Cold Call

HBR Presents / Brian Kenny

Cold Call distills Harvard Business School's legendary case studies into podcast form. Hosted by Brian Kenny, the podcast airs every two weeks and features Harvard Business School faculty discussing cases they've written and the lessons they impart.

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291 episodes
Updated July 21

Episodes291

Newest first

Sep 29, 2020 · 24 min
Employee Performance vs. Company Values: A Manager’s Dilemma
As we celebrate the five-year anniversary of Cold Call, we welcome a special guest, Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria to discuss the classic case, “Rob Parson at Morgan Stanley.” The case poses a complex dilemma: should Morgan Stanley promote a high performer who lacks interpersonal skills and brushes off company values? More subtly, the case also encourages reflection about the accountability of managers in an employee’s performance.
Sep 15, 2020 · 28 min
Is Happiness at Work Really Attainable?
Simón Cohen, founder of Henco Logistics, transformed a small Mexican logistics company into a major player within the industry. Cohen credits the firm’s focus on employee happiness as the key ingredient to its success — an approach he developed following a personal crisis. Cohen and Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gino, author of the case about Henco, discuss whether or not that approach can endure through Henco’s rapid growth, leadership transition, and changing employee expectations.
Sep 1, 2020 · 21 min
How to Launch a New Biosciences Product: Start Small or Dive in?
C16 Biosciences wants to replace palm oil, a major contributor to deforestation and climate change, with a lab-grown substitute. But CEO Shara Ticku faces a tough decision in bringing the product to market. Should she start small, with the lower volume personal care market? Or should she dive right into the booming lab-grown food market, with an interested investor? Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Jeff Bussgang discusses his case, “C16 Biosciences: Lab-Grown Palm Oil.”
Aug 18, 2020 · 12 min
Testing New Contact Tracing Approaches in a Pandemic
Singapore officials added a nationwide, Bluetooth-based contact tracing program called TraceTogether to their suite of Covid-19-fighting strategies, which already included human-led tracing. The new digital program’s success would rely on mitigating privacy issues. Would Singaporeans adopt TraceTogether? As Singapore’s government opened up the technology to the world, would you? Harvard Business School professor Mitch Weiss discusses his new case, “TraceTogether.”
Aug 4, 2020 · 27 min
Glossier Built a Cult Brand and a Digital Community, but What’s Next?
The digital-first, direct-to-consumer beauty brand Glossier considers marketing strategies that move away from organic community support and toward influencer marketing and paid media. But what does that mean for its loyal digital community? Harvard Business School professor Jill Avery discusses the debate in her case, “Glossier: Co-Creating a Cult Brand with a Digital Community.”
Jul 21, 2020 · 28 min
Starbucks Commits to Raising Awareness of Racial Bias
After a highly publicized act of racial discrimination by a Starbucks employee against two African American men in one of its stores in 2018, the company closed its 8,000 U.S. coffee shops for a day of unconscious bias training. The company also revised store policies and employee training practices. Harvard Business School professors Francesca Gino and Katherine Coffman discuss what we can learn about unconscious bias in corporate culture from Starbucks’ reaction to that incident in their case, “Starbucks: Reaffirming Commitment to the Third Place Ideal.”
Jul 7, 2020 · 30 min
SmileDirectClub Looks Beyond Direct-to-Consumer Marketing
Harvard Business School professor Len Schlesinger and RSE Ventures Co-founder Matt Higgins discuss why direct-to-consumer channel businesses, like teledentistry company SmileDirectClub, must implement a strategy that moves them beyond DTC in order to thrive – and how to make that change. This episode is based on the Harvard Business School case, “SmileDirectClub: Better is Better.”
Jun 23, 2020 · 18 min
Is It Time for Big Apple Circus to Fold the Tent?
By 2016, the Big Apple Circus had weathered many storms in its 38 seasons as one of the most well-known New York City nonprofits. But with ticket sales and charitable giving in steep decline, the future for this beloved circus and its Clown Care program is uncertain. Harvard Business School professor David Fubini discusses his case, “Big Apple Circus: Time to Fold the Tent?”
Jun 9, 2020 · 23 min
In a Pandemic, What’s the Best Strategy for the Global Vaccine Alliance?
How should the vaccine alliance, Gavi, respond to the worldwide need for a vaccine for the Covid-19 pandemic? Harvard Business School professor Tarun Khanna discusses how experimentation, judicious risk taking, and entrepreneurship in finance and capital markets could enable the way forward and unlock the science in his case, “Gavi and Covid-19: Pandemic of the Century.”
May 26, 2020 · 30 min
Can the “Cummings Way” Live on After the Founder Retires?
After 50 years at the helm of Cummings Properties, billionaire and philanthropist Bill Cummings is winding down his roles at both the family business and foundation that he built. How should the management team move the company forward? Harvard Business School professor Christina Wing and protagonist Bill Cummings discuss the case, “Bill Cummings: The Cummings Way.”
May 12, 2020 · 36 min
Autonomous Vehicles are Ready to Disrupt Society, Business, and You
The rise of autonomous vehicles has enormous implications for business and society. Harvard Business School professors Bill Kerr and Elie Ofek explore the factors influencing development and commercialization, as well as future success and consumer adoption in their cases: “Autonomous Vehicles: The Rubber Hits the Road… but When?” and “Autonomous Vehicles: Smooth or Bumpy Ride Ahead?”
Apr 28, 2020 · 31 min
Is the Healthiest Building in the World Worth the Rent?
Healthy buildings and superior air quality are increasingly important as people spend 90% of their lives indoors. Harvard professors John Macomber and Joseph Allen discuss their case, “A Tower for the People: 425 Park Avenue,” their new book, “Healthy Buildings,” and how their learnings extend to a post-COVID world.
Apr 14, 2020 · 18 min
Fortnite Was a Blockbuster for Epic Games, What’s the Encore?
In the ever-changing video games industry, Epic Games, the maker of the incredibly popular Fortnite multi-player game, considers whether it could become a PC-games distribution platform. Harvard Business School’s Andy Wu discusses his case, “Epic Games.”
Apr 7, 2020 · 23 min
Bringing the Case Method Online
In this special episode of Cold Call, Brian Kenny speaks with Harvard Business School professor Srikant Datar about how Harvard Business School brought 1,800 MBA students and 200 faculty online in under two weeks amid the Covid-19 pandemic. They discuss the challenges of scaling under pressure to maintain the highest level of participant-centered learning possible, the lessons learned, and how this crisis may change the way we teach and learn forever.
Mar 31, 2020 · 25 min
Controlling the Emotion of Negotiation
Two siblings, Thomas and Sally Campbell, are faced with selling their childhood home. They need to make several difficult decisions, all the while navigating their contentious relationship. Harvard Business School professor Leslie John discusses the importance of asking (and answering) the right questions when negotiating, particularly under emotional stress, in her case, “The Campbell Home.”
Mar 17, 2020 · 27 min
Is There a Winner in Huawei’s Digital Cold War with the U.S.?
Against the backdrop of his case, “Huawei: A Global Tech Giant in the Crossfire of a Digital Cold War,” Harvard Business School professor Bill Kirby discusses Huawei’s entrepreneurial start, where the tech giant is headed in the future, U.S.-China relations, and the Chinese government’s response to the Coronavirus.
Mar 3, 2020 · 31 min
Do Universities Need 2U to Create Digital Education?
2U, an online program management provider, believed it was the strongest partner to enable the digital transformation of universities by allowing them to offer a variety of courses to a new student profile. Harvard Business School professors Karim Lakhani and Marco Iansiti discuss the case, “2U: Higher Education Rewired,” and connections to concepts in their book, “Competing in the Age of AI.”
Feb 18, 2020 · 26 min
Global Ocean Trust: Protecting the Blue Planet in New Ways
Following a successful career in finance, Torsten Thiele has devoted himself full-time to the challenging cause of ocean conservation and stewardship, which led him to start the Global Ocean Trust. Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter discusses themes from her new book, “Think Outside the Building,” as she and Thiele explore how changing the narrative is imperative when looking for ways to solve big problems. This episode is based off of the case “Torsten Thiele and the Global Ocean Trust.” HBR Presents is a network of podcasts curated by HBR editors, bringing you the best business ideas from the leading minds in management. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Harvard Business Review or its affiliates.
Feb 4, 2020 · 30 min
Why Backstage Capital Invests in “Underestimated” Entrepreneurs
Harvard Business School professor Laura Huang, whose new book “Edge” explores methods for turning adversity into professional advantage, is joined by Venture Capitalist Arlan Hamilton to discuss her strategy of backing entrepreneurs who have been ignored because of stereotypes, biases, and preconceptions. This episode is based off Huang and Sarah Mehta’s case, “Arlan Hamilton and Backstage Capital.”
Jan 21, 2020 · 24 min
China-based Fuyao Glass Considers Manufacturing in the U.S.
Not many Chinese companies open manufacturing facilities in the U.S., but automotive glass maker Fuyao is considering just that. Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih examines the factors that go into deciding where companies should locate production facilities. The case, “Fuyao Glass America: Sourcing Decision,” focuses on the world’s second largest automotive glass producer as it expands from China into the U.S. and explores a core question facing managers who want to produce physical products for world markets. To meet a very aggressive cost target, management is faced with two options: fulfilling its contract with its new Ohio factory or its factory based out of Tianjin, China. Unlike the Ohio factory, the Chinese factory produces below the cost target, but it also incurs extensive shipping costs and requires a far greater amount of inventory holding.

Cold Call

Employee Performance vs. Company Values: A Manager’s Dilemma

Is Happiness at Work Really Attainable?

How to Launch a New Biosciences Product: Start Small or Dive in?

Testing New Contact Tracing Approaches in a Pandemic

Glossier Built a Cult Brand and a Digital Community, but What’s Next?

Starbucks Commits to Raising Awareness of Racial Bias

SmileDirectClub Looks Beyond Direct-to-Consumer Marketing

Is It Time for Big Apple Circus to Fold the Tent?

In a Pandemic, What’s the Best Strategy for the Global Vaccine Alliance?

Can the “Cummings Way” Live on After the Founder Retires?

Autonomous Vehicles are Ready to Disrupt Society, Business, and You

Is the Healthiest Building in the World Worth the Rent?

Fortnite Was a Blockbuster for Epic Games, What’s the Encore?

Bringing the Case Method Online

Controlling the Emotion of Negotiation

Is There a Winner in Huawei’s Digital Cold War with the U.S.?

Do Universities Need 2U to Create Digital Education?

Global Ocean Trust: Protecting the Blue Planet in New Ways

Why Backstage Capital Invests in “Underestimated” Entrepreneurs

China-based Fuyao Glass Considers Manufacturing in the U.S.