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Business Research for Business Leaders
Cold Call
A podcast featuring faculty discussing cases they've written and the lessons they impart.
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Honda Created a Civic for Very Light Jets. How High Will It Fly?

After thirty years of research and development, the HondaJet is now the top selling jet in the very light jet segment of the market. Professor Gary Pisano discusses how Honda Aircraft Corporation CEO Michimasa Fujino brought the jet to life, and must decide on ways to grow the business.  Open for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.

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Honda Created a Civic for Very Light Jets. How High Will It Fly?

Re: Gary P. Pisano

After thirty years of research and development, HondaJet is now in the air and winning its market. Gary Pisano discusses how Honda moved from cars and lawnmovers to multimillion-dollar aircraft. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Building a Nonprofit Marketplace to Feed America

Re: Scott Duke Kominers

Feeding America manages a network of more than 200 food banks nationwide. Scott Duke Kominers and Canice Prendergast discuss how the organization designed a fair and efficient marketplace for food distribution. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Could Big Data Replace the Creative Director at the Gap?

Re: Ayelet Israeli

Is it time to throw out the creative director and rely on big data to predict what consumers want to wear next? Assistant Professor Ayelet Israeli discusses how Gap CEO Art Peck considers a bold idea to boost sales. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Vodafone’s Innovative Approach to Advanced Technologies

William Kerr discusses how telecom giant Vodafone incorporated big data, automation, and artificial intelligence to improve productivity while ensuring new opportunities were created for the next generation of workers. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Baseball’s Billy Beane Shows Companies the Power of Data

Re: Srikant M. Datar

With a relatively small payroll, the Oakland A's baseball team remains competitive by being smarter about data. Srikant Datar discusses the "Moneyball" strategy and how it can be applied in business. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Did Entrepreneur Ernesto Tornquist Help or Hurt Argentina?

Re: Geoffrey G. Jones

Geoffrey Jones examines the career of Ernesto Tornquist, a cosmopolitan financier considered to be the most significant entrepreneur in Argentina at the end of the 19th century. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Should US Companies Still Care About the Paris Climate Change Agreement?

Re: Vincent Pons

American President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change one year ago. Vincent Pons discusses what it means for US business leaders in confronting environmental challenges. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Two Million Fake Accounts: Sales Misconduct at Wells Fargo

Re: Suraj Srinivasan

Coming out of the financial crisis, Wells Fargo was one of the world’s most successful banks. But then its sales culture went wild, opening more than 2 million fake accounts. Suraj Srinivasan discusses what went wrong. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Transformation of Microsoft

Re: C. Fritz Foley

In early 2015, Microsoft CFO Amy Hood and the rest of senior leadership faced a fundamental choice. Was the company ready to invest in long-term growth at the expense of some short-term profit? Professor Fritz Foley discusses how executives thought through the tradeoffs. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

L.A. Philharmonic Shows the American Symphony Orchestra Isn’t Dead Yet

Re: Rohit Deshpande

Like many American symphony orchestras, the Los Angeles Philharmonic seemed dying on the vine, unable to attract younger audiences or new sponsors. Then new CEO Deborah Borda came aboard with a plan to revive the brand. Rohit Deshpande discusses his case study on the turnaround. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Chase Sapphire Made Credit Cool for Millennials

Re: Shelle M. Santana

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card was one of the hottest product launches in 2016. But what would be its next act, now that the introductory offer of 100,000 points was reduced? Shelle Santana discusses JP Morgan's strategy. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Careem: Riding the First Unicorn in the Middle East

Re: Shikhar Ghosh

Doubling in size every two-and-a-half months, ride-hailing service Careem was experiencing growing pains operationally and culturally. Shikhar Ghosh discusses how the founders struggled to keep its 4 million customers satisfied. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

'Candy Crush' Was a Blockbuster; Can King Digital Capitalize?

Re: Jeffrey F. Rayport

The mobile game "Candy Crush Saga" was a megahit for Riccardo Zacconi and his studio, King Digital Entertainment. But can he scale up the business to include several hundred titles? A Cold Call podcast with Jeffrey Rayport. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Why JPMorgan Chase Is Investing Millions in Detroit

Re: Joseph L. Bower

JPMorgan Chase is making extensive investments into the revitalization of Detroit. What does it expect in return? Professor Joseph Bower and JP Morgan executive Peter Scher discuss the challenges and rewards of partnering with cities in this podcast. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How a Coal Polluter Became a Renewable Energy Leader

Re: Mark R. Kramer

Enel, Italy’s state-owned power company, was one of Europe’s largest coal users and polluters. Now it is recognized as a leader in renewable energy services. Mark Kramer discusses how CEO Francesco Starace drove the huge strategy shift. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Trump’s Populism: What Business Leaders Need To Understand

Re: Rafael M. Di Tella

Whether you are a fan of populism or not, it is vital for business leaders to understand the debate around it, says Rafael Di Tella in our latest Cold Call podcast. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Could a New Business Model Make Clinical Drug Trials More Accessible to Patients?

Re: Ariel D. Stern

Ariel Stern discusses her recent case study about creating a new type of clinical trial designed to deliver life-enhancing drugs to patients more quickly. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Black Business Leaders Series: John Rogers and the Importance of Hiring Minority-Owned Services Firms

Re: Steven S. Rogers

Steven Rogers discusses a new Harvard Business School case study about the risks of speaking up, and the importance of black empowerment in the investment sector in this podcast. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Black Business Leaders Series: Oprah’s Path to Authentic Leadership

Bill George traces Oprah Winfrey's growth from childhood, focusing on how and when she discovered her true voice and how that authenticity spurred her career success. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

One Love: Managing a Movement Against Relationship Violence

Re: Thomas J. DeLong

One Love Foundation is dedicated to the prevention of relationship violence through education. Professor Tom DeLong talks about the challenges CEO Katie Hood faces as the organization works to create a movement and then maintain momentum around community engagement, fundraising, and growth. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.