Northwest Airlines: Coping with Change--August 1992

Leonard A. Schlesinger; Davis  Dyer

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Case | HBS Case Collection | July 1996 (Revised January 1997)

Northwest Airlines: Coping with Change--August 1992

by Leonard A. Schlesinger and Davis Dyer

Format: Print

27 pages

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Citation:

Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Davis Dyer. "Northwest Airlines: Coping with Change--August 1992." Harvard Business School Case 897-027, July 1996. (Revised January 1997.)

About the Author

Leonard A. Schlesinger

Baker Foundation Professor

General Management

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Boll & Branch

Leonard A. Schlesinger and Mel Martin

Keywords: direct-to-consumer; channels; Disruption; Business Model; Brands and Branding; Online Technology; Strategy; Retail Industry; United States; Canada;

Citation:
Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Mel Martin. "Boll & Branch." Harvard Business School Case 320-052, December 2019. View Details

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Case | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

Athena Bancorp (Brief Case)

Leonard A. Schlesinger and Sarah Abbott

Athena Bancorp was founded in 2016 by Beth Daniels, a banking professional with 15 years of experience in the industry. Daniels took advantage of what she perceived as a gap in the market caused by recent industry consolidation, a decreasing industry focus on branch banking, and tighter lending standards. Athena has an aggressive growth goal—"to grow to 15 branches, with loans and deposits increasing by threefold over the next five years." However, the bank's operating philosophy centers on a high-touch approach, and it relies on dedicated, highly capable employees who are willing to work long hours. Burnout is setting in at the branch level and morale is declining. Daniels and her leadership team are struggling to hire enough employees to execute this strategy. The case illustrates a company whose success is driven primarily by its human resources (HR) strategy. It also highlights the opportunities and challenges of operating a service business with a high performance/high commitment culture. The case can be used to discuss topics such as leadership, management, organizational culture, strategy, motivation, and entrepreneurs. It is recommended for upper-level undergraduate students or MBA students in courses focused on organizational behavior, general management, human resource management, leadership, or entrepreneurship.

Keywords: Banks and Banking; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Culture; Human Resources; Strategy; Service Delivery; Banking Industry;

Citation:
Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Sarah Abbott. "Athena Bancorp (Brief Case)." Harvard Business School Brief Case 919-517, June 2019. View Details

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Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

Athena Bancorp, Teaching Note (Brief Case)

Leonard A. Schlesinger and Sarah Abbott

Teaching Note for HBS No. 919-517.

Citation:
Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Sarah Abbott. "Athena Bancorp, Teaching Note (Brief Case)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 919-518, June 2019. View Details

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Northwest Airlines: Coping with Change--August 1992

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