Publications

December 1997
Case

Baylor Books, Inc.

By: William J. Bruns Jr. and Jeremy Cott

The owner of a trade book publishing company must consider proper accounting for books returned and potentially returnable by book stores. Company and industry data are supplied. Costs of failure to publish books under contract and a cost accounting system for books... View Details

Keywords: Cost Accounting; Financial Reporting; Publishing Industry

November 1986 (Revised December 1998)
Case

Disctech, Inc.

Describes a company that had problems of fraudulent financial reporting. Provides an opportunity to discuss the roles of top management, financial management, internal and external auditors, and the audit committee of the board of directors in such circumstances. The... View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Financial Reporting

03 Dec 2018
Research & Ideas

How Companies Can Increase Market Rewards for Sustainability Efforts

all those efforts.” Serafeim advises companies to be clear when communicating details on how ESG policies are part of their everyday operations. Having a separate report that looks at ESG doesn’t cut it anymore, he says. “It’s a lot about... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

December 2018 (Revised August 2022)
Teaching Note

Revenue Recognition at HBP

By: Siko Sikochi and Paul Healy

In early 2014, Corporate Learning, one of three business units at Harvard Business Publishing (HBP), was in the process of revamping its flagship product, Harvard Manage-Mentor (HMM) from version 11.0 (HMM11) to version 12.0 (HMM12). The revamped software would be... View Details

Keywords: Accrual Accounting; Budgets and Budgeting; Revenue Recognition; Financial Reporting; Publishing Industry; Education Industry; United States

May 2014 (Revised April 2016)
Case

Three-Year Planning at Li & Fung Limited

By: Paul M. Healy and Keith Chi-ho Wong

Having been able to follow its own "three-year plan" on course constantly, Li & Fung Limited fell short of meeting its stretch earnings target for the first time in almost two decades, leading to a double-digit drop in stock price overnight. Questions were raised on... View Details

Keywords: Li ＆ Fung; Financial Planning; Accounting; Financial Reporting; Distribution Industry; Service Industry; Hong Kong; China

March 2002
Article

2001 10-K's: Detecting Enronitis Symptoms

By: David F. Hawkins

Keywords: Reports

April 14, 2000
Article

Form 10-K Analysis: Follow The SEC's Lead

By: David F. Hawkins

Keywords: Governance; Reports; Leadership

2017
Other Teaching and Training Material

Financial Accounting Reading: Revenue Recognition

By: David F. Hawkins

The overarching goal of the revenue recognition chapter is to help students better understand the substance and implementation challenges of the joint FASB/IASB revenue recognition standard. This Reading includes four Interactive Illustrations: "Time Value of Money for... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Revenue Recognition

June 2005 (Revised September 2005)
Case

Accounting at MacCloud Winery

By: David F. Hawkins, Robert S. Kaplan and Gregory S. Miller

Uses a fictional new winery to introduce accounting concepts and practices such as assets, liabilities, expenses, the matching principle, and contingent activities. Designed to approach the subject at a conceptual level, allowing class discussion to focus on the... View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Theory; Accounting

June 2020 (Revised October 2020)
Case

Muddy Waters vs. eHealth: The Debate of a 'Lifetime'

By: Jonas Heese and Cristo Liautaud

In May 2020, an analyst was assessing eHealth’s performance. eHealth was an online / tele-sales broker of health insurance products. The stock had recently hit all-time highs, closing at a peak of $146 on March 4, 2020. But now, May 4, 2020, eHealth traded at $103. The... View Details

Keywords: Revenue Recognition; Health; Insurance; Online Technology; Insurance Industry

March – April 2011
Article

Integrated Reporting: A Source of Competitive Advantage

By: Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim

Keywords: Reports; Integration

February 1999
Article

1998 10-K's: Earnings Quality Alert

By: David F. Hawkins

Keywords: Business Earnings; Quality; Reports

October 1993 (Revised December 1993)
Background Note

Introduction to Global Financial Reporting: A Managerial Perspective

By: David F. Hawkins

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Globalization; Management; Perspective

February 1992 (Revised May 1995)
Supplement

CUC International, Inc. (C)

By: Krishna G. Palepu and Paul M. Healy

Describes analysts' and investors' reaction to CUC's initial response. View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Business and Shareholder Relations

February 1992 (Revised May 1995)
Supplement

CUC International, Inc. (B)

By: Krishna G. Palepu and Paul M. Healy

Describes CUC's initial response to investors' concerns about the firm's accounting. Students are asked to evaluate this response. View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Business and Shareholder Relations

April 17, 2021
Article

Reimagining India's Health System: A Lancet Citizens' Commission

By: Vikram Patel, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Gagandeep Kang, Pamela Das and Tarun Khanna

This commentary announces the launch of the Lancet Citizens’ Commission on Reimagining India’s Health System. The Commission is an ambitious, cross-sectoral effort to develop a citizens’ roadmap to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) in India in the next decade.... View Details

Keywords: Universal Health Coverage; Health Care and Treatment; Reports; India

Read Now

February 2001
Case

Trans-Share Inc.

By: David F. Hawkins

The seller of fractional interest aircraft programs must decide how to account in its IPO for the sales of fractional interest aircraft programs. Teaching Purpose: To expose students to revenue recognition issues. View Details

Keywords: Initial Public Offering; Revenue Recognition; Air Transportation Industry

January 2022 (Revised March 2022)
Module Note

Analysis of Financial and Non-Financial Information for Forecasting Performance

By: Charles C.Y. Wang

This note describes the main themes and cases of a teaching module on the analysis of information from, and outside of, financial statements for forecasting firms’ future financial performance. The module’s pedagogical goal is to deepen students’ understanding of the... View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Performance; Analysis; Valuation; Accounting; Finance