Publications

November 1999 (Revised May 2001)
Case

AGENCY.COM (A): Launching an Interactive Service Agency

By: Ashish Nanda, Thomas J. DeLong and Scot H. Landry

Having recently launched one of Silicon Valley's first start-ups, cofounders Chan Suh and Kyle Shannon ponder whether their interactive consulting firm is prepared to bid for work from a very large client. View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Internet and the Web; Problems and Challenges; Business Strategy; Decision Making; Entrepreneurship; Consulting Industry; Information Technology Industry

May 1997 (Revised July 1997)
Case

Vermeer Technologies (D): Making Transitions

By: Ashish Nanda

Microsoft has acquired Vermeer, and Vermeer executives are both excited and concerned as they prepare to move to Redmond. Even though the acquisition has been financially rewarding, the Vermeer engineers worry how well they will adapt to their new home. Meanwhile,... View Details

Keywords: Horizontal Integration; Value Creation; Applications and Software; Acquisition; Product Development; Information Technology Industry

Profile

Sebastian Vargas

His love and support have been the trampoline for any venture I’ve decided to embark on. Without my dad, I could not have accomplished what I have. His dedication to those he loves has taught me about diligence and service. What’s the... View Details

Web

Field Course: Transforming Health Care Delivery - Course Catalog

(e.g., hospitals, medical groups, retail clinics) or in firms that partner with, supply, consult to, or invest in such organizations (e.g., payers, biopharmaceutical and device companies, health information technology, venture capital and... View Details

21 Oct 2020
News

Cold Calculations

the Arctic ice to slow the effects of climate change. Leslie Field, who holds a PhD in electrical engineering and 58 patents, founded the nonprofit (formerly known as Ice911 Research) to develop the necessary technology. Field approached Payne, a longtime View Details

Keywords: April White

01 Sep 2008
News

Alumni Books

the lives they want, and how the different generations can collaborate more effectively at work. Fortune & Freedom: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Success by Jim Hirshfield (MBA ’66) (Millennium Ventures Press) Based on his experiences over... View Details

Keywords: Publishing Industries (except Internet); Information; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

01 Jun 2009
News

The Maestro and the Market

increase the restaurant’s hours of operation. But “fixing” elBulli turns it into just another restaurant, says Norton: “The things that make it inefficient are part of what makes it so valuable to people.” Adrià’s other business ventures... View Details

Keywords: Julia Hanna; Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries; Arts, Entertainment; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services; Food Services and Drinking Places; Hospitality

01 Sep 2010
News

Alumni Books

leaders in each field. They present insights from interviews with top executives in six industries: private equity, management consulting, hedge funds, investment banking, the management of Fortune 500 companies, and venture capital. View Details

November 1991 (Revised September 1993)
Case

Oak Industries Inc.

By: William A. Sahlman and Burton C. Hurlock

Describes Bill Antle's proposed restructuring plans for Oak Industries, a company composed of nine divisions which seem to be experiencing operating difficulties. During the last ten years the company has been involved in a number of acquisitions and divestitures, as... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Business or Company Management; Operations; SWOT Analysis; Organizational Structure; Restructuring; Financial Management; Acquisition; Financial Markets

Find at Harvard

October 2018
Case

Zenefits Board of Directors (A)

By: Lynn S. Paine and Will Hurwitz

In early 2018, the time seemed right for Zenefits investor and director Lars Dalgaard to reflect on whether Zenefits had the right board of directors to shepherd the company through its next stages of growth. For the company whose name combined the words “benefits,”... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Business Model; Corporate Accountability; Governing and Advisory Boards; Corporate Governance; Crisis Management; Entrepreneurship; Human Resources; Leadership; Risk Management; Venture Capital; Technology Industry; Telecommunications Industry; Information Technology Industry; United States; California

July 2008
Teaching Note

Yale University Investments Office: August 2006 (TN)

By: Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon

Teaching Note for [807073]. View Details

Keywords: Investment Funds; Strategy; Cost vs Benefits; Resource Allocation; Decision Choices and Conditions; Venture Capital; Assets; Leveraged Buyouts

1992
Chapter

Organizational Changes and Value Creation in Leveraged Buyouts: The Case of O.M. Scott & Sons Company

By: George P. Baker and Karen H. Wruck

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Value Creation

January 1998 (Revised August 2010)
Background Note

Limited Liability Companies

By: Henry B. Reiling

As of early 1998, virtually all U.S. states had adopted legislation permitting the organization of limited liability companies. This note describes this new type of entity and the reason why it has become so popular. View Details

Keywords: Business Organization; Government Legislation; Taxation; United States

January 1992
Teaching Note

MRC, Inc. (A) TN

By: William E. Fruhan Jr.

Teaching Note for (9-274-118). View Details

Keywords: Valuation; Acquisition; Organizations; Perspective; Negotiation Deal; Strategy

2024
Working Paper

Public Sector SME Grading System in Emerging Markets: A Focus on Nigeria

By: Saveshen Pillay, Anywhere Sikochi, Charles Odii, Zaakirah Ismail, Regina Bamaiyi and Denise Mubaiwa

In this paper, we explore the impact of creating a public sector nano, micro, small and medium enterprise (nMSME) grading system in Nigeria. Using insights from work with the Nigerian government, the first country in Africa to attempt to establish a public sector SME... View Details

Keywords: Small Business; Economic Growth; Emerging Markets; Economic Sectors; Africa; Nigeria

Read Now

April 12, 2024
Editorial

A New Paradigm for Family Giving

By: Christina R. Wing

Keywords: Family Business; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Wealth

Read Now

April 2024
Supplement

RHI Magnesita (B): Brick by Brick—Diversification?

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, David M Wagner, Oliver Gassmann and Jordan Mitchell

In Part A, as of April 2017, Austria’s RHI, a backward integrated refractory company is still within the midst of merging with the next biggest competitor, Brazil’s Magnesita, while weighing options for future growth. Should the company pursue organic growth options... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Growth and Development Strategy; Diversification

June 2023 (Revised November 2024)
Case

Collaboration Wars: Slack vs. Microsoft Teams 2023

By: David B. Yoffie, Kriti Gupta, Mehek Punatar, Poonam Sacheti and Poorvi Vijay

What's the future of corporate communications? Email? Corporate messaging? The battle for corporate messaging in 2023 was stacking up as a fight between Slack, which had been recently acquired by Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams. This case explores a classic judo... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Product Positioning; Marketing Strategy; Acquisition; Technology Industry; Communications Industry