Autonomous Vehicles: The Rubber Hits the Road…but When?

William  Kerr; James  Palano

Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | December 2018

Autonomous Vehicles: The Rubber Hits the Road…but When?

by William Kerr and James Palano

Abstract

The autonomous vehicles have enormous implications for business and society. But, despite the headline-laden attention paid to the technology, there remain more questions than answers. Students will learn about the complex industry and have explicit discussions about the factors influencing development and commercialization and how various stakeholders might respond. They will also be put in the shoes of decision-makers looking for signals that might help them prepare for the disruptive change ahead. Teaching Note for HBS No. 818-088.

Keywords: technology management; artificial intelligence; general management; robotics; Technological Innovation; Transportation; Disruption; Technology; Management; Decision Making; Auto Industry; Technology Industry;

Language: English

Format: Print

11 pages

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Kerr, William, and James Palano. "Autonomous Vehicles: The Rubber Hits the Road…but When?" Harvard Business School Teaching Note 819-040, December 2018.

Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2019 (Revised October 2019)

Google: To TVC or Not to TVC?

William R. Kerr and Carl Kreitzberg

In late 2018, evidence emerged that many of Google’s temporary help agency workers, vendors, and independent contractors (“TVCs”) were unhappy with the company. TVCs, who reportedly made up 49.95% of Google’s 170,000 person global workforce, had raised concerns of mistreatment, citing instances of pay inequity, social exclusion, and physical endangerment. “Flexible” workers, such as TVCs, were often seen as a key cog for Silicon Valley’s IT companies: they made workforces scalable, they helped firms get access to specialized knowledge for temporary projects, and they boosted innovation by creating “knowledge spillovers” between firms. But, at the same time, many onlookers worried that flexible work arrangements were aggravating social inequality and making more jobs precarious. Google employees, major media outlets, and politicians demanded that the company change its policies on TVCs. One suggestion was that Google convert all of its TVCs to full-time status by early 2020. As tensions reportedly escalated between Google’s workforce and its management team, some began to wonder if Google was still an employer of choice.

Keywords: workforce; independent contractors; talent management; Silicon Valley; google; employee attitude; Employee compensation; employee engagement; future of work; innovation; innovation and strategy; inequality; talent acquisition; Labor; Talent and Talent Management; Strategy; Technological Innovation; Employees; Attitudes; Innovation and Management; Human Resources; Equality and Inequality; Information Technology Industry; United States; San Francisco;

Citation:

Kerr, William R., and Carl Kreitzberg. "Google: To TVC or Not to TVC?" Harvard Business School Case 820-048, September 2019. (Revised October 2019.) View Details

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Autonomous Vehicles: The Rubber Hits the Road…but When?

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