance to give prosocial input results in a short supply of kindness.
Citation
Purchase
Related
Abel, Jennifer E., Preeti Vani, Nicole Abi-Esber, Hayley Blunden, and Juliana Schroeder. "Kindness in Short Supply: Evidence for Inadequate Prosocial Input." Current Opinion in Psychology (in press). (Pre-published online 8/20/22.)

Managing Science Communication at Bayer

By: Joshua Schwartzstein
  • October 2022 |
  • Teaching Note |
  • Faculty Research
Citation
Purchase
Related
Schwartzstein, Joshua. "Managing Science Communication at Bayer." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 923-027, October 2022.

How to Build a Life: How to Make Life More Transcendent

By: Arthur C. Brooks
  • October 27, 2022 |
  • Article |
  • The Atlantic
Citation
Related
Brooks, Arthur C. "How to Build a Life: How to Make Life More Transcendent." The Atlantic (October 27, 2022).

Pricing at Echosec Systems

By: Elie Ofek, Marco Bertini, Annelena Lobb and Alexis Lefort
  • October 2022 |
  • Case |
  • Faculty Research
This case follows the evolution of pricing strategy at Echosec Systems, a Canadian open source intelligence firm. The case provides information on pricing as the company grows and diversifies its product offerings.
Citation
Educators
Related
Ofek, Elie, Marco Bertini, Annelena Lobb, and Alexis Lefort. "Pricing at Echosec Systems." Harvard Business School Case 523-052, October 2022.

The SAH Group: The Time is Right, Instructor Spreadsheet

By: Juan Alcacer and Alpana Thapar
  • October 2022 |
  • Supplement |
  • Faculty Research
In January 2021, Jalila Mezni, CEO of the SAH Group, was preparing to present the company’s future growth plans to its board of directors. The Tunisian company was a leading producer and distributor of personal care and packaged hygiene products. In 2019, it expanded further by entering the detergents market. By 2020, the company employed over 4,500 people and had a presence in 20 African countries. The Lilas brand had become a household name in Tunisia, outperforming brands owned by global players like Procter and Gamble. In detergents, SAH was steadily gaining ground over multinational consumer goods companies like Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser, and Henkel. As Mezni looked ahead, she had to carefully evaluate three growth opportunities: introducing a range of kitchen cleaners, vertically integrating operations in the detergents business, and opening a subsidiary in Kenya. Which of these, if any, would be the right way forward for the SAH Group at this juncture?
Citation
Purchase
Related
Alcacer, Juan, and Alpana Thapar. "The SAH Group: The Time is Right, Instructor Spreadsheet." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 723-862, October 2022.

The SAH Group: The Time is Right, Spreadsheet Supplement

By: Juan Alcacer and Alpana Thapar
  • October 2022 |
  • Supplement |
  • Faculty Research
In January 2021, Jalila Mezni, CEO of the SAH Group, was preparing to present the company’s future growth plans to its board of directors. The Tunisian company was a leading producer and distributor of personal care and packaged hygiene products. In 2019, it expanded further by entering the detergents market. By 2020, the company employed over 4,500 people and had a presence in 20 African countries. The Lilas brand had become a household name in Tunisia, outperforming brands owned by global players like Procter and Gamble. In detergents, SAH was steadily gaining ground over multinational consumer goods companies like Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser, and Henkel. As Mezni looked ahead, she had to carefully evaluate three growth opportunities: introducing a range of kitchen cleaners, vertically integrating operations in the detergents business, and opening a subsidiary in Kenya. Which of these, if any, would be the right way forward for the SAH Group at this juncture?
Citation
Purchase
Related
Alcacer, Juan, and Alpana Thapar. "The SAH Group: The Time is Right, Spreadsheet Supplement." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 723-861, October 2022.

Why Sharing Economic Growth with the Community Is Good Business

By: José A. Tiburcio, Lino Miguel Dias and Robert S. Kaplan
  • October 25, 2022 |
  • Article |
  • Harvard Business Review (website)
Subsistence dairy ranchers in Central America struggle to stay afloat during the dry season when grass is scarce. Global life sciences company Bayer has launched a program to enable them to produce their own corn silage feed. The results of this program are helping to pull the ranchers out of poverty because they are now able to sustain a consistent milk output through the year and can increase the number of cattle they keep. This in turn makes them more reliable (and cheaper) suppliers for large-scale milk processing companies. This innovation creates value for Bayer and its partners in the program as well as for the ranchers and their customers.
Citation
Related
Tiburcio, José A., Lino Miguel Dias, and Robert S. Kaplan. "Why Sharing Economic Growth with the Community Is Good Business." Harvard Business Review (website) (October 25, 2022).
More Publications

In The News

    • 28 Oct 2022
    • Harvard Business School

    HBS Announces New RISE Career Fellow Program

    Re: Henry McGee
    • 26 Oct 2022
    • Harvard Business School

    HBS Announces 2022-2023 Cohort of Executive Fellows

    Re: Mo Abudu, Frantz Alphonse, Peter Barrett, Rob Biederman, Bertrand Bodson, Gerald Chertavian, Paul Clancy, Marcelo Claure, Sam Clemens, Rana el Kaliouby, Sarah Endline, jfonstad@hbs.edu, Rachel Greenwald, Joe Higgins, Matt Higgins, rindahl@hbs.edu, Vladimir Jacimovic, Thomas Jones, Steve Kaufman, Ann Le Cam, Sabrina Lynch, hmanwani@hbs.edu, Greg Marsh, Sunand Menon, Michael Moynihan, Marily Nika, apforzheimer@hbs.edu, dpurushothaman@hbs.edu, srothman@hbs.edu, Alexandra Schweitzer, rseseri@hbs.edu, Michael Skok, Charlie Wu & Sheela Zemlin
    • 23 Oct 2022
    • Boston Globe

    Jay Light, former HBS dean, dies at 81

    Re: Srikant Datar, Jay Light & Nitin Nohria
    • 22 Oct 2022
    • CNBC Africa

    Shared Value Africa Initiative: Why bridging the digital divide is critical to economic opportunity

    Re: Mark Kramer
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The Case Method

Introduced by HBS faculty to business education in 1925, the case method is a powerful interactive learning process that puts students in the shoes of a leader faced with a real-world management issue and challenges them to propose and justify a resolution.
Today, HBS remains an authority on teaching by the case method. The School is also the world’s leading case-writing institution, with HBS faculty members contributing hundreds of new cases to the management curriculum a year via the School’s unique case development and writing process.
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