Publications

03 Dec 2018
Research & Ideas

How Companies Can Increase Market Rewards for Sustainability Efforts

flavijus For the first time, a link has been drawn between public sentiment about a company’s sustainability practices and how that company is valued in the market. The results are important both for investors searching for under-valued, socially responsible companies,... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

01 Dec 2006
News

2006 MBAs Go to Work

Martin, associate director of MBA Recruiting Services, notes that 88 percent of students report that the job they accepted was their first choice in terms of function. “We ask students to prioritize their career search relative to three... View Details

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

2014
Working Paper

Linguistic Complexity in Firm Disclosures: Obfuscation or Information?

By: Brian J. Bushee, Ian D. Gow and Daniel Taylor

Prior research argues that the linguistic complexity of a firm’s disclosures reflects managerial obfuscation. However, complex language can be used either to obfuscate or to convey information, with the effect likely depending on the incentives of the source. We... View Details

Keywords: Communication; Financial Reporting

February 1978 (Revised April 1979)
Background Note

Alternative Funds Flow Statement Formats

By: David F. Hawkins

Keywords: Financial Reporting

01 Sep 2009
News

Faculty Research Online

HBS Working Knowledge vault about building a business in a down economy, motivating the troops, and other current topics. See http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6232.html. Why Do Countries Adopt International Financial Reporting Standards? Why do... View Details

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information

November 2005 (Revised February 2006)
Teaching Note

Financial Accounting: An Online Introductory Course (TN)

By: David F. Hawkins and Paul M. Healy

Keywords: Accounting; Financial Reporting

Second Quarter 2010
Column

One Report: Are You Ready?

By: Robert G. Eccles

Keywords: Reports

Read Now

01 Mar 2009
News

HBS Posts Strong Results in 2008

Executive Education programs drew a record 9,345 participants. And Harvard Business Publishing sold 8.2 million cases and over 2 million books, peak figures for both. These and many other details are laid out in narrative, charts, and graphs in the newly released HBS... View Details

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

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

March 2011 (Revised October 2011)
Case

Mittel Technologies, AG

By: David F. Hawkins

CFO of German heavy equipment manufacturer examines through company examples potential impact of proposed changes to revenue recognition rules. View Details

Keywords: Revenue Recognition; Manufacturing Industry; Germany

Educators

August 2018 (Revised July 2020)
Case

Revenue Recognition at HBP

By: Paul Healy and Siko Sikochi

In early 2014, Paul Bills, CFO of Harvard Business Publishing (HBP), sat down with David Wan, the company’s CEO, to discuss budget preparations for the coming year. Bills noted that the performance of Corporate Learning, one of HBP’s three business units, would be... View Details

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

Educators

February 2003 (Revised February 2006)
Exercise

Revenue Recognition Exercises

The difference between the Financial Accounting Standards Board's Concept Statements #5 and #6 is explored as it pertains to revenue recognition and expense recognition. View Details

Keywords: Revenue Recognition

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

Educators

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