Jay W. Lorsch
There are 10 articles for this faculty member.
About Faculty in this Article:
Jay W. Lorsch is the Louis E. Kirstein Professor of Human Relations at Harvard Business School.
Excessive Executive Pay: What's the Solution?
| Published: | September 21, 2009 |
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| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Now that the worst fears about economic meltdown are receding, what should be done about lingering issues such as over-the-top executive compensation? Does government have a role? Is it time we rethink corporate governance? HBS faculty weigh in. From the HBS Alumni Bulletin.
Perspectives from the Boardroom—2009
| Authors: | Jay W. Lorsch, Joseph L. Bower, Clayton S. Rose, and Suraj Srinivasan |
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| Published: | September 9, 2009 |
| Paper Release Date: | September 2009 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
Chief executives and regulators have been blamed for the current economic crisis, but in some ways what is surprising is that boards have generally escaped notice. Clearly the experience of corporate boards in the downturn has not been explored. To understand what transpired in the boardrooms of complex companies, and to offer a prescription to improve board effectiveness, eight senior faculty members of the HBS Corporate Governance Initiative talked with 45 prominent directors about what has happened to their companies and why. These directors, who serve on the boards of financial institutions and other complex companies, were asked two broad questions: How well did their boards function before the recession? And, what do they believe should be improved as they look to the future?
This white paper [PDF] first explains how the interviewees characterize the strengths of their boards, then examines in depth six areas in which they identified shortcomings or needs for improvement: 1) clarifying the board's role; 2) acquiring better information and deeper knowledge of the company; 3) maintaining a sound relationship with management; 4) providing oversight of company strategy; 5) assuring management development and succession; 6) improving risk management. Finally, the paper discusses two issues that appeared not to trouble the interviewees but that the public feels are important: executive compensation and the relationship between the board and shareholders. This paper was written by Jay Lorsch with the assistance of Joseph Bower, Clayton Rose, and Suraj Srinivasan. The interviews were conducted by Joseph Bower, Srikant Datar, Raymond Gilmartin, Stephen Kaufman, Rakesh Khurana, Jay Lorsch, and Clayton Rose.
Published in 2008
The Seven Things That Surprise New CEOs
| Published: | October 20, 2008 |
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| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
In the newly released book On Competition, Professor Michael E. Porter updates his classic articles on the competitive forces that shape strategy. We excerpt a portion on advice for new CEOs, written with HBS faculty Jay W. Lorsch and Nitin Nohria.
Published in 2006
Rising CEO Pay: What Directors Should Do
| Published: | September 13, 2006 |
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| Feature: | Op-Ed |
Compensation committees are under pressure to keep CEO pay high, even as shareholders and the media agitate for moderation. The solution? Boards of directors need better competitive information and an ear to what shareholders are saying, says Jay Lorsch.
Published in 2004
The New CEO's Wrong Message
| Published: | November 1, 2004 |
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| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Any new CEO who tries to wield power unilaterally will pay for it, according to Harvard Business School professors Michael E. Porter, Jay W. Lorsch, and Nitin Nohria. An excerpt from Harvard Business Review.
Published in 2003
How to Build a Better Board
| Q&A with: | Jay W. Lorsch |
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| Published: | December 22, 2003 |
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Boards need to work smarter and with a design in mind, says professor Jay Lorsch. Lorsch discusses his new book Back to the Drawing Board, co-written with Colin B. Carter.
Fixing Corporate Governance: A Roundtable Discussion at Harvard Business School
| Q&A with: | Brian J. Hall, Paul M. Healy, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Nancy F. Koehn, Jay W. Lorsch, and Krishna G. Palepu |
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| Published: | January 20, 2003 |
| Feature: | Views on News |
Bad business practices on a huge scale have made corporate governance Topic A of late. In a roundtable discussion, Harvard Business School professors Krishna Palepu, Jay Lorsch, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Nancy Koehn, Brian Hall, and Paul Healy explore guidelines for change.
Published in 2002
A Cure for Enron-Style Audit Failures
| Published: | May 13, 2002 |
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| Feature: | Op-Ed |
In an opinion piece in the Financial Times, Harvard Business School professor Jay Lorsch argues for legislation to create an independent, self-regulatory organization to oversee accounting firms. Enron, he says, is not an isolated incident.
Star Power! How to Win in Professional Services
| Published: | April 29, 2002 |
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| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Leaders of professional service firms face challenges unknown to most other CEOs. Jay W. Lorsch, an HBS professor, and Thomas J. Tierney, of The Bridgespan Group, explain why, in this excerpt from their new book Aligning the Stars: How to Succeed When Professionals Drive Results. Plus: Q&A with Jay Lorsch
Published in 2000
Leading Professional Service Firms
| Q&A with: | Jay W. Lorsch |
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| Published: | May 2, 2000 |
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Firms in the $80 billion professional services industry all face the same fundamental challenge: aligning their most valuable assets—the talents of their employees—with the strategy and organization of the firm. In this interview, HBS Professor Jay Lorsch, chair of the Executive Education program Leading Professional Service Firms, discusses the role these firms play in the world's economy and the keys to their success.
