New research on crisis management from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including how to avoid panicking in the face of adversity, what companies learned from 9/11 and other crises, and the proper use of risk management.
Page 1 of 51 Results →
Companies unprepared for disasters risk not only their competitive advantage but their very existence. Hise Gibson and Anita Lynch break down what a company needs to build its operational resilience, starting with its people, processes, and technology.
The CrowdStrike outage created a new sense of urgency for companies to protect their tech systems. A study by Shane Greenstein and colleagues illustrates just how many companies are vulnerable to cyberattacks and other threats simply because they put off updating their software.
Aggressive cost cutting and rocky leadership changes have eroded the culture at Boeing, a company once admired for its engineering rigor, says Bill George. What will it take to repair the reputational damage wrought by years of crises involving its 737 MAX?
In December of 2020, SolarWinds learned that they had fallen victim to hackers. Unknown actors had inserted malware called SUNBURST into a software update, potentially granting hackers access to thousands of its customers’ data, including government agencies across the globe and the US military. General Counsel Jason Bliss needed to orchestrate the company’s response without knowing how many of its 300,000 customers had been affected, or how severely. What’s more, the existing CEO was scheduled to step down and incoming CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna had yet to come on board. Bliss needed to immediately communicate the company’s action plan with customers and the media. In this episode of Cold Call, Professor Frank Nagle discusses SolarWinds’ response to this supply chain attack in the case, “SolarWinds Confronts SUNBURST.”
A global supply chain reshuffling is underway as companies seek to diversify their distribution networks in response to pandemic-related shocks, says research by Laura Alfaro. What do these shifts mean for American businesses and buyers?
Captain Michael Davidson of the container ship SS El Faro was determined to make his planned shipping trip on time—but a hurricane was approaching his intended path. To succeed, Davidson and his fellow officers had to plot a course to avoid the storm in the face of conflicting weather reports from multiple sources and differing opinions among the officers about what to do. Over the 36-hour voyage, tensions rose as the ship got closer and closer to the storm. And there were other factors compounding the challenge. The El Faro was an old ship, about to be scrapped. Its owner, TOTE Maritime, was in the process of selecting officers to crew its new ships. Davidson and some of his officers knew the company measured a ship’s on-time arrival and factored that into performance reviews and hiring decisions. When the ship ultimately sunk on October 1, 2015, it was the deadliest American shipping disaster in decades. But who was to blame for the tragedy and what can we learn from it? Professor Joe Fuller discusses the culpability of the captain, as well as his subordinates, and what it reveals about how leaders and their teams communicate under pressure in his case, "Into the Raging Sea: Final Voyage of the SS El Faro."
COVID-19 has devastated the cruise industry, but one company may emerge stronger: Carnival. A case study by Stuart Gilson reveals how the cruising juggernaut is navigating the pandemic. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
How did the evolution of Boeing’s organization and management lead up to two tragic plane crashes—the crash of Lion Air flight 610 on October 29, 2018, in Indonesia, and the crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 on March 9, 2019, in Ethiopia—in which a total of 346 people died? What role did cost cutting, FAA pressure, and CEO succession play in laying the foundation for this tragedy? Professor Bill George discusses the long roots that ultimately led to two tragic Boeing 737 Max crashes, and examines the response of Boeing executives to the crisis in his case, “What Went Wrong with Boeing's 737 Max?” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Boris Groysberg and colleagues peer into the minds of 10 global CEOs trying to steer their businesses through the upheaval of COVID-19. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Not every organization should attempt to solve problems at a system level, but can become more aware of systemic issues, ensuring that solutions dovetail into the macrosystem for best collective impact.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter discusses ways leaders can navigate bumpy transitions and heal divided constituencies. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Leaders today face two great questions: how to survive, and how to capitalize on new opportunities. Insights from Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly Baden. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
For small businesses that have survived the coronavirus so far, what's next? Karen Mills outlines steps that business owners and government should take immediately. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
The Stockdale Paradox and survival psychology contain wisdom for how leaders can manage the coronavirus crisis, according to Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Top restaurant operators share their experiences attempting to survive the pandemic, and how they see the future. Research by Michael S. Kaufman, Lena G. Goldberg, and Jill Avery. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
A survey of 50 companies across countries and industries reveals business leaders are hard at work adapting to the COVID threat. Research by Raffaella Sadun and colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Clear decision-making in a crisis depends on sound methodology and gathering information from a variety of sources. Advice from Boris Groysberg and Sarah Abbott. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
As demonstrated after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Japanese businesses have a unique capability for long-term survival. Hirotaka Takeuchi explains their strategy of investing in community over profits during turbulent times. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Investors look for evidence during a market crisis that a company is resilient. This study includes findings that challenge the notion that companies need to adopt practices that hurt their employees because investors want them to do so.
South Korea initially had the largest number of Coronavirus infections outside of China, but new cases have decreased sharply. What is the country doing right? asks Doug Chung. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
