• JULY 2019
• EVENTS
  

Innovating through Experimentation with Professor Stefan Thomke

The Japan Research Center, in collaboration with HBS Executive Education, welcomed Professor Stefan Thomke, Chair of the General Management Program, to Tokyo this July. Professor Thomke led an interactive discussion that focused on why some companies are more innovative than others. The talk encouraged the 100 alumni and friends of the School in attendance to think about factors that limit companies from stepping beyond traditional product and service offerings. Professor Thomke shared why business experimentation is critical to innovation management, how new technologies impact products, processes, and business models, and steps for successfully integrating new innovation strategies and technologies.

• JULY 2019
• EVENTS
  

Driving Digital Strategy with Professor Sunil Gupta

Professor Sunil Gupta visited Tokyo to share his research on the use of digital technology and its impact on consumer behavior and firm strategy. Over 50 alumni and friends of the school attended his talk at where he discussed his recent book “Driving Digital Strategy, A Guide to Reimaging your Business.” Professor Gupta’s book provides a framework for companies to reimagine their business. Using rich case studies and rigorous research, he showed how the rules of business have changed and why it is no longer enough for firms to be better or cheaper to gain competitive advantage. These new rules make it essential for companies to reexamine four fundamental aspects of their business to thrive in the digital era – their strategy, value chain, customer engagement, and organization structure. Done right, digital technology can be a tremendous opportunity for established players.

• JUNE 2019
• EVENTS
  

The Complete Strategy Landscape with Professor David Collis

On June 12th the HBS Japan Research Center welcomed Professor David Collis to Tokyo. Professor Collis, expert on corporate strategy and global competition, outlined the complete strategy landscape and provided tools for discovering the value potential of new business models. He also discussed how to manage the ongoing execution of an existing strategy. 42 alumni and friends of the school joined the talk and Q&A session and found it eye opening as they think about innovative business models.

• JANUARY 2019
• MBA EXPERIENCE
  

The Global Classroom: Student Immersion in Japan

As part of the elective curriculum within the MBA program, students have the opportunity in their second year to enroll in an Immersive Field Course – or “IFC.” These courses are driven by faculty research and industry connections, and provide students with an opportunity to get out of the classroom and put the skills they have learned to practice in the field. Typically, about 200 students participate in IFCs annually. In January 2019, Professor Hiro Takeuchi from the School’s Strategy Unit led 43 students to Japan for 10 days where they visited Tokyo and the Tohoku region. During their stay in Japan, students were involved in three types of activities: 1) team-based consulting projects for companies in Tokyo; 2) group activities to learn about and contribute to the disaster-affected areas in the Tohoku region; and 3) immersive experiences in traditional and modern Japanese culture.