Lessons from the Classroom
There are 42 articles for this feature.
What new ideas and concepts are emerging from Harvard Business School classroom discussions, case studies, and course design work? In "Lessons from the Classroom," HBS faculty discuss how classroom work and discussions inform their ongoing research and help shape the business curriculum.
HBS Cases: Customer Feedback Not on elBulli's Menu
| Published: | November 18, 2009 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
The world is beating a path to Chef Ferran Adrià's door at elBulli, but why? In professor Michael Norton's course, students learn about marketing from a business owner who says he doesn't care whether or not customers like his product.
HBS Begins Teaching Consumer Finance
| Q&A with: | Peter Tufano |
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| Published: | October 28, 2009 |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Last spring HBS became the first top-ranked U.S. business school to offer a course in consumer finance. Professor Peter Tufano talks about the course and his determination to make consumer finance a broadly accepted academic pursuit. From the HBS Alumni Bulletin.
HBS Cases: The Energy Politics of Russia vs. Ukraine
| Published: | March 11, 2009 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
A recent Harvard Business School case looks at Russia's decision in 2006 to cut off supply of natural gas to Ukraine's energy company—a move repeated this year. Is Russia just an energy bully? Students of professor Rawi Abdelal learn there is nothing black and white when it comes to Russia's energy politics. From HBS Alumni Bulletin.
Published in 2008
'Ted Levitt Changed My Life'
| Published: | December 17, 2008 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Many students say legendary Harvard Business School marketing professor Ted Levitt changed their lives inside his classroom and out. "Ted Levitt was the most influential and imaginative professor in marketing history," HBS professor and senior associate dean John Quelch eulogized on the occasion of Levitt's death in 2006. Colleagues and students remember a life and times. From HBS Alumni Bulletin.
How Many U.S. Jobs Are 'Offshorable'?
| Published: | December 1, 2008 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Some 900 Harvard Business School students were asked to recreate a study assessing the potential "offshorability" of more than 800 occupations in the United States. Their findings: It might be a larger number than we thought.
HBS Cases: Economics of the Ethanol Business
| Published: | November 3, 2008 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
What happens when a group of Missouri corn farmers gets into the energy business? What appears to be a very lucrative decision quickly turns out to be much more risky. Professor Forest Reinhardt leads a case discussion on what the protagonists should do next. From HBS Alumni Bulletin.
HBS Cases: The Value of Environmental Activists
| Q&A with: | Ramon Casadesus-Masanell |
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| Published: | September 8, 2008 |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
With decidedly non-profit goals leading them on, how do environmental protection groups such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund create value? Can it be measured? A Q&A with Harvard Business School professor Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and case writer Jordan Mitchell.
HBS Cases: Negotiating with Wal-Mart
| Published: | April 28, 2008 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
What happens when you encounter a company with a great deal of power, like Wal-Mart, that is also the ultimate non-negotiable partner? A series of Harvard Business School cases by James Sebenius and Ellen Knebel explore successful deal-making strategies. From the HBS Alumni Bulletin.
Chris Christensen: Legend of the Classroom
| Published: | April 16, 2008 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Professor C. Roland ("Chris") Christensen was the maestro of Harvard Business School's case method of teaching. Over a career spanning half a century, Christensen made his colleagues better teachers, and his students better leaders. From the HBS Alumni Bulletin.
HBS Cases: JetBlue's Valentine's Day Crisis
| Published: | March 31, 2008 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
It was the Valentine's Day from hell for JetBlue employees and more than 130,000 customers. Under bad weather, JetBlue fliers were trapped on the runway at JFK for hours, many ultimately delayed by days. How did the airline make it right with customers and learn from its mistakes? A discussion with Harvard Business School professor Robert S. Huckman.
Published in 2007
HBS Cases: One Laptop per Child
| Q&A with: | John A. Quelch |
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| Published: | December 10, 2007 |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
The One Laptop per Child initiative wants to develop and distribute $100 laptops to poor children around the world. Despite eager observers and exciting breakthroughs technologically, it has found the path to customers more rocky than anticipated. Marketing has some answers, as a new case study details. Q&A with HBS professor John Quelch.
Teaching The Moral Leader
| Q&A with: | Sandra J. Sucher |
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| Published: | November 19, 2007 |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
In The Moral Leader course at Harvard Business School, students exchange their business management case studies to discuss some of the great protagonists in literature. Professor Sandra Sucher discusses how we all can find our own definition of moral leadership.
HBS Cases: Climate Change Puts Heat on GMs
| Published: | October 31, 2007 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Ready or not, companies are being swept up in the increasing public debate over global climate change. How should firms respond? A case study exploring how financial service giant UBS thinks through the issues has students coming down on different sides.
Marketing Maria: Managing the Athlete Endorsement
| Published: | October 29, 2007 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Million-dollar endorsement deals will be made and broken by how baseball players on the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies performed in the just completed World Series. HBS professor Anita Elberse discusses her research on sports marketing and her recent case on tennis powerhouse Maria Sharapova.
HBS Cases: The Evolution of Apple
| Published: | July 25, 2007 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Apple's continuing development from computer maker to consumer electronics pioneer is rich material in a number of Harvard Business School classrooms. Professor David Yoffie discusses his latest case study of Apple, the 5th update in 14 years, which challenges students to think strategically about Apple's successes and failures in the past, and opportunities and challenges in the future.
Teaching the Next Generation of Energy Executives
| Published: | June 11, 2007 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
A new generation of energy industry managers will make decisions that affect the quality of life for hundreds of millions of people. At Harvard Business School, students in professor Forest Reinhardt's Energy course are learning the complexities and realities of developing and implementing strategy in such a complex environment.
HBS Cases: How Magazine Luiza Courts the Poor
| Published: | April 18, 2007 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Brazilian retailer Magazine Luiza has developed an innovative strategy for selling to the poor, combining technology with great service that please both customers and employees. The question of how the company can grow without sacrificing the special qualities that have made it successful is at the heart of a case study developed by Harvard Business School professor Frances X. Frei.
"UpTick" Brings Wall Street Pressure to Students
| Published: | February 12, 2007 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Money managers work in a stressful, competitive pressure cooker that's hard to appreciate from the safety of a business management classroom. That's why HBS professors Joshua Coval and Erik Stafford invented upTick—a market simulation program that has students sweating and strategizing as they recreate classic market scenarios.
HBS Cases: When Good Teams Go Bad
| Published: | January 31, 2007 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Know when teamwork doesn't work—and how to fix it. Professors Jeff Polzer and Scott Snook teach "The Army Crew Team" case and the dilemma faced by a rowing coach who has great individual parts but can't get them to synchronize. From HBS Alumni Bulletin.
HBS Cases: The Challenge of Managing National Security
| Q&A with: | Jan W. Rivkin |
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| Published: | January 10, 2007 |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
What can we learn from mistakes made in managing national intelligence before 9/11? Professor Jan Rivkin discusses the difficulties of integrating a highly differentiated organization, and the dangers of overcentralizing decision making. From HBS Alumni Bulletin.
Published in 2006
HBS Cases: Governing Sumida Corporation
| Published: | November 1, 2006 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
In a new Harvard Business School case, Professor Lynn Paine and her colleagues explore the nature of corporate governance systems by studying Japanese electronics components maker Sumida Corp. CEO Shigeyuki Yawata looks to create a governance structure that would be transparent to investors and stakeholders worldwide.
Surviving Success: When Founders Must Go
| Published: | October 4, 2006 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
At some point, a start-up's founder usually cedes CEO responsibilities to a seasoned manager. But what roles does the founder assume next? Professor Noam Wasserman discusses a recent case study and what students learn from it in the classroom. From HBS Alumni Bulletin.
Mixing Students and Scientists in the Classroom
| Published: | September 6, 2006 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
In his course on commercializing science and technology, Lee Fleming combines students from business, engineering, law, science, and medicine. The result: Ideas for products from scale-eating bacteria to quantum dot cancer treatments.
HBS Cases: On Managing with Bobby Knight and "Coach K"
| Published: | August 14, 2006 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Bobby Knight and Mike Krzyzewski are arguably the two most successful college basketball coaches in the country. But their leadership styles could not be more different. Professor Scott Snook wonders: Is it better to be loved or feared?
Developing a Strategy for Digital Convergence
| Published: | July 17, 2006 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Technology was getting dull earlier this decade, says David Yoffie. But the sudden arrival of digital convergence has turned the tech world upside down. What are the right bets to place?
Women Find New Path to Work
| Q&A with: | Myra M. Hart |
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| Published: | May 15, 2006 |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Professor Myra Hart's New Path program helps Harvard Business School alumnae re-enter the work world. Here is a look at what participants learned about life, work, and the quickly changing world of business.
Writing the Case for Public School Reform
| Published: | May 8, 2006 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Professor David Thomas discusses his case studies on how the School District of Philadelphia is recruiting and retaining teachers and improving its human resources department. From HBS Alumni Bulletin.
Oprah: A Case Study Comes Alive
| Published: | February 20, 2006 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Writing a business case on the icon of daytime television and chief executive of a major media empire was challenge enough for HBS professor Nancy Koehn and colleagues. Oprah Winfrey's visit to campus to talk with graduating students made it ample reward.
The Case of the Mystery Writer's Brand
| Published: | January 30, 2006 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
A look behind how professor John Deighton developed a case study of mystery writer James Patterson. From the HBS Alumni Bulletin.
Published in 2005
Classic Cases Live On at HBS
| Published: | August 15, 2005 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Harvard Business School is famous for its case method of classroom teaching. Here is a look at some of the classic cases that have been taught to business leaders worldwide—and are still in use today.
NFL Players Touch Down at HBS
| Published: | April 18, 2005 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Thirty players from the National Football League sharpened their management skills at Harvard Business School, preparing for when their playing days are over.
Published in 2004
Mission to Mars: It Really Is Rocket Science
| Q&A with: | Alan D. MacCormack |
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| Published: | March 1, 2004 |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Do the successful Mars missions mean NASA again has the right stuff? Professor Alan MacCormack dissects the space agency’s "Faster, Better, Cheaper" program.
Published in 2003
HBS Cases: Developing the Courage to Act
| Published: | September 15, 2003 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Professor David A. Garvin offers a rare inside glimpse at how the case method is used by both faculty and students in classrooms at Harvard Business School.
Business Plan Winner Targets India Dropouts
| Q&A with: | Allen S. Grossman |
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| Published: | May 19, 2003 |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Gyaana means "knowledge" in Sanskrit—a fitting name for a business that aims to fight the 50 percent dropout rate in India by offering microfinance loans to families.
Published in 2002
Entrepreneurship: It Can Be Taught
| Q&A with: | Richard G. Hamermesh, Paul W. Marshall, Michael J. Roberts, and Howard H. Stevenson |
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| Published: | April 22, 2002 |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Highlights from a discussion with HBS professors Howard Stevenson, Richard Hamermesh, and Paul Marshall (moderated by Mike Roberts) on teaching entrepreneurship at HBS.
Case Study: A Lesson in Private Venture Financing
| Published: | March 25, 2002 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Using a case discussion on Gray Security Services, Harvard Business School associate professor Walter Kuemmerle highlights issues confronting entrepreneurs and investors interested in Africa.
Published in 2001
Getting Back on Course
| Published: | September 4, 2001 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
When HBS professor Myra M. Hart found that a substantial number of the school's women graduates were not currently in the full-time workforce, she came up with a plan.
Parents' Guide to Harvard Business School
| Published: | August 13, 2001 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Video Presentation: Want a glimpse into the HBS classroom experience? Das Narayandas, associate professor of marketing, introduces the school's teaching methods to students' parents—and provides his own thoughts on business education.
Machiavelli, Morals, and You
| Published: | June 25, 2001 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
What do a butler and a prince know about leadership? A lot more than you would think, as MBA students in Harvard Business School’s course The Moral Leader find out. Here is how they use great literature to become better leaders.
Why Leaders Need Great Books
| Published: | June 18, 2001 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
How do leaders get to be leaders? HBS professor Joseph L. Badaracco Jr.'s remarkable course uses works of literature instead of case studies to teach leadership. Find out what’s on his reading list.
Published in 2000
Under the Magnifying Glass: The Benefits of Being a Case Study
| Published: | August 21, 2000 |
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| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
What is it like for a company to go under the business school magnifying glass? According to executives from four Latin American enterprises that have been the subject of case studies at HBS and elsewhere, the process is both nerve-wracking and intensely enlightening. While case studies may be a great way to educate students in an MBA classroom, they said, their companies discovered unforeseen advantages for themselves, as well.
Entrepreneurship's Wild Ride
| Q&A with: | Michael J. Roberts and Howard H. Stevenson |
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| Published: | May 30, 2000 |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
Entrepreneurship's rise as a business phenomenon has occurred side-by-side with its emergence as a centerpiece of modern business education. In this conversation with Mike Roberts, Executive Director of Entrepreneurial Studies at HBS, Professor Howard Stevenson reflects on how academic inquiry has affected entrepreneurial practice and how scholars can learn from today's entrepreneurs.
