This quarterly issue features the insights of Harvard Business School (HBS) Professors Robert D. Austin and Richard L. Nolan on information technology strategies that will help your company navigate the global economic crisis. Also highlighted is a classic Harvard Management Update article, originally published in September 2002, which discusses five missteps to avoid in a recession.
During this pivotal time in history, greater leadership is needed to help businesses succeed worldwide. HBS Executive Education offers more than 60 programs to meet the full spectrum of management challenges facing senior executives in today's volatile economic environment. Use the HBS Executive Education program finder to select the program that is right for you.
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Surviving the Downturn: Key IT Strategies
The current economic crisis presents both unprecedented challenges and rare opportunities to businesses worldwide. With respect to information services, the downturn gives your company a chance to enhance its information technology (IT) infrastructure, cut expenses, and prepare for the eventual recovery.
In this business brief, Professors Robert D. Austin and Richard L. Nolan discuss five proven strategies for putting the appropriate business plan in place: retain top talent, anticipate security threats, think of IT more strategically, address underperforming legacy systems, and weigh the benefits of renegotiating contracts and outsourcing IT.
Read more about IT strategies.
What Not to Do in a Recession
Many people make "to-do" lists, but this Harvard Management Update article outlines a "what-not-to-do" list. Your company will be better positioned to make the most of the economic recovery by guarding against these five errors in strategic judgment:
- Delaying decisions that will improve the long-term health of your organization
- Assuming that the smart way to ramp up is always cautiously and incrementally
- Attempting to bulletproof your company by moving into recession-resistant businesses
- Trying to broaden your customer base during a downturn
- Assuming that a recovery is based on what leaders do, not on what they think.
Read more about missteps to avoid.
Upcoming HBS Executive Education Programs
Our leadership development programs help senior executives and their organizations manage through tough economic times and target opportunities for success in times of economic growth. To learn more, please visit:
New 2009 Executive Education Offerings
- Global Strategic Management
- Leadership for Senior Executives
- Leadership Reflections and Insights
- Marketing of Innovations
- Taking Marketing Digital
Comprehensive Leadership Programs
- Advanced Management Program
- General Management Program
- Owner/President Management Program
- Program for Leadership Development
Business Strategy
- Achieving Breakthrough Service
- Building and Leading Customer-Centric Organizations
- Real Estate Executive Seminar
- Senior Executive Seminar for Retailers and Suppliers
- Strategy – Building and Sustaining Competitive Advantage
Corporate Governance
- Audit Committees in a New Era of Governance
- Compensation Committees
- Making Corporate Boards More Effective
- Making Corporate Boards More Effective – California
Financial Management
- Corporate Restructuring, Mergers, and Acquisitions
- Driving Corporate Performance
- Finance for Senior Executives
- Private Equity and Venture Capital
- Strategic Finance for Smaller Businesses
Healthcare Delivery
- Leadership and Strategy in Pharmaceuticals and Biotech
- Leading High-Performance Healthcare Organizations
- Managing Breakthroughs – From Science to Enterprise
- Managing Healthcare Delivery
Leadership and Change
- A New Path
- Building Ventures in Established Companies
- Global CEO Program for China
- High Potentials Leadership Program
- Leadership Best Practices
- Leading Change and Organizational Renewal
- Leading Professional Service Firms
- Senior Executive Program for China
- The Corporate Leader
- The Women's Leadership Forum
Marketing
Negotiation and Managerial Decision-Making
South Asia Programs
Technology & Operations Management
2009 Program Calendar
An updated version of our 2009 calendar of open-enrollment programs now is available. To view a complete listing of our courses-along with dates, fees, and links to full descriptions of each program-please access the PDF version of our 2009 Program Portfolio.