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- 03 Jan 2016
- Research & Ideas
NFL Black Monday: How Much Do Coaches Really Matter?
Teams planning management changes on "Black Monday" can learn much from academic research on National Football League coaches, say Boris Groysberg and Abhijit Naik. The findings hold value not only for football teams, but for any organization that depends on leadership for success. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 14 Dec 2015
- Research & Ideas
Deflategate and the Sustained Success of the New England Patriots
A new Harvard Business School case study by Marco Iansiti challenges students to explain the continued success of the New England Patriots football team and the dynamics behind the Deflategate episode. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Nov 2015
- Book
Alex Ferguson's Lessons on Leading
Sir Alex Ferguson, who is an Executive Fellow in Harvard Business School's Executive Education program, may be the most successful professional sports coach of all time. He discusses his management style at Manchester United, and why building a team is less important than building a foundation. PLUS: Book excerpt from Leading. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 26 Oct 2015
- Research & Ideas
What’s the Value of a Win in College Athletics?
As debate continues over whether student-athletes should be paid, professor Doug Chung’s research on the massive money being earned by collegiate football and basketball programs could help guide the answer. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 30 Jun 2014
- Lessons from the Classroom
The Role of Emotions in Effective Negotiations
Andy Wasynczuk, a former negotiator for the New England Patriots, explores the sometimes intense role that emotions can play in negotiations. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 13 Jun 2014
- Op-Ed
World Cup Soccer: 770 Billion Minutes of Attention
FIFA stands to generate $23 billion in revenue from World Cup soccer over the next few weeks. Clearly the organization understands "Attention Economics," says marketing expert Thales Teixeira. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Jun 2014
- Research & Ideas
In the Future of Sports Investing, Media Is the Best Bet
Sports investing is no longer just about buying teams and selling beer. Bob Higgins discusses why media, digital devices, and invention of fan-friendly sports are driving next-generation investors. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 28 Apr 2014
- Research & Ideas
Football Stars Debate ‘The Social Capital of the Savvy Athlete’
NFL players Richard Sherman, Arian Foster, Larry Fitzgerald, and Domonique Foxworth discussed Twitter pros and cons on marketing and race relations at Harvard Business School. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 19 Feb 2014
- Research & Ideas
Racist Umpires and Monetary Ministers
Are baseball umpires racist? Are ministers motivated by money? Christopher Parsons teases important economic lessons from unlikely sources. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Feb 2014
- Research & Ideas
Can Putin Score Olympic Gold?
With billions of dollars on the line at this year's troubled Winter Olympics, Stephen Greyser breaks down what's at stake for the brands of NBC, key corporate sponsors, Russia—and Vladimir Putin. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 29 Jan 2014
- Research & Ideas
Super Bowl Ads for Multitaskers
With more than half the Super Bowl audience using smartphones or laptops at the same time they watch the big game on TV, Thales S. Teixeira says advertisers have to step up their game. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 18 Dec 2013
- HBS Case
Lessons from the Lance Armstrong Cheating Scandal
Clayton S. Rose's recent case study looks at the behavior of teammates who were swept up in Lance Armstrong's cheating scandal. When do followers need to break away from their leader? Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 21 Oct 2013
- Working Paper Summaries
How Major League Baseball Clubs Have Commercialized Their Investment in Japanese Top Stars
Japanese money flowing from broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and merchandise contributes substantially to the prosperity of Major League Baseball (MLB) in America. This market growth depends on wide exposure of and good performance by Japanese major leaguers. Acquiring and signing these stars can become a passport to get in touch with the Japanese market directly. The authors examine how the MLB clubs have tried to commercialize their investment in Japanese top stars and assesses whether the clubs have succeeded. Seven factors attract revenues from Japanese companies and fans: pitcher or position player, player's popularity, non-stop flights from Japan, distance from Japan, non-sport tourist attractions in a city, size of Japanese community in the city, and player's and team's performance. The most important factor, however, is the player's talent and popularity in terms of performance in both Japan and the US and his media exposure in Japan including endorsement contracts. Key concepts include: In terms of attracting Japanese spectators and corporate sponsors, signing a position player has a clear advantage for MLB clubs compared to signing a pitcher. High popularity for each player is a prerequisite condition for success in attracting revenues from Japanese companies and fans. In terms of attracting spectators from Japan, there is a presumed advantage for cities that have non-stop flights from Japan. However, it is difficult to estimate how big an impact direct flights have. When Japanese travelers whose prime interest is to see a MLB game plan to visit the US, distance from Japan affects somewhat their willingness to make the trip. When Japanese tourists choose a destination to see an MLB game in the US, attraction points other than MLB ballparks are influential, unless the tourists are solely fans of a specific player. The larger the local Japanese community, the larger the opportunity for a team to attract people to the ballpark for a Japanese star. If a Japanese major leaguer does not perform well in the MLB level, he could lose his luster even if he was a top player and very popular in Japan. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 29 Apr 2013
- Research & Ideas
Diagnosing the ‘Flutie Effect’ on College Marketing
Boston College, after one of the most dramatic plays in collegiate football history, benefitted with a dramatic upswing in applications. Other colleges have experienced similar upswings from sports success. In a new study, Doug J. Chung demonstrates the reality behind the "Flutie Effect," named after BC quarterback Doug Flutie. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 08 Feb 2013
- Working Paper Summaries
The Dynamic Advertising Effect of Collegiate Athletics
The primary form of mass media advertising by academic institutions in the United States is, arguably, through its athletics program. This study investigates the possible advertising effects of intercollegiate athletics. Specifically, it looks at the spillover effect and the magnitude and divergence that athletic success has on the quantity and quality of applications received by an academic institution of higher education in the United States. Overall, findings show that athletic success has a significant impact on the quality and quantity of applicants to these institutions. However, athletic success has relatively more importance to the students with lower ability. Students of higher ability have a stronger preference for the quality of education compared to their lower-ability counterparts. Key concepts include: When a school goes from being mediocre to being great on the football field, applications increase by 18.7 percent. To attain similar effects, a school has to either decrease its tuition by 3.8 percent or increase the quality of its education by recruiting higher-quality faculty who are paid five percent more in the academic labor market. Schools become more selective with athletic success. For a mid-level school, in terms of average SAT scores, the admissions rate improves by 5.1 percent with high-level athletic success. Students with low ability value the historical success of intercollegiate athletics over longer periods of time. Surprisingly, students with high SAT scores are also significantly affected by athletic success. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 07 Nov 2012
- HBS Case
HBS Cases: Sir Alex Ferguson--Managing Manchester United
For almost three decades, Sir Alex Ferguson has developed the Manchester United soccer club into one of the most recognized sports brands in the world. Professor Anita Elberse discusses the keys to Sir Alex's long-time success. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 07 Aug 2012
- Research & Ideas
Off and Running: Professors Comment on Olympics
The most difficult challenge at The Olympics is the behind-the-scenes efforts to actually get them up and running. Is it worth it? HBS professors Stephen A. Greyser, John D. Macomber, and John T. Gourville offer insights into the business behind the games. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 25 Oct 2011
- Research & Ideas
Chasing Stars: Why the Mighty Red Sox Struck Out
When the Red Sox announced they had signed away veteran pitcher John Lackey from the Anaheim Angels, it was the start of one of the most expensive talent hunts in baseball history. So why were the Red Sox an epic failure in 2011? Lackey's lackluster performance is a case study in the perils of chasing superstars, says Professor Boris Groysberg. Key concepts include: Firms and sports teams alike often make the mistake of believing that star quality is portable from one organization to the next. In addition to an employee's innate talent, star performance is often also dependent on factors such as organizational culture, networking opportunities, and the general team dynamic. After luring a star performer away from a competitor, it behooves an organization to invest some resources in integrating that person into the new environment. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 14 Oct 2010
- Working Paper Summaries
Reversing the Queue: Performance, Legitimacy, and Minority Hiring
While there has been a steady rise in the number of black executives in corporate America, the fact remains that white males have a persistent advantage in terms of access to managerial positions. This paper sets out to find out how a company's performance influences the hiring of minorities into management positions, and whether the presence of minorities in senior management positions affects the racial composition of the subordinate management team. Research, which focused on the corporate structure of the National Football League, was conducted by Harvard Business School doctoral candidate Andrew Hill and professor David Thomas. Key concepts include: The higher a team's winning percentage prior to the hire, the more likely the team is to hire an African-American head coach. The lower a team's winning percentage in the prior season, the more African-American subordinate coaches are likely to be hired. A team with a black head coach hires about twenty-five percent more black subordinates than a team with a white head coach. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
Is it Worth a Pay Cut to Work for a Great Manager (Like Bill Belichick)?
Few of us want to take less money to move to another organization, but Boris Groysberg and Abhijit Naik point to research that shows hooking up with the right manager—whether in sports or business—can quickly increase your value even if your pay is less. Open for comment; 0 Comments.