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Sandra J. Sucher

Sandra J. Sucher

MBA Class of 1966 Professor of Management Practice

MBA Class of 1966 Professor of Management Practice

Sandra Sucher is an internationally recognized trust researcher and professor of management practice at Harvard Business School.The Power of Trust: How Companies Earn It, Lose It, Regain It, is her third book. It is based on two decades of research on global companies' best practices and in the gray areas of business—where responsibilities to investors, customers, employees, and society pull companies and their leaders in different directions. She is an advisor to the Edelman Trust Barometer and has worked with Deloitte on a trust dashboard that measures trust in major corporations.

At Harvard, Sucher studies how organizations become trusted and the vital role leaders play in the process. She has authored 110 business cases, technical notes, video interviews, teaching notes, and three books. Her 2019 articles on trust were featured as a “big idea” in HBR.org and her 2018 article, “Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company,” was selected as a Harvard Business Review “Must Read.” Sucher’s textbooks on ethical leadership, The Moral Leader: Challenges, Insights, and Tools and Teaching The Moral Leader: A Literature- based Leadership Course were called “a ground-breaking approach for education in business ethics.”

Sucher focuses on the practical realities of building trust, and was a business executive for 20 years before joining Harvard. As a senior executive at Fidelity Investments, Sucher measured customer loyalty, redesigned back office operations, and improved the quality of service. In retailing, she authored the proposal to expand Filene’s Basement from a single-unit business to a national chain. Sucher has served on corporate and nonprofit boards and was chairman of the Better Business Bureau.

Sucher’s research has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Quartz, Business Insider, CNBC, NPR, Marketplace, and in Germany, Latin America, and Japan. 

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Featured Work Publications Research Summary
The Power of Trust
How Companies Build It, Lose It, Regain It

Trust is the most powerful force underlying the success of every business. Yet it can be shattered in an instant, with a devastating impact on a company’s market cap and reputation. How to build and sustain trust requires fresh insight into why customers, employees, community members and investors decide whether an organization can be trusted.

Based on two decades of research and illustrated through vivid storytelling, Sandra Sucher and Shalene Gupta examine the economic impact of trust, the science behind it and conclusively prove that trust is built from the inside-out. Trust emerges from a company being the "real deal": creating products and services that work, having good intentions, treating people fairly, and taking responsibility for all the impacts an organization creates, whether intended or not.

When trust is in the room great things can happen. Sucher and Gupta’s innovative foundation for executing the elements of trust - competence, motives, means, impact – explains how trust can be woven into the day-to-day and the long term. Most importantly, even when lost, trust can be regained, as illustrated through their accounts of companies across the globe who pull themselves out of scandal and corruption by doing the right things right.

You can purchase the book at Amazon, Target, and Walmart, among other booksellers. 
The Moral Leader: Challenges, Insights and Tools
Student Textbook

Successful leaders – at any level and in any arena – are inevitably presented with moral and ethical choices. This unique and innovative textbook is designed to encourage students and managers to confront those fundamental moral challenges, to develop skills in moral analysis and judgment, and to come to terms with their own definition of moral leadership and how it can be translated into action. Drawing on the inspiration of major literary and historical figures such as Machiavelli, Achebe, Sir Thomas More, U.S. President Harry S. Truman, and based upon an impressive array of literary sources, including novels, plays, history and biography, the book centers on four questions implicitly asked of all leaders:

  • What is the nature of a moral challenge?
  • How do people 'reason morally'?
  • How do leaders contend with the moral choices they face?
  • How is moral leadership different from leadership in general?

The Moral Leader is based upon the renowned course of the same name taught at Harvard Business School for over two decades. With an emphasis on decision-making and action, students learn to identify moral problems, to address them systematically, and to develop skills that aid them throughout their studies and their professional lives. At times challenging, insightful, and always illuminating, this book is essential reading for all serious students of leadership, management, business ethics or policy.

Visit the companion website at www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415400640

Teaching the Moral Leader: A Literature-Based Leadership Course
Instructor Manual

This book is a comprehensive, practical manual to help instructors integrate moral leadership in their own courses, drawing from the experience and resources of the Harvard Business School course 'The Moral Leader', an MBA elective taken by thousands of HBS students over nearly twenty years. Through the close study of literature--novels, plays, and historical accounts-- followed by rigorous classroom discussion, this innovative course encourages students to confront fundamental moral challenges, to develop skills in moral analysis and judgment, and to come to terms with their own definition of moral leadership. 

Using the guide's background material and detailed teaching plans, instructors will be well prepared to lead their students in the study of this vital and important subject. Featuring a website to run alongside that links the manual with the textbook and provides a wealth of extra resources, including on-line links to Harvard Business School case studies and teaching notes this manual forms a perfect complement to The Moral Leader core text also by Sandra Sucher.

Sandra Sucher is an internationally recognized trust researcher and professor of management practice at Harvard Business School.The Power of Trust: How Companies Earn It, Lose It, Regain It, is her third book. It is based on two decades of research on global companies' best practices and in the gray areas of business—where responsibilities to investors, customers, employees, and society pull companies and their leaders in different directions. She is an advisor to the Edelman Trust Barometer and has worked with Deloitte on a trust dashboard that measures trust in major corporations.

At Harvard, Sucher studies how organizations become trusted and the vital role leaders play in the process. She has authored 110 business cases, technical notes, video interviews, teaching notes, and three books. Her 2019 articles on trust were featured as a “big idea” in HBR.org and her 2018 article, “Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company,” was selected as a Harvard Business Review “Must Read.” Sucher’s textbooks on ethical leadership, The Moral Leader: Challenges, Insights, and Tools and Teaching The Moral Leader: A Literature- based Leadership Course were called “a ground-breaking approach for education in business ethics.”

Sucher focuses on the practical realities of building trust, and was a business executive for 20 years before joining Harvard. As a senior executive at Fidelity Investments, Sucher measured customer loyalty, redesigned back office operations, and improved the quality of service. In retailing, she authored the proposal to expand Filene’s Basement from a single-unit business to a national chain. Sucher has served on corporate and nonprofit boards and was chairman of the Better Business Bureau.

Sucher’s research has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Quartz, Business Insider, CNBC, NPR, Marketplace, and in Germany, Latin America, and Japan. 

Featured Work
The Power of Trust
How Companies Build It, Lose It, Regain It

Trust is the most powerful force underlying the success of every business. Yet it can be shattered in an instant, with a devastating impact on a company’s market cap and reputation. How to build and sustain trust requires fresh insight into why customers, employees, community members and investors decide whether an organization can be trusted.

Based on two decades of research and illustrated through vivid storytelling, Sandra Sucher and Shalene Gupta examine the economic impact of trust, the science behind it and conclusively prove that trust is built from the inside-out. Trust emerges from a company being the "real deal": creating products and services that work, having good intentions, treating people fairly, and taking responsibility for all the impacts an organization creates, whether intended or not.

When trust is in the room great things can happen. Sucher and Gupta’s innovative foundation for executing the elements of trust - competence, motives, means, impact – explains how trust can be woven into the day-to-day and the long term. Most importantly, even when lost, trust can be regained, as illustrated through their accounts of companies across the globe who pull themselves out of scandal and corruption by doing the right things right.

You can purchase the book at Amazon, Target, and Walmart, among other booksellers. 
The Moral Leader: Challenges, Insights and Tools
Student Textbook

Successful leaders – at any level and in any arena – are inevitably presented with moral and ethical choices. This unique and innovative textbook is designed to encourage students and managers to confront those fundamental moral challenges, to develop skills in moral analysis and judgment, and to come to terms with their own definition of moral leadership and how it can be translated into action. Drawing on the inspiration of major literary and historical figures such as Machiavelli, Achebe, Sir Thomas More, U.S. President Harry S. Truman, and based upon an impressive array of literary sources, including novels, plays, history and biography, the book centers on four questions implicitly asked of all leaders:

  • What is the nature of a moral challenge?
  • How do people 'reason morally'?
  • How do leaders contend with the moral choices they face?
  • How is moral leadership different from leadership in general?

The Moral Leader is based upon the renowned course of the same name taught at Harvard Business School for over two decades. With an emphasis on decision-making and action, students learn to identify moral problems, to address them systematically, and to develop skills that aid them throughout their studies and their professional lives. At times challenging, insightful, and always illuminating, this book is essential reading for all serious students of leadership, management, business ethics or policy.

Visit the companion website at www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415400640

Teaching the Moral Leader: A Literature-Based Leadership Course
Instructor Manual

This book is a comprehensive, practical manual to help instructors integrate moral leadership in their own courses, drawing from the experience and resources of the Harvard Business School course 'The Moral Leader', an MBA elective taken by thousands of HBS students over nearly twenty years. Through the close study of literature--novels, plays, and historical accounts-- followed by rigorous classroom discussion, this innovative course encourages students to confront fundamental moral challenges, to develop skills in moral analysis and judgment, and to come to terms with their own definition of moral leadership. 

Using the guide's background material and detailed teaching plans, instructors will be well prepared to lead their students in the study of this vital and important subject. Featuring a website to run alongside that links the manual with the textbook and provides a wealth of extra resources, including on-line links to Harvard Business School case studies and teaching notes this manual forms a perfect complement to The Moral Leader core text also by Sandra Sucher.

Books
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Shalene Gupta. The Power of Trust: How Companies Build It, Lose It, Regain It. New York: PublicAffairs, forthcoming. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. The Moral Leader: Challenges, Tools, and Insights. Routledge, 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. Teaching the Moral Leader: A Literature-Based Leadership Course. Routledge, 2007. View Details
Journal Articles
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Shalene Gupta. "The Breach of the U.S. Capitol Was a Breach of Trust." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (January 11, 2021). View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Shalene Gupta. "How to Make Furloughs More Humane." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (April 24, 2020). View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Shalene Gupta. "The Elements of a Good Company Apology." Special Issue on Broken Trust. Harvard Business Review: The Big Idea (July 2019). View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Shalene Gupta. "Leading with Trust." Special Issue on Broken Trust. Harvard Business Review: The Big Idea (July 2019). View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Shalene Gupta. "The Trust Crisis." Special Issue on Broken Trust. Harvard Business Review: The Big Idea (July 2019). View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "How Boeing Should Have Responded to the 737 Max Safety Crisis." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (March 14, 2019). View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Shalene Gupta. "Layoffs That Don't Break Your Company: Better Approaches to Workforce Transition." Harvard Business Review 96, no. 3 (May–June 2018): 122–129. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Matthew Preble. "Case Study: Follow Dubious Orders or Speak Up?" Harvard Business Review 95, no. 4 (July–August 2017): 139–141. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Susan J. Winterberg. "Leadership Lessons of the Great Recession: Options for Economic Downturns." Harvard Business School Working Knowledge (September 9, 2015). View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "The Quest for Better Layoffs." Harvard Business School Working Knowledge (January 7, 2015). View Details
Other Publications and Materials
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Susan J. Winterberg. "Michelin: Socially Responsible Industrial Restructuring." Report, 2016. View Details
Cases and Teaching Materials
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "A Framework for Interpersonal Skills Development." Harvard Business School Technical Note 320-040, October 2019. (Revised February 2020.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra, and Shalene Gupta. "Globalizing Japan's Dream Machine: Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 318-131, April 2018. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Shalene Gupta. "Globalizing Japan's Dream Machine: Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd." Harvard Business School Case 318-130, April 2018. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "An Intern's Dilemma (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Plan 317-117, April 2017. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Matthew Preble. "An Intern's Dilemma (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 316-129, December 2015. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Matthew Preble. "An Intern's Dilemma (A)." Harvard Business School Case 316-128, December 2015. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Susan J. Winterberg. "Nokia's Bridge Program (A) & (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 316-114, December 2015. View Details
  • Nohria, Nitin, Sandra J. Sucher, Joseph Badaracco, and Bridget Gurtler. "Note on Human Behavior: Situation versus Character." Harvard Business School Background Note 316-078, September 2015. (Revised March 2018.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Susan J. Winterberg. "Honeywell and the Great Recession (A) & (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 315-048, April 2015. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Susan J. Winterberg. "Nokia's Bridge Program: Outcome and Results (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 315-003, February 2015. (Revised May 2015.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Susan J. Winterberg. "Nokia's Bridge Program: Redesigning Layoffs (A)." Harvard Business School Case 315-002, February 2015. (Revised August 2016.) View Details
  • Ramanna, Karthik, Sandra J. Sucher, and Ian McKown Cornell. "Business and Government: Campaign Contributions and Lobbying in the United States." Harvard Business School Technical Note 113-037, March 2013. (Revised January 2015.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Susan J. Winterberg. "Honeywell and the Great Recession: The Economic Recovery (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 315-023, October 2014. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Susan J. Winterberg. "Honeywell and the Great Recession (A)." Harvard Business School Case 315-022, October 2014. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Susan J. Winterberg. "Furloughs: An Alternative to Layoffs for Economic Downturns." Harvard Business School Background Note 314-097, February 2014. View Details
  • Ramanna, Karthik, and Sandra Sucher. "Business and Government: Campaign Contributions and Lobbying in the United States." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 113-138, June 2013. (Revised March 2015.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Henry McGee. "A Brief History of the U.S. Tobacco Industry Controversy." Harvard Business School Background Note 613-044, September 2012. (Revised August 2013.) View Details
  • Margolis, Joshua D., and Sandra J. Sucher. "Guide to ISDL Reflections." Harvard Business School Technical Note 613-077, January 2013. (Revised October 2019.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Clayton S. Rose. "On Weldon's Watch: Recalls at Johnson & Johnson from 2009 to 2010 (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 613-064, November 2012. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Elena Corsi. "Global Diversity and Inclusion at Royal Dutch Shell (A)." Harvard Business School Case 613-063, October 2012. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Chris and Alison Weston (A), (B), (C)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 613-018, November 2012. (Revised January 2018.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Generation Investment Management, Video." Harvard Business School Video Supplement 612-704, July 2012. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Matthew Preble. "Generation Investment Management." Harvard Business School Case 613-002, July 2012. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "The Impact of Layoffs ." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 612-024, August 2011. (Revised November 2014.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Managing the Layoff Process: France." Harvard Business School Background Note 612-083, March 2012. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Managing the Layoff Process: The United States." Harvard Business School Background Note 612-067, March 2012. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Managing the Layoff Process: India." Harvard Business School Background Note 612-068, March 2012. View Details
  • Deshpande, Rohit, Sandra J. Sucher, and Laura Winig. "Cipla 2011." Harvard Business School Case 511-050, April 2011. (Revised April 2015.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Celia Moore. "Chris and Alison Weston (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 612-021, December 2011. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Nien-he Hsieh. "A Framework for Ethical Reasoning." Harvard Business School Background Note 610-050, January 2010. (Revised December 2011.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Action Planning: An LCA Perspective." Harvard Business School Module Note 605-079, March 2005. (Revised November 2012.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., David Rosales, and Elana Green. "The Impact of Layoffs." Harvard Business School Video Supplement 612-702, November 2011. (Revised January 2014.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Celia Moore. "Chris and Alison Weston (A)." Harvard Business School Case 612-019, October 2011. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Celia Moore. "Chris and Alison Weston (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 612-020, October 2011. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Celia Moore. "A Note on Moral Disengagement." Harvard Business School Background Note 612-043, October 2011. (Revised October 2012.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Phillip Andrews. "Anne Riley: Laid Off." Harvard Business School Case 612-008, September 2011. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Global Diversity and Inclusion at Royal Dutch Shell (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 612-023, August 2011. (Revised February 2015.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work Series (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 611-077, June 2011. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Differences at Work: The Individual Experience." Harvard Business School Background Note 608-068, November 2007. (Revised June 2016.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Daniel Baer. "Yahoo! in China (A)." Harvard Business School Case 609-051, February 2009. (Revised April 2011.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., Rebecca M. Henderson, and Matthew Preble. "Shell Nigeria: The WikiLeaks Cables." Harvard Business School Case 311-084, April 2011. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., Elana Sara Green, and David Alberto Rosales. "Layoffs: Management Implications and Best Practices." Harvard Business School Background Note 611-029, December 2010. (Revised March 2011.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Daniela Beyersdorfer. "Global Diversity and Inclusion at Royal Dutch Shell (B): The Impact of Restructuring." Harvard Business School Supplement 611-051, January 2011. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Matthew Preble. "An Intern's Dilemma." Harvard Business School Case 611-041, January 2011. (Revised August 2013.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., Elana Sara Green, David Alberto Rosales, and Susan J. Winterberg. "Layoffs: Effects on Key Stakeholders." Harvard Business School Background Note 611-028, December 2010. (Revised September 2014.) View Details
  • Rose, Clayton S., Sandra J. Sucher, Rachel Gordon, and Matthew Preble. "On Weldon's Watch: Recalls at Johnson & Johnson from 2009 to 2010." Harvard Business School Case 311-029, October 2010. (Revised August 2016.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Social Identity Profile." Harvard Business School Exercise 608-091, November 2007. (Revised September 2010.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Generation Investment Management (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 611-006, August 2010. (Revised June 2020.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Module II: Moral Reasoning Class Summaries." Harvard Business School Module Note 605-046, November 2004. (Revised April 2010.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Daniel Baer. "Yahoo! in China (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 610-067, February 2010. (Revised September 2013.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Module III: Moral Leadership Class Summaries." Harvard Business School Module Note 605-052, December 2004. (Revised December 2009.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., Daniela Beyersdorfer, and Ian McKown Cornell. "Note on Socially Responsible Investing." Harvard Business School Background Note 609-060, February 2009. (Revised August 2012.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Module I: Moral Challenge Class Summaries." Harvard Business School Module Note 605-036, September 2004. (Revised November 2012.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Daniel Baer. "Yahoo! in China (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 609-073, February 2009. (Revised September 2009.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Martin (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-019, November 2007. (Revised July 2009.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Martin (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-052, November 2007. (Revised July 2009.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Differences at Work: The Leadership Challenge." Harvard Business School Background Note 609-056, November 2008. (Revised September 2014.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Sameer (A)." Harvard Business School Case 609-053, November 2008. (Revised December 2008.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Sameer (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 609-054, November 2008. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Will (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-013, November 2007. (Revised October 2008.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Will (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-045, November 2007. (Revised October 2008.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Jason (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-016, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Jason (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-049, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Jenny (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-017, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Jenny (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-050, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Emily (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-014, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Emily (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-046, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Emily (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-047, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Ben (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-044, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Allie (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-037, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Sam (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-021, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Sam (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-054, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Allie (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-055, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Allie (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-056, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Erica (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-015, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Erica (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-048, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Alex (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-011, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Alex (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-042, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Ben (A)." Harvard Business School Case 408-012, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Rachel Gordon. "Differences at Work: Ben (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 408-043, November 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Aldo Sesia. "Restoring Trust at WorldCom (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 307-025, September 2006. (Revised July 2007.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Blessed Assurance: The Challenge of a Moral Dilemma." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-067, February 2007. (Revised March 2007.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Antigone: The Challenge of Right Versus Right." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-066, February 2007. (Revised March 2007.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Things Fall Apart Summary: The Challenge of New Principles." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-068, February 2007. (Revised March 2007.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "The Sweet Hereafter Summary: Reasoning from Personal Perspective." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-070, February 2007. (Revised March 2007.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Truman and the Bomb Summary: Balancing Benefits and Harms." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-075, February 2007. (Revised March 2007.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Endurance Summary: The Challenge of Right Versus Wrong." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-065, February 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Trifles Summary: Reasoning from Moral Theory." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-069, February 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "The Remains of the Day Summary: Reasoning From a Moral Code." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-071, February 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "A Man for All Seasons Summary: Reasoning from Multiple Moralities." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-072, February 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "The Prince Summary: Exercising Authority." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-073, February 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "The Secret Sharer Summary: Earning Legitimacy." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-074, February 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Katharine Graham Summary: Taking a Stand." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-076, February 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "American Ground Summary: Assuming Leadership." Harvard Business School Module Note 607-077, February 2007. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Aldo Sesia. "James Burke: A Career in American Business Series (LCA) (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 307-028, September 2006. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Reading the Material." Harvard Business School Background Note 605-027, August 2004. (Revised August 2006.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Moral Reasoning: A Practical Guide for Leaders." Harvard Business School Background Note 604-054, October 2003. (Revised April 2006.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Stacy McManus. "Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, The." Harvard Business School Case 601-163, March 2001. (Revised September 2005.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Stacy McManus. "Novartis: The Challenge of Success (A)." Harvard Business School Case 603-043, April 2003. (Revised October 2004.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Stacy McManus. "Novartis: The Challenge of Success (B)." Harvard Business School Case 603-044, April 2003. (Revised October 2004.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Stacy McManus. "Novartis: The Challenge of Success (C)." Harvard Business School Case 603-045, June 2003. (Revised October 2004.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Stacy McManus. "Novartis: The Challenge of Success (D)." Harvard Business School Case 603-046, June 2003. (Revised October 2004.) View Details
  • Reiling, Henry B., M. Diane Burton, and Sandra J. Sucher. "Crimson Greetings Simulation (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 603-051, August 2002. (Revised August 2004.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Herman Miller (A): Innovation by Design (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 604-056, October 2003. View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Stacy McManus. "Herman Miller (A): Innovation by Design." Harvard Business School Case 602-023, October 2001. (Revised November 2002.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Stacy McManus. "Herman Miller(B): Creating Innovation Streams." Harvard Business School Case 602-024, October 2001. (Revised November 2002.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Four Principles of Biomedical Ethics: Definitions and Examples." Harvard Business School Compilation 603-079, November 2002. View Details
  • MacCormack, Alan D., Sandra J. Sucher, and Suraj Rangashayi. "Le Petit Chef." Harvard Business School Case 602-080, October 2001. (Revised November 2002.) View Details
  • MacCormack, Alan D., and Sandra J. Sucher. "Le Petit Chef TN." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 602-117, January 2002. (Revised November 2002.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Daniel Galvin. "WingspanBank.com (A)." Harvard Business School Case 600-035, October 1999. (Revised July 2002.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J., and Stacy McManus. "WingspanBank.com (B): Should This Bird Still Fly?" Harvard Business School Case 601-071, March 2001. (Revised July 2002.) View Details
  • Sucher, Sandra J. "Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, The TN." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 602-113, January 2002. View Details
  • Gittell, Jody H., and Sandra J. Sucher. "Reading Rehabilitation Hospital: Implementing Patient-Focused Care TN." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 899-139, May 1999. (Revised July 2000.) View Details
Research Summary
The Power of Trust

This research focuses on how companies and their leaders build, lose, and regain trust. It describes the inviolable expectations stakeholders have of companies; the myths about trust that send companies down blind alleys; and offers a framework of actions that enables companies and their leaders to earn and restore trust. The company research on which The Power of Trust is based is groundbreaking in its breadth of coverage of industries and geographies, and in its focus on the details that matter in the design and implementation of trust practices.

While several books have been written about trust from different angles, none discuss the plurality of trust: that is, how an organization made of multiple people and groups gains the trust of multiple people and groups. In addition, none of them offer an actionable model for diagnosing how to build trust with groups of people that have conflicting needs.

This research is based on a globally diverse group of companies, including Uber, Tommy Hilfiger, Michelin, Honeywell, BBC News, BMW, Anglo American, Royal Dutch Shell, Nokia, The Ritz-Carlton, Amazon, Wal-Mart, Jet Blue, Japan Airlines, HDFC (India), Kaspi Bank (Kazakhstan), Alibaba, and Recruit Holdings Ltd. (Japan).

Keywords: Trust; Power; Globalization; Leadership; Corporate Culture; Future Of Work; Innovation; Human Resources; Technology Strategy; Automation; Stakeholder Engagement; Employee Attitude; Customer Behavior; Shareholder Value; Government And Business; Impact Investing; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Change And Sustainability; Asia; Europe; South America; Middle East; North and Central America
Layoffs, Restructuring, and Global Workforce Change

A global pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for companies and their leaders, who are torn between wanting to do the right thing by their employees and protecting the sustainability of their business.

For the last 30 years businesses have addressed staffing challenges largely by relying on layoffs, downsizing, outsourcing, and offshoring. These have hurt employees, communities, and company profits. Worse, the revulsion inspired by these practices has led to a rejection of globalization and a damaging loss of trust in business, companies, and their leaders.

However, there are a set of forward-looking companies that are inventing strong and sustainable bridges between today’s economic realities and the future world of work.

This research is summarized in "Layoffs That Won't Break Your Company," Harvard Business Review, May/June 2018.

Keywords: Layoffs; Leadership And Change Management; Global Innovation; Strategic Decision Making; Multinational Corporations; Organizational Change and Adaptation; United States; France; Germany; Hungary; Finland; United Kingdom; Netherlands; China; Japan; Brazil
Moral Leadership

In 2007 and 2008, Professor Sucher published an instructor manual and student textbook based on 'The Moral Leader,' a literature-based course on leadership that has been taught at Harvard Business School for more than 20 years. The course focuses on core ethical questions that managers wrestle with: What is the nature of a moral challenge? How do people “reason morally?” What do these look like when they are undertaken by leaders – individuals who must make decisions under conditions of responsibility for others?

The Management of Differences
Professor Sucher has developed cases and other teaching materials that aim to provide thought-provoking, real-world examples of the ways in which social identity differences emerge and are managed in the workplace. These materials include "Differences at Work," 11 mini-cases based on HBS students' own experiences of social identity challenges in the workplace (developed with Robin Cherry Glass (MBA/MPA 2007) and Professor Robin Ely), conceptual notes on the individual experience and leadership challenges of managing differences, and "Global Diversity and Inclusion at Royal Dutch Shell," a case that examines the challenges of managing differences in 100 countries around the world.
Areas of Interest
  • globalization
  • leadership
  • managing innovation
  • organizational change and transformation
  • trust
  • Additional Topics
  • business and poverty
  • corporate culture
  • corporate social responsibility
  • developing countries
  • economic development
  • gender
  • innovation
  • organizational behavior
  • organizational development
  • process improvement
  • race and ethnicity
  • strategic human resources management
  • Industries
  • apparel
  • banking
  • brokerage
  • clothing
  • fashion
  • financial services
  • furniture
  • hotels & motels
  • retail financial services
  • retailing
  • service industry
  • Geographies
  • Africa
  • Europe
  • France
  • Ireland
  • North America
  • Switzerland
  • United States
  • Western Europe
In The News

In The News

    • 26 Mar 2021
    • Huffington Post

    The Way Bosses Conduct And Communicate Layoffs Is Inhumane. There's Another Way.

    • 26 Mar 2021
    • HeadTopics

    Bosses Are 'Thriving' Right Now — But Most Employees Say The Opposite

    • 22 Mar 2021
    • Harvard Business Review

    Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company

    • 12 Feb 2021
    • Business Insider

    A Fumbled Layoff Hurt Morale at Exxon, and It Could Hinder the Oil Giant's Recovery

    • 09 Feb 2021
    • Business Insider

    Exxon mishandled layoffs and morale has plummeted, insiders say. That could hamper the oil giant's recovery.

→More News for Sandra J. Sucher

Sandra J. Sucher In the News

26 Mar 2021
Huffington Post
The Way Bosses Conduct And Communicate Layoffs Is Inhumane. There's Another Way.

26 Mar 2021
HeadTopics
Bosses Are 'Thriving' Right Now — But Most Employees Say The Opposite

22 Mar 2021
Harvard Business Review
Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company

12 Feb 2021
Business Insider
A Fumbled Layoff Hurt Morale at Exxon, and It Could Hinder the Oil Giant's Recovery

09 Feb 2021
Business Insider
Exxon mishandled layoffs and morale has plummeted, insiders say. That could hamper the oil giant's recovery.

11 Jan 2021
Harvard Business Review
The Breach of the U.S. Capitol Was a Breach of Trust

23 Jul 2020
Forbes
The Paradox Of Layoffs: Engagement Drops When You Need It Most

28 Apr 2020
Harvard Gazette
American economy on the bubble

24 Apr 2020
Harvard Business Review
How to Make Furloughs More Humane

17 Apr 2020
CNBC
Your boss said, ‘You’re furloughed.’ What does that mean exactly?

15 Apr 2020
Protocol
How to manage Slack and email for laid-off and furloughed workers

01 Apr 2020
Bloomberg
White-Collar Job Security Exposes Huge Gap With Service Industry

14 Mar 2020
Wall Street Journal
U.S. Economic Outlook Under Coronavirus Hinges on Layoff Decisions

17 Jul 2019
Harvard Business Review
Leading with Trust

17 Jul 2019
Harvard Business Review
The Trust Crisis

14 Mar 2019
Harvard Business Review
How Boeing Should Have Responded to the 737 Max Safety Crisis

25 Feb 2020
HBS Alumni Bulletin
Why Layoffs Are A Losing Strategy

24 Dec 2019
Business Insider
Following the 737 Max scandal, Boeing finally has a new CEO.

26 Nov 2019
Business Insider
Apple Has Survived Backlash to the Tech World While Amazon, Google, Facebook and Other Tech Giants Struggle — An Expert on Trust Explains Why

06 Nov 2019
Business Insider
Boeing mess is 'a template for how not to be trustworthy.'

16 Aug 2019
Demystifying Organizations
When Businesses Violate the Public’s Trust

25 Jul 2019
American Public Media: Marketplace
Scandals, apologies and trust issues: the aftermath of a corporate crisis

12 Jul 2019
Quartz
The short but destructive history of mass layoffs

28 May 2019
Dallas Morning News
How bad are Pioneer’s job cuts? At over 27% of workers, they’re deeper than after 9/11 and the financial crisis

20 Mar 2019
NPR: All Things Considered
Boeing Brings 100 Years Of History To Its Fight To Restore Its Reputation

21 Mar 2019
KUOW Radio
What will it take for Boeing to rebuild trust?

19 Feb 2019
Bloomberg
This Company Is Japan’s Top Contender for Global Internet Domination

13 Oct 2018
Rantt Media
USA TODAY’s False Trump Op-Ed Raises Questions About Their Journalistic Integrity

18 Apr 2018
Harvard Business Review
Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company

16 Dec 2016
Harvard Business School
Winter Reading Recommendations

03 Dec 2016
New York Times
Help Wanted: More Jobs for America

08 Mar 2016
Harvard Business School
Words of Wisdom on International Women's Day

09 Sep 2015
HBS Working Knowledge
Leadership Lessons of the Great Recession: Options for Economic Downturns

11 Jan 2008
HBS Course Uses Literature To Teach Moral Leadership

16 Feb 2012
An artful perspective

28 Nov 2012
Wall Street Journal
A Novel Approach to Business Books

03 Jun 2014
NPR
Layoff 101: Don't Blame Yourself

07 Jan 2015
HBS Working Knowledge
The Quest for Better Layoffs

Areas of Interest

globalization
leadership
managing innovation
organizational change and transformation
trust
 More

Additional Topics

business and poverty
corporate culture
corporate social responsibility
developing countries
economic development
gender
innovation
organizational behavior
organizational development
process improvement
race and ethnicity
strategic human resources management

Industries

apparel
banking
brokerage
clothing
fashion
financial services
furniture
hotels & motels
retail financial services
retailing
service industry

Geographies

Africa
Europe
France
Ireland
North America
Switzerland
United States
Western Europe
 Less

In The News

    • 26 Mar 2021
    • Huffington Post

    The Way Bosses Conduct And Communicate Layoffs Is Inhumane. There's Another Way.

    • 26 Mar 2021
    • HeadTopics

    Bosses Are 'Thriving' Right Now — But Most Employees Say The Opposite

    • 22 Mar 2021
    • Harvard Business Review

    Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company

    • 12 Feb 2021
    • Business Insider

    A Fumbled Layoff Hurt Morale at Exxon, and It Could Hinder the Oil Giant's Recovery

    • 09 Feb 2021
    • Business Insider

    Exxon mishandled layoffs and morale has plummeted, insiders say. That could hamper the oil giant's recovery.

→More News for Sandra J. Sucher

Sandra J. Sucher In the News

26 Mar 2021
Huffington Post
The Way Bosses Conduct And Communicate Layoffs Is Inhumane. There's Another Way.

26 Mar 2021
HeadTopics
Bosses Are 'Thriving' Right Now — But Most Employees Say The Opposite

22 Mar 2021
Harvard Business Review
Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company

12 Feb 2021
Business Insider
A Fumbled Layoff Hurt Morale at Exxon, and It Could Hinder the Oil Giant's Recovery

09 Feb 2021
Business Insider
Exxon mishandled layoffs and morale has plummeted, insiders say. That could hamper the oil giant's recovery.

11 Jan 2021
Harvard Business Review
The Breach of the U.S. Capitol Was a Breach of Trust

23 Jul 2020
Forbes
The Paradox Of Layoffs: Engagement Drops When You Need It Most

28 Apr 2020
Harvard Gazette
American economy on the bubble

24 Apr 2020
Harvard Business Review
How to Make Furloughs More Humane

17 Apr 2020
CNBC
Your boss said, ‘You’re furloughed.’ What does that mean exactly?

15 Apr 2020
Protocol
How to manage Slack and email for laid-off and furloughed workers

01 Apr 2020
Bloomberg
White-Collar Job Security Exposes Huge Gap With Service Industry

14 Mar 2020
Wall Street Journal
U.S. Economic Outlook Under Coronavirus Hinges on Layoff Decisions

17 Jul 2019
Harvard Business Review
Leading with Trust

17 Jul 2019
Harvard Business Review
The Trust Crisis

14 Mar 2019
Harvard Business Review
How Boeing Should Have Responded to the 737 Max Safety Crisis

25 Feb 2020
HBS Alumni Bulletin
Why Layoffs Are A Losing Strategy

24 Dec 2019
Business Insider
Following the 737 Max scandal, Boeing finally has a new CEO.

26 Nov 2019
Business Insider
Apple Has Survived Backlash to the Tech World While Amazon, Google, Facebook and Other Tech Giants Struggle — An Expert on Trust Explains Why

06 Nov 2019
Business Insider
Boeing mess is 'a template for how not to be trustworthy.'

16 Aug 2019
Demystifying Organizations
When Businesses Violate the Public’s Trust

25 Jul 2019
American Public Media: Marketplace
Scandals, apologies and trust issues: the aftermath of a corporate crisis

12 Jul 2019
Quartz
The short but destructive history of mass layoffs

28 May 2019
Dallas Morning News
How bad are Pioneer’s job cuts? At over 27% of workers, they’re deeper than after 9/11 and the financial crisis

20 Mar 2019
NPR: All Things Considered
Boeing Brings 100 Years Of History To Its Fight To Restore Its Reputation

21 Mar 2019
KUOW Radio
What will it take for Boeing to rebuild trust?

19 Feb 2019
Bloomberg
This Company Is Japan’s Top Contender for Global Internet Domination

13 Oct 2018
Rantt Media
USA TODAY’s False Trump Op-Ed Raises Questions About Their Journalistic Integrity

18 Apr 2018
Harvard Business Review
Layoffs That Don’t Break Your Company

16 Dec 2016
Harvard Business School
Winter Reading Recommendations

03 Dec 2016
New York Times
Help Wanted: More Jobs for America

08 Mar 2016
Harvard Business School
Words of Wisdom on International Women's Day

09 Sep 2015
HBS Working Knowledge
Leadership Lessons of the Great Recession: Options for Economic Downturns

11 Jan 2008
HBS Course Uses Literature To Teach Moral Leadership

16 Feb 2012
An artful perspective

28 Nov 2012
Wall Street Journal
A Novel Approach to Business Books

03 Jun 2014
NPR
Layoff 101: Don't Blame Yourself

07 Jan 2015
HBS Working Knowledge
The Quest for Better Layoffs

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