Publications

1987
Article

Accounting Control Systems and Business Strategy: An Empirical Analysis

By: R. Simons

Keywords: Accounting; System; Business Strategy

August 2002 (Revised September 2002)
Background Note

Financial Analysis of Microsoft

By: William A. Sahlman

Contains a detailed analysis of Microsoft's financial performance from 1985 to 2001. During this time, Microsoft improved its profitability and cash flow generation--changes that led to a dramatic rise in valuation. Also addresses the issue of determining how much... View Details

Keywords: Business Ventures; Analysis; Financial Condition

January 2008 (Revised January 2010)
Background Note

Finding Information for Industry Analysis

By: Jan W. Rivkin and Ann Cullen

This note provides detailed instructions on finding resources for conducting industry analysis, with a special focus on resources available at Harvard Business School. It allows students to transition from doing a Five Forces analysis on the basis of a case, where all... View Details

Keywords: Information; Five Forces Framework; Research; Competitive Strategy; Internet

June 2015
Tutorial

Marketing Exercise: Using Conjoint Analysis for Business Decisions

By: E. Ofek and Olivier Toubia

November 1993 (Revised February 2013)
Background Note

Quality of Earnings Analysis

By: David Hawkins

Discusses quality of earnings analysis and its relevance to security valuation. View Details

Keywords: Business Earnings; Quality; Valuation

11 Oct 2016
News

The Nobel Prize in Economics. An analysis with Harvard Business School economist Vincent Pons

October 1985
Background Note

Analysis and Reporting of Intercorporate Investments and Business Combinations

By: David F. Hawkins

Keywords: Financial Reporting

Web

Business Analysis and Valuation Using Financial Statements - Course Catalog

HBS Course Catalog Business Analysis and Valuation Using Financial Statements Course Number 1306 Associate Professor Joseph Pacelli Fall; Q1Q2; 3.0 credits 28 Sessions Paper/Project Career Focus This course... View Details

2003
Casebook

Business Analysis and Valuation Using Financial Statements: Text and Cases

By: Krishna G. Palepu, Paul M. Healy and Victor L. Bernard

Keywords: Theory; Valuation; Finance; Reports; Cases; Information

December 1999 (Revised November 2010)
Background Note

Inflation Accounting and Analysis

By: David F. Hawkins

Describes alternative approaches to accounting for business activities during periods of inflation. Presents hints and techniques for analyzing financial statements during inflationary periods. A rewritten version of an earlier note. View Details

Keywords: Cost Accounting; Financial Statements; Inflation and Deflation

August 2016 (Revised November 2019)
Case

eSig: Growth Analysis

By: Mark Roberge and Tom Eisenmann

eSig, an early-stage startup, offers an electronic signature application as a "freemium" product, i.e., users can upgrade from a free basic version to a premium version by paying a subscription fee. Using 9 months of data from 50,000 user activations (available as a... View Details

Keywords: Esignature; Computer Software; Business or Company Management; Marketing Channels; Applications and Software; Business Startups; Computer Industry

23 Mar 2023
News

SVB Crash Analysis

HBS faculty members and other experts across Harvard reflect on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the state of the banking industry. How ‘Payment Banks’ Could Prevent the Next Bank Collapse Professor Mihir Desai writes in Harvard View Details

2015
Working Paper

The Business Model: Nature and Benefits

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and John Heilbron

This paper considers the nature of the business model and its strategic relevance to negotiations. We elaborate a substantive definition of the business model as decisions enforced by the authority of the firm; this definition enables the analysis of business models... View Details

Keywords: Business Models; Value Capture; Value-Based Business Strategy; Ambivalent Value; Business Model; Negotiation Deal

SSRN

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February 1984
Background Note

Sustainable Growth Analysis

By: William A. Sahlman

Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation

August 2016 (Revised November 2019)
Supplement

eSig: Growth Analysis

By: Mark N. Roberge and Thomas R. Eisenmann

eSig, an early-stage startup, offers an electronic signature application as a "freemium" product, i.e., users can upgrade from a free basic version to a premium version by paying a subscription fee. Using 9 months of data from 50,000 user activations, available as a... View Details

Keywords: Esignature; Computer Software; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Management; Marketing Channels; Applications and Software; Computer Industry; United States

April 2013
Article

Business Model Innovation and Competitive Imitation: The Case of Sponsor-Based Business Models

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Feng Zhu

This paper provides the first formal model of business model innovation. Our analysis focuses on sponsor-based business model innovations where a firm monetizes its product through sponsors rather than setting prices to its customer base. We analyze strategic... View Details

Keywords: Business Model Innovation; Imitation; Sponsor-based Business Model; Strategic Revelation; Strategic Concealment; Business Model; Innovation and Invention; Price; Competitive Strategy; Adoption; Value; Duopoly and Oligopoly; Product; Customers; Market Entry and Exit; Monopoly

September 1975 (Revised June 1983)
Background Note

Note on the Structural Analysis of Industries

By: Michael E. Porter

Provides a framework for the analysis of industry structure. Identifies the major structural features that influence the profit potential in industries and some illustrative implications of these for strategy formulation. Can be used as a reference note for business... View Details

Keywords: Industry Structures; Business Strategy; Profit

2015
Chapter

The Business Model: Nature and Benefits

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and John Heilbron

This paper considers the nature of the business model and its strategic relevance to negotiations. We elaborate a substantive definition of the business model as decisions enforced by the authority of the firm; this definition enables the analysis of business models... View Details

Keywords: Business Models; Value Capture; Value-Based Business Strategy; Ambivalent Value; Business Model; Value; Negotiation Deal

January 2001
Background Note

Country Analysis in a "Global Village"

By: Bruce R. Scott

Substantially rewritten to establish the relevance of countries in the global context. It does so in terms of their differing economic performance in recent decades, and also by contrasting those that have "converged" toward the rich country norm (as theory would... View Details

Keywords: Globalized Economies and Regions; Macroeconomics; Trade; Business Strategy; Performance Evaluation; Industry Growth; Currency; Policy; Development Economics