Publications

October 2003 (Revised January 2004)
Case

Global Farmer and the Future of Soybean Production, The

By: Ray A. Goldberg and Kevin M. Allison

Three farmers from three different countries are looking at the global soybean system and how to position themselves in the future. View Details

Keywords: Animal-Based Agribusiness; Trade; Globalized Markets and Industries; Food; Strategic Planning; Forecasting and Prediction; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

03 Nov 2015
News

REI Closes For Black Friday

October 1998
Case

Farallon Capital Management: Risk Arbitrage (C)

By: Andre F. Perold and Robert Howard

Farallon Capital Management, an investment firm that specializes in risk arbitrage, has taken significant long and short positions in MCI Communications and British Telecommunications, respectively, in the belief that the proposed merger of these firms will be... View Details

Keywords: Capital Markets; Equity; Mergers and Acquisitions; Financial Institutions; Risk Management; Investment Funds; Financial Services Industry

September 2019 (Revised June 2021)
Case

Dove and Real Beauty: Building a Brand with Purpose

By: Mark R. Kramer, Myriam Sidibe and Gunjan Veda

Unilever subsidiary Dove soap became a "brand with a purpose" and created shared value when the company decided to launch a Campaign for Real Beauty to combat the artificial media-driven stereotype of female beauty that causes appearance anxiety in women and girls... View Details

Keywords: Stereotype; Body Image; Female; Self-Esteem; Brands and Branding; Mission and Purpose; Advertising Campaigns; Gender; Resource Allocation

May 1998 (Revised April 2000)
Case

City of New York, The

By: Paul M. Healy

This case examines the economics of a municipality, and then explores its financial position from the perspective of a bond rating firm. View Details

Keywords: Bonds; Financial Management; Public Sector; City; Financial Statements; Government Administration

Video

Jorge Cárdenas Gutiérrez

Jorge Cárdenas Gutiérrez, former General Manager of the FNC, discusses the organization's unique position as a private institution that manages public assets. View Details

March 2016
Teaching Note

Catalina in the Digital Age

By: Uma R. Karmarkar and Robert J. Dolan

"Catalina in the Digital Age" considers how a company with a dominant market position should evolve its established product lines given the rise of novel digital technologies. Since its founding in 1983, Catalina had enjoyed a distinct position in the world of consumer... View Details

Keywords: Coupons; Information Technology; Customer Relationship Management; Consumer Behavior; Product Marketing; Retail Industry

02 Dec 2013
Research & Ideas

Companies Choreograph Earnings Calls to Hide Bad News

count on for positive commentary," Cohen says. The evidence made it clear that firms can't cast calls forever. If they do, analysts eventually drop coverage-the tipping point seems to be four calls in a row. So what caused the firms to... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Financial Services

January 2008
Article

The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy

By: Michael E. Porter

This article includes a one-page preview that quickly summarizes the key ideas and provides an overview of how the concepts work in practice along with suggestions for further reading. In 1979, a young associate professor at Harvard Business School published his first... View Details

Keywords: Profit; Five Forces Framework; Industry Growth; Industry Structures; Business and Government Relations; Competitive Strategy

June 2024
Background Note

Do Companies Overvalue External Talent?

By: Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

When looking to fill a position above entry level, companies have two choices: transfer/promote an internal candidate, or hire from the outside. Anecdote and research alike show that external hires are usually offered a higher starting salary than internal candidates. View Details

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Selection and Staffing; Job Offer

Dennis Yao is the Lawrence E. Fouraker Professor of Business Administration and Chair of the Doctoral Programs at Harvard Business School. He joined the faculty in 2004 after having been at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. From 1991-1994 he served as... View Details

Keywords: automotive; defense; federal government; high technology

March 2011
Article

The New M&A Playbook

By: Clayton M. Christensen, Richard Alton, Curtis Rising and Andrew Waldeck

Companies spend more than $2 trillion on acquisitions every year, yet the M&A failure rate is between 70% and 90%. Executives can dramatically increase their odds of success, the authors argue, if they understand how to select targets, how much to pay for them, and... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Model; Disruptive Innovation; Growth and Development Strategy; Integration

19 Dec 2005
Research & Ideas

Public Education Goes to School

Can the art and science of management help public schools improve student performance? In the fall of 2001, faculty and staff from the Harvard Business School (HBS) and the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) began to discuss how they might work together on the... View Details

Keywords: by Mallory Stark; Education

June 2009
Article

How Concepts Affect Consumption

By: Dan Ariely and Michael I. Norton

Duke behavioral economist Ariely and Harvard Business School professor Norton explore how our consumption of concepts influences physical consumption, both positively and negatively. View Details

Keywords: Spending; Marketing Communications; Consumer Behavior; Power and Influence

Read Now

September 2001 (Revised October 2001)
Case

Coca-Cola Company: The Quaker Oats Acquisition (A), The

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Sonya Sanchez

Discusses how CEOs should think about bringing strategic issues to the board, what issues to bring, how to position them, and which information to provide. View Details

Keywords: Managerial Roles; Corporate Governance; Strategy; Governing and Advisory Boards; Mergers and Acquisitions; Food and Beverage Industry

October 1986
Supplement

Americana (B)

A completely unexpected telephone call comes from the Jamaican Prime Minister. The government's position provides an interesting look into government-business relationships, especially in third-world nations. View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Business and Government Relations; Jamaica