Cold Call

Enel, Italy’s state-owned power company, was one of Europe’s largest coal users and polluters. Now it is recognized as a leader in renewable energy services. How did it engineer that monumental change? Harvard Business School professor Mark Kramer discusses his case, “Enel: The Future of Energy,” — how CEO Francesco Starace’s vision of sustainability drove innovation and fostered a completely new enterprise around developing and promoting renewable energy.

In the 2016 United States presidential election, candidates from both major political parties used anti-establishment messaging to appeal to Americans, a theme that had been on the sidelines of U.S. political discourse for decades. Donald Trump, in particular, played into the rising anti-establishment sentiment, embracing a populist platform and emphasizing his position as a Washington outsider. Why did his message resonate with voters? Harvard Business School professor Rafael Di Tella discusses his case entitled “Populism in America: Fake News, Alternative Facts and Elite Betrayal in the Trump Era” — how many Americans felt betrayed by the educated “elite” view on globalization, and looked to Trump as a president who would put American workers and values first.

Dr. Brian Alexander at the Dana-Farber Cancer Center in Boston was in the process of launching a new type of clinical trial: an adaptive platform trial. Unlike the traditional randomized controlled trial, adaptive platform trials facilitate simultaneously studying multiple therapies for a given disease and have the potential to make clinical trials for new cancer drugs more efficient and accessible to patients. Developing questions around design, operations, and financing set the stage for this discussion with Harvard Business School professor Ariel Stern about her case: “Adaptive Platform Trials: The Clinical Trial of the Future?”

The African American CEO of a money management firm publicly criticizes the Fortune 500 for paying lip service to diversity. His board urges him to stop. What should he do? Harvard Business School professor Steven Rogers and protagonist John Rogers discuss Rogers’ new case, “John Rogers Jr. — Ariel Investments,” about the risks of speaking up, and the importance of black empowerment in the investment sector.

Oprah Winfrey believes in sharing the experiences that led her to become the wealthiest woman in the entertainment industry and the first African American woman billionaire. Harvard Business School professor Bill George discusses his case “Oprah!” about her growth from childhood, focusing on how and when she discovered her true voice and how that authenticity spurred her career success.

The One Love Foundation is a group dedicated to the prevention of relationship violence through education. Harvard Business School professor Tom DeLong talks about the challenges CEO Katie Hood faces as the organization works to create a movement and then maintain momentum around community engagement, fundraising, and growth. DeLong is the author of the case entitled “One Life; One Love.”

As the Montgomery Bus Boycott starts, the young Martin Luther King, Jr. faces challenges to his leadership goals, strategic vision, and personal and family safety. Harvard Business School professor Bill George discusses his case entitled “Martin Luther King, Jr: A Young Minister Confronts the Challenges of Montgomery,” regarding Dr. King’s early years and how they shaped his ability to respond with courage at his crucible moment — and how leaders today can find the strength to do the same.

Inspired by research linking happiness and productivity, the Japanese multinational conglomerate Hitachi Ltd, invested in developing “people analytics” technologies like high-tech badges (so-called “happiness sensors”) to help companies monitor and increase employee happiness. Harvard Business School professor Ethan Bernstein discusses his case entitled “Sensing (and Monetizing) Happiness at Hitachi” — how to find the right business model — as well as the ethics of collecting and sharing employee happiness data and whether a happier workplace is truly a more productive one.

Harvard Business School professor Teresa Amabile discusses her case, “Creativity Under the Gun at Litmus Corporation” — how managers can create the ideal conditions for employee creativity and success based on her research in three industries, seven companies, and 26 creative project teams.

Japan’s largest online retailer Rakuten is rapidly expanding into global markets. In order to ensure the success of the organization, but also to break down linguistic and cultural boundaries in Japanese society, CEO Hiroshi Mikitani mandates English proficiency within two years for all employees. Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley discusses her cases entitled “Language and Globalization: ‘Englishnization’ at Rakuten” — the thinking behind Mikitani’s mandate and why there’s such a strong connection between language and globalization.