Publications

03 Jun 2008
First Look

First Look: June 3, 2008

association, fair pay practices) and whether these codes have affected their business outcomes (e.g., staff turnover and absenteeism, product defect rates, sales growth). In this paper, we review the existing View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

08 Jul 2024

Applying to HBS: Who Are We Looking For?

This virtual event provides prospective applicants with insights into the qualities and characteristics Harvard Business School values in its candidates. A member of the Admissions Board will discuss HBS' View Details

01 Dec 2003
News

Inside MBA Admissions

said yes, pushing “yield” for the first time past the 90 percent mark. This is the highest yield of any U.S. business school. Every application is read by at least two people in Admissions and evaluated on... View Details

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

07 Oct 2024

Applying to HBS: Who Are We Looking For?

Join this informative webinar for insights into the qualities Harvard Business School values in its candidates. An Admissions Board member will outline our evaluation criteria, offer tips for presenting your... View Details

February 1991
Case

Burlington Northern: The ARES Decision (A)

By: Julie H. Hertenstein and Robert S. Kaplan

Burlington Northern's decision whether to invest in ARES, an automated train control system, is a ($350 million) strategic investment in information technology. Although set in a service industry (railroad) the issues around this decision arise in many organizations... View Details

Keywords: Investment; Rail Transportation; Information Technology; Competitive Strategy; Performance Evaluation; Performance Effectiveness; Cost vs Benefits; Technology Adoption; Technological Innovation; Customers; Quality; Rail Industry

2008
Working Paper

An Investigation of Earnings Management through Marketing Actions

By: Craig James Chapman and Thomas J. Steenburgh

Prior research hypothesizes managers use "real actions," including the reduction of discretionary expenditures, to manage earnings to meet or beat key benchmarks. This paper examines this hypothesis by testing how different types of marketing expenditures are used... View Details

Keywords: Performance Expectations; Earnings Management; Marketing Strategy; Financial Reporting; Brands and Branding; Food and Beverage Industry

SSRN

Read Now

February 1990 (Revised April 1991)
Background Note

Quick Response in the Apparel Industry

By: Janice H. Hammond

It has been estimated that the U.S. apparel industry wastes over $25 billion annually due to inefficient practices, long lead times, and insufficient coordination between channel partners. In response to intense competition from off-shore producers, the industry has... View Details

Keywords: Information; Distribution Channels; Performance Efficiency; Partners and Partnerships; Adaptation; Business Strategy; System; Technology; Apparel and Accessories Industry; United States

November 1987 (Revised March 1990)
Case

Ethyl Corp. in 1979

Describes the competitive situation facing the market leader in antiknock additives, the Ethyl Corp. Demand is declining rapidly and Ethyl has to decide whether to close capacity, and if so, how. Raises issues of corporate as well as SBU strategy because antiknock... View Details

Keywords: Business Units; Corporate Strategy; Performance Capacity; Auto Industry; Chemical Industry

22 Sep 2020
Research & Ideas

Recessions Push Some Entrepreneurs to Launch Too Soon

together, we interpret our results such that those individuals most sensitive to business cycles are enticed to lower the quality threshold, the bar, for turning existing ideas into new ventures during downturns, resulting in negative... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

20 Sep 2011
First Look

First Look: September 20

D. Margolis Publication:Harvard Business Review 89, no. 9 An abstract is unavailable at this time. Read the article: http://hbr.org/2011/09/a-global-leaders-guide-to-managing-business-conduct/ar/1 Working PapersDynamically Integrating... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Sep 2014
News

Innovation: Revenge of the Nerds

business owners in need of strategic planning and competitive analysis. When the team pitched the HourlyNerd model to classmates at FIELD 3’s simulated stock market, which allows peer “investors” to evaluate... View Details

Keywords: April White

01 Jun 2024
News

Research Brief: Ahead of the Game

the effect is both real and widespread: His 2023 working paper, “No Revenge for Nerds? Evaluating the Careers of Ivy League Athletes,” examined the career paths of 401,785 graduates and found that by many measures the athletes... View Details

Keywords: Jen McFarland Flint; illustration by Antonio Pinna

01 Dec 2017
News

Research Brief: Better Brainstorming

aspiring entrepreneurs who were taking part in a three-week startup bootcamp. Participants underwent personality evaluation to determine their level of openness (defined as having greater curiosity, questioning convention, and... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Myers

21 Jul 2003
Research & Ideas

Don’t Get Buried in Customer Data—Use It

on," says Harvard Business School marketing professor Gerald Zaltman. A more strategic approach to data mining can provide the foundation for that decision-making architecture. Below, advice on how to use information about the... View Details

Keywords: by Jean Ayers

July 2011 (Revised September 2011)
Case

CEO Compensation at GE: A Decade with Jeff Immelt

By: V.G. Narayanan and Lisa Brem

When ISS, a large shareholder advisory group, recommended a "no" vote on Jeff Immelt's award of 2 million stock options in April 2011, GE's compensation committee had to decide whether to rescind or amend the award or ignore the ISS recommendation. Was Immelt's 2010... View Details

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Stock Options; Stock Shares; Annual Reports; Executive Compensation; Compensation and Benefits; Business and Shareholder Relations; Performance Evaluation; Corporate Governance; Corporate Accountability; Energy Industry; Financial Services Industry