Technology & Operations Management
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- November–December 2024
- Article
How to Avoid the Agility Trap
By: Jianwen Liao and Feng ZhuAgility is all the rage in strategy circles these days. According to conventional wisdom, organizations should rapidly react to technological advances, new market dynamics, and shifting consumer preferences. But in practice this is nearly impossible to pull off, because the environment is evolving much faster than firms can respond to. The consequences of trying to keep up with every change are stark: the erosion of competitive advantages, a myopic focus on the short term, and organizational chaos. In their research the authors have repeatedly seen that in volatile environments, firms anchoring their strategies in a few enduring factors, rather than many transient ones, are more likely to achieve sustainable growth. This approach is called strategic constancy. It involves recognizing the fundamental aspects of the company’s business model—its core values, customer relationships, brand identity, and key competencies—and remaining dedicated to them despite external pressures. It emphasizes depth over breadth—deepening the company’s competitive advantage in its core areas rather than spreading efforts thinly over many.
- November–December 2024
- Article
How to Avoid the Agility Trap
By: Jianwen Liao and Feng ZhuAgility is all the rage in strategy circles these days. According to conventional wisdom, organizations should rapidly react to technological advances, new market dynamics, and shifting consumer preferences. But in practice this is nearly impossible to pull off, because the environment is evolving much faster than firms can respond to. The...
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- November 2024
- Case
Polish Agro: Where Do We Grow From Here?
By: Willy C. Shih, Lena Duchene and Daniela BeyersdorferBy July 2024, Polish Agro had grown into one of Poland’s fastest-growing agribusinesses, with 230 million in revenue, 82 employees, and operations across Northern Poland. The company supported farmers with essential agricultural inputs like fertilizers and seeds, while purchasing, aggregating, and reselling their outputs. Led by CEO Mathias Eisert, Polish Agro had also ventured into biofertilizers, aligning with new EU sustainability regulations and aiming to differentiate itself in a highly competitive market. These innovative products offered a buffer against commoditization, yet scaling them posed challenges due to Polish Agro’s highly consultative business model and limited sales force. This case study examines Polish Agro’s growth journey amidst disruptions like COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine and evaluates strategic options for sustaining and expanding its market position, including enhancing trading capabilities, investing in brand development, and digitalizing sales channels.
- November 2024
- Case
Polish Agro: Where Do We Grow From Here?
By: Willy C. Shih, Lena Duchene and Daniela BeyersdorferBy July 2024, Polish Agro had grown into one of Poland’s fastest-growing agribusinesses, with 230 million in revenue, 82 employees, and operations across Northern Poland. The company supported farmers with essential agricultural inputs like fertilizers and seeds, while purchasing, aggregating, and reselling their outputs. Led by CEO Mathias...
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- November 2024
- Case
Fire at Notre Dame de Paris
By: Amy C. Edmondson and Jerome BarthelemyIn early 2019, the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral was severely damaged by a fire. Though many people still believe that the fire was due to errors made at the “sharp end”, the case suggests that it resulted from the combination of various types of errors that could have been avoided.
- November 2024
- Case
Fire at Notre Dame de Paris
By: Amy C. Edmondson and Jerome BarthelemyIn early 2019, the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral was severely damaged by a fire. Though many people still believe that the fire was due to errors made at the “sharp end”, the case suggests that it resulted from the combination of various types of errors that could have been avoided.
About the Unit
As the world of operations has changed, so have interests and priorities within the Unit. Historically, the TOM Unit focused on manufacturing and the development of physical products. Over the past several years, we have expanded our research, course development, and course offerings to encompass new issues in information technology, supply chains, and service industries.
The field of TOM is concerned with the design, management, and improvement of operating systems and processes. As we seek to understand the challenges confronting firms competing in today's demanding environment, the focus of our work has broadened to include the multiple activities comprising a firm's "operating core":
- the multi-function, multi-firm system that includes basic research, design, engineering, product and process development and production of goods and services within individual operating units;
- the networks of information and material flows that tie operating units together and the systems that support these networks;
- the distribution and delivery of goods and services to customers.
Recent Publications
How to Avoid the Agility Trap
- November–December 2024 |
- Article |
- Harvard Business Review
Polish Agro: Where Do We Grow From Here?
- November 2024 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Cheerful Music
- November 2024 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Fire at Notre Dame de Paris
- November 2024 |
- Case |
- Faculty Research
Allbirds: Decarbonizing Fashion (A) and (B) Video Supplement
- November 2024 |
- Supplement |
- Faculty Research
Is a Single-Family Office Right For You?
- November 2024 |
- Technical Note |
- Faculty Research
Outcome-Driven Dynamic Refugee Assignment with Allocation Balancing
- November–December 2024 |
- Article |
- Operations Research
Loss of Peers and Individual Worker Performance: Evidence From H-1B Visa Denials
- November–December 2024 |
- Article |
- Organization Science
Harvard Business Publishing
Seminars & Conferences
There are no upcoming events.