Publications

03 Mar 2003
Research & Ideas

The Ingredients of a Deal Disaster

was U.S.-owned, it had a history of stable lifetime employment and a union that enjoyed close relations with management. However, when the plant's first U.S. manager instigated downsizing to enhance returns—even though the plant was... View Details

Keywords: by Ron S. Fortgang, David A. Lax & James K. Sebenius

31 Oct 2017
First Look

New Research and Ideas, October 31, 2017

this new stream of research, which focuses on two related but distinct themes. The earliest theme to be explored, in a literature dating from the 1990s, is the story of how and why some conventional View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

25 Oct 2011
First Look

First Look: October 25

scale and influence in the technology industries that fall under the incidence of their assets. We also discuss some efficiency issues raised by the growing prominence of patent merchants. Download the paper:... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

08 Feb 2011
First Look

First Look: Feb. 8

significantly enriched. We then discuss several applications related to online and brick-and-mortar intermediaries. American Exceptionalism?: A Comparative Analysis of the Origins and Trajectory of U.S. Business Education Development... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Web

Four Ways to Make The Most of Your Company Events - Recruiting

come to campus or recruit virtually, remember that the goal of hosting a successful company event is to create meaningful connections. If you have any additional questions about how to make the most of your time with HBS students this year, contact your Employer View Details

01 Mar 2015
News

Alumni and Faculty Books for March 2015

argues that it is not the business plan but the personality behind it that counts. Behind the Mask: Embrace Risk and Dare to Be Better by Don Hastings (MBA 1953) and Leslie Anne Hastings (Xlibris) In this memoir, Hastings relates how, as... View Details

Keywords: Publishing Industries (except Internet); Publishing Industries (except Internet)

05 Sep 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, September 5, 2017

level. The paper outlines key elements of the competitiveness framework and discusses how it relates to the idea of structural transformation. What emerges are significant similarities between the two approaches: They both take a granular... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

02 Jun 2010
First Look

First Look: June 2

examining a unique dataset consisting of over 150,000 pages of documents relating to 102 business disputes. We find that the level of contractual detail affects the type of dispute resolution approach that is adopted when conflict arises,... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

01 Mar 2018
What Do You Think?

Two Decades Later, is the 'New Economy' Finally Here?

potential for ecommerce growth in the country which relies (on) a lot of machine learning and AI the growth rate through the new economy prospects is just starting to take off here in Bangladesh.” Jacob Navon added, “Is the New Economy here? Maybe The View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

19 Apr 2016
Blog Post

First Minutes are Critical in New-Employee Orientation

participants also performed better and faster on data-entry tasks than those in the other groups. Furthermore, those in the individuality group were much more likely to return to the lab on the second day, indicating that the opportunity for self-expression is indeed... View Details

Keywords: All Industries

08 Jul 2013
Research & Ideas

Everything Must Go: A Strategy for Store Liquidation

liquidation process. “We don't spend enough time thinking about the death or liquidation of businesses” "When we were first exposed to the issue of store liquidations, we didn't have a sense of how big it was—that there is a massive View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Retail

January 1989 (Revised April 1991)
Case

General Electric: Valley Forge (A)

By: Robert L. Simons

A series of eight vignette cases designed to be taught in one classroom session. This case describes a potential problem in the way that General Electric has billed the government under a large defense contract. Designed to allow students to discuss what actions top... View Details

Keywords: Government Administration; Contracts; Policy; Accounting; Management Teams; Business and Government Relations; Industrial Products Industry

Find at Harvard

25 Apr 2024
Blog Post

Climate Stories: Water Series - Episode #18: Tom Ferguson (MBA 2014) Venture Capitalist and Water Evangelist

BEI is delighted to bring you this mini-series on HBS alumni tackling problems related to water and climate change. Emotional and visible connection to a topic is key to driving action. There seem to be few issues and topics that conjure... View Details

October 2021 (Revised November 2022)
Case

The 2012 Spanish Labor Reform: Lifting All Boats, or Leveling Down?

By: Vincent Pons, Rafael Di Tella, Santiago Botella and Elena Corsi

Since 1978, Spain had struggled to control unemployment. The country’s labor law was protective of employees hired long-term and companies used temporary contracts as buffers. In 2012, amid economic recession and a 23.6% unemployment rate, a center-right government of... View Details

Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Labor Market; Unemployment; Recession; Globalized Markets and Industries; Government Legislation; International Relations; Working Conditions; Employment; Labor Unions; Contracts; Social Issues; Public Opinion; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Spain; European Union

February 2018 (Revised March 2018)
Case

ArcelorMittal and the Ebola Outbreak in Liberia

By: Sophus A. Reinert, Sarah Nam, Sisi Pan and Eric Werker

During the summer of 2014, Alan Knight, general manager of corporate responsibility at the integrated steel and mining company ArcelorMittal, observed the unfolding of an Ebola epidemic in Liberia and other countries in West Africa with great concern. On the one hand... View Details

February 2008 (Revised October 2010)
Case

Mellon Financial and The Bank of New York

By: Carliss Y. Baldwin and Ryan Taliaferro

Bob Kelly, the new CEO of Mellon Financial, is considering the terms of a proposed "merger of equals" with The Bank of New York, just before the final Board meeting to approve the deal. The combination offers a great strategic fit, and the expected synergies are large.... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Equity; Banks and Banking; Business and Shareholder Relations; Valuation; Banking Industry; Pittsburgh

March 2006 (Revised November 2006)
Case

China: To Float or Not To Float? (D)- Bank of America's Strategic Investment in China Construction Bank

By: Laura Alfaro, Rafael M. Di Tella and Ingrid Vogel

With its $3 billion investment in Chinese state bank China Construction Bank, Bank of America--the second U.S. bank behind Citigroup in terms of assets and market capitalization--was one of several foreign banks directly participating in China's banking sector reform.... View Details

Keywords: Currency Exchange Rate; Banks and Banking; Foreign Direct Investment; International Relations; Banking Industry; China; United States

May 2009 (Revised July 2011)
Case

Daqi

By: Robert C. Pozen, Richard Franklyn Armbrust and Ziquan Zhang

In 2008, Daqi was one of the largest Internet portals for user-generated content and the leading word-of-mouth marketing provider in China. Grace Zhou, Daqi's CEO, was contemplating the risks and benefits of expanding Daqi's services into three new content areas—news,... View Details

Keywords: Information Publishing; Growth and Development Strategy; Risk Management; Marketing; Business and Government Relations; Expansion; Internet; Information Industry; China

August 2004 (Revised June 2008)
Case

Debating the Expropriation of Mexican Oil

By: Geoffrey G. Jones and R. Daniel Wadhwani

In 1938, the Mexican government expropriated the assets of foreign oil companies. Explores the legal and moral arguments in favor of and against expropriation. View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Globalized Firms and Management; Government and Politics; Business History; Lawfulness; Business and Government Relations; Energy Industry; Mexico