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- Faculty Publications (78)
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- All HBS Web (488)
- Faculty Publications (78)
- 05 Apr 2017
- Research & Ideas
For Women Especially, It Pays to Know What Car Repairs Should Cost
professor in the Marketing Unit at Harvard Business School, and Meghan Busse and Florian Zettelmeyer, both professors at Northwestern University. Somewhere, a radiator leaks For the study, “mystery shoppers” posing as consumers contacted 2,778 repair shops for a quote... View Details
- October 2016 (Revised January 2017)
- Background Note
The U.S. Health Club Industry, 2005–2016
By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth
In 2015, the U.S. health-club industry generated revenues of $25.8 billion, up from $14.8 billion in 2004. Members of health clubs accounted for 17% of the population, up from 14%. The number of clubs had grown from 26,830 in 2004 to 36,180. In the process, the list of... View Details
Keywords: Health Clubs; Fitness; Gyms; Chain; Weight Loss; Obesity; Exercise; Personal Training; Retention; Bally Total Fitness; 24 Hour Fitness; YMCA; Gold's Gym; Curves; Franchise; Franchising; Subscription; Promotional Sales; Promotions; Fixed Costs; Body; Business Ventures; Strategy; Health; Investment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Health Industry; United States
Wells, John R., and Gabriel Ellsworth. "The U.S. Health Club Industry, 2005–2016." Harvard Business School Background Note 717-421, October 2016. (Revised January 2017.)
- November 2004 (Revised September 2019)
- Background Note
The U.S. Health Club Industry in 2004
By: John R. Wells, Gabriel Ellsworth and Benjamin Weinstock
In 2004, the $16.8 billion U.S. health club industry continued its strong record of growth. There were almost 27,000 health clubs in the United States, up from 6,700 two decades earlier, and these clubs claimed 41 million members, over 14% of the U.S. population.... View Details
Keywords: Health Clubs; Fitness; Gyms; Chain; Weight Loss; Obesity; Exercise; Personal Training; Bally Total Fitness; 24 Hour Fitness; YMCA; Gold's Gym; Curves; Franchise; Franchising; Subscription; Promotional Sales; Promotions; Fixed Costs; Body; Accrual Accounting; Revenue Recognition; Buildings and Facilities; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Model; For-Profit Firms; Trends; Customers; Demographics; Age; Income; Private Equity; Financing and Loans; Profit; Revenue; Geographic Scope; Multinational Firms and Management; Health; Nutrition; Business History; Employees; Retention; Human Capital; Working Conditions; Contracts; Business or Company Management; Goals and Objectives; Growth and Development Strategy; Markets; Demand and Consumers; Supply and Industry; Industry Growth; Industry Structures; Operations; Service Operations; Franchise Ownership; Private Ownership; Public Ownership; Problems and Challenges; Sales; Salesforce Management; Situation or Environment; Opportunities; Nonprofit Organizations; Welfare; Sports; Strategy; Business Strategy; Competition; Competitive Strategy; Consolidation; Corporate Strategy; Customization and Personalization; Expansion; Segmentation; Hardware; Health Industry; United States
Wells, John R., Gabriel Ellsworth, and Benjamin Weinstock. "The U.S. Health Club Industry in 2004." Harvard Business School Background Note 705-445, November 2004. (Revised September 2019.)
- January 2006
- Tutorial
Alternative Choice Decisions Analysis
By: David F. Hawkins, V.G. Narayanan, Jacob Cohen and Michele Jurgens
Shows how managers use information on costs and revenues to decide between possible alternative courses of action. Presents two case examples of differential cost analysis. The first, a make or buy decision, examines two alternatives in which only costs vary. The... View Details
- Article
A Simple Solution to a Very Old Problem
By: Hoff Stauffer and Jurgen Weiss
The article addresses the problem of fixed cost recovery via variable electricity rates creating disincentives for utilities to engage in energy efficiency. The article provides one solution, which is to decouple fixed cost recovery from sales volumes, with the help of... View Details
Stauffer, Hoff, and Jurgen Weiss. "A Simple Solution to a Very Old Problem." Electricity Journal 19, no. 4 (May 2006): 56–59.
- April 1988 (Revised July 1990)
- Case
Schulze Waxed Containers, Inc.
Schulze Waxed Containers has recently lost 20% of its business. The firm's cost accounting system spreads fixed costs over the volume produced. The 1987 costs reflect the lower production volume and are higher. The firm has recently adopted a minimum mark up. The... View Details
Cooper, Robin. "Schulze Waxed Containers, Inc." Harvard Business School Case 188-134, April 1988. (Revised July 1990.)
- January 2007
- Exercise
Multifactor Models
By: Malcolm P. Baker
Students evaluate the performance of four mutual funds and compute the cost of capital for two companies using fixed benchmarks, the CAPM, and a multifactor model of returns. View Details
Keywords: Cost of Capital; Performance Evaluation; Business Model; Investment Funds; Investment Return; Motivation and Incentives; Markets
Baker, Malcolm P. "Multifactor Models." Harvard Business School Exercise 207-056, January 2007.
- November 1985 (Revised November 1987)
- Case
R&R
Outlines alternative mechanisms for getting into business. Shows the means by which an experienced entrepreneur can gain control over the necessary resources in order to lower the fixed costs of business entry. Provides a mechanism for discussing the role of... View Details
- July 1997 (Revised March 2005)
- Case
Lille Tissages, S.A.
By: William J. Bruns Jr.
The marketing director and finance director must set the price for an expensive yet competitive fabric. Recent price increases have not been matched by competitors, and market share has been lost. The case provides an opportunity to practice contribution analysis... View Details
Bruns, William J., Jr. "Lille Tissages, S.A." Harvard Business School Case 198-005, July 1997. (Revised March 2005.)
- August 2001 (Revised February 2005)
- Case
Dakota Office Products
By: Robert S. Kaplan
The senior management team of Dakota, an office products distributor, is concerned about the company's first loss in history. Explores the role for activity based costing and customer profitability measurement in a distribution company. Dakota's customers are... View Details
Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Order Taking and Fulfillment; Profit; Distribution; Customers; Distribution Industry
Kaplan, Robert S. "Dakota Office Products." Harvard Business School Case 102-021, August 2001. (Revised February 2005.)
- 21 Dec 2016
- News
Making the ACA Affordable — bipartisan lessons from abroad
- February 1997 (Revised June 1999)
- Background Note
Committed and Flexible Resources
By: Robert S. Kaplan
Stresses the difference between costs committed in advance of knowing actual demand (committed costs) and cost incurred proportional to demand. Committed costs appear fixed since their supply is independent of the amount actually used. Flexible resources are supplied... View Details
Keywords: Cost
Kaplan, Robert S. "Committed and Flexible Resources." Harvard Business School Background Note 197-078, February 1997. (Revised June 1999.)
- June 2004 (Revised November 2005)
- Case
Salem Telephone Company
By: William J. Bruns Jr. and Julie Hertenstein
A computer subsidiary appears to be unprofitable. Managers must determine whether it is actually unprofitable and consider whether changes in prices or promotion might improve profitability. Allows clear separation of variable costs from fixed costs. A rewritten... View Details
Keywords: Cost; Business Earnings; Cost vs Benefits; Cost Management; Profit; Telecommunications Industry
Bruns, William J., Jr., and Julie Hertenstein. "Salem Telephone Company." Harvard Business School Case 104-086, June 2004. (Revised November 2005.)
- June 2002
- Background Note
Note on the Equivalency of Methods for Discounting Cash Flows
Uses a numerical example to demonstrate that when you discount the cash flows to capital from a project at the weighted average cost of capital, you get same net present value result as you obtain when discounting the cash flows to equity at the cost of equity. Also... View Details
Fruhan, William E., Jr. "Note on the Equivalency of Methods for Discounting Cash Flows." Harvard Business School Background Note 202-128, June 2002.
- 17 Oct 2014
- News
Can Google Express deliver on same-day shopping?
- 21 Sep 2015
- News
Caught! Impact of emission cheating on VW’s brand and future in US
- 26 Jun 2007
- Working Paper Summaries
Contracting in the Self-reporting Economy
- October 2001
- Supplement
R&R
By: Howard H. Stevenson and Amy Blitz
Outlines alternative mechanisms for getting into business. Shows the means by which an experienced entrepreneur can gain control over the necessary resources to lower the fixed costs of business entry. Provides a mechanism for discussing the role of experience,... View Details
- October 1990
- Case
Beauregard Textile Co.
By: Francis Aguilar
The sales manager and controller have to decide on a price for a textile that lost significant market share as a result of a recent price increase. Information on manufacturing costs and on the pricing behavior of Beauregard and its only competitor are available for... View Details
Keywords: Activity Based Costing and Management; Cost Accounting; Cost Management; Price; Competitive Advantage; Competitive Strategy; Inflation and Deflation; Consumer Behavior; Apparel and Accessories Industry
Aguilar, Francis. "Beauregard Textile Co." Harvard Business School Case 191-058, October 1990.
- March 2000 (Revised April 2001)
- Case
Menem and the Populist Tradition in Argentina
By: Rafael M. Di Tella and Eliseo Neuman
Argentina has flourished under a fixed exchange rate system, yet there are large income and employment fluctuations. The social cost of unemployment is threatening the viability of the economic model. Building a welfare state is one alternative, but this may be a... View Details
Keywords: History; Governance; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Employment; Currency Exchange Rate; Welfare; Government Administration; Government and Politics; Argentina
Di Tella, Rafael M., and Eliseo Neuman. "Menem and the Populist Tradition in Argentina." Harvard Business School Case 700-061, March 2000. (Revised April 2001.)