Publications

February 1989 (Revised November 1991)
Case

Science Technology Co.--1985

By: Thomas R. Piper

The CEO of a U.S. electronics firm is assessing the financial forecasts and the financing plan prepared by the chief financial officer. Given the cyclicality of the industry and the volatility of the firm's performance, the CEO is unsure as to the usefulness of... View Details

Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Change Management; Industry Growth; Forecasting and Prediction; Financial Strategy; Volatility; Electronics Industry

06 Jun 2011
Research & Ideas

Why Leaders Lose Their Way

nothing wrong, or they rationalize that their deviations are acceptable to achieve a greater good. During the financial crisis, Lehman CEO Richard Fuld refused to recognize that Lehman was undercapitalized. His denial turned balance sheet... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

December 2010 (Revised July 2011)
Supplement

DoubleClick, Inc.: Additional Paid-in-CapitalStock Options

By: David F. Hawkins

Income statement and balance sheet consequences of DoubleClick adoption of the fair value method to account for stock options. View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Stock Options

April 1996 (Revised June 2000)
Case

Boston Beer Company, Inc., The

Capital markets may have overcapitalized the craft brewing industry during a flurry of new IPOs. In the context of this "hot" IPO market each individual company's valuation may seem reasonable. However, after careful analysis of each company's financial statement and... View Details

Keywords: Initial Public Offering; Analysis; Valuation; Industry Growth; Food and Beverage Industry; Boston

12 Feb 2008
First Look

First Look: February 12, 2007

Abstract Financial statements are the basis for a wide range of business analysis. Managers, securities analysts, bankers, and consultants all use them to make business decisions. There is strong demand... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

October 2016
Case

Turkasset: Bringing Customer-Centricity to Debt Collection

By: Dennis Campbell and Gamze Yucaoglu

In December 2014, in preparation for the year-end board presentation, Hilmi Guvenal (PMD 1993), shareholder and CEO of Turkasset, and Ilker Yoney, COO, sat down to discuss Turkasset’s five- and ten-year strategic plans. Since taking leadership of the company in 2009,... View Details

August 2023 (Revised February 2024)
Case

DexAI

By: Jo Tango and Christina Wallace

During a challenging fundraising environment, the DexAI founders received two term sheets with nearly identical economic terms but very different legal ones. The entrepreneurs had to navigate: representations and warranties (their personal guarantees that the company's... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital Term Sheet; Term Sheet; Term Sheets; Founders; Legal Aspects Of Business; Seed Financing; Founders' Agreements; Venture Capital; Entrepreneurship; Financing and Loans; Intellectual Property; Entrepreneurial Finance; Contracts; Business Startups; Agreements and Arrangements

April 2018 (Revised March 2019)
Case

Tesla-SolarCity

By: E. Scott Mayfield and Emil N. Siriwardane

On June 21, 2016, Tesla Motors, Inc. announced its offer to acquire SolarCity, bringing CEO Elon Musk one step closer to completing his goal of moving the world from a hydrocarbon-based economy to a solar-electric one. Markets and analysts were mixed in their reaction... View Details

Keywords: Tesla; SolarCity; Solar Power; Mergers and Acquisitions; Renewable Energy; Goals and Objectives; Finance

January 2007 (Revised October 2008)
Case

H&R Block 2006

By: Peter Tufano

Mark Ernst, the Chairman, CEO and President of H&R Block, has to decide how to respond to a competitive threat posed by a competitor's refund-lending product. Block is the largest U.S. tax preparation firm, which competes not only on its tax preparation services, but... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Financing and Loans; Personal Finance; Taxation; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Competition; Financial Services Industry

September 2010 (Revised May 2012)
Case

Harvard Management Company (2010)

By: Andre F. Perold and Erik Stafford

In February 2010, Jane Mendillo, CEO of Harvard Management Company, was reflecting on the list of issues facing Harvard University's endowment in preparation for the upcoming board meeting. The recent financial crisis had vividly highlighted several key issues... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Higher Education; Asset Management; Financial Liquidity; Investment Portfolio; Risk Management; Financial Services Industry; Financial Services Industry; Massachusetts

May 2007
Case

Demand and Supply Forecasting at Air Products - Electronics Specialty Materials

Explores the process and inputs behind financial and operational forecasting in the Electronic Specialty Materials unit at Air Products and Chemicals, a global chemical company. The protagonist, John Goldberg, grapples with how to better integrate the two forecasting... View Details

Keywords: Demand and Consumers; Operations; Forecasting and Prediction; Supply and Industry; Finance; Chemical Industry

02 Apr 2020
What Do You Think?

What Are Lessons for Leaders from This Black Swan Crisis?

that of Gaetan, who said, “we can prepare to be prepared we should stimulate the use of less debt and more equity and therefore accept a lower return or otherwise fully accept regular destruction of... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

September 2006 (Revised February 2007)
Case

Timing of Option Grants at UnitedHealth Group (A)

Faced with press allegations that executives' stock options might have been backdated, the Board of UnitedHealth Group needs to determine whether its accounting for the options was proper, and if not, what the restatement amount should be and what... View Details

Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards; Ethics; Stock Options; Accounting; Crisis Management; Corporate Governance; Insurance Industry; Health Industry; United States

28 Oct 2019
News

Creating Resilience: How Businesses Can Cope with the Costs of a Warming Planet

November 1974 (Revised May 1994)
Case

Science Technology Co.

By: Thomas R. Piper

The president of a medium-sized electronics company is evaluating the financial forecasts and proposed financing program submitted by the chief financial officer. The forecasts are prepared in constant dollars, on which basis the proposed financing plan seems... View Details

Keywords: Currency; Financial Strategy; Forecasting and Prediction; Inflation and Deflation; Risk and Uncertainty; Outcome or Result; Technology Industry; Electronics Industry

March 1982 (Revised August 1988)
Case

Duncan Field (A)

Duncan Field, having left employment in the cable television industry, is attempting to find and buy a cable system with a financial backer. Traces Duncan's career path preparing for this move, shows development of his financial backing, follows his search, and... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Personal Development and Career; Media and Broadcasting Industry

March 1999 (Revised April 2004)
Case

Mandic BBS-an Entreprenuerial Harvesting Decision

Describes Mandic BBS, one of Brazil's first Internet service providers. In April 1998, with competition increasing, its venture capitalist financier is looking to exit their investment. Aleksandar Mandic must decide which potential investor offers the best fit with his... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Internet and the Web; Business Exit or Shutdown; Business Plan; Financing and Loans; Web Services Industry; Brazil

May 1975 (Revised September 1987)
Case

Bio-Tech, Inc.

Financial vice president is expected to prepare a financing plan for Bio-Tech matching the most recent long-range plans of three operating groups. The latter, however, must be adjusted to take account of recommendations to be made on plant investment of one product... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Corporate Finance