Publications

April 1997 (Revised February 2001)
Case

Mexico in Debt

By: Richard H.K. Vietor and Eilene Zimmerman

Describes Mexico's political and economic system in the 1960s and 1970s. Focuses on: 1) the causes of the debt crisis in 1982; 2) elements of President de la Madrid's restructuring efforts between 1982-88; President Salinas's attempts to complete restructuring and... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Economic Systems; Financial Crisis; Inflation and Deflation; Macroeconomics; Borrowing and Debt; Government and Politics; Mexico

04 Nov 2014
First Look

First Look: November 4

would want to restrict sellers from charging buyers more for transactions it intermediates. With this restriction an intermediary can profitably raise demand for its services by eliminating any extra price buyers face for purchasing through the intermediary. We show... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

29 Oct 2000
Research & Ideas

The Entrepreneurial Venture: A Conversation

encouraged them to take risks. Bill Sahlman: Also, when we graduated from HBS, the economy was in recession, inflation and interest rates were high, productivity growth was low, and the stock market was in the tank. It is not at all... View Details

Keywords: by Susan Young

11 Oct 2016
First Look

October 11, 2016

Wenxin, and Jesse Schreger Abstract—Nominal debt provides consumption-smoothing benefits if it can be inflated away during recessions. However, we document empirically that countries with more countercyclical inflation, where nominal debt... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 2024 (Revised March 2025)
Case

Pakistan at 75: When Will the 'Nazuk Mor' End?

By: Meg Rithmire, Salaar A. Shaikh and Hong Zhang

In 2023, business leaders, politicians, and civil society were all describing Pakistan’s condition as “polycrisis.” The country faced decisions on elections after Imran Khan’s ouster and arrest, protests against the military’s involvement in politics and the crackdowns... View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Financial Crisis; Inflation and Deflation; Government and Politics; Health Pandemics; Conflict and Resolution; Pakistan

21 Jan 2014
First Look

First Look: January 21

homophily inflates this estimate by 40% (to 38%). In some samples, ignoring latent homophily can result in overestimation of social effects by over 100%. Download working paper:... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

06 Nov 2006
Research & Ideas

How South Africa Challenges Our Thinking on FDI

economy was managed spectacularly, with inflation brought down to single digits relatively quickly, budget balances within a reasonable ability to pay, and political stability guaranteed by the ANC's (African National Congress)... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

22 May 2007
First Look

First Look: May 22, 2007

realized bond risk and bond return volatility. The yield spread appears to proxy for business conditions, while the short rate appears to proxy for inflation and economic uncertainty. A decomposition of bond betas into a real cash flow... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

20 Aug 2007
Research & Ideas

HBS Cases: Using Investor Relations Proactively

reality of an organization." —Daniela Beyersdorfer When market analysts believed, for example, that BP's mature assets' value would decline quicker than its own calculations showed, or that the industry's cost inflation would be... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Energy; Utilities

12 Dec 2019
Research & Ideas

How to Turn Down the Boil on Group Conflict

Jeffrey Lees, a doctoral candidate in Organizational Behavior and Psychology at Harvard Business School. In actuality, most people have a wildly inflated sense of just how negative the other side feels, according to a new paper that Lees... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

05 Aug 2024
Research & Ideas

Watching for the Next Economic Downturn? Follow Corporate Debt

information about the risk of future economic crashes and deserve more scrutiny from policymakers, economists, and regulators. The paper emerges after years of persistent inflation and mounting interest rates, and amid close scrutiny of... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

10 Jul 2000
Research & Ideas

The State of the Markets

the Internet," he concluded. "This will favor the cheapest suppliers and keenest buyers and thus hold down prices and inflation while raising productivity." Ever-changing Demands In his remarks, the NYSE's Cochrane... View Details

Keywords: by James E. Aisner

23 Aug 2004
Research & Ideas

New Challenges for Long-Term Investors

of time, the safe strategy is to invest in long-term coupon bonds (or annuities), not cash. There is catch with this, though. Standard annuities and Treasury bonds pay fixed coupons, and inflation can seriously erode the purchasing power... View Details

Keywords: by Ann Cullen

07 Jul 2010
First Look

First Look: July 7

had ended decades of virtual civil war and strengthened the business climate, but he faced tough economic challenges. Though he had instituted prominent market reforms and brought inflation down sharply, Colombia seemed stuck in a middle... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

December 1989 (Revised April 1997)
Case

Destin Brass Products Co.

By: William J. Bruns Jr.

A specialized manufacturer of brass valves, pumps, and flow controllers is troubled by competitive pricing in pumps and higher than expected margins for flow controllers. Managers suspect that cost accounting and cost allocations to products may be to blame. Two... View Details

Keywords: Cost Accounting; Activity Based Costing and Management; Five Forces Framework; Customer Value and Value Chain; Competition; Business Strategy; Design; Inflation and Deflation; Asset Pricing; Governance Controls; Manufacturing Industry

02 Sep 2015
Research & Ideas

Explaining China's Crash

percent of all manufactured goods in the U.S. are outsourced, and not everything is outsourceable. Furthermore, wage inflation in China has dented its competitiveness and there are other location choices. So, the question is: How much... View Details

Keywords: by Christina Pazzanese; Financial Services

May 2004 (Revised July 2004)
Case

Clarence Saunders: The Comeback King

By: Nitin Nohria and Bridget Gurtler

Follows the rise and fall of the founder of the modern supermarket, Clarence Saunders. Prior to 1915, all staple shopping took place in the market or general store, where a clerk behind a counter pulled items from shelves for customers , measured them from a barrel, or... View Details

Keywords: Inflation and Deflation; Mission and Purpose; Business Processes; Leadership; Consumer Behavior; Leadership Style; Advertising; Customer Relationship Management; Customer Value and Value Chain; Order Taking and Fulfillment