Publications

July 2014
Article

Network Effects in Countries' Adoption of IFRS

By: Karthik Ramanna and Ewa Sletten

If the differences in accounting standards across countries reflect relatively stable institutional differences (e.g., auditing technology, the rule of law, etc.), why did several countries rapidly, albeit in a staggered manner, adopt IFRS over local standards in the... View Details

Keywords: International Accounting; Financial Reporting; Network Effects

April 1994 (Revised November 1998)
Case

Kendall Square Research Corporation (A)

By: William J. Bruns Jr.

Kendall Square Research was a small competitor in the supercomputer industry. As sales grew rapidly in 1992 and early 1993, the company sold stock to the public for the first time and analysts forecast higher earnings for 1993. However, when the company's revenue... View Details

Keywords: Revenue Recognition; Standards; Accounting Audits; Computer Industry

May 2010 (Revised June 2010)
Supplement

Pfizer: Letter from the Chairman (B)

By: Robert L. Simons and Kathryn Rosenberg

This case continues the story begun in "Pfizer: A Letter from the Chairman" (HBS No. 110-003), revealing the letter Chairman and CEO Jeff Kindler wrote for the 2008 Annual Report. View Details

Keywords: Corporate Accountability; Corporate Governance; Business and Shareholder Relations; Value Creation; Decision Choices and Conditions; Annual Reports; Pharmaceutical Industry; United States

1993
Book

Economic Reality in Financial Reporting: A Global Survey of Voluntary Corporate Economic Reality Communications

By: David F. Hawkins

Keywords: Economics; Finance; Reports; Surveys; Communication

2013
Chapter

Luxembourg: A Sustainable Society Starts Here

By: Robert G. Eccles and George Serafeim

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Integrated Corporate Reporting; City; Luxembourg

Read Now

01 Sep 2016
Cold Call Podcast

Behind Apple's Tax Situation, an Unprecedented Financial Policy

Keywords: Re: Mihir A. Desai; Technology; Consumer Products

March 1973 (Revised October 1983)
Case

Stirling Homex (A)

Deals primarily with the basic issue of revenue recognition. Homex was recognizing revenue from its modular units prior to the date on which an actual sale had taken place. In addition, there are some interesting issues dealing with the allocation of profit between... View Details

Keywords: Working Capital; Resource Allocation; Revenue Recognition; Profit

April 2004 (Revised April 2011)
Case

Enron Corporation: May 6, 2001 Sell Recommendation

By: David F. Hawkins and Jacob Cohen

A consulting firm to institutional investors recommends selling Enron Corp.'s equity short on May 6, 2001, while many sellside analysts are recommending the stock as a "buy." View Details

Keywords: Judgments; Financial Reporting; Investment; Competency and Skills; Financial Statements; Consulting Industry

01 Mar 2012
News

School’s Financial Picture Brighter than Expected

HBS finished fiscal year 2011 with a stronger financial performance than expected despite the lingering effects of the recent recession. Revenue for the year July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011, exceeded the budget by nearly 9 percent, totaling $509 million, according to... View Details

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

July 2002 (Revised March 2005)
Case

Kendall Square Research Corporation (A) (Abridged)

By: William J. Bruns Jr. and F. Warren McFarlan

Kendall Square Research was a small competitor in the supercomputer industry. Sales grew rapidly in 1992 and early 1993, and the company sold stock to the public for the first time. Analysts forecasted higher earnings for 1993, then the company's revenue recognition... View Details

Keywords: Revenue Recognition; Standards; Accounting Audits; Computer Industry

March 1993
Background Note

Note on Information Technology and Strategy

By: Richard L. Nolan and Katherine Seger

Provides a context for the evolution of information technology in business organizations, explains the emergence of information as an important resource to be managed, and provides a framework for assessing the strategic potential of information in the firm. View Details

Keywords: Information; Information Management; Information Technology; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Cooperation; Adoption; Body of Literature; Archives; Annual Reports; Information Technology Industry

November 2010 (Revised February 2011)
Case

BonneSante S.A.

By: David F. Hawkins

IASB and FASB propose new lease accounting rules and the owner of a French chain of fast food outlets is concerned about the impact on his company's balance sheets. View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; International Accounting; Policy; Standards; Leasing; Food and Beverage Industry; Retail Industry; France

19 Nov 2018
Working Paper Summaries

Lazy Prices

Keywords: by Lauren Cohen, Christopher J. Malloy, and Quoc Nguyen; Financial Services

November 2010 (Revised December 2010)
Case

Electro, Inc.

By: David F. Hawkins

CFO of U.S. company preparing for U.K. analyst meetings reviews his company's 2008 earnings per share calculations. View Details

Keywords: Business Earnings; Financial Reporting; International Accounting; Standards; United Kingdom; United States

August 2000 (Revised February 2001)
Background Note

Revenue Recognition

By: Paul M. Healy

This case discusses revenue recognition in straightforward situations and then considers revenue transactions that may be more complex to record. Revenue recognition criteria can be implemented for the following situations: 1) Customers pay prior to delivery; 2)... View Details

Keywords: Business Earnings; Revenue Recognition; Decision Making; Financial Statements

Fast Answer

Defense Industry Research

Where would I find research reports on the defense industry? Frost & Sullivan
Reports covering technology and market trends in various technology, energy and manufacturing related fields. BCC... View Details

11 Oct 2022
News

Righting the Ship

When Ross Stuckey (PLDA 21, 2016) joined the NAVSEA Warfare Centers—a part of the naval research labs responsible for developing science and tech for national defense—as their capital improvement program (CIP) manager in 2016, he was charged with doling out $80 million... View Details

Keywords: Maureen Harmon

Research Summary

Mastering Strategy Execution

By: Robert Simons

Professor Robert Simons’ research encompasses three areas of management accountability that are the foundation for successful strategy execution: organization design, performance measurement and control, and risk management. In addition, Simons is interested in the... View Details

May 2004 (Revised March 2005)
Case

SOX-POX?

By: Jay W. Lorsch

Describes the experiences of audit committee chairmen in responding to and implementing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Teaching Purpose: To help students understand the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on audit committees. View Details

Keywords: Government Legislation; Financial Reporting; Laws and Statutes; Accounting Audits