Publications

Article

Consumers' Misunderstanding of Health Insurance

By: George Loewenstein, Joelle Y. Friedman, Barbara McGill, Sarah Ahmad, Suzanne Linck, Stacey Sinkula, John Beshears, James J. Choi, Jonathan Kolstad, David Laibson, Brigitte C. Madrian, John A. List and Kevin G. Volpp

We report results from two surveys of representative samples of Americans with private health insurance. The first examines how well Americans understand, and believe they understand, traditional health insurance coverage. The second examines whether those insured... View Details

Keywords: Behavioral Economics; Simplification; Insurance; Consumer Behavior; Health Care and Treatment; Cognition and Thinking; Insurance Industry; Health Industry; United States

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November 2013
Case

Choosing Health Insurance Coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

By: Robert C. Pozen, Katherine Brooks and Iwan Djanali

Keywords: Health Care; Health Care Industry; Insurance; Laws and Statutes; Health Care and Treatment; Policy; Insurance Industry; Health Industry; United States

August 2013
Teaching Note

Seeking Alpha in the Afterlife: CMG Life Services and the Life Settlement Industry

By: Lauren Cohen

Keywords: Investing; Asset Management; Failure; Insurance Industry; United States

August 2013 (Revised November 2013)
Case

Gordon Brothers: Collateralizing Corporate Loans by Brands

By: Paul Healy and Maria Loumioti

The case explores the collateralization of intellectual property in a loan agreement between a highly leveraged apparel company and a large US bank. Leveraging intangibles in the credit market is a new practice that has significantly grown over the past few years.... View Details

Keywords: Intangible Assets; Accounting; Valuation; Finance; Restructuring; United States

2013
Case

Career Pathways, Performance Pay, and Peer-review Promotion in Baltimore City Public Schools

By: Susan Moore Johnson, John J-H Kim, Geoff Marietta, S. Elisabeth Faller and James Noonan

In the fall of 2012, Dr. Andres Alonso had much to celebrate about in his five-year tenure as CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, including the approval and implementation of an innovative teachers' contract with a jointly-governed four-tier career pathway that tied... View Details

Keywords: Labor Management; Public Education; PELP; Union; Compensation; Collaboration; Public Education Leadership Project; Education; Labor; Compensation and Benefits; Education Industry; United States

June 2013
Case

Jamba Juice (A)

By: J. Bruce Harreld and Christian Karega

James White, the new CEO of Jamba Juice, has successfully averted bankruptcy and must now decide the future path for Jamba Juice, the leader in the smoothie and fresh bar industry. This two-part case presents the various strategic options White is considering. It then... View Details

Keywords: Beverage Industry; Strategy Execution; Turnarounds; Consumer Marketing; Franchising; Food Retail Franchising; Strategy; Leadership; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

September 2013 (Revised October 2016)
Background Note

A Note on Healthcare IT and Applications to the Healthcare Industry

By: Robert F. Higgins and Diana Maichin

This note provides an overview of three key healthcare IT areas: electronic medical records and electronic health records, revenue cycle management, and telemedicine. This note also contains a glossary of key terms and acronyms in this space as well as exhibits... View Details

Keywords: Health Care; Health Care Industry; Healthcare IT; Healthcare; Healthcare Technology; Healthcare Ventures; Electronic Medical Records; Electronic Health Records; Revenue Cycle Management; Telemedicine; Health; Health Care and Treatment; Information Technology; Information Management; Information Technology Industry; Health Industry; United States

June 2013 (Revised June 2014)
Case

Valero Energy Corporation and Tight Oil

By: Richard H.K. Vietor, Eric Adamson, Aaron Byrd, Ned Chiverton, Mariko Meier and Rob Rain

Valero Energy, an incredibly successful US refiner, needs to make some decisions about tight oil. As production of light tight oil increases—from Eagle Ford, Bakken and elsewhere—Valero considers whether to add topping capacity to handle it, on top of its recent... View Details

Keywords: Petroleum; Oil ＆ Gas; Energy; Environment; Refining; Globalization; Tight Oil; Strategy; Natural Environment; Demand and Consumers; Supply and Industry; Policy; Energy Sources; Energy Industry; United States

March 2013 (Revised March 2013)
Module Note

Business and Government: Campaign Contributions and Lobbying in the United States

This module note on business-government relations introduces students to the state of campaign contributions and lobbying by corporations in the United States. The note develops two hypotheses as to the impact of corporate political engagement: (i) a vehicle to... View Details

Keywords: Political Economy; Business and Government Relations; Government and Politics; Public Administration Industry; United States

June 2013
Supplement

Montague Corporation: Unfolding the Future in Cycling (Video Supplement)

By: Jim Sharpe

This is the Video Supplement for Montague Corporation: Unfolding the Future in Cycling (HBS Case #808087). View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurs; Consumer Products; Innovation ＆ Entrepreneurship; Innovation; General Managers; Growth; Growth Management; International; Consumer Behavior; Marketing Channels; Founding; Channels Of Distribution; Entrepreneurship; Marketing; Leadership; Bicycle Industry; United States

June 2013
Supplement

Montague Corporation: Unfolding the Future in Cycling (Spreadsheet Supplement)

By: Jim Sharpe

This is the Spreadsheet Supplement for Montague Corporation: Unfolding the Future in Cycling (Case #808087). Includes Exhibit 3, Exhibit 5, Exhibit 6, and Exhibit 8. View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurs; Consumer Products; Innovation ＆ Entrepreneurship; Innovation; General Managers; Growth; Growth Management; International; Consumer Behavior; Marketing Channels; Founding; Channels Of Distribution; Bicycles; Entrepreneurship; Marketing; Leadership; Bicycle Industry; United States

May 2013
Supplement

Paul Thomson: Walker Insurance

This is the Spreadsheet Supplement for Walker Insurance: Paul Thomson (HBS Case 813057). Includes Exhibit 1a, Exhibit 1b, Exhibit 2, Exhibit 4, Exhibit 5, Exhibit 6, and Exhibit 7. View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Organizations; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Search; Search Funds; Sales Force Management; Sales; Sales Channels; Insurance And Reinsurance; Insurance Companies; Acquisitions; Hiring; Service Management; Service; Insurance; Salesforce Management; Selection and Staffing; Insurance Industry; United States

June 2013
Supplement

Wayne Ferrari: iAutomation at a Crossroads (Video Supplement)

This is the Video Supplement for Wayne Ferrari: I Automation at a Crossroads (HBS Case #813120). View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurs; Private Equity Exit; Pricing; Pricing Policies; Pricing Strategy; Pricing Structure; Distribution; Channels Of Distribution; Acquisitions; Integration; Growth; Salesforce Management; Price; Private Equity; Manufacturing Industry; Distribution Industry; Electronics Industry; United States

June 2013
Teaching Note

Bonne Chance

By: Jim Sharpe and Ian Cornell

This is a teaching note related to HBS Case 813049. View Details

Keywords: Turnaround; Turnarounds; Bankruptcy; Bankruptcy Reorganization; Cash Flow; Cash; Forecasting; Bank Debt; Distressed Debt; Forecasting and Prediction; Entrepreneurship; Retail Industry; United States

June 2013 (Revised November 2013)
Case

Bluefin Labs: The Acquisition by Twitter

By: John Deighton and Leora Kornfeld

What is the value of Bluefin Labs's social listening data to Twitter? Acquired by Twitter in 2013, Bluefin had built a system that gathered millions of online comments in an effort to develop new metrics for TV programs and brand advertising. With data from Twitter... View Details

Keywords: Measurement and Metrics; Data and Data Sets; Internet; Software; Communication Technology; Advertising; Social and Collaborative Networks; Acquisition; Television Entertainment; Advertising Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; United States

March 2013
Article

Why 'Fair Value' Is the Rule: How a Controversial Accounting Approach Gained Support

By: Karthik Ramanna

For the past two decades, fair-value accounting—the practice of measuring assets and liabilities at estimates of their current values—has been on the ascent. This marks a major departure from the centuries-old tradition of keeping books at historical cost. It also has... View Details

Keywords: Fair Value; FASB; Finance; Politics; Financial History; Accounting; Fair Value Accounting; Financial Reporting; Accounting Industry; Financial Services Industry; United States

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February 2013
Supplement

The Pritzker Architecture Prize: Building Value (B)

By: Mukti Khaire and Eleanor Kenyon

The case provides a history of the architectural profession and the Pritzker Prize and also describes the role of prizes in validating innovations and making them acceptable and valuable in creative industries. By providing their imprimatur, coveted Prizes with good... View Details

Keywords: Architecture; Innovation; History; Valuation; United States

February 2013
Case

The Pritzker Architecture Prize: Building Value (A)

By: Mukti Khaire and Eleanor Kenyon

The case provides a history of the architectural profession and the Pritzker Prize and also describes the role of prizes in validating innovations and making them acceptable and valuable in creative industries. By providing their imprimatur, coveted Prizes with good... View Details

Keywords: Architecture; Value Drivers; Innovation; History; United States