Publications

07 Jun 2014
Video

Thomas Scambos - Making A Difference

August 22, 2017
Article

Find the Right Metrics for Your Sales Team

By: Frank V. Cespedes and Robert Marsh

This article reports the results of a survey of key performance indicators (KPIs) used by more than 800 sales groups across industries. The most common KPIs are closed deals and salesperson performance against quota, which, on average, firms measure monthly. But a... View Details

Keywords: Sales; Performance Evaluation; Measurement and Metrics; Salesforce Management

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March 2009 (Revised January 2010)
Supplement

The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Inc.: To Acquire or Not to Acquire? An Update

By: Juan Alcacer, David J. Collis and Mary Furey

This four-page update to the case, "The Walt Disney Company and Pixar Inc.: To Acquire or Not to Acquire?" details the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Pixar, including deal terms, executive appointments, and operating guidelines for the two studios. View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Managerial Roles; Negotiation Deal; Operations; Motion Pictures and Video Industry

November 2010
Article

Beyond the Deal: Wage a 'Negotiation Campaign'

By: James K. Sebenius

While negotiation scholars primarily take the individual transaction as the "unit of analysis," this article characterizes the (new) concept of a "negotiation campaign" in which a number of individual deals must be put together, often on multiple "fronts," to realize a... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Deal; Management Practices and Processes; Value; Problems and Challenges; Business Startups; Sales; Partners and Partnerships; Venture Capital

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13 May 2014
Op-Ed

The Alibaba Effect

Alibaba is about to make history with the first genuine mega-IPO of a Chinese entrepreneur-founded company in the United States. The numbers are historic as well—an anticipated market capitalization of some $200 billion. It comes to the US rather than Hong Kong for the... View Details

Keywords: by Bill Kirby & Warren McFarlan; Retail

November 2003 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Can Florida Orange Growers Survive Globalization?

By: Ray A. Goldberg and Hal Hogan

Florida Citrus Department has to deal with increasing competition from Brazil. What position should the industry take on its existing tariff? Who benefits? Who loses? View Details

Keywords: Cost vs Benefits; Trade; Price; Globalized Markets and Industries; Goods and Commodities; Competition; Competitive Strategy

2022
Working Paper

Transferable Skills? Founders as Venture Capitalists

By: Paul A. Gompers and Vladimir Mukharlyamov

In this paper we explore whether or not the experience as a founder of a venture capital-backed startup influences the performance of founders who become venture capitalists (VCs). We find that nearly 7% of VCs were previously founders of a venture-backed startup.... View Details

Keywords: Founders; Venture Capital; Entrepreneurship; Performance; Personal Development and Career; Success

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October 2020 (Revised July 2023)
Case

UCK Partners: Gong Cha

By: Victoria Ivashina and Sangyun Lee

In the Spring of 2017, Soomin Kim, Founding Partner of UCK Partners, and his team were debating the potential exit of UCK Partner’s investment in Gong Cha Korea, the sole local franchisor of the premium milk tea brand that they proprietarily sourced three years ago.... View Details

Keywords: Exit; Strategic Decision Making; Private Equity; Investment; Strategy; Investment Return; Decision Making; Bids and Bidding

October 1984 (Revised March 1999)
Case

NIKE (E)

Provides the background for a discussion of Nike (E1), (E2), and (E3). Outlines Nike's senior management group's early program to deal with the company's increasingly difficult competitive circumstance. View Details

Keywords: Management Style; Competition; Situation or Environment; Management Teams; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Sports Industry

05 Jun 2013
Op-Ed

Corporate Leaders Need to Step Up on Climate Change

a problem, as Superstorm Sandy demonstrated. So despite perceptions that "sustainable business" is up and running, the environment reminds us we're failing to deal with the problem at anywhere near sufficient scale. Because... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Toffel & Auden Schendler

July 2001
Case

Regal Cinemas LBO (A)

By: Malcolm S. Salter and Daniel Green

This case describes one of the greatest LBO failures of the 1990s. It presents an overview of the difficulties two experienced buyout sponsors were forced to deal with. View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Corporate Governance; Failure

January 2023
Case

Rentokil: The Terminix Acquisition

By: Ted Berk, Emily R. McComb and Julia Kelley

When announcing their agreement to merge in December 2021, creating a clear leader in global pest control, UK-based Rentokil and Tennessee-based Terminix described extensive benefits of the cross-border combination. The companies touted the advantages of their combined... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Valuation; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Business and Shareholder Relations

January 2001 (Revised May 2001)
Case

Return Logic, Inc. (B)

By: Richard G. Hamermesh and Michele Lutz

Highlights how multiple rounds of financing work in practice and illustrates how terms agreed to in early-stage financing deals have an impact in later financing rounds. Also illustrates ethical issues that entrepreneurs confront as they build "dot-com" ventures. View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Investment Funds; Private Equity; Internet and the Web; Negotiation Deal; Entrepreneurship; Ethics

17 Nov 2010
News

The New Deal: Negotiauctions

25 Feb 2022
News

Managing By Walking Around — Digitally

12 Jun 2017
Blog Post

Doubts about Applying to HBS

ever felt ready to apply. But my support system made it clear to me that the worst Admissions could say was “no” – and that took off a great deal of pressure. Applying to HBS was an experience in and of itself. My mentors taught me to... View Details

May 2002
Background Note

Project Valuation in Emerging Markets

Reviews the issues managers face when attempting to value projects abroad. These include dealing with multiple currencies, adjusting for country and industry risk, and considering expropriation and devaluation risk. View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Emerging Markets; Projects

2014
Article

Prosocial Spending and Happiness: Using Money to Benefit Others Pays Off

By: Elizabeth W. Dunn, Lara B. Aknin and Michael I. Norton

While a great deal of research has shown that people with more money are somewhat happier than people with less money, our research demonstrates that how people spend their money also matters for their happiness. In particular, both correlational and... View Details

Keywords: Prosocial Spending; Well-being; Happiness; Money; Spending; Welfare; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving

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June 2, 2013
Article

Corporate Sustainability Is Not Sustainable

By: Auden Schendler and Michael W. Toffel

Despite perceptions that sustainable business efforts are progressing, the environment reminds us we're failing to deal with the problem sufficiently. Here's what business leaders must do next. View Details

Keywords: Leadership; Environmental Sustainability; Failure