Organizational Behavior

Organizational Behavior

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About the Unit

Through its research, teaching, and course development, the Organizational Behavior Unit creates and disseminates knowledge that advances the understanding of how to lead and manage with the aim of increasing personal and organizational effectiveness. Although specific research interests span a wide range of subjects, the faculty share a problem driven, interdisciplinary, multi method approach that has led to significant impact on theory and practice.

Our current intellectual agenda builds on the rich history of OB at HBS and focuses squarely on the organizational changes and challenges arising from today's increasingly global and more competitive economy. In the last decade, the faculty have been recognized for their work on leadership in an increasingly diverse and dynamic environment, the evolution of managerial careers in our society, managing diversity, and organizational design and change to meet evolving needs and expectations in a changing world.

Recent Publications

Case Study: What's the Right Career Move After a Public Failure?

By: Jon M. Jachimowicz and Francesca Gino
  • September–October 2022 |
  • Article |
  • Harvard Business Review
“Reunions are for happy people,” Mariani Kallis said to her friend Whitney on the phone. “I’m not going.” “Come on, it won’t be the same without you,” Whitney pleaded. “Besides, no one is happy right now. Everyone’s life is a mess.” “I’m pretty sure none of our other classmates was asked to step down from their CEO job last month,” Mariani said wryly. Whitney laughed. The two had been close friends since they met their first year at Columbia Business School. They texted pretty much every day, but Whitney had called to make a case for why her friend should fly up to New York City from Atlanta, where she lived with her husband and teenage daughter, to attend their 25th reunion. Mariani wasn’t in the mood to be convinced. She dreaded having to explain her unceremonious exit from what she thought was her dream job: CEO of Acid Fitness. When she’d been offered the chance to lead a chain of gyms that focused on high intensity interval training and the mental health benefits of exercise, she’d jumped at the opportunity. Since graduating from business school, Mariani had held marketing and leadership positions at major sports and fitness companies and had gained a reputation for taking on big challenges and succeeding. The top job at Acid Fitness seemed like the natural next step.
Keywords: Career Decisions; Personal Development and Career
Related

Reflecting on the Balancing Act (Mark Lovich)

By: David G. Fubini and Patrick Sanguineti
  • September 2022 |
  • Supplement |
  • Faculty Research
Related

Lessons Learned and Advice (Deborah Lovich)

By: David G. Fubini and Patrick Sanguineti
  • September 2022 |
  • Supplement |
  • Faculty Research
Related

Reflecting on the Decision Point (Deborah Lovich)

By: David G. Fubini and Patrick Sanguineti
  • September 2022 |
  • Supplement |
  • Faculty Research
Related

General Updates (Deborah Lovich)

By: David G. Fubini and Patrick Sanguineti
  • September 2022 |
  • Supplement |
  • Faculty Research
Related

Blake Sports: Evolution of the CEO and the Executive Team

By: Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly Baden
  • September 2022 |
  • Case |
  • Faculty Research
Cameron (Cam) Barker, CEO and Founder of Blake Sports Apparel, sat in his office at his company’s headquarters in Birmingham, England, feeling stunned and disappointed. Only a few minutes prior, he had wrapped up a meeting with CFO James Ryan, a highly-respected star executive who had just abruptly given Barker his notice of resignation. When Barker hired Ryan in November 2020, he had asked Ryan not to take the position unless he intended to stay for at least five years, which Ryan agreed was his plan. Yet, here Barker was just eighteen months later and Ryan was ready to walk out the door, citing Barker’s leadership style as one factor in his decision to leave. After years of struggling to find the right executive team structure and size and to fill the positions with the right people, Barker thought he had finally gotten it right. The executive team had proved that they were capable of communicating, collaborating and making smart decisions in ways that put the organization’s priorities ahead of their own. Furthermore, Ryan had proven himself to be just the kind of CFO the growing company needed. Baker knew his departure was a loss. Why did Ryan resign? What issues had he taken with Barker's leadership? Should Barker take Ryan's feedback to heart, or was it simply a case of conflicting styles? After years of managing dysfunctional executive teams, did Barker need to change the way he managed his reports now that his executive team was collaborative and high-performing? If so, how?
Keywords: Leadership And Managing People; Leadership Skills; Team Dynamics; Team Effectiveness; Team Leadership; Team Management; Leadership Style; Leadership; Management; Management Skills; Management Style; Talent and Talent Management; Groups and Teams; United Kingdom
Related

DBS: Purpose-Driven Transformation

By: Ranjay Gulati, Adina Wong, Dawn H. Lau and Joseph Mesfin
  • September 2022 |
  • Case |
  • Faculty Research
Singapore-based bank DBS went through three waves of purpose-driven transformation, overhauling the bank’s systems, upgrading employee skills, and re-centering its customer focus, with the bank’s purpose growing bolder with each key milestone achieved. Find out how the board, CEO Piyush Gupta and his management committee steered the bank through the waves of change, and the challenges they had to overcome along the way.
Keywords: Transformation; Alignment; Business Strategy; Balanced Scorecard; Technology Adoption; Mission and Purpose; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry; Asia; Singapore
Related

Marsha Simms: Trailblazer in Corporate Law

By: Robin Ely, Boris Groysberg and Colleen Ammerman
  • September 2022 |
  • Teaching Note |
  • Faculty Research
Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 422-012.
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Contact Information

Organizational Behavior Unit
Harvard Business School
Morgan Hall
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
OB@hbs.edu