The View from Harvard Business

Black Friday: Your Big Chance to Win Back Customers

Sean Silverthorne — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Small retailers face a tricky decision this Black Friday. They need to woo back former customers, but price discounting can quikly lead to disaster. Where are you placing your bets?

What is the Value of U.S. Citizenship?

Sean Silverthorne — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:58:56 +0000

More than 7 million legal residents who are eligible to become U.S. citizens each year, essentially green-card holders, choose against doing so. Is America doing a poor job marketing the benefits of citizenship? Does it have the pricing right? Help Uncle Sam get a new plan.

Going Rogue: Three Times to Ignore 'Best Practice'

Sean Silverthorne — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:13:13 +0000

Best practices are great -- until a real-world situation begs for non-standard solution. No worries. Here are three times when it is OK to jump off the best practice path.

Bet on Santa to Defeat the Recession

Sean Silverthorne — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:44:22 +0000

Will Christmas shoppers put their long financial nightmare behind them? You can bet the subprime mortgage on one thing: It ain't 2007 anymore.

The 'Public Option' Fix: Let States Do It

Sean Silverthorne — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:50:34 +0000

What if a way could be found to provide the goal of the health care 'public option' -- more competition to private insurers that would reduce costs -- without need for a massive new federal bureaucracy?

The Problem with Making English a Business Standard

Sean Silverthorne — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:37:07 +0000

Increasingly companies are requiring global employees to communicate in English. But rather than enhance communication and productivity, this practice can engender ill will and apprehension. Here's what you can do to smooth out the babel.

Most Managers Failing Their Duty During Crisis

Sean Silverthorne — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:44:24 +0000

A recent McKinsey survey on crisis leadership unearths a distressing reality. Fewer than half of managers believe inspiration and direction is high on their job description. In other words, these managers don't think of themselves as leaders.

Most Important Social Media Trends for 2010

Sean Silverthorne — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:40:45 +0000

What does social networking look like in 2010? Get ready for fewer 'friends,' more workplace social media rules, and more -- lots more -- games.

The Netflix of High Fashion

Sean Silverthorne — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:27:11 +0000

Recent Harvard Business School graduates have started a new business, Rent the Runway, that allows women to rent high fashion dresses for $50 to $200 for four nights. The dresses are mailed out and returned by mail much like a Netflix DVD.

Splitting Chairman/CEO Roles is Overkill

Sean Silverthorne — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:48:47 +0000

Should a CEO also serve as chairman of the board? Companies in Canada and the UK think not, but most American firms are structured this way. Here's an argument that in the end it doesn't really make a difference.