Publications

August 2017 (Revised January 2020)
Case

Berkshire Partners: Party City

By: Victoria Ivashina and Jeffrey Boyar

In 2005, Berkshire Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm specializing in growth equity, was one year into their ownership of Amscan, the market leader of designed, manufactured, and distributed decorated party goods and accessories. However, Amscan's primary... View Details

Keywords: Turnaround; Fundraising; Cross-fund Investment; Private Equity; Vertical Integration; Governance; Valuation; Manufacturing Industry; Retail Industry; United States

12 May 2016
News

Drawing Connections Between Business and Art

Tetsuji Shibayama (MBA 1990) is helping Japanese businesses understand the importance of art to their corporate cultures and their bottom lines, while also introducing art students to the principles and practices—and the ready market—of... View Details

28 Mar 2016
News

Drawing Connections Between Business and Art

and outputs. Even so, art can have considerable value to business as an investment and that requires a healthy supply chain, that is, a healthy art community. “It is the classics that today have the greatest... View Details

Keywords: Constantine von Hoffman

Web

Online Business Courses for Organizations | HBS Online

minutes—think polls, interactive exercises, and short essays. Social Join a global community of business professionals. Ask questions, collaborate, and share experiences and expertise across industries. Find the Right Program for Your... View Details

12 Aug 2002
Op-Ed

Using Big Business to Fight Poverty

investment have increased vastly over the last decade, making many people richer. But the problem is that the process has not really been global enough. In fact, some two billion people today live in countries that are actually becoming... View Details

Keywords: by George C. Lodge

Web

Business and Geopolitics - Course Catalog

developing countries. The second module will look at recent and contemporary instances of business and investment decisions that have geopolitical effects. The final module will focus on the US-China... View Details

06 Oct 2014
Research & Ideas

Why Businesses Need a Language Strategy

Lost sales. Friction. Inefficiency. These are dirty words in the world of business, and they are inevitabilities for companies that don't watch their language, so to speak. Harvard Business School Associate Professor Tsedal Neeley... View Details

Keywords: Re: Tsedal Neeley

March 2016 (Revised November 2020)
Case

Tableau

By: Boris Vallee

Matrix Capital Management, a long-short equity hedge fund based in Waltham, Massachusetts, is assessing its investment in Tableau, a data visualization company. Tableau, which conducted an IPO a few years ago, has been experiencing substantial growth as it aims at... View Details

Keywords: Hedge Fund; Long-short Equity; Growth Investing; Growth and Development Strategy; Investment; Valuation; Technology; Technology Industry; Waltham

March 2019 (Revised March 2023)
Case

Accion's Fintech Strategy

By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Michael Chu and Tricia Gregg

Accion, an NGO, had been a pioneer in microfinance since its entry into that sector in the early 1970s. Its investments in Banco Compartamos paid off, when the microfinance bank went IPO in 2007, leaving an influx of $138 million for Accion. Under a new CEO, Michael... View Details

Keywords: Fintech; Impact Investing; Financial Inclusion; Technological Innovation; Strategy; Strategic Planning; Performance Effectiveness; Non-Governmental Organizations; Microfinance; Financial Institutions; Business Growth and Maturation; Customer Focus and Relationships; Industry Growth

When Google bought Nest, a maker of digital thermostats, for $3.2 billion just a few months ago, it was a clear indication that digital transformation and connection are spreading across even the most traditional industrial segments and creating a staggering array... View Details

Web

Working Knowledge | Harvard Business School

Working Knowledge Psychology and Behavior 'Boomerasking': The Annoying Habit Ruining Your Office Conversations Research by Alison Wood Brooks looks at a conversational quirk that makes people cringe. Featuring Alison Wood Brooks . By Michael Blanding on August 7, 2025... View Details

25 Feb 2008
Sharpening Your Skills

Sharpening Your Skills: Starting a Business

Sharpening Your Skills dives into the HBS Working Knowledge archives to bring together articles on ways to improve your business skills. Questions to be answered: Should I keep control of my company? How do I turn potential into profit?... View Details

24 Apr 2014
News

Building business for a better Brazil

Jorge Paulo Lemann (AB 1961) has built a career focused on strengthening the financial markets of Brazil. As a senior partner of Banco Garantia, he was the leading force for 25 years behind Brazil’s premier investment bank. Lemann... View Details

03 Apr 2019
Book

Fintech's Game-Changing Opportunities for Small Business

make a large investment decision, such as expanding or buying new equipment. In this “utopian” world, fewer good businesses might fail, and more businesses would have the... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Banking; Financial Services

July 2012
Case

New Century Financial Corporation (Abridged)

By: Krishna G. Palepu, Suraj Srinivasan and Ian Cornell

After years of rapid growth and stock price appreciation, New Century Financial Corporation, one of the largest subprime loan originators in the U.S., reported accounting problems in early 2007. The resulting liquidity crisis forced the company to file for Chapter 11... View Details

Keywords: Audit Committees; Financial Management; Control Systems; Securities; Loan Evaluation; Accounting; Value; Financial Services Industry; United States