Publications

February 2001 (Revised April 2001)
Case

Merrill Lynch: Integrated Choice (Abridged)

By: F. Warren McFarlan and James Weber

Merrill Lynch, a full-service brokerage firm with $1.5 trillion in client assets, is under attack from both discount and electronic brokerage firms. It responds with Integrated Choice, a suite of products designed to capture clients, from the do-it-yourself investor... View Details

Keywords: Investment Banking; Marketing Strategy; Distribution Channels; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Risk and Uncertainty; Financial Services Industry

17 Feb 2003
Research & Ideas

Rating Fund Managers by the Company They Keep

Business. At its core, the new system compares a fund manager's investments with those of other successful fund managers, making past performance less important in the rating scheme. In short, funds are rated by the company they keep.... View Details

Keywords: by Ann Cullen

Web

Buildings & Cities - Business & Environment

important historic landmarks and public resources such as hospitals. Heat tends to concentrate in dense urban centers, increasing health risks. A worldwide investment of $3.2 trillion in energy conservation would pay for itself within 3... View Details

10 Nov 2020
News

Learning to Fight

awarded more than $35 million to 51 early-career researchers, making a long-term investment in the most promising scientists in the field. “The grants they provided are high-octane fuel,” says Dr. Mark Johnson, one of the early recipients... View Details

Keywords: April White

01 Jun 2018
News

Floor It

draw people in, using more social media, employing jargon-free language, and “making everything simple and straightforward, from our registration process to the questions we ask,” says Giusti. Better Data Crunching The investment required... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; illustration by Mengxin Li

March 2025
Case

Silicon Valley Bank: Gone in 36 Hours

By: Jung Koo Kang, Krishna G. Palepu, Charles C.Y. Wang and David Lane

This case examines factors contributing to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in March 2023, an event as unpredicted as it was quick. SVB funded nearly half of all U.S. venture-backed startups and at the end of 2022 held $173 billion in deposits, largely... View Details

Web

HBS - Financials | From the CFO

Datar—implemented a clear strategy: Maintain the quality of the educational experience by investing in hybrid and virtual classroom technologies; protect jobs by reducing noncritical expenses and holding salaries level; and lay the... View Details

January 2023
Case

The END Fund: To Eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Courtney Han

Founded in 2012, the END fund focused on eliminating five Neglected Tropical Diseases that accounted for 80% of the tropical diseases affecting nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide. Its roughly $25 million/year annual budget was fully committed when it got news that the... View Details

Keywords: Nonprofit Organizations; Health Disorders; Health Care and Treatment; Resource Allocation; Global Range; Decisions; Investment Funds

April 1998 (Revised November 1999)
Case

Hamilton Financial Investments: A Franchise Built on Trust

By: Robert L. Simons and Antonio Davila

Provides a vehicle for students to evaluate risk management in the fast-paced mutual funds industry. A new risk manager has been hired to install new management controls and procedures. A series of decisions will determine how much business and franchise risk the... View Details

Keywords: Risk Management; Management Teams; Managerial Roles; Forecasting and Prediction; Investment Funds; Performance Evaluation; Corporate Strategy; Change Management; Financial Services Industry; Banking Industry

June 2007 (Revised April 2016)
Case

Octone Records

By: Anita Elberse and Elie Ofek

In February 2007, Octone Records founders James Diener, Ben Berkman, and David Boxenbaum had been highly successful with the first two bands they had signed, Maroon 5 and Flyleaf. Known for its grassroots marketing campaigns, Octone operated through a unique... View Details

Keywords: Arts; Joint Ventures; Investment Return; Marketing Strategy; Product Launch; Product Development; Outcome or Result; Creativity; Music Industry