The Everest Quest: Finding That Elusive Harvard Case Study (Ethically!)
That sinking feeling is real. You’ve got a reference burning a hole in your notes: Roberto, M. A., & Carioggia, G. M. (2002). Mount Everest—1996. Harvard Business School Case Study, No. 303-061. It sounds perfect for your project, your class discussion, or just satisfying your curiosity about that infamous 1996 Everest season. You type the title hopefully into a search engine… only to be met with paywalls, sketchy sites, or dead ends. The question echoes: “Does anyone know where I can find this paper for free?” Let’s navigate this academic Everest together.
First, The Reality Check: Why “Free” is Uphill
Harvard Business Publishing (HBP), the distributor of HBS case studies, operates on a licensing model. Think of it like this:
1. Significant Investment: Developing a high-quality, rigorously researched teaching case involves extensive research, interviews, writing, editing, and fact-checking. HBS invests heavily in this process.
2. Sustainability: The revenue from case sales funds the creation of new cases and supports the school’s educational mission. It’s how they keep the pipeline flowing.
3. Intellectual Property: The case study is copyrighted material. Distributing it freely without authorization infringes on those rights.
So, encountering paywalls (often around $8-$12 for a PDF) for a specific case like “Mount Everest—1996” is the standard, intended experience. Legitimate free access is exceptionally rare.
Where Free Access Might Happen (The Legitimate Paths)
While directly finding the PDF for free via a quick Google search is unlikely and often leads to unreliable or pirated sources (which we strongly advise against), here are the ethical avenues where access might be available to you at no direct personal cost:
1. Your Institution is Your Basecamp: This is your strongest hope.
University/College Library: Many academic libraries, especially business schools, subscribe to comprehensive HBP collections. Check your library’s website:
Search their online databases/catalog specifically for the case number (303-061) or title.
Look for dedicated pages for “Harvard Business Publishing Cases” or “HBR Case Studies”.
Crucially: If your institution has a subscription, you can usually download the PDF directly for free while logged in via the campus network or VPN.
Professor or Course Reserves: If this case is assigned reading for a course you’re taking, your professor may have provided access through the Learning Management System (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, etc.) or placed physical copies on reserve at the library.
2. Public Library: A Potential Sherpa: Don’t underestimate your local public library!
Some larger public library systems, particularly in major cities, subscribe to business databases that might include select HBR articles or occasionally case studies.
Ask a Librarian: Seriously, librarians are research ninjas. Explain you need the specific case study (provide the full citation). They can check their subscription databases (like Business Source Premier via EBSCO) or explore Interlibrary Loan (ILL) options. While ILL for a specific copyrighted case PDF directly from HBP is often restricted, they might find alternative resources or access through a partner institution.
3. The Long Shot: Contacting the Author (Proceed with Caution):
Professor Michael A. Roberto (the lead author) is still actively teaching and writing. He has a professional website.
Ethical Approach: If you reach out, be incredibly respectful and transparent. Explain why you need the case (e.g., for a specific academic project where you lack institutional access) and ask if he knows of any legitimate avenues. Do not ask him to violate copyright or send you the PDF directly. He likely cannot. However, he might point you towards publicly available summaries, related articles he’s written about the Everest case (he often references it in his work on leadership and decision-making), or suggest alternatives. Manage expectations – a positive response isn’t guaranteed.
4. Author Websites or Repositories (Unlikely for HBS Cases): While academics often share their journal articles on platforms like SSRN or personal websites, HBS case studies are a different beast. Authors typically do not have the rights to distribute the full, official HBS case PDF independently. You might find related articles or teaching notes about the case, but rarely the case itself.
Why This Case? Understanding the Pull
The “Mount Everest—1996” case isn’t just any case study; it’s a legendary teaching tool dissecting one of the most dramatic and tragic events in mountaineering history. Why does it resonate so strongly, especially in business education?
High-Stakes Decision Making: It plunges students into the intense pressure-cooker environment faced by expedition leaders Rob Hall and Scott Fischer. Decisions about turn-around times, client management, resource allocation, and risk assessment had life-or-death consequences. The parallels to high-pressure corporate decision-making are stark.
Leadership Under Fire: The case examines different leadership styles, communication breakdowns, and the challenges of maintaining authority and clear judgment in extreme conditions. How do leaders balance ambition with safety?
Team Dynamics and Goal Congruence: Multiple teams with overlapping goals and clients operating near their limits created a complex social and operational environment. Who is responsible for whom? How do shared goals align (or conflict)?
Hubris and Overconfidence: The case powerfully illustrates how past success can breed dangerous levels of overconfidence, blinding leaders to mounting risks and dismissing critical warnings.
Systemic Complexity: It wasn’t just one bad decision; it was a cascade of factors – weather, human error, logistical challenges, market pressures (commercial expeditions), and psychological factors – combining tragically. Understanding complex system failures is crucial in business.
It’s a masterclass in analyzing catastrophic failure to extract vital lessons about leadership, ethics, and judgment applicable far beyond the slopes of Everest.
If Free Access Truly Isn’t an Option: Ethical Alternatives
What can you do if the legitimate free paths above don’t pan out?
1. Summaries and Analyses: Search for reputable sources discussing the case:
Michael Roberto’s Work: Look for articles, blog posts, or books by Professor Roberto where he analyzes the Everest case. He often discusses the leadership lessons publicly. Search his name + “Everest 1996”.
Book Chapters: Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air (he was on the mountain) provides a detailed, firsthand account. Other books like The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev offer different perspectives. While not the HBS case, they cover the same events and decisions extensively.
Documentaries: Several high-quality documentaries (like NOVA’s “Everest: The Death Zone” or the IMAX film “Everest”) cover the 1996 disaster, providing visual context and interviews.
Academic Articles: Search scholarly databases (Google Scholar, your library’s resources) for articles analyzing the HBS Everest case or the 1996 events from leadership/organizational perspectives. These often summarize key case points within the article’s discussion.
2. Consider the Purchase (If Possible): While not free, the cost for an individual PDF is relatively modest compared to textbooks. If this case is critical for deep, structured study, purchasing it directly from Harvard Business Publishing (hbsp.harvard.edu) is the guaranteed, ethical way to get it. You’re supporting the creation of future valuable educational resources.
3. Explore Similar Free Case Studies: HBP offers some free cases, often older ones or samples. Browse their website’s free section. While “Everest—1996” is unique, you might find other compelling cases on leadership, crisis management, or decision-making under uncertainty. Project Gutenberg or university open repositories might have free cases from other sources on different topics.
Reaching Your Summit (Ethically)
Finding the specific “Mount Everest—1996” HBS case study (No. 303-061) by Roberto & Carioggia for free is a significant challenge due to the legitimate copyright and distribution model. Your institutional access (university library) is the most reliable ethical pathway. Public libraries and respectful inquiries to the author are long shots but worth exploring politely. Leverage summaries, related books, documentaries, and analyses if access proves impossible.
The enduring power of this case lies in its unflinching examination of human judgment at the extreme. While the quest for the document itself might feel like climbing an information mountain, focusing on the lessons it teaches – about leadership, risk, and responsibility – is ultimately the most valuable summit to reach. Good luck with your research!
Please indicate: Thinking In Educating » The Everest Quest: Finding That Elusive Harvard Case Study (Ethically