Publications

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February 1996
Background Note

A Note on Comdisco's Lease Accounting

By: Krishna G. Palepu

A series of examples are used to illustrate Comdisco's leasing transactions. View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Leasing

Educators

28 Feb 2021
Working Paper Summaries

Connecting Expected Stock Returns to Accounting Valuation Multiples: A Primer

Keywords: by Akash Chattopadhyay, Matthew R. Lyle, and Charles C.Y. Wang

12 Jun 2020
News

Businesses Must Reclaim Prudent Accounting Principles

2022
Working Paper

The Gender Gap in Confidence: Expected But Not Accounted For

By: Christine L. Exley and Kirby Nielsen

We investigate how the gender gap in confidence affects the views that evaluators (e.g., employers) hold about men and women. If evaluators fail to account for the confidence gap, it may cause overly pessimistic views about women. Alternatively, if evaluators expect... View Details

Keywords: Confidence; Experiments; Gender; Perception; Values and Beliefs; Performance Evaluation; Analysis

2003
Book

Profits You Can Trust: Spotting and Surviving Accounting Landmines

By: H. David Sherman, S. David Young and Harris Collingwood

Profits You Can Trust gives managers, directors, lenders, audit partners and analysts a clear framework to demystify global financial reporting in a market fraught with danger. Filled with provocative and enlightening examples, it offers a fresh perspective and clear... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Corporate Finance; Economics; Financial Reporting

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14 Nov 2007
Working Paper Summaries

Accountability in Complex Organizations: World Bank Responses to Civil Society

Keywords: by Alnoor S. Ebrahim & Steve Herz

2021
Working Paper

Accounting for Product Impact in the Consumer-Packaged Foods Industry

By: Amanda Rischbieth, George Serafeim and Katie Trinh

We apply the product impact measurement framework of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) in two competitor companies within the consumer-packaged goods industry. We design a methodology that allows us to calculate monetary impact estimates on customer... View Details

SSRN

2020
Working Paper

Accounting for Product Impact in the Consumer Finance Industry

By: George Serafeim and Katie Trinh

We apply the product impact measurement framework of the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative (IWAI) in two competitor credit card providers within the consumer finance industry. We design a monetization methodology that allows us to calculate monetary impact estimates... View Details

SSRN

09 Dec 2002
Research & Ideas

Most Accountants Aren’t Crooks—Why Good Audits Go Bad

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, signed into law last July, is the government's response to a series of financial reporting scandals that rocked investors. Among other measures the law offers up stiff... View Details

Keywords: by Max H. Bazerman, George Loewenstein & Don A. Moore; Accounting; Accounting

2015
Working Paper

Replicating Private Equity with Value Investing, Homemade Leverage, and Hold-to-Maturity Accounting

By: Erik Stafford

Private equity funds tend to select relatively small firms with low EBITDA multiples. Publicly traded equities with these characteristics have high risk-adjusted returns after controlling for common factors typically associated with value stocks. Hold-to-maturity... View Details

Keywords: Value Investing; Endowments; Investment Management; Asset Pricing; Private Equity; Investment; Management; United States

SSRN

March 2009 (Revised February 2011)
Background Note

Note: Fair Value Accounting for Investments in Debt Securities

By: William E. Fruhan

The note describes how fair value accounting applies to debt securities that are classified by financial institutions as (1) "trading" securities, (2) "available for sale" securities, or (3) "hold to maturity" securities. It explains the hierarchy for inputs used in... View Details

Keywords: Fair Value Accounting; Financial Reporting; Assets; Debt Securities; Investment

Educators

17 Dec 2018
News

What fintech can learn from Robinhood’s ‘epic fail’ of launching checking accounts

Web

Financial Accounting Online Course | HBS Online

This course is part of the Finance & Accounting track. Introduction to Financial Accounting ENROLL NOW No application needed for our certificate programs. Start your journey... View Details

Web

Accounting & Management Faculty - Faculty & Research

Accounting & Management Overview Faculty Curriculum Seminars & Conferences Awards & Honors Doctoral Students Unit Head Eugene F. Soltes McLean Family Professor of Business Administration Unit Head, View Details

January 1978
Article

Pooling vs. Purchase: The Effects of Accounting for Mergers on Stock Prices

By: Robert S. Kaplan, Hai Hong and Gershon Mandelker

Keywords: Accounting; Mergers and Acquisitions; Stocks; Price

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June 2017
Teaching Note

Organizing for Performance: Four Vignettes

By: Robert Simons and Jennifer Packard

Teaching Note for HBS No. 117-062. View Details

Keywords: Strategy And Execution; Management Control Systems; Organization; Span Of Control; Resource Allocation

1994
Other Unpublished Work

Losing Interest: Interest Allocation Rules and the Cost of Debt Finance

By: K. A. Froot and J. Hines

Keywords: Accounting; Corporation Taxation; Interest Deductibility; Cost Of Capital; Corporate Finance; Borrowing and Debt; Financing and Loans; Interest Rates

June 2020 (Revised February 2021)
Supplement

Accounting for Leases at American Airlines (B)

By: Jonas Heese, Gerardo Pérez Cavazos and Julia Kelley

This is a supplement to the “Accounting for Leases at American Airlines (A)” case. The (B) case describes American Airlines’ financial results for the first quarter of 2020, as well as the continuing effects of coronavirus on the airline industry. View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Financial Reporting; Financial Statements; Finance; Governance; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Governance; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Governing and Advisory Boards; Leasing; Health Pandemics; Accounting Industry; Accounting Industry; North and Central America; United States