Publications

June 2013
Teaching Plan

The K-Dow Petrochemicals Joint Venture

By: Guhan Subramanian and Charlotte Krontiris

This case follows a two-part deal involving Dow Chemicals: Dow's ill-fated joint venture with the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the failure of which nearly scuttled Dow's simultaneous acquisition of Rohm & Haas. Focusing on Dow CEO Andrew Liveris, this case examines... View Details

Keywords: Dow Chemicals; Kuwait; Financial Crisis; Negotiation Process; Joint Ventures; Corporate Disclosure; Acquisition; Chemical Industry; Kuwait

March 1982 (Revised January 1990)
Background Note

Note on Pricing Strategies for Industrial Products

Used as a background reading for a course or course module on pricing, this note describes the several basic parameters relevant for price determination. Provides a conceptual approach to formulating pricing strategy, dealing with such topics as skimming versus... View Details

Keywords: Price; Product Marketing; Industrial Products Industry

April 2005 (Revised November 2005)
Case

Information Technology at COSCO

By: F. Warren McFarlan, Guoqing Chen and David Lane

Describes the current status of IT applications at the second largest container shipping company in the world: China-based COSCO. Describes the challenges the company has faced in dealing with its development and shows a series of organizational and application... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Problems and Challenges; Shipping Industry; China

July 2000
Case

Aerospace Technologies, Inc.

By: Paul M. Healy and Jacob Cohen

Ben Galil's privately held engineering consulting firm represents aerospace products manufacturers in Israeli government biddings. The company incurs expenses for years before getting paid. This case deals with the alternative methods for booking revenues and expenses... View Details

Keywords: Accrual Accounting; Accounting; Revenue; Cost; Business or Company Management; Profit; Engineering; Bids and Bidding; Government and Politics; Private Ownership; Consulting Industry; Israel

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20 Feb 2022
News

Hong Kong: A Case Study of Managing in Extreme Uncertainty

03 Jan 2022
News

‘We Have to Be Agile’: School Closures Rise Again as More Teachers and Students Test Positive for Omicron

12 Feb 2018
News

On infrastructure, Donald Trump has a math problem

October 2019 (Revised January 2020)
Supplement

Dulcie Madden (C)—A Final Chance?

By: Shikhar Ghosh and Shweta Bagai

This is part of a three-case series that follows Dulcie Madden's journey as a founder over five years. Case (A) is about managing growth and cash flow; Case (B) is about the exit decision and conditions on a sale; Case (C) shows Madden dealing with adversity and the... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Growth Management; Cash Flow; Success; Failure; Acquisition; Business Model; Technology

June 2003
Case

Booker T. Washington High School

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Michelle Heskett

For over a decade, Principal Elsie Bailey has led a turnaround of this inner-city high school in Memphis. Although she's made progress, some problems have arisen for this "school of last resort" that deals with some of the more difficult student populations, and... View Details

Keywords: Secondary Education; Social Issues; Social Psychology; Policy; Problems and Challenges; Education Industry; Tennessee

January 1998 (Revised March 1998)
Case

Viacom, Inc.: Carpe Diem (Condensed)

By: Joseph L. Bower and Thomas R. Eisenmann

Viacom has built a powerful position in the global entertainment industry through skillful and bold acquisitions. Now its expansion is challenged by the moves of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. Different businesses within Viacom have contradictory positions on how to deal... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Cost vs Benefits; Decisions; Entertainment; Competition; Corporate Strategy; Expansion; Entertainment and Recreation Industry

November 1996 (Revised August 1997)
Case

Project "Dial-Tone"

By: William A. Sahlman and Andrew S. Janower

Bob Hellman, a partner in a West Coast middle-market buyout firm, is attempting to simultaneously acquire and merge three disparate firms in the rapidly consolidating telemarketing services industry. Hellman must value the individual companies as well as the combined... View Details

Keywords: Complexity; Private Equity; Integration; Mergers and Acquisitions; Negotiation Deal; Strategic Planning; Investment; Opportunities; Valuation; Service Industry

September 2008
Article

What T. R. Took: The Economic Impact of the Panama Canal, 1903-1937

By: Noel Maurer and Carlos Yu

The Panama Canal was one of the largest public investments of its time. In the first decade of its operation, the canal produced significant social returns for the United States. Most of these returns were due to the transportation of petroleum from California to the... View Details

Keywords: History; Development Economics; International Relations; Investment Return; Negotiation Deal; Panama; United States

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July 2009 (Revised June 2011)
Case

RiskMetrics Group

By: Jay W. Lorsch and Kaitlyn Simpson

RiskMetrics Group, a risk and governance consultancy, had a great deal of influence on U.S. companies. This case examines the history and growth of the company, the governance services it offers, the extent of its impact on shareholders, the controversy surrounding its... View Details

Keywords: Conflict of Interests; Risk Management; Governing and Advisory Boards; Corporate Governance; Power and Influence; Consulting Industry; United States