Publications

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June 2011 (Revised September 2011)
Case

Exchange-Traded Funds at Vanguard (A)

By: Robert C. Pozen and Steven Vickers

Vanguard Group management, led by CEO John Brennan, was considering whether to launch exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in early 2000. ETFs, first created in the early 1990s, combined aspects of traditional mutual funds and closed-end funds. The US ETF industry had reached... View Details

Keywords: Investment Funds; Managerial Roles; Growth and Development Strategy; Experience and Expertise; Market Entry and Exit; Network Effects; Profit; Business and Shareholder Relations; Product Launch; Asset Management; Distribution Channels; Ownership; Financial Services Industry; United States

April 2011 (Revised June 2014)
Case

Securities Lending After the Financial Crisis

By: Robert C. Pozen and Gayle Hameister

In April 2009, Wendy Jefferson had just returned to her office following a whirlwind day of meetings with her newest client, Star Advisor. Jefferson, a financial services consultant, was eager to dig into the information provided to her and her team about the Star... View Details

Keywords: Business Earnings; Debt Securities; Financing and Loans; Investment Funds; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Information

April 2011
Supplement

Reinsurance Negotiation: Confidential Information for Brack Re (CW)

By: Robert C. Pozen and Henoch Senbetta

Excel model to complement a three-party negotiation exercise. View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Types; Insurance

March 2000 (Revised February 2005)
Case

Hewlett Packard--Computer Systems Organization: Selling to Enterprise Customers

By: Das Narayandas and Robert C. Dudley

In late 1996, Manuel Diaz, head of Worldwide Sales for Hewlett-Packard's (HP) Computer Systems Organization (CSO), is reviewing the results of an audit of HP's enterprise customer management approach with the objective of identifying market and organizational... View Details

Keywords: Accounting Audits; Transformation; Customer Relationship Management; Cost vs Benefits; Marketing Strategy; Sales; Computer Industry

1992
Working Paper

Pension Reform and Privatization in International Perspective: A Case of Israel

By: Zvi Bodie and Robert C. Merton

1983
Working Paper

Aggregate Dividend Behavior and Its Implications for Tests of Stock Market Rationality

By: Terry A. Marsh and Robert C. Merton

2021
Working Paper

No-fault Default, Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, and Financial Institutions

By: Robert C. Merton and Richard T. Thakor

This paper analyzes the costs and benefits of a no-fault-default debt structure as an alternative to the typical bankruptcy process. We show that the deadweight costs of bankruptcy can be avoided or substantially reduced through no-fault-default debt, which permits a... View Details

Keywords: No-fault Default; Chapter 11; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Borrowing and Debt; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Financial Institutions; Contracts

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January 2014 (Revised June 2014)
Case

Advising Families on Estate Planning

By: Robert C. Pozen and Lucas W. Goodman

Sean Warrick is an estate planning adviser at Hellwig & Macon. He is preparing for meetings with two clients. His first clients are Peggy and David Bartley, a professional married couple of moderate wealth. His second clients are Ray and Michelle Polanski, a couple... View Details

Keywords: Estate Planning; Estate Tax; Gift Tax; Generation Skipping Tax; Tax Accounting; Tax Strategy; Taxes; Taxation; Retirement; United States

June 2011 (Revised January 2012)
Teaching Note

Tough Choices for the Illinois Pension System (TN)

By: Robert C. Pozen and Brij S. Khurana

Teaching Note for 311-139. View Details

Keywords: Illinois

August 2010 (Revised August 2010)
Teaching Note

Malcolm Life Enhances Its Variable Annuities (TN)

By: Robert C. Pozen and David J. Pearlman

Teaching Note for 311041. View Details

Keywords: Annuities; Insurance Industry

August 2009 (Revised January 2012)
Case

Pandora: Royalties Kill the Web Radio Star? (A)

By: Robert C. Pozen and Alex Curtis Rosenfeld

Joe Kennedy, president and CEO of Pandora, one of the largest and most popular web (Internet) radio broadcasters, had just received bad news. The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) had announced its decision to increase the royalties required to be paid by the web radio... View Details

Keywords: Profit; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Copyright; Laws and Statutes; Rights; Internet and the Web; Media and Broadcasting Industry

05 May 2010
What Do You Think?

Is Denial Endemic to Management?

looking for new ways to solve it" and suggested that the phenomenon applies to organizations as well as individuals. In Steve Sheinkopf's opinion, "Denial is only part of the problem; not understanding your capabilities and resources is a bigger issue."... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

Article

The Impact of Personal Genomics on Risk Perceptions and Medical Decision-Making

By: Joshua Lev Krieger, Fiona Murray, J. Scott Roberts and Robert C. Green

Keywords: Medicine; Psychology; Economics; Policy

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05 Aug 2010
What Do You Think?

What Is Customer Opinion Good For?

something new and different is worthless." Ron Kurtz noted that (customers) "are better at reacting to things and defining their 'problems' that they would like to see resolved or alleviated." Some commented on the limits of formalized marketing research. As View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett; Technology

05 Sep 2012
What Do You Think?

Will Business Management Save US Health Care?

demand." John Van Slyke commented that "business people have the leadership skills and command over the kind of technology that is needed, (but) the record of business, particularly the financiers, has been to distort health care organizations." Phil... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett; Health

1986
Chapter

Firm and Market Interfaces of Profit Center Control

By: Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Harrison C. White

Keywords: Profit; Markets

June 1986 (Revised February 1988)
Case

Hercules Incorporated: Anatomy of a Vision

By: Robert G. Eccles Jr. and Jane C. Linder

Keywords: Strategic Planning

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2004
Working Paper

Do a Firm's Equity Returns Reflect the Risk of Its Pension Plan?

By: Li Jin, Robert C. Merton and Zvi Bodie