Publications

06 Nov 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, November 6, 2018

been normatively accepted in a country or industry, the more it benefits a firm’s market valuation and revenue. These findings demonstrate the importance of the broader social contexts in shaping the consequences of gender diversity.... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

January 2025
Supplement

Negotiating a Legacy at Sustainable Harvest (B)

By: Jillian Jordan, Julian Zlatev, Alicia Dadlani and Martha Hostetter

The specialty coffee importer Sustainable Harvest was the first certified B Corp in the coffee industry due to its investments in building coffee farmers’ capacity and livelihood. But in 2022, after coffee prices plummeted and the company’s bank declined to extend its... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Trust; Ethics; Plant-Based Agribusiness; Volatility; Futures and Commodity Futures; Social Enterprise; Valuation; Business Model; Credit; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Food and Beverage Industry; United States; Europe

November 2019
Case

Hapag-Lloyd AG:Complying with IMO 2020

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Mette Fuglsang Hjortshoej and Emer Moloney

A new environmental regulation known as IMO 2020 was creating what one industry analyst called “the biggest shakeup for the oil and shipping industries in decades.” According to the new regulation, all ocean-going ships would have to limit their sulfur emissions by... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Ship Transportation; Strategic Planning; Game Theory; Pollutants; Supply Chain; Corporate Accountability; Capital Budgeting; Environmental Sustainability; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Governance Compliance; Shipping Industry; Transportation Industry; Germany

January 2019
Case

Arrow Electronics—The Apollo Integration

By: Stephen P. Kaufman

Having already made 10 acquisitions of competitors in the last decade, the CEO and Senior Vice President of Arrow are evaluating the acquisition of another small competitor to boost sales, become #1 in a niche market segment, and achieve economies of scale. They are... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Integration; Valuation; Performance Evaluation; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Strategic Planning; Growth and Development Strategy; Electronics Industry; United States

18 Feb 2014
First Look

First Look: February 18

Most Successful CEOs Come from Within By: Bower, Joseph L. Abstract—The financial crisis of 2008 and the Great Recession caused a crisis of public confidence in business and American-style capitalism, with its focus on maximizing shareholder value. View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

July 1984 (Revised September 1986)
Case

CML Group, Inc.: Going Public (A)

By: William A. Sahlman

Describes a series of decisions confronting Charles Leighton, co-founder and chairman of the CML Group. CML is a successful participant in the leisure time industry with two lines of business: specialty retailing and recreational consumer products. The key issues in... View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Going Public; Strategy; Business or Company Management; Cost vs Benefits; SWOT Analysis; Investment Banking; Financing and Loans; Planning; Corporate Finance; Retail Industry; Consumer Products Industry

Find at Harvard

26 Nov 2001
Research & Ideas

Women Entrepreneurs Use Springboard for Funding

a small sampling of the twenty-three companies pitched: Michele Honomichl GPSLink. The average corporation uses up to ten systems to manage the human resources process in moving its executives and their families both abroad and... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

12 Jan 2016
First Look

January 12, 2016

funding in these environments. Download working paper: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=50237 Harvard Business School Case 616-032 Integrating Avocent Corporation into Emerson Network Power This case reviews Emerson... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

12 Feb 2008
First Look

First Look: February 12, 2007

Risk Management to Equity and Credit Analysis Author:Robert C. Merton Publication:CFA Institute Conference Proceedings Quarterly 24 (December 2007) Abstract Traditional conventions of accounting and actuarial science distort the valuation... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

20 Jul 2010
First Look

First Look: July 20

Publications Market Reaction to and Valuation of IFRS Reconciliation Adjustments: First Evidence from the UK Authors: Joanne Horton and George Serafeim Publication: Review of Accounting Studies (forthcoming) Abstract We investigate the... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

June 2016
Supplement

FANUC Corporation: Reassessing the Firm's Governance and Financial Policies Spreadsheet Supplement

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Akiko Kanno

In February 2015, Daniel Loeb (a US-based activist investor) announced his firm had a large investment in FANUC Corporation, a leading producer of industrial robots and software for machine tools. Loeb was demanding that the Japanese firm change its financial and... View Details

Keywords: Financial Management; Valuation; Investment Funds; Policy; Corporate Governance; Macroeconomics; Investment Activism; Change Management; Financial Strategy; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Japan; United States

January 2008 (Revised March 2009)
Case

Framedia (A) Abridged

By: Li Jin, Carliss Y. Baldwin, Li Liao, Huabing Li and Jielun Zhu

Examines an acquisition in the highly competitive outdoor media advertising industry in China in late 2005. The transaction leads to eventual consolidation of the whole industry and positive stock reactions. Discusses equity consideration in the context of an M&A... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Venture Capital; Equity; Private Equity; Corporate Governance; Emerging Markets; Organizations; Consolidation; Valuation; Advertising Industry; China

25 Feb 2014
First Look

First Look: February 25

Corporate Performance By: Brochet, Francois, Maria Loumioti, and George Serafeim Abstract—Using conference call transcripts to measure the time horizon that senior executives emphasize when they communicate with investors, we develop a... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Sep 2015
First Look

First Look -- September 1, 2015

strategy beyond markets. Very few studies have shown that a firm’s strategy increases policy performance; almost none have demonstrated a link between policy and firm profitability. Third, the topical areas of analysis appear to be limited. Environmental issues and... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

August 1996 (Revised December 1999)
Case

J Boats, Inc.

By: Robert L. Simons

During the 20-year evolution of a family-owned, entrepreneurial sailboat company, two founders leverage their design and marketing skills to build one of the most recognized brands in the recreational boating industry. The founder then considers management succession... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Family Business; Risk Management; Financial Management; Leveraged Buyouts; Brands and Branding; Competitive Strategy; Capital Markets; Valuation; Shipping Industry; Transportation Industry