Publications

25 Nov 2014
First Look

First Look: November 25

Raffaella Sadun, and John Van Reenen Abstract—We collect data on operations, targets, and human resources management practices in over 1,800 schools educating 15-year-olds in eight countries. Overall, we... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

12 Nov 2013
First Look

First Look: November 12

development of Kvadrat's retail sales operations, the implementation of new Human Resources practices, and the execution of a new organizational design. Was such an extensive growth, turnaround, and internal... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

24 Jun 2008
First Look

First Look: June 24, 2008

Working Papers Firm-Size Distribution and Cross-Country Income Differences Authors: Laura Alfaro, Andrew Charlton, and Fabio Kanczuk Abstract We investigate, using firm-level data for 79 developed and developing countries, whether differences in the allocation of View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

April 2015 (Revised October 2017)
Teaching Note

Buffett's Bid for Media General's Newspapers

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Annelena Lobb

On May 12, 2012, BH Media Group, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, announced an offer to buy Media General's (MEG) newspaper division for $142 million in cash and provide debt financing to the struggling firm. Reactions from investors and industry... View Details

Keywords: Mergers ＆ Acquisitions; Bankruptcy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Valuation; Capital Structure; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Financial Strategy; Risk Management; Executive Compensation; Cash Flow; Business Exit or Shutdown; Media; Advertising; Restructuring; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Publishing Industry; United States

June 2013 (Revised April 2015)
Case

Buffett's Bid for Media General's Newspapers

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Aldo Sesia

On May 12, 2012, BH Media Group, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, announced an offer to buy Media General's (MEG) newspaper division for $142 million in cash and provide debt financing to the struggling firm. Reactions from investors and industry... View Details

Keywords: Mergers ＆ Acquisitions; Bankruptcy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Valuation; Capital Structure; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Financial Strategy; Risk Management; Executive Compensation; Cash Flow; Business Exit or Shutdown; Media; Advertising; Restructuring; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Publishing Industry; United States

06 Dec 2011
First Look

First Look: Dec. 6

out (1) Roots of high achievers' anxiety: fear of being wrong, lack of a sense of purpose, and a craving for human connection; (2) Destructive behaviors we adopt to relieve our anxiety: busyness, comparing ourselves to others, and blaming... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

16 Apr 2013
First Look

First Look: April 16

I. Norton Abstract—This research provides the first support for a possible psychological universal: human beings around the world derive emotional benefits from using their financial resources to help others... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

August 2014 (Revised May 2016)
Case

Husk Power

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III and Sid Misra

In late 2013, Husk Power Systems found itself falling further and further behind plan. The founding CEO had decided to resign. His co-founder is faced with the decision of quitting his corporate job in the US to head to India and help form a new management team. Husk... View Details

03 May 2011
First Look

First Look: May 3

government at times. Blair balanced multiple roles and expectations. Purchase this case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/411021-PDF-ENG BBVA Compass: Marketing Resource Allocation Sunil Gupta and Joseph Davies-GavinHarvard Business... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Oct 2013
First Look

First Look: October 1

often cited as a success story of public disclosure. Hygiene grades influence customer decisions and serve as an accountability system for restaurants. However, cities (which are responsible for inspections) have limited resources to... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

July 2024 (Revised October 2024)
Case

Knowledge Transfer: Toyota, NUMMI, and GM

By: Willy Shih

New United Motors Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) was a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors. It was an opportunity for GM to learn about the Toyota Production System, which was quite different from the mass production processes American automakers used at the... View Details

Keywords: Culture Change; Organizational Culture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Joint Ventures; Transformation; Selection and Staffing; Knowledge Acquisition; Knowledge Sharing; Labor Unions; Management Systems; Performance Improvement; Production; Labor and Management Relations; Auto Industry; Japan; United States

August 2014 (Revised August 2015)
Supplement

Opening the Valve: From Software to Hardware (B)

By: Ethan Bernstein, Francesca Gino and Bradley Staats

Valve, one of the world's top video game software companies, has also become an iconic example of an organization with virtually no hierarchy. A 400-person organization, Valve's unique organizational form (described in detail in the case and accompanying employee... View Details

31 Jul 2012
First Look

First Look: July 31

Strategic Talent Management Initiatives Boris Groysberg and Sarah L. AbbottHarvard Business School Case 412-147 In 2012, Bill Allen and Maria Pejter, of Maersk Group's Human Resources Department, sat down to... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

08 Apr 2008
First Look

First Look: April 8, 2008

was an essential ingredient in the success of the transformation. The case ends with a review of changes in financial performance, employee attitudes and customer satisfaction. The case describes the important role that the human View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

23 Apr 2013
First Look

First Look: April 23

high-tech venture with a staff of 35 experiencing explosive growth, or were the resignations symptomatic of bigger issues with CloudFlare's culture and management processes? After describing CloudFlare's early history, business model, organization structure, and View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Apr 2008
First Look

First Look: April 1, 2008

team-specific human capital by investing more in the internal networks and unique capabilities and resources of their own companies. Second, women took greater care when assessing a prospective new employer.... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

11 Dec 2012
First Look

First Look: Dec. 11

that technology diffuses slower to locations that are farther away from adoption leaders. This effect is stronger across rich countries and also when measuring distance along the south-north dimension. A simple theory of human... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

October 2018
Case

American Family Insurance and the Artificial Intelligence Opportunity

By: Rajiv Lal and Scott Johnson