Sustaining Superior Performance: Commitments and Capabilities

Pankaj   Ghemawat; Gary P. Pisano

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Background Note | HBS Case Collection | July 1997

Sustaining Superior Performance: Commitments and Capabilities

by Pankaj Ghemawat and Gary P. Pisano

Abstract

Presents evidence on the unsustainability of many competitive advantages, reviews the typical threats to the sustainability, and discusses ways in which those threats can be combatted.

Keywords: Competitive Advantage;

Format: Print

20 pages

Educators Purchase

Citation:

Ghemawat, Pankaj, and Gary P. Pisano. "Sustaining Superior Performance: Commitments and Capabilities." Harvard Business School Background Note 798-008, July 1997.

About the Author

Gary P. Pisano

Harry E. Figgie, Jr. Professor of Business Administration
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development

Technology and Operations Management

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Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2019

Engineering Company Culture at Zaimella Ecuador

Francesca Gino, Gary Pisano and Mariana Cal

Citation:
Gino, Francesca, Gary Pisano, and Mariana Cal. "Engineering Company Culture at Zaimella Ecuador." Harvard Business School Case 919-001, February 2019. View Details

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Book | 2019

Creative Construction: The DNA of Sustained Innovation

Gary P. Pisano

Creative Construction tackles the myth that larger enterprises are inherently incapable of transformative innovation and are doomed to be disrupted by nimble start-ups. If larger enterprises seem incapable of transformative innovation, it is due to how we design and manage them, rather than anything inherent in their scale. In fact, Creative Construction argues, if used properly, scale can be an asset, rather than a liability, when it comes to innovation. However, to leverage the advantages of scale for innovation, companies need the right combination of strategy, systems, and culture. Based on more than three decades of the Pisano's research, teaching, and experience, Creative Construction offers a set of principles that will lead readers to rethink many long-held beliefs about innovation.

Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Business Growth and Maturation; Innovation Strategy; Organizational Culture; Management Systems; Creativity; Leading Change;

Citation:
Pisano, Gary P. Creative Construction: The DNA of Sustained Innovation. New York: PublicAffairs, 2019. View Details

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Article | Harvard Business Review | January–February 2019

The Hard Truth About Innovative Cultures

Gary P. Pisano

Innovative cultures are generally depicted as pretty fun. They’re characterized by a tolerance for failure and a willingness to experiment. They’re seen as being psychologically safe, highly collaborative, and nonhierarchical. And research suggests that these behaviors translate into better innovative performance. But despite the fact that innovative cultures are desirable, and that most leaders claim to understand what they entail, they are hard to create and sustain. That’s because the easy-to-like behaviors that get so much attention are only one side of the coin. They must be counterbalanced by some tougher and frankly less fun behaviors: an intolerance for incompetence, rigorous discipline, brutal candor, a high level of individual accountability, and strong leadership. Unless the tensions created by this paradox are carefully managed, attempts to create an innovative culture will fail.

Keywords: Organizational Culture; Innovation and Invention; Performance Expectations; Leadership;

Citation:
Pisano, Gary P. "The Hard Truth About Innovative Cultures." Harvard Business Review 97, no. 1 (January–February 2019): 62–71. View Details

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Sustaining Superior Performance: Commitments and Capabilities

Abstract

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