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- All HBS Web
(4,504)
- People (6)
- News (657)
- Research (3,036)
- Events (13)
- Multimedia (10)
- Faculty Publications (1,930)
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- July 2024
- Module Note
The Scope of the Corporation
By: David J. Collis
Every company, regardless of size or configuration, has to make decisions about the appropriate scope of its operations. In fact, the issue is so fundamental that Ronald Coase won the Nobel Prize in Economics for merely asking the question, “what determines the scope... View Details
Collis, David J. "The Scope of the Corporation." Harvard Business School Module Note 724-494, July 2024.
- 2010
- Working Paper
Corporate Governance and Internal Capital Markets
We exploit an exogenous shock to corporate ownership structures created by a recent tax reform in Germany to explore the link between corporate governance and internal capital markets. We find that firms with more concentrated ownership are less diversified and have... View Details
Keywords: Cost vs Benefits; Capital Markets; Corporate Governance; Taxation; Ownership; Performance Efficiency; Diversification; Germany
Sautner, Zacharias, and Belen Villalonga. "Corporate Governance and Internal Capital Markets." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 10-100, May 2010.
- 26 Nov 2001
- Op-Ed
Why Corporate Budgeting Needs To Be Fixed
Corporate budgeting is a joke, and everyone knows it. It consumes a huge amount of executives' time, forcing them into endless rounds of dull meetings and tense negotiations. It encourages managers to lie and cheat, lowballing targets and... View Details
Keywords: by Michael C. Jensen
- July 2005 (Revised April 2008)
- Case
The Rise of Kmart Corporation 1962-1987
By: John R. Wells and Travis Haglock
Tracks the development of the Kmart discount store chain from its inception in 1961 to its peak in 1990 and examines the contribution of each Kmart chief executive to the chain's success. In, parallel, compares the performance of Wal-Mart over the same period along a... View Details
Keywords: History; Strategic Planning; Leadership; Competitive Strategy; Performance Evaluation; Retail Industry; United States
Wells, John R., and Travis Haglock. "The Rise of Kmart Corporation 1962-1987." Harvard Business School Case 706-403, July 2005. (Revised April 2008.)
- Article
The Error at the Heart of Corporate Leadership
By: Joseph L. Bower and Lynn S. Paine
Agency theory, a new model of governance promulgated by academic economists in the 1970s, is behind the idea that corporate managers should make shareholder value their primary concern and that boards should ensure they do. The theory regards shareholders as owners of... View Details
Bower, Joseph L., and Lynn S. Paine. "The Error at the Heart of Corporate Leadership." Harvard Business Review 95, no. 3 (May–June 2017): 50–60. (Reprinted in HBR’s 10 Must Reads: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review 2019, Boston, Mass: Harvard Business Review Press, 2019, pp. 165-192.)
- Research Summary
Overview
Research about the design and use of internal performance measurement and control systems to implement strategies, align incentives, manage risks, and shape culture using accounting measurement and priorities.
In addition, my research includes understanding how and... View Details
- January 2003 (Revised May 2003)
- Case
AngloGold - Corporate Responsibility for HIV/AIDS (A)
AngloGold, a South African gold-mining corporation, faces a decision to provide its workforce, 30% of which is infected with HIV, with antiretroviral treatment. View Details
Keywords: Health Disorders; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Employees; Mining Industry; South Africa
Barrett, Diana, and Amanda Key. "AngloGold - Corporate Responsibility for HIV/AIDS (A)." Harvard Business School Case 303-101, January 2003. (Revised May 2003.)
- September 2024
- Case
Board Director Dilemmas: The Tradeoffs of Board Selection
By: David G. Fubini, Suraj Srinivasan and Patrick Sanguineti
After retiring from a long and successful career in financial auditing, Linda McGill looked forward to the prospect of joining a board. She felt the time was right to leverage the breadth of her experience while fulfilling one of her long-term goals. Though somewhat of... View Details
Keywords: Board Decisions; Corporate Boards; Board Networks; Cost vs Benefits; Governing and Advisory Boards; Retirement
Fubini, David G., Suraj Srinivasan, and Patrick Sanguineti. "Board Director Dilemmas: The Tradeoffs of Board Selection." Harvard Business School Case 425-023, September 2024.
- April 2025
- Case
Techint: Strategic Choices for Community Impact
By: Lauren Cohen, Virak Prum, Kenneth Charman, Pedro Levindo and Mariana Cal
In early 2024 Erika Bienek, Chief Community Relations Officer at Techint, had to decide whether to invest in a new company-owned and operated technical school in Veracruz, Mexico, or invest instead in strengthening the city’s public education system. Techint, a global... View Details
Keywords: Technical Institutes; Community Relations; Social Impact; Argentina; Mexico; Brazil; Conglomerate; Stakeholder Management; Government And Business; Community Impact; Philanthropy; Business Conglomerates; Business Subsidiaries; Business Headquarters; Family Business; Decision Making; Private Sector; Public Sector; Education; Curriculum and Courses; Middle School Education; Secondary Education; Teaching; Training; Learning; Energy; Engineering; Construction; Values and Beliefs; Geography; Global Range; Local Range; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Globalized Firms and Management; Government Legislation; Recruitment; Innovation and Invention; Disruptive Innovation; Knowledge; Resource Allocation; Industry Clusters; Infrastructure; Family Ownership; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Business and Community Relations; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Business and Government Relations; Creativity; Reputation; Social and Collaborative Networks; Civil Society or Community; Social Issues; Poverty; Strategy; Construction Industry; Education Industry; Energy Industry; Industrial Products Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Steel Industry; Europe; Italy; Latin America; North and Central America; Mexico; North America; United States; South America; Argentina; Buenos Aires; Brazil
- 2012
- Working Paper
Issuer Quality and Corporate Bond Returns
By: Robin Greenwood and Samuel G. Hanson
We show that the credit quality of corporate debt issuers deteriorates during credit booms, and that this deterioration forecasts low excess returns to corporate bondholders. The key insight is that changes in the pricing of credit risk disproportionately affect the... View Details
Keywords: Price; Credit; Risk and Uncertainty; Investment Return; Forecasting and Prediction; Bonds; Market Design; Cost of Capital; Mathematical Methods; System Shocks
Greenwood, Robin, and Samuel G. Hanson. "Issuer Quality and Corporate Bond Returns." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 11-065, January 2011. (Revised September 2012, Internet Appendix Here.)
- 23 May 2011
- Research & Ideas
Corporate Sustainability Reporting: It’s Effective
Editor's note: Please see related story, Leading and Lagging Countries in Contributing to a Sustainable Society. Although companies are increasingly reporting on their corporate sustainability responsibility (CSR) performance, there has... View Details
Keywords: by Michael Blanding
- April 1998 (Revised May 2001)
- Supplement
Acquisition of Consolidated Rail Corporation (B), The
By: Benjamin C. Esty, Lori A. Flees and Mathew M Millett
Eight days after CSX announced it was going to buy Consolidated Rail (Conrail) for $88.65 per share, Norfolk Southern made a hostile $100 per share bid for Conrail. Over the next several months, the potential acquirers upped their bids while exchanging criticism in the... View Details
Keywords: Law; Valuation; Rail Transportation; Bids and Bidding; Governance Controls; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Strategy; Corporate Finance; Rail Industry; United States
Esty, Benjamin C., Lori A. Flees, and Mathew M Millett. "Acquisition of Consolidated Rail Corporation (B), The." Harvard Business School Supplement 298-095, April 1998. (Revised May 2001.)
- Research Summary
Institutions and Corporate Lobbying
“Institutions and Make-or-Buy Decision of Lobbying: The Role of Sociopolitical Legitimacy on Foreign MNEs’ Lobbying Internalization”
In this study, I examine how legitimacy comes into play in foreign MNEs’ make-or-buy decisions... View Details
Keywords: Institutions; Make V. Buy; Lobbying; Legitimacy; Corruption; Culture; Multinational Enterprise; United States
- June 2013 (Revised June 2014)
- Case
Valero Energy Corporation and Tight Oil
By: Richard H.K. Vietor, Eric Adamson, Aaron Byrd, Ned Chiverton, Mariko Meier and Rob Rain
Valero Energy, an incredibly successful US refiner, needs to make some decisions about tight oil. As production of light tight oil increases—from Eagle Ford, Bakken and elsewhere—Valero considers whether to add topping capacity to handle it, on top of its recent... View Details
Keywords: Petroleum; Oil ＆ Gas; Energy; Environment; Refining; Globalization; Tight Oil; Strategy; Natural Environment; Demand and Consumers; Supply and Industry; Policy; Energy Sources; Energy Industry; United States
Vietor, Richard H.K., Eric Adamson, Aaron Byrd, Ned Chiverton, Mariko Meier, and Rob Rain. "Valero Energy Corporation and Tight Oil." Harvard Business School Case 713-083, June 2013. (Revised June 2014.)
- July 1996 (Revised August 2017)
- Case
Continuous Casting Investments at USX Corporation
By: Clayton Christensen
Focuses on the difficulty established companies face when confronted with disruptive technological innovations. The power that their prior asset investments, their cost structures, and their customers have in constraining their investment and innovation decisions are... View Details
Keywords: Disruption; Assets; Cost; Investment; Technological Innovation; Problems and Challenges; Mining Industry; Real Estate Industry
Christensen, Clayton. "Continuous Casting Investments at USX Corporation." Harvard Business School Case 697-020, July 1996. (Revised August 2017.)
- 02 Feb 2004
- Research & Ideas
Mapping Your Corporate Strategy
they have formulated following Mike Porter's principles. Our methodology, however, is completely general; whichever strategic framework the organization is using, it still needs to translate and communicate it across all business units... View Details
Keywords: by Martha Lagace
- December 1997
- Case
Birman Industrial Products Corporation
Hammond, Janice H. "Birman Industrial Products Corporation." Harvard Business School Case 698-048, December 1997.
- April 2009 (Revised July 2010)
- Case
Corporate Solutions at Jones Lang LaSalle (2001)
By: Ranjay Gulati and Lucia Menzer Marshall
Peter Barge, CEO of the newly created Corporate Solutions Group of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), is executing a restructuring of the U.S. corporate real estate services division that will enable the company to offer its clients integrated solutions. Barge has created an... View Details
Keywords: Business Divisions; Restructuring; Customer Relationship Management; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Corporate Strategy; Integration
Gulati, Ranjay, and Lucia Menzer Marshall. "Corporate Solutions at Jones Lang LaSalle (2001)." Harvard Business School Case 409-111, April 2009. (Revised July 2010.)
- October 2024
- Supplement
Hakluyt: from Corporate Intelligence to Trusted Advisors (B)
By: Joseph B. Fuller and Lena Duchene
This case is a continuation of an earlier study chronicling Hakluyt & Company (Hakluyt)’s transformation from an obscure boutique to a global corporate advisory firm with an outsized reputation. In August 2024, the firm faced a pivotal moment as managing partner Varun... View Details
Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation; Business Model; Talent and Talent Management; Capital Structure; Cash Flow; Corporate Finance; Equity; Stock Shares; Corporate Governance; Business History; Compensation and Benefits; Recruitment; Leadership Style; Growth Management; Management Succession; Management Teams; Organizational Culture; Performance Evaluation; Networks; Partners and Partnerships; Business Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Consulting Industry; Europe; United Kingdom; England; London
Fuller, Joseph B., and Lena Duchene. "Hakluyt: from Corporate Intelligence to Trusted Advisors (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 825-087, October 2024.
- September 2009
- Article
Labor Market Institutions and Global Strategic Adaptation: Evidence from Lincoln Electric
By: Jordan I. Siegel and Barbara Zepp Larson
Although one of the central questions in the global strategy field is how multinational firms successfully navigate multiple and often conflicting institutional environments, we know relatively little about the effect of conflicting labor market institutions on... View Details
Keywords: Institutions; Labor Market; Complementarity; Global Strategy; Multinational Firms and Management; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Labor Unions; Laws and Statutes; Operations; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Manufacturing Industry
Siegel, Jordan I., and Barbara Zepp Larson. "Labor Market Institutions and Global Strategic Adaptation: Evidence from Lincoln Electric." Management Science 55, no. 9 (September 2009): 1527–1546. (Although one of the central questions in the global strategy field is how multinational firms successfully navigate multiple and often conflicting institutional environments, we know relatively little about the effect of conflicting labor market institutions on multinational firms' strategic choice and operating performance. With its decision to invest in manufacturing operations in nearly every one of the world's largest welding
markets, Lincoln Electric offers us a quasi-experiment. We leverage a unique data set covering 1996–2006 that combines data on each host country's labor market institutions with data on each subsidiary's strategic choices and historical operating performance. We find that Lincoln Electric performed significantly better in countries with labor laws and regulations supporting manufacturers' interests and in countries that allowed the free
use of both piecework and a discretionary bonus. Furthermore, we find that in countries with labor market institutions unfriendly to manufacturers, Lincoln Electric was still able to overcome most (although not all) of the institutional distance by what we term flexible intermediate adaptation.)