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This technical note requires students to define and describe a practical application deploying the 5S process steps of lean thinking methodology: Sort, Set in Order, Shine to help future business managers organize, create new habits, and visually control a personal area or workplace setting in order to eliminate waste in the activities undertaken by one or more individuals. The note provides guidance for students to document their 5S journey, reflect their on their learning, and then summarize the experience.

Business entities must continually respond to shifts in the competitive landscape. When internal or external pressures cause a company to undertake an operational improvement process such as Six Sigma or Lean, managing the human aspects of implementation is critical. Change management in an operational-improvement setting can be challenging; however, it is well worth understanding and utilizing the appropriate tools and the FEEL-SEE-DO-PRACTICE-OBSERVE iteration. Ultimately, the robustness of an organization may be due in large part to its ability to build a continuous-improvement cycle solidly into the infrastructure of its culture and operations.

This note examines the pros and cons of two ways to build new ventures. The former is called causal or predictive, because it depends on accurate predictions and clear goals. The latter is effectual or nonpredictive, and it is extremely stakeholder-dependent and means-driven. It is very tempting to jump to the conclusion that the latter is the better way since it is overwhelmingly preferred by expert entrepreneurs. But is that really so?

This note introduces the current corporate governance system in China, identifies its key problems and assesses recent improvements and future challenges.

This note introduces the process of making capital investment decisions to non-business students.

This note briefly describes compensation and incentive issues in one of the major US professional sports leagues, the National Football League (NFL). It first provides some background information on the labor market for players and the salary cap, and then describes incentive issues facing players and their agents.

Brief political, economic and social timeline of China from 1949 to present to give context on and provide overview of modern Chinese history.

This note covers the basics of real estate from a portfolio manager's perspective. It examines how money is made in real estate, how real estate is valued, the differences among various types of real estate, and how to do basic financial modelling such as net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR).

This note introduces the process of preparing a budget and using the budget as a management tool to non-business students.

Building on previous research, this note examines the results of a study of firms on the Fortune 1000 list from 1996 to 2004. The note brings those studies up to date by introducing more recent industry return data and extends the analysis to include a discussion of how profitability within and across industries may and does vary over time, as well as the implications of such a phenomenon. The note also details the impact of competition-specifically, the level of a given industry's concentration among its top firms-on profitability. Profitability in the study uses three metrics: return on equity (ROE), return on sales (ROS), and return on assets (ROA) to compare the firms on the Fortune 1000 list to uncover key findings.

For many firms, the brands associated with their products and/or services are their most valuable assets, and, hence, much management attention is given to designing, communicating, nurturing, and protecting them. This note is designed to provide an understanding of brand management strategies firms use to build, sustain, and leverage their brands.

This note describes the history and regulation of clinical trials, managerial challenges related to pharmaceutical product testing, and current debates regarding prescription drug safety. Since clinical testing takes between five and seven years, and consumes up to 70 percent of a drug's total development costs, pharmaceutical and biotechnology leaders need to understand clinical trial management. Likewise, with a growing variety of new product introductions requiring pre-market testing, managers and analysts in many business sectors will benefit from understanding clinical trials.

This note reviews research findings on the leadership challenges of diversity, including the social psychology of similarity and difference, the value of multiple perspectives to problem-solving, the relationship between diversity and firm performance, and management paradigms for diversity.

How does one assess which consulting firm to hire when planning for the postacquisition activities? This technical note lists the questions to ask presenters from consulting firms who are making their "pitch" to get the assignment.

Wireless technologies and mobile devices have played crucial roles in the evolution of the digital ecosystem. This note looks at cell phones, smartphones, mobile technologies and popular applications noting companies that are positioned to capture the value engendered by them.

This technical note discusses the methods and factors that investment bankers and venture capitalists take into account when placing a value on the shares of biotech companies.

This note provides background information on the global wind industry and is meant to accompany HBS cases 708-051, The Suzlon Edge; 708-022, Cape Wind: Offshore Wind Energy in the USA; and 707-016, Supergrid.

This note examines the background of the credit crisis of 2007-2008, discusses potential causes of it, and considers its ramifications. The exhibits contain a variety of pertinent data regarding the rise of securitization, debt levels, and typical aspects of financial crises. A new matrix is introduced for thinking about a country's potential economic performance at any point in time.

This note introduces fundamental financial tools and techniques employed by financial managers and analysts to evaluate and enhance the financial position of a business. Forms of ownership, statement of cash flows, financial ratio analysis, projected financial statements, sensitivity analysis, credit, sources and types of financing, and bankruptcy are discussed in this note.

Financial statements provide company employees, investors, lenders, competitors and shareholders with an understanding of a company's operating results and financial condition. The topics discussed in this note include the statement of earnings, the balance sheet, the statement of retained earnings and the auditor's reports and footnotes.