Publications

27 May 2009
First Look

First Look: May 27, 2009

consumption growth by a representative agent with a high elasticity of intertemporal substitution. This paper documents several empirical difficulties for the model as calibrated by Bansal and Yaron (BY,... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

07 Dec 2010
First Look

First Look: Dec. 7

Simons. By posing these provocative questions, you identify critical gaps in your strategy execution processes, focus on the most important choices you must make, and understand what's at stake in each one. In this concise guide, Simons... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

16 Oct 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, October 16, 2018

input more valuable. Distributed supermodular complementarity (DSMC) exists when two or more independent actors can create complementary value by pursuing their own interests and will not find it advantageous to combine in order to... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

12 Mar 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, March 12, 2019

emergent machine of the sovereign state. Yet such strategic interaction rarely yielded a decisive victory for either the secular state or for religion. By tracing how state-builders engaged religious institutions, elites, and attachments,... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

30 Jan 2007
First Look

First Look: January 30, 2007

Working PapersDo Employment Protections Reduce Productivity? Evidence from U.S. States Authors:David H. Autor, William R. Kerr, and Adriana D. Kugler Abstract Theory predicts that mandated employment protections may reduce productivity View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

07 Sep 2011
First Look

First Look: Sept. 7

consumer marketing, etc.) in the event that a reverse launch strategy is pursued. Purchase this case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/511036-PDF-ENG Nashton Partners and Its Search Fund Process Richard View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

02 Jun 2010
First Look

First Look: June 2

Lead Times Authors:Santiago Kraiselburd, Richard Pibernik, and Ananth Raman Publication:Production and Operations Management (forthcoming) Abstract It is generally a well acknowledged fact that, ceteris paribus, reducing the lead times... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

July 2011 (Revised September 2018)
Case

Nashton Partners and Its Search Fund Process

By: Richard S. Ruback and Royce Yudkoff

Nashton Partners was a search fund founded by two HBS MBA's that raised $500,000 to finance a search for a company that they could purchase and then run for the next five to ten years. The case examines the search fund structure, the two-year search, and two potential... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Capital Structure; Financing and Loans; Investment Funds; Partners and Partnerships

August 2000 (Revised December 2003)
Case

Dell's Working Capital

By: Richard S. Ruback and Aldo Sesia

Dell Computer Corp. manufactures, sells, and services personal computers. The company markets its computers directly to its customers and builds computers after receiving a customer order. This build-to-order model enables Dell to have much smaller investment in... View Details

Keywords: Financial Management; Working Capital; Manufacturing Industry; Computer Industry

February 1998 (Revised March 1998)
Case

Marriott Corporation: The Cost of Capital

By: Richard S. Ruback

Presents recommendations for hurdle rates of Marriott's divisions to select by discounting appropriate cash flows by the appropriate hurdle rate for each division. View Details

Keywords: Cost of Capital; Asset Pricing

26 Apr 2011
First Look

First Look: April 26

PublicationsManagement Accounting: Information for Decision Making and Strategy Execution Authors:Anthony A. Atkinson, Robert S. Kaplan, Ella Mae Matsumura, and S. Mark Young Publication:. Pearson... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

April 2020
Teaching Note

Cambridge Franchise Partners

By: Richard S. Ruback, Royce Yudkoff and Ahron Rosenfeld

Teaching Note for HBS No. 217-082. Cambridge Franchise Partners (CFP) was established by Matt Perelman and Alex Sloane (both HBS ’15) to pursue a roll-up strategy in the quick service restaurant (QSR) sector. Burger King (BK) approved CFP’s request to become a... View Details

Keywords: Roll-up; Franchise; Franchise Management; Small Firms Management; Franchise Ownership; Small Business; Management; Acquisition

2017
Book

HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business: Think Big, Buy Small, Own Your Own Company

By: Richard S. Ruback and Royce Yudkoff

Find, acquire, and run your own business. Are you looking for an alternative to a career path at a big firm? Does founding your own start-up seem too risky? There is a radical third path open to you: you can buy a small business and run it as CEO. Purchasing a small... View Details

Find at Harvard

November 1994 (Revised January 1995)
Background Note

A Note on Capital Cash Flow Valuation

By: Richard S. Ruback

Presents the capital cash flow method for valuing risky cash flows. In this method cash flows are calculated to include the benefits of interest tax shields. In a capital structure, with just ordinary debt and common equity, capital cash flows equal the flows available... View Details

Keywords: Capital; Cash Flow; Valuation