Publications

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February 1986 (Revised March 1990)
Supplement

Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (D)

By: David A. Garvin

Summarizes Copeland's focused factory approach, and updates the company's efforts at the Sidney, Hartselle, Shelby, and Richville plants. Concludes with a brief discussion of future prospects for Copeland's manufacturing strategy. View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Production; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Manufacturing Industry; Ohio

October 1981 (Revised June 1986)
Case

Stratus Computer

Bill Foster has assembled a team to begin a new computer company. He must now develop a financing strategy in view of the various kinds of capital available for new ventures. View Details

Keywords: Financing and Loans; Business Startups; Financial Strategy; Computer Industry

November 1992
Case

Primerica: Sandy Weill and His Corporate Entrepreneurs

By: Andrall E. Pearson and Philip M. Rosenzweig

As CEO of Primerica, Sandy Weill has built a $6.6 billion company from acquisitions and underperforming firms. The case examines Weill's distinctive approach to building, managing, and leading an organization that seeks the benefits of scale without the problems of... View Details

Keywords: Management Style; Business or Company Management; Acquisition

April 1992 (Revised June 1993)
Case

Otis South Africa (A)

By: Michael Beer

Otis Worldwide CEO, George David, was frustrated with the slow pace of nonwhite advancement within Otis South Africa. After a few years of trying to elicit action from South African management, he decided to send a 28-year old U.S. employee to take over as the human... View Details

Keywords: Business Subsidiaries; Multinational Firms and Management; Race; Operations; Business Headquarters; Performance Improvement; Human Resources; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Industrial Products Industry; South Africa; United States

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01 Jun 2008
News

The Prophet of Start-Ups

development during World War II, spearheaded the construction of an HBS-like business school in France (INSEAD), and, perhaps most notably, launched the modern venture capital industry. His remarkable life... View Details

Keywords: Spencer E. Ante; George Doriot; Charles F. Kettering; Lawrence Lowell; F. Warren Hellman; Finance; Securities, Commodities, and Other Financial Investments; Finance

February 2010
Teaching Note

Wanxiang Group: A Chinese Company's Global Strategy (TN)

By: Regina M. Abrami, William C. Kirby, F. Warren McFarlan and Keith Chi-ho Wong

Teaching Note for [308058]. View Details

Keywords: Business History; Global Strategy; Business Conglomerates; Vertical Integration; Goals and Objectives; Mergers and Acquisitions; Auto Industry; China; United States

May–June 2023
Article

Should Your Start-up Be For-profit or Nonprofit?: A Guide for Social Entrepreneurs

By: Cait Brumme and Brian Trelstad

Years ago the line between nonprofit and for-profit enterprises was clear, but that has changed. Nonprofits now offer products that compete with those of the best for-profits, and for-profits can deliver as much social value as charities. Despite the blurred... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Social Entrepreneurship; Mission and Purpose; Nonprofit Organizations; For-Profit Firms; Decision Choices and Conditions

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July 2002 (Revised March 2003)
Case

Restructuring Bulong's Project Debt

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Michael Kane

Preston Resources, a small Australian gold mining company, bought the Bulong nickel mine for A$319 million in November 1998 and financed the acquisition by issuing a US$185 million (A$294 million) project bond. At the time, mining had been underway for several months,... View Details

Keywords: Finance; Projects; Restructuring; Bonds; Borrowing and Debt; Business Startups; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Valuation; Mining Industry; Australia

April 2002 (Revised June 2003)
Case

News Corporation

By: Bharat N. Anand and Kate Attea

In 2001, News Corp. is the smallest of the major media and entertainment conglomerates, but it has the broadest global presence. In an effort to establish a major distribution presence in the United States, News Corp. had looked to acquire DirecTV, the largest U.S.... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Business Conglomerates; Globalization; Distribution; Organizational Culture; Family Ownership; Competition; Consolidation; Corporate Strategy; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Journalism and News Industry; United States; Australia

July 1993
Case

ABB Deutschland (Abridged)

By: Christopher A. Bartlett

Focuses in detail on implementing a corporate restructuring program in ABB's German subsidiary. Special attention is given to Germany's unique form of industrial governance. Two major problem areas--power plants and power transformers--are described in detail. ABB's... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Energy Generation; Corporate Governance; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Salesforce Management; Policy; Organizational Culture; Energy Industry; Germany

04 Sep 2020
Blog Post

Advice from a Career Switcher: The Value of Informational Conversations with Alumni

his internship search, Adam recalls being ambivalent about whether to seek out a role at an operating company or at an energy-focused venture capital firm. Thirsty for the information that would help him decide on a direction and build a... View Details

September 2012
Article

The Size and Composition of Corporate Headquarters in Multinational Companies: Empirical Evidence

By: David J. Collis, David Young and Michael Goold

Based on a six-country survey of nearly 250 multinationals (MNCs), this paper is the first empirical analysis to describe the size and composition of MNC headquarters and to account for differences among them. Findings are as follows: MNC corporate headquarters are... View Details

Keywords: Headquarters; Subsidiaries; Multinational Corporations; Organization Design; Administrative Heritage; International Strategy; Business Subsidiaries; Organizational Design; Multinational Firms and Management; Size; Business Headquarters; Global Strategy

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04 Sep 2019
News

The School that Donham Built

aftermath of World War I, the Great Depression, and the beginning of World War II. In this turbulent era, he developed a distinctive focus and pedagogy that helped define business as a profession and grew a pioneering Harvard View Details

Keywords: Deborah Blagg

September 1999
Case

CIBC Corporate and Investment Banking (B): 1992-1997 (Condensed)

By: Joseph L. Bower and Michael Raynor

From 1992 to 1997, CIBC CEO Al Flood and head of investment banking John Hunkin integrate the struggling investment bank Wood Gundy with CIBC's corporate bank. The impact and interaction of organization design, compensation schemes, and communication initiatives are... View Details

Keywords: Investment Banking; Banks and Banking; Mergers and Acquisitions; Organizational Design; Business Plan; Communication; Banking Industry

Keywords: Roger Thompson; Margie Kelley; Business Schools & Computer & Management Training; Business Schools & Computer & Management Training; Business Schools & Computer & Management Training; Business Schools & Computer & Management Training

01 Jun 2007
News

Mission Possible

opportunity to create and spread innovative solutions to some of society’s most pressing problems. In doing so, they joined a groundswell of interest in social entrepreneurship. Just as entrepreneurs spot missed opportunities in business... View Details

November 1989 (Revised March 1995)
Case

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.--1988

By: Timothy A. Luehrman

Set two years after a takeover attempt forced the company to restructure by leveraging up, selling assets, and repurchasing stock. The case affords an opportunity to analyze what effect the restructuring had on: 1) the cost of capital, 2) investment decisions, and 3)... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Restructuring; Assets; Cost of Capital; Investment; Competition; Rubber Industry

June 2020
Teaching Note

Shiseido Acquires Drunk Elephant

By: Jill Avery

On October 7, 2019, the Shiseido Group announced that it would acquire clean skincare brand Drunk Elephant for $845 million, a valuation of 8.5 times sales. Did Shiseido pay too much or too little for this brand asset? How much was the Drunk Elephant brand worth and... View Details