Publications

20 Dec 2011
First Look

First Look: December 20

that managerial fiduciary duties affect equity-bondholder conflicts in a way that is economically important, has impact on ex ante capital structure choices, and affects welfare. Download the paper:... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

17 Aug 2010
First Look

First Look: August 17

types of earnings benchmarks. We estimate that marketing actions can be used to boost quarterly net income by up to 5% depending on the depth and duration of promotion. However, there is a price to pay, with... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

August 2000 (Revised February 2001)
Background Note

Expense Recognition

By: Paul M. Healy and Preeti Choudhary

Recording expenses is not often clear-cut and can require considerable management judgment. This case discusses expense recognition in straightforward situations and then considers expense transactions that may be more complex to record. It uses examples that include... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Cost; Financial Statements

January 1994
Case

National Convenience Stores, Inc.

By: Steven R. Fenster, Stuart C. Gilson and Roy Burstin

National Convenience Stores seeks to emerge from Chapter 11. Central to the nature of the reorganization plan is the company's determining enterprise value. The various constituencies (secured debt, unsecured debt, etc.) will seek to find an enterprise value that... View Details

Keywords: Capital Structure; Valuation; Restructuring; Strategic Planning; Borrowing and Debt; Food and Beverage Industry; Texas

22 Apr 2008
First Look

First Look: April 22, 2008

207-075 In May 2006, a resident of Key West, Florida had to decide whether to renew his policy to insure against hurricane damage. The policy would cost $13,000 for one year, $5,000 more than what he paid in... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

2017
Working Paper

Patent Trolls and Small Business Employment

By: Ian Appel, Joan Farre-Mensa and Elena Simintzi

We analyze how frivolous patent-infringement claims made by “patent trolls” affect small firms’ ability to create jobs, raise capital, and survive. Our identification strategy exploits the staggered passage of anti-patent-troll laws at the state level. We find that the... View Details

Keywords: Patent Trolls; Patents; Small Business; Employment; Venture Capital

SSRN

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April 2010
Background Note

Securities Trading: Front-, Middle- and Back Office

By: Francois Brochet and Rakeen Mabud

This note explains the basic structure of the trading floor in a typical financial institution and how the front, middle and back offices interact to ensure a functioning trading system. View Details

Keywords: Capital Markets; Financial Institutions; Financial Services Industry

02 Aug 2006
Research & Ideas

Investor Protection: The Czech Experience

resolution is a critical and underappreciated aspect of global capitalism today. CME viewed a local partner as a substitute for a local presence—I think this is a critical mistake. Finally, it's an... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Media & Broadcasting; Entertainment & Recreation

19 Apr 2011
First Look

First Look: April 19

robust evidence that market leaders were significantly more likely to adopt the incremental innovation of e-buying but commensurately less likely to adopt the more radical practice of e-selling. The findings... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

01 Dec 2014
News

Case Study: Growing the Family Business

center the company remodeled, is expected to cost about $200,000 to break even.) The sector is not of interest to venture capital or many angels. The company is too small for... View Details

Keywords: childcare; Finance

10 Feb 2021
Blog Post

HBS Virtual Treks: How Student Clubs are Adapting to the New Normal

Career treks and conferences organized by student clubs remain fundamental elements of the MBA experience at HBS. Like other events, though, clubs had to move these signature treks online. The VCPE Venture View Details

01 Nov 2010
Research & Ideas

How IT Shapes Top-Down and Bottom-Up Decision Making

homogeneous capital stock," according to the paper. To that end, Sadun and her fellow researchers set out to show how—and why—managers need to consider the very different organizational effects of... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

April 2004
Case

Case Vignette: The Salesman Saga

By: G. Felda Hardymon, Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon

A venture capitalist faces a situation in which a struggling portfolio company has found a promising vice president of sales through a recruitment agency. The candidate would be an excellent fit for another one of the investor's companies--one that is doing much... View Details

Keywords: Salesforce Management; Corporate Governance; Venture Capital; Ethics; Recruitment

24 Jan 2012
First Look

First Look: Jan. 24

create net benefits for society but would also involve costs frequently lack the necessary support to be enacted because losses loom larger than gains psychologically. To reduce the harmful consequence of... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

January 2018 (Revised June 2018)
Case

Medtronic: Navigating a Shifting Healthcare Landscape

By: Robert S. Kaplan, Michael E. Porter, Thomas W. Feeley and Alee Hernandez

Medtronic is adapting its strategy to changes in healthcare competition and payments. It has decided to develop new relationships with payers, hospitals, and physicians to become more accountable for patient outcomes and total costs. The case describes new forms of... View Details

Keywords: Value Based Health Care; Bundled Payments; Health Care and Treatment; Cost Management; Value Creation; Supply Chain Management; Customer Value and Value Chain; Health Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; United States; Netherlands