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Research Summary

Ruling the Waves: Business and Politics along the Technological Frontier

By: Debora L. Spar

There are certain periods of time when technological innovation pushes at the frontiers of government and law; when technology undermines state authority and opens massive loopholes for entreneneurs to exploit. During these critical junctures, rules disappear and... View Details

August 2017 (Revised December 2017)
Case

Accounting for Nuclear Power Provisions at RWE

By: Paul Healy and Jonas Heese

In early 2016, RWE, a utility that operates nuclear power plants in Germany, came under scrutiny from regulators and the media over the adequacy of its provisions for costs of decommissioning and dismantling (D&D) its nuclear power plants. Accounting standards required... View Details

Keywords: Liabilities; Provisions For Long-term Obligations; Discounting; Accounting; Energy Generation; Energy Industry; Germany

November 2000 (Revised May 2001)
Case

State of South Carolina, The

By: Randolph B. Cohen

This case presents the managerial dilemma faced by the treasurer of South Carolina in 1998. Until last year, the South Carolina state pension fund (with over $17 billion in assets) was barred by the state constitution from investing in equities. After the constitution... View Details

Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Capital Markets; Investment Return; Public Administration Industry; South Carolina

18 Feb 2009
News

The Bailout Is Robbing the Banks

06 Aug 2025
News

Former Intel Board Members: America’s Champion Is Likely to Retreat, and We Still Need a Leading-Edge Chip Manufacturer

July–August 2024
Article

Disclosing Downstream Emissions

By: Robert S. Kaplan and Karthik Ramanna

An increasing number of companies are using the E-liability carbon-accounting method as an important tool for tracking progress toward reducing global emissions in their supply chains. The system does not require formal accounting for downstream emissions—those... View Details

Keywords: Carbon Emissions; Environmental Accounting; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Corporate Disclosure; Environmental Sustainability

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July 2019
Case

Piramal Foundation: The Business of Philanthropy

By: Vikram Gandhi and Mahima Rao-Kachroo

The Piramal Foundation was launched by diversfied Indian conglomerate, the Piramal Group, to improve the healthcare services and quality of education of India’s economically and socially disadvantaged. The foundation operates under three verticals—‘Piramal Foundation... View Details

Keywords: Social Enterprise; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Education; Health Care and Treatment; Performance Improvement; Growth and Development Strategy; Education Industry; Health Industry; India

2017
Chapter

Gapponshugi in Global Perspective: Debating the Responsibility of Capitalism

By: Geoffrey Jones

This chapter places the concepts of ethical capitalism developed by the 19th century Japanese venture capitalist Shibusawa Eiichi in a global historical perspective. The chapter reviews the similarities and differences over time and between countries of proponents of... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Responsibility; Business Ethics; Ethics; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Business History; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact

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February 2015
Case

Infinite Technology Solutions and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor

By: John D. Macomber and Vidhya Muthuram

The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is an ambitious economic development project linking six of the most competitive states in India with the sea. The corridor is modeled on the Jiangsu Corridor in China (Nanjing to Shanghai) and the Tokyo-Hokkaido Corridor in... View Details

Keywords: Development Economics; Projects; Economics; Personal Development and Career; Decision Making; India

December 1994 (Revised September 1996)
Case

Cementownia Odra (A)

The Polish government is privatizing Cementownia Odra, a cement firm. Tomasz Budziak, a team leader, is negotiating on behalf of the Polish Ministry of Privatization. Hans-Hugo Miebach, owner of a German cement company, has made an attractive offer; a deal hinges on... View Details

Keywords: Contracts; Negotiation; Privatization; Construction Industry; Germany; Poland

Research Summary

Overview

Professor Sherman's research has long focused on financial reporting, performance measurement/management, and financial literacy issues facing corporate management and Boards of Directors in global businesses. He also actively studies methods to improve productivity in... View Details

Regulatory Uncertainty and Corporate Responses to Environmental Protection in China

This article analyzes the closing gap between regulation and enforcement of environmental protection in China and explores its implications for doing business there. It identifies three major dimensions that characterize change in regulatory systems: priorities and... View Details

April 2009 (Revised August 2009)
Case

Petrobras in Ecuador (A)

By: Aldo Musacchio, Lena G. Goldberg and Ricardo Reisen de Pinho

On October 18, 2007, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa announced his intention to migrate Petrobras' existing participation contracts to exploit oil reserves in Ecuador's Blocks 18 and 31 to servicing agreements under which Petrobras would be paid a production fee and... View Details

Keywords: Metals and Minerals; Globalized Firms and Management; Corporate Governance; Government Administration; Taxation; Contracts; Negotiation Process; Negotiation Tactics; Public Ownership; Business and Government Relations; Business and Shareholder Relations; Brazil; Ecuador

Web

Human Behavior & Decision-Making - Faculty & Research

By: Joris Mueller, Jaya Y. Wen and Cheryl Wu 2025 | Working Paper | Faculty Research Political speech by firms is increasingly common around the world. This paper examines the government as an important, yet understudied, audience for... View Details

Web

2023 Reunion Presentations - Alumni

governance issues facing this and similar business. Reskilling the Workforce Professor Raffaella Sadun + More Info – Less Info The session focuses on the research conducted at the newly founded digital reskilling lab at HBS. Participants... View Details

Web

Data - Behavioral Finance & Financial Stability

The Growth of Finance ” by Robin Greenwood and David Scharfstein . Appendix Data US Government Debt Project members Robin Greenwood , Sam Hanson , Jeremy Stein , and Lawrence Summers have written extensively on US View Details

February 2022
Supplement

Agora (B)

By: Lindsay N. Hyde, Thomas R. Eisenmann and Tom Quinn

This is the conclusion to Agora (A), where founder Elsa Sze decides if she wants to continue investing energy in her civic technology startup.
Agora was a civic technology (civic tech) startup founded by Elsa Sze, who wanted to enhance the connection between... View Details

Keywords: Civic Technology; Government Administration; Conferences; Business Startups; Business Strategy

November 2023
Case

Will Fintechs and Central Banks Play in Emtech's Sandbox?

By: Daniel Isenberg and William R. Kerr

In February 2023, Emtech’s founder Carmelle Cadet is facing a dilemma. Rapidly running out of cash, Cadet has a term sheet from a leading VC but has a choice of how to structure the investment. The decision will have significant implications for Cadet’s own stake, as... View Details

Keywords: Cryptocurrency; Business Startups; Venture Capital; Cash Flow; Currency; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Digital Platforms

December 2010
Case

Leadership, Culture, and Transition at lululemon

By: Michael Tushman, Ruth Page and Tom Ryder

The case examines leadership and organizational change within a strong culture context through a multimedia study of lululemon, a specialty retailer of high-end athletic apparel. Video segments trace the company's history from its founding in 1998 as a single retail... View Details

Keywords: Leading Change; Organizational Culture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Transition; Growth Management; Management Teams; Organizational Structure; Governing and Advisory Boards; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Retail Industry; Vancouver; United States