Publications

23 Jun 2022
News

When Hiring CEOs, Focus on Character

January 2017 (Revised August 2017)
Case

Earl Gordon - Eastern Circle

By: Steven Rogers and Greg White

This case follows an African-American entrepreneur through the process of sourcing a potential acquisition, valuing a company, and securing the funding to purchase the company. This entrepreneur must decide if he should close the deal and which financing term sheet to... View Details

September 2020 (Revised June 2021)
Case

GreenFire Energy, 2020: Geothermal Innovation

By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock

In June 2020, GreenFire Energy Inc. (GreenFire) presented its report to the California Energy Commission indicating that its proof of concept project to demonstrate its new geothermal electricity generation technology, ECO2G™, had been a success. While conventional... View Details

Keywords: Geothermal Electricity; Renewable Energy; Energy Generation; Technological Innovation; Commercialization; Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions

June 1984 (Revised July 2005)
Case

Commissioner v. Duberstein

By: Henry B. Reiling

In two cases consolidated for decision, the Court articulates the tests to be used when deciding whether an item is income or a gift and therefore, not income. Both cases are colorful. The first involves the unsolicited receipt of a Cadillac. The second involves... View Details

Keywords: Law Enforcement; Decisions; Taxation

15 Apr 2020
News

Predictions for the New Normal

20 Nov 2014
News

Finalists Announced in Harvard Business School-Harvard Medical School Health Acceleration Challenge

23 Nov 1999
Research & Ideas

Bringing the Environment Down to Earth

Those problems can all be overcome. If executives bring to environmental decision making the same kind of optimism, opportunism, analytic thinking, and openness that they... View Details

Keywords: by Forest Reinhardt

April 2001
Supplement

Acer America: Development of the Aspire

By: Christopher A. Bartlett

Consists of five segments. Segment 1 shows Culver and Pai discussing the tensions between Taiwan and the United States and the resulting performance problems with Aspire; Segment 2 features Culver and Shih describing the changes Acer made as a result of the problems... View Details

Keywords: Digital Marketing; Transformation; Forecasting and Prediction; Marketing Strategy; Outcome or Result; Problems and Challenges; Information Infrastructure; Internet and the Web; Computer Industry; Taiwan; United States

10 Mar 2014
News

Teaching revolution gathers pace

October 2018
Case

SeatGeek

By: Robert F. Higgins and Sarah Mehta

In late 2016, Russ D'Souza and Jack Groetzinger, co-founders of the online event ticketing platform SeatGeek, faced some difficult decisions. In the company's seven-year history, SeatGeek had positioned itself primarily as an aggregator, facilitating ticket... View Details

Keywords: Event Ticketing; Sports Ticketing; Acquisition; Business Model; Decision Making; Cost vs Benefits; Digital Platforms; Sports; Strategy; Information Technology; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Digital Platforms

October 2019
Case

Feeling Machines: Emotion AI at Affectiva

By: Shane Greenstein and John Masko

In 2016, Affectiva—a Boston-based emotion AI software company with a long track record of building emotion-sensing software for market research—had attempted to expand into new verticals by releasing a mobile software development kit (SDK) that downloaders could adapt... View Details

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Market Research; Business Model; Finance; Revenue; Decision Making; Risk and Uncertainty; Market Entry and Exit; Applications and Software; AI and Machine Learning; Information Technology Industry; Auto Industry; United States

January 2011
Article

Let the Right One In: A Microeconomic Approach to Partner Choice in Mutualisms

By: Marco Archetti, Francisco Ubeda, Drew Fudenberg, Jerry R. Green, Naomi E. Pierce and Douglas W. Yu

One of the main problems impeding the evolution of cooperation is partner choice. When information is asymmetric (the quality of a potential partner is known only to himself), it may seem that partner choice is not possible without signaling. Many mutualisms, however,... View Details

Keywords: Microeconomics; Strategy; Partners and Partnerships; System; Problems and Challenges; Information; Economics; Theory; Cost; Decision Choices and Conditions; Cooperation

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2010
Working Paper

A New Model of Leadership (PDF File of Keynote Slides)

By: Michael C. Jensen and Allan L. Scherr

In this paper we provide a new definition of leadership that gives organizations and individuals access to new power, performance and accomplishment. In our model leadership consists of four critical elements The creation of a vision for the future that represents a... View Details

Keywords: Forecasting and Prediction; Knowledge Dissemination; Leadership; Goals and Objectives; System

August 2021 (Revised February 2022)
Case

Lexoo: Building a Long-Lasting Platform (Abridged)

By: Chiara Farronato and Elena Corsi

Lexoo, a UK-based online marketplace for legal services, was facing the strategic choice of how to grow from early start-up to mature platform. Daniel van Binsbergen, Lexoo's CEO, and web developer Chris O'Sullivan, CTO, had set up Lexoo to help Small and Medium-Sized... View Details

Keywords: Legal Services; Marketplaces; Pivot; Growth and Development Strategy; Digital Platforms; Small Business; Service Operations; Decision Making; Legal Services Industry

August 2018 (Revised February 2019)
Case

Shindigz

By: Frank Cespedes

Shindigz provides party and celebratory items for various occasions and events through its branded online channel, through third-party retail and wholesale channels, and external online marketplaces. The case focuses on pricing challenges facing a venture with an... View Details

Keywords: Ecommerce; Pricing; Price; Strategy; Decision Making; Brands and Branding; Distribution Channels; E-commerce; Consumer Products Industry

March 18, 2014
Article

Family Businesses Must Set the Agenda (Without Micromanaging)

By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer

This article discusses the role of owners in family businesses, using the story of Charles, who transformed his family's shipping business by taking ownership decisions. The article highlights that owners have the power to set goals, define performance metrics, hire... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Family Ownership; Governing and Advisory Boards; Goals and Objectives

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March 1989 (Revised April 1990)
Case

Merton Truck Co.

Introduces some of the key concepts in linear programming--problem formulation, relevant costs, shadow prices, and reduced costs. The setting, while artificial, is quite typical: a company manufactures two models of trucks in four manufacturing departments; it must... View Details

Keywords: Production; Decision Making; Business Strategy; Manufacturing Industry