Publications

January 2009 (Revised November 2009)
Background Note

Adult Life Stages

By: John A. Davis

This note describes basic concepts of adult life stage theory and summarizes Daniel Levinson's research findings on the adult development of men and women. View Details

Keywords: Transition; Motivation and Incentives; Behavior; Personal Development and Career; Organizational Culture; Gender

June 2002
Background Note

Note on the Value of Life

By: Michael A. Wheeler and Carlos Gonzalez

This case summarizes how American courts measure damages in wrongful death suits. Various standards are compared, as are their implications for business management. View Details

Keywords: Judgments; Courts and Trials; Business or Company Management; Standards; Negotiation; United States

June 2004 (Revised April 2005)
Background Note

Environmental Law in Real Estate Transactions

By: Arthur I Segel, Jeff Mandelbaum and Armen Panossian

Summarizes several of the major federal environmental statutes, most notably the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act ("CERCLA" or "Superfund"). Also discusses several state and local regulations. View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Laws and Statutes; Real Estate Industry

August 2004 (Revised May 2005)
Background Note

Process of "Going Public" in the United States, The

Summarizes the process of going public: the steps for SEC approval, the role of the SEC, and the roles of major players such as underwriters and printers. View Details

Keywords: Going Public; United States

October 1999 (Revised June 2002)
Case

Case Brief: Stone Container in Honduras and Costa Rica

By: James K. Sebenius and Hannah Bowles

Summarizes contents of two full-length cases. The cases provide examples of two different approaches to managing complex multi-party negotiations with stakeholders. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Participants; Costa Rica; Honduras

August 1991
Background Note

Marketing Research

Summarizes and synthesizes materials in the following notes: Marketing Situation Assessment, Marketing Research: An Overview of Research Methods, and Research Methods in Marketing: Survey Research. View Details

Keywords: Marketing

February 1986 (Revised March 1990)
Supplement

Copeland Corp.: Evolution of a Manufacturing Strategy--1975-82 (D)

By: David A. Garvin

Summarizes Copeland's focused factory approach, and updates the company's efforts at the Sidney, Hartselle, Shelby, and Richville plants. Concludes with a brief discussion of future prospects for Copeland's manufacturing strategy. View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Production; Factories, Labs, and Plants; Manufacturing Industry; Ohio

August 2008
Background Note

Divisive Reorganizations

By: Henry B. Reiling and Kevin Wall

The note (1) describes "spin-offs" and "split-offs," (2) summarizes the requirements to qualify for tax postponement, and (3) identifies the public policy considerations justifying this favorable treatment. View Details

Keywords: Business Units; Restructuring; Policy; Taxation

September 2007
Case

Still Leading (B8): Paul Newman—Newman's Own Script

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Lance P. Pierce

Well known actor Paul Newman started a business to give profits to charity. Summarizes his experience in making the transition from one kind of leadership to another. View Details

Keywords: Transition; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Social Entrepreneurship; Food and Beverage Industry

January 2002 (Revised March 2003)
Case

Note on Foreign Direct Investment in Japan

Discusses definition and measure issues related to foreign direct investment (FDI) and summarizes explanations in the academic literature for the low levels of inward FDI in Japan. View Details

Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment; Japan

June 1984 (Revised April 1992)
Background Note

The Marketing Mix

By: Benson P. Shapiro

Reviews important concepts related to the marketing mix, and summarizes key relationships within the mix and between the mix and other parts of the company's marketing approach. View Details

Keywords: Marketing

April 2002 (Revised November 2003)
Case

World Oil Markets

By: Richard H.K. Vietor and Rebecca Evans

Summarizes world markets for oil and natural gas from 1980-2001. Examines the rise of OPEC, two oil shocks, Gulf War efforts, and recent pricing issues facing Saudi Arabia. View Details

Keywords: Energy Sources; Asset Pricing; Markets; Organizations; Saudi Arabia

February 2000
Background Note

Medicine, Incentive Compensation, and the Law

By: Richard M.J. Bohmer and Bruce L. Hall

Summarizes legal issues in structuring a health care incentive plan, such as tax laws and federal regulations. Draws from an interview conducted with a New England lawyer in October 1999. View Details

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Compensation and Benefits; Law; Health Care and Treatment; Taxation; Laws and Statutes; Health Industry

January 1995 (Revised November 1995)
Case

Candela Laser vs. Cynosure, Inc.

By: Josh Lerner and Benjamin Conway

Summarizes the lawsuit by Candela Laser against its former CEO and founder, who has begun a competing firm. The extent of patent and trade secret protection are crucial issues. View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Patents; Lawsuits and Litigation; Entrepreneurship

August 2003 (Revised May 2009)
Background Note

Basic Venture Capital Formula, The

By: William A. Sahlman and Matthew Willis

Briefly summarizes the process that venture capitalists use to analyze high-risk, long-term investments. Contains information on methods that can be used to calculate valuation, share price, percent ownership, implied valuation, dilution, and option pools. View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Risk Management; Mathematical Methods; Valuation

April 2010
Background Note

Central Europe after the Crash: Between Europe and the Euro

By: Diego A. Comin, Dante Roscini and Elisa Farri

This note briefly reviews the financial crisis in central Europe in late 2008, and summarizes how four central European countries—Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia—have coped with the economic downturn. View Details

Keywords: Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Financial Crisis; Financial Strategy; Czech Republic; Hungary; Poland; Slovakia

February 2024
Background Note

Frederick Herzberg on Motivating Employees

By: Willy C. Shih

This background note summarizes Frederick Herzberg's development of his motivation-hygiene theory, his theory regarding job enrichment, and how the theory has evolved. This is at the core of extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation. View Details

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Theory; Service Industry; Manufacturing Industry; United States

January 1981 (Revised June 1993)
Background Note

Note on Why Employees Join Unions

By: Michael Beer

Provides some answers to the question of why employees join unions. Summarizes recent data on workers' perceptions of unions: their power and instrumentality. Also explores the special situation of white collar workers. View Details

Keywords: Labor Unions; Employees; Social Psychology

December 2003 (Revised February 2006)
Case

Jamie Dimon and Bank One (B)

By: Paul W. Marshall and Todd H Thedinga

To distribute only after discussion of HBS case 9-804-107. Describes the decisions made by Jamie Dimon as the new CEO in July 2000 and summarizes the progress of his turnaround over the next three years. View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Management Succession; Banks and Banking; Banking Industry