Publications

26 Jun 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, June 26, 2018

materials for its biscuits and chocolate production, and Topbas family would be able to create its own private label dairy products for its nation-wide hard-discount chain BIM. Following Yıldiz Holding’s acquisition of United Biscuits for... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

Web

Loan Assistance Programs - Alumni

full-time, MBA appropriate job in the private sector. In this case, a full-time job is defined as working 35 hours or more per week with a projected tenure of 12 months or longer. Or, you are pursuing a fully self-funded entrepreneurship through View Details

01 Jun 2017
News

Supercharged

production. Most of that market, says Shen—who oversaw the acquisition of Swedish carmaker Volvo by the Chinese auto giant Geely—is dominated by low-speed vehicles that possess even more limited utility than American compliance cars.... View Details

Keywords: Alexander Gelfand; illustrations by Tavis Coburn

June 2025
Case

Redefining the Edge: Jahez’s Strategic Pivot in Saudi Arabia’s Food Delivery Battle

By: Krishna G. Palepu and Ahmed Dahawy

Jahez made its mark in Saudi Arabia’s food delivery market by serving customers willing to pay more for reliable, high-quality service—a segment largely overlooked by other platforms. As the company grew, it expanded into the mass market and developed a network of... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Business Conglomerates; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Innovation Strategy; Digital Platforms; Logistics; Business Strategy; Competition; Competitive Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Expansion; Food and Beverage Industry; Saudi Arabia

October 2022 (Revised January 2023)
Case

Century Bank: Closing Time?

By: Lauren Cohen, Grace Headinger and Bill Kwon

Barry Sloane, second-generation Chairman, President, and CEO of his family’s bank, Century Bank, weighed whether to sell to Eastern Bank. As a small regional bank, Century faced a number of challenging trends, such as digitization and market share decline in the coming... View Details

Article

Businessmen and Land Ownership in the Late Nineteenth Century

By: Tom Nicholas

This article analyses the proportions of personal to real estate wealth for a group of 295 businessmen profiled in the Dictionary of business biography. It shows that businessmen who owned land on a large scale in the late nineteenth century were a comparatively small... View Details

Keywords: Ownership; Personal Finance; Property; Biography; History; Acquisition; Wealth; Power and Influence; Status and Position; Integration; Transformation; Market Transactions

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May 2024
Supplement

DRSi (A)

By: Richard S. Ruback and Royce Yudkoff

In March of 2019, Jen Ransom Fuller purchased DRSi. DRSi, located in Bellevue, Washington, printed and reproduced architectural plans and drawings. Fuller planned to use her first year of ownership to learn the business and to run it in much the same way as the seller.... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Small Business; Cost vs Benefits; Decisions; Business Education; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Business or Company Management; Problems and Challenges; Health Pandemics; Selection and Staffing; Employee Relationship Management; Production; Logistics; Safety; United States; Washington (state, US)

May 2011 (Revised March 2012)
Case

InterfaceRAISE: Sustainability Consulting

By: Michael W. Toffel, Robert G. Eccles and Casey Taylor

InterfaceRAISE is a sustainability management consulting firm created to leverage the capabilities of its parent company Interface Inc., a carpet manufacturer recognized as a global leader in corporate environmental sustainability. This case illustrates the challenges... View Details

Keywords: Problems and Challenges; Integrated Corporate Reporting; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Entrepreneurship; Performance; Environmental Accounting; Profit; Marketing Strategy; Human Resources; Business Model; Leveraged Buyouts; Salesforce Management; Consulting Industry; Manufacturing Industry

August 2021
Case

Wymsee

By: Julia Austin, Sarah Mehta and Tom Quinn

Wymsee was a company that aimed to develop a mobile application (app) that would allow television audience members to identify and purchase clothing or accessories worn by characters in the program they were watching, with the Wymsee founders taking a percentage of... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Business Plan; Business Startups; Film Entertainment; Television Entertainment; Technological Innovation; Knowledge Acquisition; Product Positioning; Opportunities; Adaptation; Mobile Technology; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Technology Industry; United States; New York (city, NY)

19 Jun 2012
First Look

First Look: June 19

the acquisition of U.S. Oncology, an integrated cancer care company, whose expertise it could leverage in offerings catered to other physician specialties. With a vast portfolio of products and services serving a wide spectrum of health... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

17 May 2011
First Look

First Look: May 17

Talismark, which helped its customers manage their waste, was considering re-engineering its business fundamentals to dramatically increase profitability by changing its sales and information processes. Implementing the changes would be expensive and would interrupt... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

20 Aug 2001
Research & Ideas

Making an Ally of Uncle Sam

antitrust, intellectual property, product approval processes, and technical standards. When governments review applications for mergers and acquisitions or hear legal cases concerning intellectual-property rights or takeover disputes,... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Watkins, Mickey Edwards & Usha Thakrar

29 Aug 2024
Research & Ideas

Shoot for the Stars: What to Know About the Space Economy

sector. There was a big boom, a few years ago, in these private space enterprises trying to go public through special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). In a SPAC, somebody would start a company with the sole idea of acquiring a... View Details

Keywords: by Kara Baskin; Aerospace

05 Feb 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, February 5, 2019

presenting his perspective on risk taking and the challenges of living a fulfilled life. Purchase this case:https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/119043-PDF-ENG Harvard Business School Case 818-043 Discover Capital: Closing an Acquisition No... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

05 Dec 2017
First Look

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

of a purchase and final acquisition of a firearm. We show that waiting periods, which create a “cooling off” period among buyers, significantly reduce the incidence of gun violence. We estimate the impact of waiting periods on gun deaths,... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

18 Feb 2014
First Look

First Look: February 18

acquisition of Vodafone and its performance in Japan. Purchase this case: http://hbr.org/product/vodafone-in-japan-c/an/711470-PDF-ENG Harvard Business School Case 514-008 Lufa Farms In 2013, Mohamed Hage, founder of the rooftop farming... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

29 Apr 2025
News

Challenge Accepted

Fieldglass, CrowdTwist, Veracode, and Insurance.com. In 2000, StarVest was a lead investor in NetSuite, when the firm had just $100,000 in revenues; Farrington served on the company’s board from NetSuite’s IPO in 2007 leading up to its $9.4 billion View Details

Keywords: challenges; failure; advice; experience

June 2024
Teaching Note

Dirk Nowitzki: Changing the Game

By: Boris Groysberg, Katherine Connolly Baden and Robin Abrahams

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 420-031. NBA Superstar Dirk Nowitzki was unsure whether the 2018-19 season would be his last as an NBA player. He had not faced such uncertainty since 1998, when he had navigated a difficult decision regarding the timing of his move to... View Details

Keywords: Problems and Challenges; Practice; Retirement; Work-Life Balance; Success; Knowledge Acquisition; Knowledge Sharing; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Growth and Development; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Performance; Sports Industry; United States

2010
Other Unpublished Work

Why Takeover Vulnerability Matters to Debtholders

By: Joan Farre-Mensa

Recent work documents that firms that are more vulnerable to takeover have higher borrowing costs. This paper investigates the reasons behind this stylized fact. My results show that firms with few antitakeover defenses face a higher cost of debt because lenders are... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Borrowing and Debt; Cost; Equity; Banks and Banking; Investment Portfolio; Risk Management; Agreements and Arrangements; Business and Shareholder Relations; Conflict and Resolution