個案總覽

Managing meetings effectively is vital in the fast-paced, complex environment of the modern workplace. However, direct scholarly attention to work meetings is still limited, making an understanding of what makes meetings successful elusive. In this article, we examine the particulars of successful and unsuccessful meetings from a participant's perspective. Employing a conceptual mapping approach, we analyze open-ended statements collected from meeting participants to identify three broad themes associated with meeting success: (1) participant learning and development; (2) the coordination of performance, including the creation of links between meeting episodes; (3) and the development of common understanding and alignment among attendees. By more fully taking these themes into account, managers can be better equipped to design, organize, and manage their work meetings successfully.

This case uses the context of a recently acquired computer animation start-up, Drawn, Inc., to surface the tension around the differences between team members' backgrounds and their experiences within an organization. When the raw data from a weekly internal pulse survey reveals a response accusing an unnamed colleague of being a gossip, sharing negative feedback, and embellishing details to make for more riveting stories, a group of employees took to Slack to discuss the response and whether to share raw survey data in the future. Some argued that transparency was the most important thing and that anything less would be censorship, and others considered the raw survey data an unchecked potential avenue for public shaming, hate speech, and general potential to do harm to or exclude others. The employees' debate offers an opportunity for students to discuss team performance, diversity, transparency, and ways to cultivate a psychologically safe environment. It allows for unfolding a framework such as Henrik Bresman and Amy C. Edmondson's work on psychological safety so students can unpack the issues and discuss difference. It works well in a module on teams and organizations.

This case asks students to consider how to prioritize goals when placed in a new leadership role. In August 2014, Meredith "Max" Hodges became the youngest Executive Director (ED) in the Boston Ballet's 51-year history. In her first year, she was able to claim several early wins, including key adjustments to ticket pricing, new hires, and updated marketing and box office data analysis. But at beginning of her second year, Hodges received disheartening news-a developer had purchased one of Boston Ballet's school locations and was planning to terminate Boston Ballet's lease. Hodges already had several major projects planned, including a major website overhaul and a revamped performance schedule. However, without a new school location, Boston Ballet's revenue would take a hit. Given Boston Ballet's limited resources and the urgency of the terminated school lease, how should Hodges reprioritize her plans for the upcoming year?

CEOs often talk about wanting to create a high-performance culture--but many go about it ineffectively. New research from Gartner, based on surveys and interviews with HR leaders around the globe, identifies three common pitfalls. Instead of using single buzzwords to describe the culture they aspire to--collaborative, innovative, and so on--leaders should illustrate it by acknowledging the tension between the ideal and the present reality. They should avoid measuring culture with data alone and seek unfiltered feedback from open-response survey questions and by encouraging employees to speak up at any time. And they shouldn't forget to alter policies to support the desired cultural change. The article includes a Q&A with Oscar Rivera, the chief culture officer of the Guatemalan conglomerate CMI.

When the author began working at Match, in the mid-2000s, online dating often required monthly fees and endless patience. It was mostly done by middle-aged people sitting at PCs who scrolled through profiles and waited for responses. If they found and connected with someone, they'd often claim they "met through friends" to avoid the stigma that online dating carried. Since then, significant industrywide shifts in technology and business models have completely changed how people use Match products. Now online dating is done via apps on mobile phones; it has moved from monthly subscriptions to a "freemium" pricing model; and it has been embraced by people in their twenties, who are the dominant users of Tinder and similar brands. Mandy Ginsberg describes what it's like to lead in an industry with such fast innovation cycles and discusses incorporating full-motion video into dating apps--part of an effort to predict whether sparks ignited online will persist as chemistry in real life.

The CEO of a computer peripherals manufacturer considers whether to invest in innovation or focus on the core. This fictional case study by Richard Hamermesh features expert commentary by Vijay Sankaran and Carine Clark.

The CEO of a computer peripherals manufacturer considers whether to invest in innovation or focus on the core. This fictional case study by Richard Hamermesh features expert commentary by Vijay Sankaran and Carine Clark.

The CEO of a computer peripherals manufacturer considers whether to invest in innovation or focus on the core. This fictional case study by Richard Hamermesh features expert commentary by Vijay Sankaran and Carine Clark.

Eric Hawkins, director of engineering at AppFolio-a digital technology firm that offered cloud-based business software to small and medium sized companies-was shocked by an unusual request from his senior leadership team. Could Hawkins and one of his agile teams build a check scanner feature inside their management software? AppFolio's founders had instructed to never build a check scanner; providing technologies to help businesses move into the digital era was a primary company goal. A scanner for paper checks would contradict the hard-won culture of software innovation and project self-selection that AppFolio and Hawkins' teams lived by. Hawkins also worried that creating a new team to work on the check scanning project would cause workload and morale issues. But the sales team believed that this technology could close deals with larger, more complex property management companies, some with managers who wanted the check scanner feature. Several large-scale deals were on the line. Hawkins quickly assembled an agile market validation team and considered two options: hold fast to the company's values and refuse to build the check scanner feature or capitulate and build a basic check scanner with minimum functionality. Engineers would likely consider this a "loser" project, yet sales might get a boost that could open a new revenue stream. Hawkins had to make his decision quickly.

This (B) case supplements the (A) case, 419-066, and provides information about what happened after the (A) case ends.

In 2019, the retail and consumer product industries were undergoing a generational transformation. The consumer sector had gone through two other generational shifts in the past 50 years. During each shift, many legacy businesses lost share or outright failed. The businesses that survived and thrived had to grow new business models and competencies, while managing their pre-existing operations. The note explains the major transformations occurring to the global consumer sector in 2019 and how leaders reacted.

Kiera, a young, enthusiastic sales rep, was recently promoted to manager of a sales team of five. In her first year on the job, she tackled a major revamp of the company's outdated training materials and organized a regional conference for her area, but neither her boss nor corporate seemed to appreciate the work she had been doing. Without support or guidance from her boss, Kiera was confused. What was she supposed to do? Parts A and B of the case present two different perspectives on coaching. Part A contains a narrative from the point of view of the "coachee," Kiera, who was learning how to work with her boss, ultimately with the assistance of an executive coach. This case focuses on coaching as a tool to enhance self-management and relationship management and to improve personal performance. Part B describes how Kiera started to learn the "coach approach" to managing her team with the continued guidance of her executive coach. She learned to apply the same skills that her coach used with her in Part A to diagnose her team, share feedback, and communicate expectations. She was learning how to listen and ask thoughtful questions, but she also needed to expand her awareness to "other-management" and build her own coaching skills to enhance her team's performance.

Kiera, a young, enthusiastic sales rep, was recently promoted to manager of a sales team of five. In her first year on the job, she tackled a major revamp of the company's outdated training materials and organized a regional conference for her area, but neither her boss nor corporate seemed to appreciate the work she had been doing. Without support or guidance from her boss, Kiera was confused. What was she supposed to do? Parts A and B of the case present two different perspectives on coaching. Part A contains a narrative from the point of view of the "coachee," Kiera, who was learning how to work with her boss, ultimately with the assistance of an executive coach. This case focuses on coaching as a tool to enhance self-management and relationship management and to improve personal performance. Part B describes how Kiera started to learn the "coach approach" to managing her team with the continued guidance of her executive coach. She learned to apply the same skills that her coach used with her in Part A to diagnose her team, share feedback, and communicate expectations. She was learning how to listen and ask thoughtful questions, but she also needed to expand her awareness to "other-management" and build her own coaching skills to enhance her team's performance.

Jane Philpott, a federal member of Parliament and minister in the Canadian government's cabinet, had told voters during her election campaign in 2015, "For me, a seat in the House of Commons is not a target; it's a tool. It's the tool that you and I will use to make this community better-to make this country better." Four years later, Philpott was forced to examine her position and her potential to use that tool when a scandal brought to question the principles upon which the governing party had campaigned. Resigning over principles carried a great cost; was it the right decision for Philpott?

The backwaters of Vembanad, in Kerala, India, were a renowned tourist attraction, known for their beautiful waters, schools of fish, and the people who lived along the shores. However, the exploitation of resources had taken a toll on the lake and its ecosystem. Pollution and the decline of the rich fish population had left the community impoverished. In 2008, the non-profit social enterprise Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE) had launched an innovative educational and self-regulatory program that had begun to improve the ecosystem. However, by 2018, the resurgence of the fish population had also attracted a fisheries-based food company that wanted to begin processing and exporting fish caught in Vembanad. The immediate employment benefits were attractive to the impoverished local fishers, but the long-term consequences for the region and its community were severe. How should ATREE respond to this pending crisis? Should ATREE use incoming money for immediate relief for Vembanad's stakeholders or should it use the money for long-term benefit by focusing on further conservation efforts?

Job-search site iimjobs.com had evolved in the Indian recruitment landscape as one of the major players for premium jobs, spanning across mid-management and leadership roles, and across multiple industries. In January 2018, leveraging the database of job posts and resumes on its site, the company launched Calculus, a platform built using advanced talent analytics, to provide holistic and integrated talent management solutions. At the same time, market trends led the company to consider diversification into non-premium domains. The industry continued to grapple with the challenges of identifying critical talent to sustain growth plans, and talent management strategists were unable to base decisions on live, dynamic data points. However, the founder and chief executive officer of iimjobs.com faced several core concerns-the strategic implications of diversification into a non-premium job market and the expectations of the industry from a talent analytics platform. He looked at the talent analytics solutions provided by Calculus and considered: How far can the analytic solutions offered by Calculus meet modern human resources holistic requirements?

This technical note helps explain what leadership really is, explores some of the factors that influence leader effectiveness, and introduces the basics of how people can begin to develop as leaders. It is an introduction to a very big topic area, but provides simple definitions and explanations of complicated concepts.

Athena Bancorp was founded in 2016 by Beth Daniels, a banking professional with 15 years of experience in the industry. Daniels took advantage of what she perceived as a gap in the market caused by recent industry consolidation, a decreasing industry focus on branch banking, and tighter lending standards. Athena has an aggressive growth goal-"to grow to 15 branches, with loans and deposits increasing by threefold over the next five years." However, the bank's operating philosophy centers on a high-touch approach, and it relies on dedicated, highly-capable employees who are willing to work long hours. Burnout is setting in at the branch level and morale is declining. Daniels and her leadership team are struggling to hire enough employees to execute this strategy. The case illustrates a company whose success is driven primarily by its human resources (HR) strategy. It also highlights the opportunities and challenges of operating a service business with a high performance/high commitment culture. The case can be used to discuss topics such as leadership, management, organizational culture, strategy, motivation, and entrepreneurs. It is recommended for upper-level undergraduate students or MBA students in courses focused on organizational behavior, general management, human resource management, leadership, or entrepreneurship.

This case represents an amalgam of commonly reported experiences people have when interacting with others from different social class backgrounds and positions of power. The A case takes the perspective of Dan Marlow, who grew up with access to financial and cultural resources and has built his own construction company. He has just fired Robby Gomez, an otherwise great worker, for chronic lateness, and he wonders why he is having trouble motivating and keeping employees. The B case takes the viewpoint of Gomez, who works hard but has trouble getting to work on time because of practical difficulties like car trouble and obligations to family and others in his community. By comparing the perspectives and experiences of these two protagonists, students learn to see how our own experiences and cultural knowledge can inform our decisions and the employee programs that we design. Because we are not aware of cultural norms that we have not personally experienced, we need to include a diversity of viewpoints in the decision-making and design process in order to design effective systems and have effective interactions across differences.