Publications

January 2005 (Revised March 2005)
Case

Financial analysis is one way to detect WorldCom's fraudulent accounting. This case presents two perspectives of WorldCom: the company as viewed by security analysts and the inside view of the accounting fraud. Also looks at the company's acquisition accounting to... View Details

Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Risk Management; Crime and Corruption; Accounting

2007
Book

Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008

By: Augusto Lopez-Claros, Michael Porter, Xavier Sala-i-Martin and Klaus Schwab

The World Economic Forum continues its tradition of excellence with the 29th edition of the annual Global Competitiveness Report featuring the latest indicators from the Executive Opinion Survey. The Report assesses over 130 developed and... View Details

Keywords: Globalized Economies and Regions; Strength and Weakness; Competition

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November 1996
Background Note

Some Thoughts on Business Plans

By: William A. Sahlman

A framework for assessing new business opportunities and the business plans used to describe them is developed. Useful for aspiring entrepreneurs in MBA programs. View Details

Keywords: Business Plan; Entrepreneurship; Framework; Opportunities

October 1991 (Revised January 2002)
Case

Butler Lumber Company

By: Thomas R. Piper

The Butler Lumber Co. is faced with a need for increased bank financing due to its rapid sales growth and low profitability. Students must determine the reasons for the rising bank borrowing, estimate the amount of borrowing needed, and assess the attractiveness of the... View Details

Keywords: Commercial Banking; Financial Crisis; Borrowing and Debt; Financial Strategy; Financing and Loans; Capital Structure; Forecasting and Prediction

13 Nov 2019
Working Paper Summaries

The Gender Gap in Self-Promotion

Keywords: by Christine L. Exley and Judd B. Kessler

January 1990 (Revised February 1990)
Case

MSA: The Software Company--Planning the AMAPs Product Line

By: Robert J. Dolan

MSA has commissioned a major market research study to assess demand potential for a computer software system designed for aerospace and defense contractors. Students must evaluate the results of the study (including a conjoint analysis) to assess whether MSA should... View Details

Keywords: Product; Marketing; Mathematical Methods; Software

September 2017 (Revised September 2023)
Case

Chase Sapphire: Creating a Millennial Cult Brand

By: Shelle Santana, Jill Avery and Christine Snively

The launch of the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card was enthusiastically received by millennial consumers, a cohort that had previously eluded JPMorgan Chase and its competitors. With the one-year anniversary of the launch approaching, managers are focused on... View Details

January 2008 (Revised March 2008)
Case

Bidding on Martha's Vineyard (A)

By: James Sebenius

To buy a desirable Martha's Vineyard property, Robert and Sally Franklin must craft a bidding strategy informed by their assessment of their competitor. The "A" case sets up the situation and bidding history to date, describes how they assessed their valuations and... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Preparation; Negotiation Process; Valuation; Decision Choices and Conditions; Property; Bids and Bidding; Real Estate Industry; Martha's Vineyard

December 2007 (Revised June 2009)
Background Note

Identifying and Exploiting the Right Entrepreneurial Opportunity...For You

By: Howard H. Stevenson and Shirley Spence

This note provides an analytical framework for assessing potential opportunities in the context of an entrepreneur's life. The framework has two parts -- a business analysis and a personal analysis -- each comprised of a set of yes/no questions for critical assessment... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Opportunities

August 1983
Article

The Social Psychology of Creativity: A Componential Conceptualization

By: T. M. Amabile

Considers the definition and assessment of creativity and presents a componential framework for conceptualizing this faculty. Including domain-relevant skills, creativity-relevant skills, and task motivation as a set of necessary and sufficient components of... View Details

Keywords: Theory; Social Psychology; Creativity; Cognition and Thinking; Motivation and Incentives; Personal Characteristics

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August 1984 (Revised October 1992)
Background Note

Marketing Implementation

By: John A. Quelch

Describes a framework for evaluating marketing implementation problems and assesses the interfaces between marketing strategy and implementation. View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy

October 6, 2020
Article

Test Your Board's Readiness for the Post-COVID Era

By: Lynn S. Paine

Research suggests that well-run boards take the process of self-evaluation quite seriously, often using a combination of director surveys and personal interviews to assess the functioning and effectiveness of the board, its committees, and its individual members. As... View Details

Keywords: Health Pandemics; Governing and Advisory Boards; Performance Evaluation

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January 1994 (Revised March 1995)
Background Note

Evaluating an Action Plan

By: Linda A. Hill

Managers report that action planning to resolve interpersonal and organizational challenges is far more demanding than diagnosing them. Although there are many frameworks for evaluating their diagnoses, there are few for evaluating their action plans. Reviews the major... View Details

Keywords: Planning

05 Jul 2006
What Do You Think?

How Important Is “Executive Intelligence” for Leaders?

assess its impact or usefulness?" And, we might add, how do we incorporate it into our everyday assessment of potential or actual leadership talent? There was a full range of opinions regarding the... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

April 2002 (Revised May 2003)
Case

Nghe An Tate & Lyle Sugar Company (Vietnam)

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Frank J. Lysy and Carrie Ferman

In September 1998, Paul Cooper, Tate & Lyle's finance director for international investments, asked the International Finance Corp. (IFC) to consider lending up to $45 million to finance a $90 million sugar mill in northern Vietnam. Ewen Cobban, an IFC agricultural... View Details

Keywords: Business and Government Relations; Food and Beverage Industry; Viet Nam

June 2015 (Revised July 2016)
Case

Gilbert Lumber Company

By: Steven Rogers and Kenneth Cooper

The Gilbert Lumber Co. is faced with a need for increased bank financing due to its rapid sales growth and low profitability. Students must determine the reasons for the rising bank borrowing, estimate the amount of borrowing needed, and assess the attractiveness of... View Details

Keywords: Commercial Banking; Financial Crisis; Borrowing and Debt; Financial Strategy; Financing and Loans; Capital Structure; Forecasting and Prediction

May 2004 (Revised August 2004)
Case

Enron Odyssey (A), The: The Special Purpose of "SPEs"

The board has asked Ron Tolbert, an employee in the Risk Assessment and Control Group, to analyze three SPE transactions executed by Enron executives: the Destec, Rhythms, and Fishtail/Bacchus transactions, which were prominently featured in the Examiner's Report in... View Details

Keywords: Financial Management; Financial Instruments; Analysis; Accounting; Financial Strategy; Energy Industry

September 2007
Case

Nonverbal Communication: Distinguishing Truth and Lies

By: Michael A. Wheeler

This video-based coursework illuminates the importance--and difficulty--of judging whether people are trustworthy. Students can test their skills at assessing whether contestants in a high-stakes game show will cooperate or defect. View Details

Keywords: Nonverbal Communication; Competency and Skills; Moral Sensibility; Emotions; Trust