Publications

Moritz took the helm of D&B just after it had acquired the major market research firm, A. C. Nielsen. Moritz led the successful integration of D&B’s largest acquisition and established a pattern of smooth and profitable mergers.... View Details

Keywords: Services

May 1997 (Revised July 1997)
Case

Vermeer Technologies (C): Negotiating the Future

By: Ashish Nanda

The success of the Vermeer software offering suddenly transforms the start-up into a sought after company. After arduous negotiations, Vermeer management is faced with the choice of continuing as an independent company or being acquired by Microsoft or Netscape. View Details

Keywords: Negotiation; Applications and Software; Decision Making; Acquisition; Business Startups; Business Strategy; Information Technology Industry

May 2022
Case

What to Propose?

By: David G. Fubini

Two audit and financial services firms, one of which your consulting firm has supported extensively, have merged to create one of the largest audit firms in the world. The audit firm's Executive Team has requested proposals aimed at re-evaluating their internal... View Details

Keywords: Consulting; Professional Services; Governance; Presentations; Organizational Structure; Transition; Mergers and Acquisitions; Consulting Industry

2001
Case

Encyclopedia Britannica (B)

By: Vijay Govindarajan and Praveen Kopalle

In response to the threat from Encarta (Microsoft), Encyclopedia Britannica (EBI) published its text on a two-CD set that was offered free to consumers who purchased the print set and charged $995 if the consumer wanted solely to purchase the CD. By 1996, the company... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Software; Acquisition; Information Publishing

Read Now

Article

Mergers and Competition in Book Publishing

By: David A. Garvin

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Competition; Books; Publishing Industry

Find at Harvard

01 Mar 2009
News

Honoring HBS’s Organization Men

sole influence was rational self-interest. “We have acquisitive and social instincts. It’s not all or nothing, it’s both — that’s what makes us such interesting creatures.” Related Links A Modern-Day Classic View Details

Keywords: Information; Information; Information; Information

18 Mar 2008
First Look

First Look: March 18, 2008

http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/08-083.pdf Bridge Building in Venture Capital-Backed Acquisitions Authors:Paul A. Gompers and Yuhai Xuan Abstract We compare three potential mechanisms for alleviating the asymmetric View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

18 Jul 2006
First Look

First Look: July 18, 2006

than $100 million. These transactions are large enough to require the help of a financial adviser and attract both strategic and financial bidders. The sale process described is that of a private auction, including a confidential View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Mar 2014
News

Innovation: Crowdfunding College Costs

model has evolved since its launch. "We used to charge a transaction fee, but moved away from that for strategic reasons," Cordero says. "Now it's simply about customer acquisition and building a community." (Still, GradSave is currently... View Details

Keywords: Hanna, Julia; Gradsave; crowdfunding; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services; Finance

September 1999
Background Note

Revolution in the Communications Switching Industry

By: Jay O. Light, Lynda M. Applegate and Daniel J. Green

As data packet switches threatened the voice circuit switch industry in 1999, major switch and router vendors began paying high premiums to acquire venture-backed switch companies. This note explains what a switch is and suggests why large vendors might be so anxious... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Restructuring; Capital; Information Technology; Technology Adoption; Communications Industry; Electronics Industry

July 2016
Teaching Note

Launching Yelp Reservations

By: Michael Luca, Kevin Mohan and Patrick Rooney

This teaching note accompanies "Launching Yelp Reservations (A) and (B)," which present a multi-party negotiation among Yelp, current partner OpenTable, and two startups in the online restaurant reservation industry. View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Negotiation; Business Startups; Acquisition; Technology Industry; United States

September 1996 (Revised June 1998)
Case

InterSoft of Argentina (A)

By: Linda A. Hill and Stacy Palestrant

Focuses on InterSoft of Argentina, a growing software company in Argentina. In 1993, InterSoft acquires a Russian software company and Emilo Lopez, the vice president and director of InterSoft's Systems Software Lab, must manage a creative, cross-cultural, "virtual"... View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Business Growth and Maturation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Management Teams; Groups and Teams; Partners and Partnerships; Information Technology Industry; Argentina; Russia

01 Jun 2009
News

Alumni Books

multinationals as Bharat Forge, Hindalco, Mahindra, and Suzlon will increasingly be making acquisitions and building their brands in Western markets. This book profiles India’s pioneering multinationals, describing their transformation... View Details

Keywords: Information; Information

Fast Answer

International land development resources

Where can I find information on land development? Land Matrix: Information about large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) in low- and middle-income countries. ... View Details

July 2021
Teaching Note

Digital Transformation 2.0: CEO Elie Girard at Atos

By: Tsedal Neeley

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 421-024. Elie Girard has taken the helm as CEO of multinational IT giant Atos to lead the company into the next era of digital transformation. Noticing that customers’ digital needs were evolving to become even more specialized and global... View Details

Keywords: Restructuring; Leading Change; Mergers and Acquisitions; Environmental Sustainability; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Digital Transformation; Information Technology Industry

01 Dec 2001
News

BOOK: Creating Value through Corporate Restructuring

proceeded when faced with multiple options. Those options — from mergers and acquisitions to leveraged buyouts and asset divestitures to "vulture" investing and tracking stock — are also explored. Gilson reminds readers that the devil is... View Details

Keywords: Margie Kelley

Web

Club Conferences | MBA

Club Conferences Student club conferences are run by student clubs. For more information on any of these, please contact the club directly. Please note: conference dates are subject to change and ticket availability may be limited. 2025... View Details

September 1996
Case

InterSoft of Argentina (C)

By: Linda A. Hill and Stacy Palestrant

Supplements the (A) and (B) cases. Designed to be handed out at the end of class. View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Business Growth and Maturation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Management Teams; Groups and Teams; Partners and Partnerships; Conflict Management; Information Technology Industry; Argentina; Russia