Publications

October 2009 (Revised October 2010)
Case

Grove Street Advisors: September 2009

By: Matthew Rhodes-Kropf and Ann Leamon

The investment committee of Grove Street Advisors, a pioneer in the provision of customized private equity funds-of-funds for pension fund clients, must decide how to respond to the market opportunities and challenges presented by the turmoil of 2008 and 2009. How can... View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Expansion; Investment Funds; Financial Services Industry

23 Jan 2024
Research & Ideas

How to Keep Employees Productive: Support Caregivers

by Willis Towers Watson found that 40 percent of employees desire family-related assistance, with preference for expanded family leave, bereavement leave or assistance, and additional maternity leave. Companies can attract and retain talent by View Details

Keywords: by Kara Baskin

Forthcoming
Article

Disclosure Standards and Communication Norms: Evidence of Voluntary Sustainability Standards as a Coordinating Device for Capital Markets

By: Khrystyna Bochkay, Jeffrey Hales and George Serafeim

In this paper, we examine how the development of voluntary sustainability standards has affected the nature of information covered in conference calls. Using industry-specific dictionaries of sustainability terms contained in the disclosure standards developed by the... View Details

Keywords: Voluntary Disclosure; Accounting Standards; Sustainability Reporting; Sustainability Standards; ESG; ESG Disclosure; Accounting; Corporate Disclosure; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Standards; United States

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10 Jul 2000
Research & Ideas

Cable TV: From Community Antennas to Wired Cities

was spurred by high profits. Typical cable systems outside the top 100 markets earned rates of return on net investment (before taxes and interest expense) over 40 percent. 9 Wired Cities: 1970-1975 (10) With View Details

Keywords: by Thomas R. Eisenmann; Media & Broadcasting; Consumer Products; Entertainment & Recreation

January 2022
Case

Hybrid Classroom - an Opportunity or a Threat?

By: V.G. Narayanan

When the Covid pandemic struck in the spring of 2020, HBS pivoted to remote instruction while maintaining the interactive and engaged discussions which distinguished the case system pedagogy. In fall 2020 HBS adopted a hybrid approach, fitting out its classrooms with... View Details

Keywords: Education; Teaching; Higher Education; Technology Adoption; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Adaptation; Opportunities; Education Industry

October 2005 (Revised June 2006)
Case

The Turnaround of Chris-Craft

By: William A. Sahlman, Geremy Connor, Brian Doherty, Andrew Murphy and Taylor Smith

Describes a set of issues confronting the owners of Chris-Craft, a manufacturer of high-end boats. The company can invest in new monobrand stores, new boat designs, and brand extensions (e.g., apparel). The owners have also recently purchased Indian Head Motorcycle out... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Luxury; Brands and Branding; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States

23 Jul 2001
Research & Ideas

How Relationships are Building Biotech

How does an industry get born? To answer that question, it helps to turn the microscope on one fairly new industry: biotechnology. A still further way to get inside this question, according to HBS professor Monica C. Higgins, is to take a... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace & Mallory Stark

01 Nov 2017
What Do You Think?

What Are the Real Lessons of the Wells Fargo Case?

SUMMING UP Respondents to this month’s Wells Fargo “case study” identified problem symptoms, diagnosed causes, proposed remedies, and even suggested a title for a follow-on case. Mitch says that when one company is consistently more successful than others in that View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Banking

February 2010 (Revised December 2010)
Case

Lending Club

By: Peter Tufano

A new entrant in the nascent online peer lending space, Lending Club must decide whether or not to register with the SEC. Lending Club provided a platform through which individual borrowers could receive loans funded by individuals who chose to invest in them. The... View Details

Keywords: Financial Instruments; Price; Personal Finance; Financing and Loans; Financial Services Industry

January 2009
Article

From Regional Star to Global Leader

By: Nitin Nohria

Yang Jianguo was recently promoted from country manager for China to global head of product development at a staid French perfume maker. He was chosen for his technical smarts and his knowledge of emerging markets—a critical avenue for growth, given that sales in the... View Details

Keywords: Communication Strategy; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Globalized Firms and Management; Leadership Development; Management Teams; Emerging Markets; Product Development; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; China; Paris

August 2003 (Revised September 2003)
Case

Tower Software

Tower Software (TS) is a publicly traded corporation engaged in multiple facets of the computer software business. Its flagship product, TS SERVE, is a successful proprietary network operating system. TS also develops and sells applications software for word... View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Product Launch; Web Services Industry; Web Services Industry

25 Mar 2014
First Look

First Look: March 25

investment decisions. Our research, however, documents other critical criteria that investors use to make these decisions: the gender and physical attractiveness of the entrepreneurs themselves. Across a field setting (three... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

12 May 2015
Working Paper Summaries

Financing Payouts

Keywords: by Joan Farre-Mensa, Roni Michaely & Martin C. Schmalz

May 2010
Case

Alpen Bank: Launching the Credit Card in Romania

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Sunru Yong

In 2006, the country manager for Alpen Bank in Romania, Gregory Carle, considers whether to recommend the launch of a credit card business. The firm rejected the idea several years earlier because of poor economic conditions in Romania. However, Romania is experiencing... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Credit; International Business; International Marketing; Product Introduction; Service Management; Credit Cards; Globalized Firms and Management; Product Positioning; Marketing Strategy; Service Delivery; Personal Finance; Product Launch; Banking Industry; European Union; Romania

30 Apr 2024
Book

When Managers Set Unrealistic Expectations, Employees Cut Ethical Corners

decisions that were so clearly disastrous not only for workers and others exposed to asbestos but for the company itself. Shortly thereafter, in 1982, with its asbestos-related liabilities projected to exceed its assets, Johns-Manville shocked the business world by... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

2020
Working Paper

Aggregate and Firm-Level Stock Returns During Pandemics, in Real Time

By: Laura Alfaro, Anusha Chari, Andrew Greenland and Peter K. Schott

We show that unexpected changes in the trajectory of COVID-19 infections predict U.S. stock returns, in real time. Parameter estimates indicate that an unanticipated doubling (halving) of projected infections forecasts next-day decreases (increases) in aggregate U.S.... View Details

Keywords: COVID-19; Stock Returns; Health Pandemics; Stocks; Investment Return; Forecasting and Prediction

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July 2017 (Revised September 2017)
Case

GM's Capital Allocation Framework

By: C. Fritz Foley, F. Katelynn Boland and Michael Lemm

In March of 2015, General Motors announced the details of a newly established capital allocation framework. This framework provided a target for return on invested capital, guidelines for capital structure choices, and policies related to payouts. Senior managers face... View Details

Keywords: Performance Metrics; Capital Budgeting; Capital Structure; Performance Evaluation; Measurement and Metrics; Auto Industry; Auto Industry; United States

April 2004 (Revised July 2007)
Case

OfficeTiger

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III and Johanna Regine Naunton Blaxall

OfficeTiger was founded in late 1999 with an innovative approach to global outsourcing. The company's employees, located primarily in India, provided services for corporations, investment banks, and professional services firms throughout the United States, Europe, and... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Globalized Markets and Industries; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Growth and Development Strategy; Service Operations; India

April 1999
Teaching Note

Issues in Technology Strategy TN

By: Clayton M. Christensen

Provides instructors with an overview for the module in the Managing Innovation course, Issues in Technology Strategy. Provides an overview of the frameworks introduced in the module that can help managers in their efforts to formulate strategies relating to several... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Investment; Innovation and Management; Innovation Strategy; Research; Technology Adoption; Technology Industry