Publications

February 2012
Case

First Quantum Minerals vs. Eurasian Natural Resources

By: George Serafeim

The case describes the battle between First Quantum Mineral (FQM) and Eurasian Resources over mines in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). After FQM's license to operate was revoked by the government of the DRC, Eurasian bought the rights over the mines that were... View Details

Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards; Business and Government Relations; Corporate Governance; Natural Environment; Risk and Uncertainty; Government and Politics; Mining Industry; Congo, Democratic Republic of the

September 2007 (Revised February 2010)
Case

Compass Box Whisky Company

Compass Box Whisky Company is facing a changing supply situation and is evaluating switching to a business model with high inventory and long lead times. The company must consider what the change will mean for operations, risk, and measuring profitability. View Details

Keywords: Financial Statements; Business Model; Profit; Product; Supply Chain; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Risk and Uncertainty

January 2005 (Revised October 2005)
Background Note

Standard & Poor's Sovereign Credit Ratings: Scales and Process

By: Rawi E. Abdelal and Christopher Bruner

Describes Standard & Poor's sovereign credit ratings scales and the credit rating process. In particular, describes the role and function of the rating committee and the analytical categories considered in arriving at a final sovereign credit rating. View Details

Keywords: Financial Markets; Credit; Bonds; Policy; Risk and Uncertainty; Measurement and Metrics; Forecasting and Prediction; Financial Services Industry

September 2004 (Revised December 2004)
Case

Bank Leu's Prima Cat Bond Fund

In 2001, Bank Leu, a Swiss private bank, is considering creating the world's first public fund for catastrophe bonds. Cat bonds are securities whose payments depend on the probability of a catastrophe occurring, such as an earthquake or hurricane. Cat bonds are... View Details

Keywords: Risk Management; Bonds; Natural Disasters; Insurance; Capital Markets; Banks and Banking; Banking Industry; Insurance Industry; Switzerland

03 May 2010
News

Mastering the VC Game

Keywords: Securities, Commodities, and Other Financial Investments; Finance

24 Aug 2016
Research & Ideas

Can Obamacare Be Saved?

they also risk having to switch provider networks, disrupting patient-physician relationships. "According to Kaiser, health insurance premiums for the average plan are expected to rise by 9 percent in 2017" These consumers will... View Details

Keywords: by John A. Quelch and Emily Boudreau; Insurance; Health

16 Jan 2014
Research & Ideas

Resolving Patent Disputes that Impede Innovation

is thus imperfect. "Sometimes this vagueness (and the consequent inability of parties to agree on a negotiated, 'reasonable' license) will lead to expensive litigation whose cost and risk can impede the adoption of a socially... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Technology; Legal Services

Web

Turning a Moment into a Movement: How the Anti-Racism Fund Co-Founders are Fighting Racism and Encouraging Other Companies to Do Their Part - Recruiting

(MBA 1993) Lisa Tanzer 22 Jan 2025 Career Risks and Professional Growth: Finding a Fulfilling Career with Paige Arnof-Fenn (MBA 1991) Paige Arnof-Fenn 05 Feb 2025 Leadership with Purpose: Redefining Success and Impact with Satpal Singh... View Details

06 Dec 2021
News

Truth Be Told

alike are increasingly relying on whistleblowers to prevent and investigate fraud, the professors realized, there is little understanding about the real risks faced by an employee who steps forward. Dey and Heese set out to study the... View Details

Keywords: April White; Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices; Management

17 Feb 2015
News

The First Five Years: Diogo Castro Freire (MBA 2012)

and what are the opportunities that will help you learn and grow. “There is obviously an element of risk in any career change. That risk has to be acknowledged up front. You should take steps to mitigate it,... View Details

Keywords: Arts, Entertainment; Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries; Information

01 Oct 2002
News

Banishing Balkan Ghosts

to death.” Then in October 2000 came euphoria: Milosevic had fallen. Old friends in Belgrade, anti-Milosevic activists familiar with Djelic's talents and experience, pleaded for him to return and help rebuild. “How could I stay and lead my bourgeois lifestyle when all... View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons

02 Aug 2018
Blog Post

Venturing into VC

such as Rock Summer Fellows, which has allowed me to take risks in exploring career paths, and for the incredible community of people here in the northeast who make working in venture capital in Boston both impactful and fun. To learn... View Details

01 Jun 2004
News

How Nonprofits Dilute Their Efforts

questions, but it’s crucial that they do: How effective are our programs? How efficiently are they executed? Which programs should we drop? Which should we seek to add? If it doesn’t ask these tough questions, a nonprofit risks spreading... View Details

Keywords: Publishing Industries (except Internet); Information

27 Jan 2015
First Look

First Look: January 27

Publications January 2015 American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings Do Strict Capital Requirements Raise the Cost of Capital? Bank Regulation, Capital Structure, and the Low Risk Anomaly By: Baker, Malcolm, and Jeffrey Wurgler... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

06 Aug 2007
Research & Ideas

High Hills, Deep Poverty: Explaining Civil War in Nepal

diversity were important? A: These factors have been hypothesized in the prior literature to affect the probability of civil war. Some findings in the cross-country literature are quite robust, such as the fact that poor countries tend to be at greater View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

June 2015 (Revised August 2018)
Case

American Electric Power: Facing the Challenges of Distributed Generation

By: Richard H.K. Vietor and Hilary White

American Electric Power, like most utilities in the USA, is currently exposed to distributed generation and the problem of net-metering. Solar installations in particular have been heavily subsidized, by the state and by regulation, which does not allow grid operators... View Details

June 2011
Article

Segmenting the Base of the Pyramid

By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Michael Chu and Djorjiji Petkoski

The bottom of the economic pyramid is a risky place for business, but decent profits can be made there if companies link their financial success with their constituencies' well-being. To do that effectively, you must understand the nuances of people's daily lives, say... View Details

Keywords: International Finance; Risk and Uncertainty; Value Creation; Human Needs; Income; Poverty; Profit; Relationships; Economics; Segmentation

Find at Harvard

March 2010 (Revised December 2010)
Case

Danatbank

By: David A. Moss, Cole Bolton and Andrew Novo

In the summer of 1931, Germany was struggling with a deepening economic crisis. Production had fallen, unemployment was high, and bank deposits and gold were being withdrawn from the country at a rapid pace, threatening the value of the German mark. The country's third... View Details

Keywords: History; Risk Management; Business History; Capital Markets; Financial Crisis; Banks and Banking; Business and Government Relations; Banking Industry; Germany