Publications

01 Jun 1996
News

Capitalist Revolutions Analyzed in MBA "Foundations" Course

Ford and Alfred Sloan Corporate strategy and marketing techniques used by pioneers in the American automobile industry Japanese Capitalism How a late developer caught up fast with the West and in some... View Details

Keywords: Susan Young

November 2006
Case

Tickle

By: William A. Sahlman and Dan Heath

Describes a set of decisions confronting the management team of a rapidly growing online psychological testing and social networking company. They can either sell the company to a large public company, raise another round of capital from a preeminent venture capital... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Internet and the Web; Growth Management; Internet and the Web; Business Strategy; Corporate Finance

November 1996 (Revised February 1997)
Case

Historical Society of Pennsylvania, The

By: Stephen A. Greyser and Stephanie L. Woerner

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) runs one of the nation's most important research libraries and a museum focusing on colonial history. Financial analysis shows that the society has absorbed increased costs of operation over the past decade through slow but... View Details

Keywords: Finance; Cost; Human Resources; Leadership Style; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Managerial Roles; Mission and Purpose; Corporate Strategy; Pennsylvania

April 2024 (Revised February 2025)
Teaching Note

eBee: Affordable Mobility for Africa

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Gamze Yucaoglu and Jordan Mitchell

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 724-360.The case opens in March 2023, as Sten van der Ham and Jaap Maljers, CEO and co-founder of eBee, an electric bike (e-bike) company in Africa, are contemplating the different avenues for growth and path to profitability for the... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Value Creation; Competition; Expansion; Logistics; Profit; Resource Allocation; Corporate Strategy; Business Startups; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Strategy; Product Marketing; Entrepreneurial Finance; Bicycle Industry; Africa; Kenya

November 2024 (Revised January 2025)
Case

Balancing Impact: Modeling the Future at British International Investment

By: Shawn Cole and Jonah Zahnd

In 2022, British International Investment (BII), the £8.1 billion development finance arm of the British government, implemented a new impact measurement system called the Impact Score to align its financial and impact objectives systematically. The tool was designed... View Details

Keywords: Investment Portfolio; Measurement and Metrics; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Alignment; United Kingdom

09 May 2017
First Look

New Research and Ideas, May 9

May 2017 Journal of Financial Economics The Value of Trading Relations in Turbulent Times By: Di Maggio, Marco, Amir Kermani, and Zhaogang Song Abstract—This paper investigates how dealers’ trading relationships shape their trading behavior in the View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

16 Apr 2008
Lessons from the Classroom

Chris Christensen: Legend of the Classroom

based at HBS, Christensen's influence and legacy extend well beyond the banks of the Charles and transcend the study of business administration. When he received the School's Distinguished Service Award in 1993, Christensen was honored not only for his pioneering work... View Details

Keywords: by Deborah Blagg; Education

01 Sep 2008
News

Building a Better MBA

need to think critically about what you are doing every 100 years or so, whether you need to or not,” Dean Jay Light wryly observed in opening remarks to an unprecedented campus gathering last March of business school deans, corporate... View Details

Keywords: Roger Thompson; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

03 Aug 2020
News

A Clean Start

Scientists, world leaders, and corporations have spent billions trying to harness carbon-dioxide output in order to combat climate change. So far, they’ve figured out how to capture it, but not what to do with it. Todd Brix (MBA 1997)... View Details

Keywords: Maureen Harmon

May 16, 2016
Article

Food Safety Economics: The Cost of a Sick Customer

By: Dina Gerdeman and John A. Quelch

Chipotle Mexican Grill’s ongoing struggle to win customers back months after a contaminated food crisis highlights the challenges companies face with keeping food safe.

Chipotle has seen its shares tumble and recently reported its first-ever quarterly loss... View Details

Read Now

30 Nov 2011
Research & Ideas

Only Capitalists Can Save Capitalism

separating corporate leaders from their rank-and-file workers has become a hot-button issue in the upcoming presidential election. And in public opinion polls, business moguls are cushioned from the bottom of the reputation scale only by... View Details

Keywords: by Maggie Starvish

11 Mar 2008
First Look

First Look: March 11, 2008

Working PapersTesting Strategy with Multiple Performance Measures Evidence from a Balanced Scorecard at Store24 Authors:Dennis Campbell, Srikant M. Datar, Susan L. Kulp, and V.G. Narayanan Abstract We analyze balanced scorecard data... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

01 Jun 2000
News

Capturing Human Capital

corporations rely on information planning and control systems and processes that are designed to help management make sound strategic choices and ensure efficient implementation of those decisions. "They do this by allocating scarce... View Details

March 2024 (Revised April 2024)
Case

Angel City Football Club: Scoring a New Model

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Jennifer Fonstad and Nicole Tempest Keller

In January 2024, Kara Nortman, Julie Uhrman, and Natalie Portman, the founders of Angel City Football Club (ACFC) were developing the club’s first three-year strategic plan. Founded in 2020, ACFC had a star-studded investor group, including Portman and celebrities such... View Details

Keywords: Sports; Entertainment; Entrepreneurship; Brands and Branding; Venture Capital; Business Model; Corporate Strategy; Digital Marketing; Sports Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States; California; Los Angeles

February 1999 (Revised March 2004)
Case

JAFCO America Ventures, Inc.: Building A Venture Capital Firm

By: Walter Kuemmerle, Kiichiro Kobayashi and Chad S Ellis

JAFCO, a large Japanese venture capital firm, is making a second attempt to enter the U.S. venture capital market. The U.S. subsidiary, JAFCO America Ventures, is in the midst of a challenging turnaround. Going forward, the U.S. subsidiary's leadership needs to make a... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Market Entry and Exit; Multinational Firms and Management; Corporate Strategy; Financial Services Industry; Japan; United States

April 1999 (Revised August 2000)
Case

Compaq Computer: Focus Groups

By: David E. Bell and Ann Leamon

Gives the final report, both results and methodology, of the focus group on Compaq Computer's new consumer notebook. Describes the groups, selection method, and methodology in detail. Should Compaq base its product design on the opinions of 64 people? Must be used with... View Details

Keywords: Selection and Staffing; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Product Design; Outcome or Result; Corporate Strategy; Computer Industry

24 Mar 2020
Research & Ideas

These Coronavirus Heroes Show Us How Crisis Leadership Works

the COVID-19 pandemic. “If ever there was a time for leaders to be authentic, this is it.” Fortunately, many of our corporate and scientific leaders are already stepping up, unselfishly taking action to stop the spread of the virus and... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George; Health

01 Mar 2017
News

Alumni and Faculty Books for March 2017

creative new markets. Lessons in Corporate Finance: A Case Studies Approach to Financial Tools, Financial Policies, and Valuation by Paul Asquith and Lawrence A. Weiss (DBA 1989) (Wiley) This book explains the fundamentals of the field in... View Details

December 2010 (Revised November 2014)
Case

Steven Carpenter at Cake Financial

By: Thomas R. Eisenmann and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld

After investing $9 million of venture capital, Cake Financial had failed to reach critical mass. In early 2010 Cake's assets were sold and the company was dissolved. Founded in 2006, the San Francisco-based Internet company allowed users to monitor their investments... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Business or Company Management; Business Model; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Strategy; Internet; Financial Services Industry; Web Services Industry