Publications

June 2013 (Revised April 2015)
Case

Buffett's Bid for Media General's Newspapers

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Aldo Sesia

On May 12, 2012, BH Media Group, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, announced an offer to buy Media General's (MEG) newspaper division for $142 million in cash and provide debt financing to the struggling firm. Reactions from investors and industry... View Details

Keywords: Mergers ＆ Acquisitions; Bankruptcy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Valuation; Capital Structure; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Financial Strategy; Risk Management; Executive Compensation; Cash Flow; Business Exit or Shutdown; Media; Advertising; Restructuring; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; United States

August 1999 (Revised February 2000)
Background Note

Introduction to Islamic Finance, An

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Fuaad Qureshi and Mathew M Millett

Provides a basic introduction to the principles of Islamic finance. Examines the religious background and legal foundations of Islamic finance. Also discusses the development of Islamic financial institutions and the financial instruments they use. Concludes with a... View Details

Keywords: Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Globalization; Growth and Development; Lawfulness; Problems and Challenges; Religion; Financial Services Industry

November 2001 (Revised July 2011)
Case

Grupo Elektra

By: David J. Arnold, Gustavo Herrero and Luiz Felipe Monteiro

Grupo Elektra is Latin America's largest consumer finance company based on credit sales in its hard goods retail outlets. It has started to internationalize in Latin America but now must to decide whether to enter the U.S. Hispanic market and which of its two core... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Emerging Markets; Global Strategy; Financial Services Industry; Financial Services Industry; Latin America; United States; Mexico

October 2006 (Revised March 2007)
Case

The ColorMatch Hair Color System

By: Clayton M. Christensen and Matthew Beecher

Describes the challenge of finding the right market for a product. View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Innovation and Invention; Markets; Product; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry

November 1991 (Revised April 1994)
Case

Nucleon, Inc.

By: Gary P. Pisano

Nucleon is a small biotechnology company whose first potential product is about to enter clinical testing. Before Nucleon can begin clinical trials, however, its management must decide how and where to manufacture the product. Three options are being contemplated: 1)... View Details

Keywords: Factories, Labs, and Plants; Entrepreneurship; Health Testing and Trials; Rights; Product Development; Production; Partners and Partnerships; Research and Development; Biotechnology Industry

10 Sep 2015
Blog Post

Why We Recruit: EF Education First

opened in the 1980s. In 2009, we launched a formal recruitment program at HBS. We typically hire for senior roles that present opportunities for candidates to make an immediate impact and manage staff across a variety of functions (from... View Details

October 2004
Case

DNA Traceability at Maple Leaf Foods

By: Ray A. Goldberg, Joan McRobbie and Matthew L. Reisman

Maple Leaf Foods is concerned about the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) issue in Canada and the reputation of Canadian meat products in the domestic and global markets. DNA can now trace products from sow and piglets to consumer pork products.... View Details

Keywords: Food; Globalization; Nutrition; Performance Efficiency; Performance Improvement; Safety; Technology Adoption; Food and Beverage Industry; Canada

24 Mar 2009
First Look

First Look: March 24, 2009

effects of v4 scarcity, while obtaining price discovery and allocative efficiency benefits of market transactions. Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/09-091.pdf Why Do Countries Adopt... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

03 Aug 2017
Blog Post

“I Can Acquire Important Skills, But Also Gain the Big Picture Perspective of a Founder.”

Sometimes inspiration does come from the likeliest places. For Rahil Mehrotra, MBA 2018, it emerged from a combination of HBS courses and experiences: The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) course, the winter break Startup Boot Camp program,... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship

January 2003
Background Note

Institutions for Collaboration: Overview

By: Michael E. Porter and Willis M. Emmons III

Provides an overview of the wide variety of organizations other than firms, government ministries and regulatory agencies, and universities that may have significant effects on competitiveness. These intermediary entities, referred to as institutions for collaboration... View Details

Keywords: Globalization; Labor Unions; Organizations; Competitive Strategy; Technology

October 2009 (Revised July 2012)
Case

Emotiv Systems Inc.: It's the Thoughts that Count

By: Elie Ofek, Jason Riis and Paul Hamilton

Emotiv is getting ready to launch its innovative brain-computer interfacing (BCI) technology. The company has developed a special headset, called EPOC, and highly sophisticated software that can translate a person's emotions, cognitive thoughts, and facial expressions... View Details

Keywords: Technology Adoption; Sales; Technological Innovation; Demand and Consumers; Marketing Strategy; Partners and Partnerships; Entrepreneurship; Forecasting and Prediction; Product Launch; Business Startups; Technology Industry

July 1981 (Revised October 1992)
Case

Chipman-Union, Inc.: Odor-Eaters Socks

By: John A. Quelch

The company is considering whether or not to introduce a branded line of men's athletic socks. Considers a preliminary marketing program, including supermarket and drug store distribution. View Details

Keywords: Distribution Channels; Product Marketing; Brands and Branding; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry

Winter 2002
Article

Private Equity in Latin America: The Mexican Case

By: Roberto Charvel and Juan Carlos de Yeregui

This article describes the private equity industry in Mexico from the late 1990's to the begining of the 2000's as well as gives a potential perspective for its coming years. View Details

Keywords: Emerging Economies; Latin America; Mexico; Developing Countries and Economies; Private Sector; Asset Management; Capital Markets; Venture Capital; Private Equity; Financial Services Industry; Latin America

Find at Harvard

May 2011
Case

Oriental Fortune Capital: Building a Better Stock Exchange

By: Josh Lerner and Keith Chi-ho Wong

When ChiNext opened in October 2009 as the second tier market of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE), it aimed to provide Chinese entrepreneurs with equity capital and to facilitate the exits of venture capital firms and other investors which had previously relied on... View Details

Keywords: Capital Markets; Stocks; Financial Markets; Venture Capital; Private Equity; International Finance; Financial Services Industry; China

December 2013
Case

Clique Pens: The Writing Implements Division of U.S. Home

By: Frank V. Cespedes and James Kindley

The Clique Pens Writing Implements division of U.S. Home is a manufacturer of a full line of pens, pencils, markers, and art supplies. Despite solid sales, division president Elise Ferguson has seen gross margins drop from 42% in 2010 to just over 36% in 2012 as a... View Details

Keywords: Production; Marketing Strategy; Distribution Channels; Compensation and Benefits; Sales; Manufacturing Industry; Manufacturing Industry

March 2022
Case

Copper Nationalization in Chile

By: Jeremy Friedman, John Masko and Jingyu Liu

In 1970 Chile became the first country to elect a Marxist president through open, multi-party elections in Salvador Allende. In his first year as president, Allende nationalized the copper industry, Chile’s largest export industry that was developed and owned by US... View Details

Keywords: Nationalism; History; Political Elections; Natural Resources; Globalized Markets and Industries; National Security; Government Administration; Government and Politics; Chile