Publications

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October 2011 (Revised December 2013)
Case

Lehman Brothers and Repo 105

By: Anette Mikes, Gwen Yu and Dominique Hamel

The collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 was the largest bankruptcy in US history. The case examines the economics of the off-balance sheet transactions Lehman undertook prior to the collapse, and highlights the corporate governance challenges in situations where firms... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Policy; Accounting Audits; Corporate Governance; Financial Instruments; Risk Management; Financial Services Industry

March 2006
Module Note

International Regulatory Regimes

By: Mihir A. Desai and Kathleen Luchs

Describes the seventh module in the International Finance course at Harvard Business School. The module focuses on how national and international regulatory regimes influence financial decisions. The module explores how national regulatory regimes interact, the... View Details

Keywords: Globalized Markets and Industries; International Finance; Decisions; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Business Ventures; Teaching; International Relations; Education Industry

30 Jun 2010
Working Paper Summaries

The Empire Struck Back: The Mexican Oil Expropriation of 1938 Reconsidered

Keywords: by Noel Maurer; Energy; Utilities

12 Jul 2016
First Look

July 12, 2016

forecasts as an input into the government budgeting-making process would probably reduce official forecast errors for budget deficits. Download working paper: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=51324 College Tuition, Public... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

2015
Working Paper

Implied Materiality and Material Disclosures of Credit Ratings

By: Robert G. Eccles and Tim Youmans

This first of three papers in our series on materiality in credit ratings will examine the materiality of credit ratings from an "implied materiality" and governance disclosure perspective. In the second paper, we will explore the materiality of environmental, social,... View Details

Keywords: Governance; Markets; Credit

SSRN

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December 1981 (Revised September 1986)
Case

Marriott Corp.

By: Thomas R. Piper

Marriott is considering the repurchase of ten million shares. This is apparently at odds with the financial policies that the Board of Directors passed two years earlier. Students must discuss why the policies were passed and why changes are now necessary. Includes a... View Details

Keywords: Stocks; Policy; Governing and Advisory Boards; Change; Financial Strategy; Valuation

23 Jun 2008
Research & Ideas

Innovative Ways to Encourage Personal Savings

and I try to keep our connections in the communities we serve by talking with people. We come away from these encounters with a sense of optimism. Low- and moderate-income individuals, by and large, want to take care of their families. View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Financial Services

April 2001 (Revised August 2003)
Case

Vodafone AirTouch's Bid for Mannesmann

Vodafone's bid for Mannesmann was the largest ever cross-border hostile bid. This case examines the economic, financial, and corporate governance issues in the deal. View Details

Keywords: Horizontal Integration; International Finance; Valuation; Corporate Governance; Acquisition; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Telecommunications Industry

March 2018 (Revised January 2019)
Case

The TARP Bailouts: Saving the Banking and Automotive Industries

By: Kristin Mugford

Comparison of the U.S. Government response, using the $700 billion TARP fund, to downturns in the banking and auto industries during the global financial crisis. View Details

Keywords: Bailout; Financial Crisis; Borrowing and Debt; Banks and Banking; Government and Politics; Debt Securities; Government Legislation; Public Opinion; Auto Industry; Banking Industry; United States

September–October 2022
Article

The Essential Link Between ESG Targets and Financial Performance

By: Mark R. Kramer and Marc W. Pfitzer

Despite heightened attention to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, surprisingly few companies are making meaningful progress in delivering on their commitments. Most firms are not integrating ESG factors into internal strategy and operational decisions... View Details

Keywords: ESG; Environmental Sustainability; Social Issues; Governance; Financial Strategy; Decision Making; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Organizational Structure

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September 2004 (Revised April 2005)
Case

U.S. Market Framework for Gasoline, The: Individual Incentives and Societal Goals in Global Markets

By: Bruce R. Scott and Edward Murphy

Traces the role of gasoline taxes in financing U.S. highways and the use of regulations to increase fuel economy to show how and why the U.S. market framework for gasoline is so different from that in Europe. Focuses on whether the U.S. tax should be raised, as... View Details

Keywords: Taxation; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Energy Sources; Digital Platforms; Sovereign Finance; Growth and Development Strategy; United States; Europe

July 1999
Case

Corbin Motors

By: John A. Davis

Explores the raising of capital to finance the growth of a spinoff business from Corbin-Pacific, a leader in motorcycle accessories. Also explores whether the culture of Corbin-Pacific can be infused in this new but very different kind of business. Finally, it asks the... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Capital; Governance Controls; Organizational Culture; Problems and Challenges

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25 Jul 2019
Blog Post

Advancing a More Sustainable World with an MBA/MPA-ID

was my work with a power plant, the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change, or local county governments, financial returns often superseded the "green value" of projects. I quickly learned that beyond health or environmental benefits, View Details

March 2011 (Revised December 2019)
Case

Wealth Management Crisis at UBS (A)

By: Paul M. Healy

The case describes the challenges that UBS faced as a result of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation for tax fraud, that claimed that UBS had helped some 52,000 U.S. residents hide billions of dollars in untaxed assets in secret Swiss accounts between... View Details

19 Nov 2012
Research & Ideas

LEED-ing by Example

LEED is government policy, government tenants might expect LEED certification from their landlords. "The characteristics of a government tenant can break down important... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Construction; Real Estate; Energy; Utilities

John F. Batter

John Batter is a retired Litigation Partner in the Boston Office of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP where his practice focussed on on the defense of public and private companies and their directors and management against breach of fiduciary duty claims and... View Details

May 2018
Article

U.S. Treasury Premium

By: Wenxin Du, Joanne Im and Jesse Schreger

We quantify the difference in the convenience yield of U.S. Treasuries and government bonds of other developed countries by measuring the deviation from covered interest parity between government bond yields. We call this wedge the “U.S. Treasury Premium.” We document... View Details

Keywords: Bonds; Investment Return; Interest Rates; Financial Crisis

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November 2010 (Revised September 2015)
Case

American International Group - 2010

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Melissa Barton

The AIG Board underwent significant restructuring after the company was bailed out by the U.S. government in September 2008 in the midst of the financial crisis. View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Business and Government Relations; Governing and Advisory Boards; Management Teams; Restructuring; Financial Services Industry