Publications

March 2014
Case

Babcock International Plc

By: John R. Wells and Galen Danskin

In 2013, Babcock International Plc (Babcock) was the largest engineering services provider in the UK with sales of over £3 billion. Under the leadership of CEO Peter Rogers, Babcock had grown revenues and profits nearly tenfold over the previous decade as it benefited... View Details

Keywords: Strategic Change; Strategy And Leadership; Diversification; United Kingdom; Military; Nuclear Power; Nuclear; Engineering And Construction; Conglomerates; Strategic Planning; Competitive Strategy; Global Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Construction Industry; Energy Industry; United Kingdom

March 2009
Article

Loyalty-Based Portfolio Choice

By: Lauren Cohen

I evaluate the effect of loyalty on individuals' portfolio choice using a unique dataset of retirement contributions. I exploit the statutory difference that in 401(k) plans stand alone employees can invest directly in their division, while conglomerate employees must... View Details

Keywords: Investment; Retirement; Decisions; Employees; Performance Evaluation; Business Conglomerates; Compensation and Benefits

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2013
Working Paper

FIN Around the World: The Contribution of Financing Activity to Profitability

By: Russell Lundholm, George Serafeim and Gwen Yu

We study how the availability of domestic credit influences the contribution that financing activities make to a firm's return on equity (ROE). Using a sample of 51,866 firms from 69 countries, we find that financing activities contribute more to a firm's ROE in... View Details

Keywords: Domestic Credit; Return Of Equity; Corporate Performance; Financial Statement Analysis; Financial Statements; Valuation; Cost of Capital; Asset Pricing; Economic Growth

SSRN

08 Apr 2013
Research & Ideas

How to Demotivate Your Best Employees

company. Perfect attendance was defined as not having any unexcused absences or tardy shift arrivals during the month. The plant managers had all the right intentions when they implemented the award program. Absenteeism and tardiness View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Service

12 Feb 2018
Research & Ideas

Customers at the Back of the Line Are Anxious—Can You Keep Them from Leaving?

because they hoped the other line would move more quickly. Tabulating the total time each participant spent in line, however, Buell found that those who switched at least once actually ended up spending an average of 57 seconds longer in line—meaning their aversion to... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Retail; Service

Research Summary

Current Research

Ian studies extrinsic rewards -- monetary incentives from formal compensation systems, as well as other formal and informal external rewards-- in order to help businesses understand the tensions and tradeoffs inherent in motivating employees. His research takes a... View Details

Research Summary

Political Risk, Foreign Intervention and International Arbitration

The Empire Trap: America's Attempts to Protect Property Rights Overseas, 1898-2008, is a history of the U.S. government's attempts to protect the property rights of American investors when they venture outside the boundaries of the United... View Details

21 Aug 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, August 21, 2018

Tracking Performance Indicators By: Beveridge, Christiana, Sofia Warner, Greg Leya, and Thomas W. Feeley Abstract—Given that accountable care organizations (ACOs) have not achieved the degree of cost reductions and quality improvements... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

24 Oct 2018
Sharpening Your Skills

Startup or Established Company? Which Is Best for You?

people to hire to run them so once the flywheel is moving and cash is in hand, they can get momentum quickly. “Earlier in my career, I hired a small team within a large corporation that was scrappy and had entrepreneurial mentality. At my startup, I quickly realized... View Details

Keywords: by Julia B. Austin

05 Dec 2023
Research & Ideas

Are Virtual Tours Still Worth It in Real Estate? Evidence from 75,000 Home Sales

virtual tours benefit sellers less than previous studies indicate, suggests research by Isamar Troncoso, an assistant professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. She studied more than 75,000 home sales to evaluate the... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Real Estate

01 Nov 2017
What Do You Think?

What Are the Real Lessons of the Wells Fargo Case?

David DeSteno, Who Can You Trust?, reminded us that “90% of people—most of whom identify themselves as morally upstanding—will act dishonestly to benefit themselves if they believe they won’t get caught.” Possible remedies were suggested... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Banking

28 May 2008
First Look

First Look: May 28, 2008

Case 508-074 The largest retailer of diesel fuel in the U.S., Flying J, is rethinking its growth strategy as the economy goes into a recession. Its major customer base, owner-operated truck drivers, are facing increasing costs of doing... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

August 2014 (Revised March 2016)
Case

Thomas Cook Group on the Brink (A)

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Stuart C. Gilson and Aldo Sesia

Harriett Green, the newly appointed CEO of Thomas Cook Group, faces a daunting set of business and financial challenges at the 171-year old UK travel services company. The company has lost almost £600 million in the last three quarters; has seen its stock price fall... View Details

Keywords: Turnaround; Corporate Restructuring; Change Leadership; Female Ceo; Change Management; Communication Strategy; Borrowing and Debt; Cash Flow; Cost Management; Financial Liquidity; Financial Management; Executive Compensation; Leading Change; Crisis Management; Value Creation; Travel Industry; United Kingdom

23 Oct 2006
Research & Ideas

Will the “Long Tail” Work for Hollywood?

long-tail view suggests that consumers will purchase an increasing number and a wider variety of videos, everything from Hollywood classics to obscure foreign films. Long-tail proponents believe that consumers have very different tastes, and online retailing with its... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Entertainment & Recreation

29 Jun 2007
First Look

First Look: June 29, 2007

central role by shaping her beliefs off the equilibrium path (and thus, enables separation between the types). This result also illustrates the uniqueness of the signaling model presented here. Unlike other signaling models, the suggested model does not require that... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

14 Feb 2022
Research & Ideas

Curiosity, Not Coding: 6 Skills Leaders Need in the Digital Age

Leading through uncertainty takes not only good judgment, but also the emotional resilience to shake off self-doubt and fear. While digital natives and digital-first executives have experienced the benefits of "failing quickly and often,"... View Details

Keywords: by Linda A. Hill, Ann Le Cam, Sunand Menon, and Emily Tedards; Technology

14 May 2018
Research & Ideas

Amazon vs. Whole Foods: When Cultures Collide

co-written with James Barnett and Christine Snively. A tale of two cultures From the very start, Amazon made its name on being fast, cheap, and efficient—using data to drive its product mix and enforcing strict employee discipline to squeeze out View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Food & Beverage

July 2024 (Revised January 2025)
Case

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors: Bringing Systematic Investment to Philanthropy

By: Lauren Cohen, Hao Gao, Alexander Bischoff and Sophia Pan

Melissa Berman, CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), evaluated her client’s philanthropy project and its mediocre performance. RPA was a segment of the Rockefeller Family Office’s Philanthropy Department, becoming an independent charity in 2002. Consistently... View Details