Publications

November 2007 (Revised April 2022)
Case

Control Data Corporation and the Urban Crisis

By: Tom Nicholas and Laura Gaie Singleton

Control Data Corporation is considering its response to the assassination of renowned civil rights activist Martin Luther King. Four months prior, William Norris, president of the Minneapolis-based computer firm had already committed to building a plant in a low-income... View Details

Keywords: Urban Development; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Urban Scope; Computer Industry; District of Columbia; Minneapolis

July 2009 (Revised May 2010)
Case

The Millennium Challenge Corporation and Ghana

By: Alnoor Ebrahim and V. Kasturi Rangan

A U.S. government agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), provides aid to developing countries, focusing on poverty reduction through economic growth. It measures results through an economic rate of return based on increases in farmer incomes anticipated... View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Economic Growth; Investment Return; Measurement and Metrics; Welfare; Ghana; United States

August 2008
Case

The Chubb Corporation in China

By: Li Jin, Michael Shih-ta Chen and Aldo Sesia

The Chubb Corporation, headquartered in the U.S., was the holding company for a number of property and casualty insurance companies which operated in 29 countries. In 1979, the Chinese government, as part of its "reform and open" policy invited a delegation of Chubb... View Details

Keywords: Insurance; Globalized Firms and Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Emerging Markets; Market Entry and Exit; Business and Government Relations; Insurance Industry; China; United States

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August 2013 (Revised November 2013)
Case

Gordon Brothers: Collateralizing Corporate Loans by Brands

By: Paul Healy and Maria Loumioti

The case explores the collateralization of intellectual property in a loan agreement between a highly leveraged apparel company and a large US bank. Leveraging intangibles in the credit market is a new practice that has significantly grown over the past few years.... View Details

Keywords: Intangible Assets; Accounting; Valuation; Finance; Restructuring; United States

05 Aug 2024
Research & Ideas

Watching for the Next Economic Downturn? Follow Corporate Debt

widespread distress: Corporate credit quality and growth, says Harvard Business School Professor Victoria Ivashina. “It's only in the US in 2007 and 2008 that we observed the highest fraction of the... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

04 Feb 2013
News

Breyer elected to Harvard Corporation

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

May 2001 (Revised January 2003)
Case

Calpine Corporation: The Evolution from Project to Corporate Finance

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Michael Kane

In early 1999, Calpine Corp.'s CEO Pete Cartwright adopted an aggressive growth strategy with the goal of increasing the company's aggregate generating capacity from approximately 3,000 to 15,000 megawatts (MW) by 2004. He believed there was a fleeting opportunity to... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Cost of Capital; Project Finance; Adaptation; Profit; Financial Strategy; Corporate Finance; Energy Industry; United States

06 May 2013
Research & Ideas

How Local Events Shake Up Corporate Philanthropy

Historically, though, such research has neglected to consider how firms are affected by major local events, whether they be planned (the Super Bowl or FIFA World Cup, for instance) or unplanned (an earthquake or hurricane). Marquis and Tilcsik set out to address that... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

November 1993 (Revised September 1998)
Supplement

Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation (C): Conclusion

By: Lynn S. Paine

Describes the results of the charges related to the sale of the apple juice products. View Details

Keywords: Food and Beverage Industry; United States

February 2020 (Revised January 2024)
Case

Wellthy: The Economics of Caring

By: Brian L. Trelstad and Joseph B. Fuller

In 2014, Lindsay Jurist-Rosner (MBA ’09) founded Wellthy, a B2C business that coordinates care for working professionals seeking help to support loved ones with chronic diseases or aging parents. With personal experience as a young professional providing care for her... View Details

Keywords: B2B Vs. B2C; Future Of Work; Health; Social Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Health Industry; United States

April 2009
Article

Drawing Links Between Corporate Governance and Networks: Bankers in the Corporate Networks of Brazil, Mexico, and The United States Circa 1910

By: Aldo Musacchio

Keywords: Corporate Governance; Networks; Banks and Banking; Business History; Brazil; Mexico

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17 Jul 2017
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: As America Recedes from Global Leadership, Its CEOs are Stepping Up

here to stay. America’s CEOs know what is at stake: nothing less than America’s leadership in the global world. America is blessed with corporate leaders whose companies dominate their global markets and who... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

April 2005 (Revised March 2006)
Case

Change at Whirlpool Corporation (A)

By: Jan W. Rivkin, Dorothy A. Leonard and Gary Hamel

In 1998, the CEO of Whirlpool Corp. decides to change the company's strategy significantly to escape an increasingly unattractive "stalemate" in the appliance industry. The change he proposes involves a fundamental shift in the company's focus--from manufacturing to... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Competitive Advantage; Strategic Planning; Production; Brands and Branding; Management Teams; Consumer Products Industry; United States

05 Jul 2006
Op-Ed

Corporate Governance Activists are Headed in the Wrong Direction

time tweaking corporate America with this campaign, the scenario they describe is, in reality, impossible. First, let's understand why the plurality standard dominates director voting. Corporations' internal... View Details

Keywords: by Joseph Hinsey

25 Jul 2003
Keynote Speech

The Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley and the NYSE Rules on American Corporate Governance

By: W. Carl Kester

Keywords: Stocks; Corporate Governance; Accounting Audits; United States

02 Jun 2011
News

HBS Alum Joins Harvard Corporation

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

November 1990 (Revised September 1991)
Case

First Chicago Corp.: Global Corporate Bank (A)

Presents the human resource challenges associated with First Chicago Corp.'s strategy in the corporate banking market. They want to maintain strong "relationships" with customers, while also developing strong investment banking capabilities. They face three problems:... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Corporate Strategy; Human Resources; Commercial Banking; Banking Industry; United States

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January 1998 (Revised April 1998)
Case

Sealed Air Corporation: Globalization and Corporate Culture (B)

By: Lynn S. Paine and Karen Wruck

Sealed Air Corp.'s CEO and COO are considering what approach they should take to building a seamless corporate culture worldwide. Anticipating continuing growth and expansion, especially outside the United States, they are concerned with preserving and promoting the... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Culture; Business or Company Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Expansion; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Policy; Leadership; United States; Europe; Asia