Publications

04 Dec 2013
Research & Ideas

The Fantastic Horizon: How to Invest in a New City

Senior Lecturer John Macomber writes about his recent investigative visits to nascent privately-funded municipalities in Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, SAUDI ARABIA—Two days before Thanksgiving, I'm standing at the... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber; Construction; Real Estate

31 Mar 2014
Research & Ideas

Encouraging Niche Content in an Ad-Driven World

content among participants of the ad-sharing program that would help them attract eyeballs and draw a bigger paycheck from the website." On the other hand, bloggers were incentivized to write longer posts, publish more frequently,... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Information; Publishing; Journalism & News

01 Aug 2005
Research & Ideas

How to Choose the Best Deal

Jim, a well-regarded residential developer operating outside Philadelphia, has been scouting around for a site for his next project. Two properties seem promising. The Abbott estate consists of seventy-five acres of woodlands and some overgrown fields. The executor of... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Wheeler

20 Feb 2006
HBS Case

Oprah: A Case Study Comes Alive

The best and brightest executives in the world are common visitors to the MBA classrooms at Harvard Business School, giving students a personal opportunity to talk to the likes of Ann Fudge, Lou Gerstner, Meg Whitman, and Jack Welch. Still, when Professor Nancy Koehn... View Details

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

05 Jan 2009
Research & Ideas

Most Popular Articles and Working Papers 2008

The story behind Dean Kamen's Segway scooter, and his combustive meeting with the kingpins of Apple and Amazon. Excerpt from Code Name Ginger. 5. Updating a Classic: Writing a Great Business Plan Harvard Business School professor William... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

June 28, 2011
Article

Using Implementation Intentions Prompts to Enhance Influenza Vaccination Rates

By: Katherine L Milkman, John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson and Brigitte C. Madrian

We evaluate the results of a field experiment designed to measure the effect of prompts to form implementation intentions on realized behavioral outcomes. The outcome of interest is influenza vaccination receipt at free on-site clinics offered by a large firm to its... View Details

Keywords: Behavioral Economics; Nudge; Libertarian Paternalism; Public Health; Flu Shot; Behavior; Consumer Behavior; Health Care and Treatment; Cognition and Thinking

Read Now

October 2000 (Revised April 2003)
Background Note

Project Finance Research, Data, and Information Sources

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Fuaad Qureshi

Documents the major sources of project finance research and data. It is to be a reference guide for MBA students writing for the elective curriculum course, Large-scale Investment, and for others interested in the field of project finance. View Details

Keywords: Analytics and Data Science; Project Finance; Research; Investment

Find at Harvard

02 Oct 2000
Research & Ideas

The Dubious Logic of Global Megamergers

The assumption that industries will become more concentrated as they become more global, that the global economy is a winner-take-all economy, has become common wisdom. But, according to Pankaj Ghemawat and Fariborz Ghadar, empirical research indicates that global—or... View Details

Keywords: by Pankaj Ghemawat & Fariborz Ghadar

05 Sep 2000
Research & Ideas

Building Bridges Between Education and Business

How can Latin American business and academia work together to stimulate more case writing in the region? In a set of frank discussions, conference participants—academics and business executives together—broke into small groups organized... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

Research Summary

Risk Management Systems

By: Robert S. Kaplan

Along with Assistant Professor Anette Mikes and Associate Professor Dennis Campbell, Kaplan continues to explore how companies can implement risk management processes that reflect their strategies. The research involves case writing, teaching in executive program, and... View Details

November 2007 (Revised March 2014)
Case

Excerpts from Interview with Jim Triandiflou, Founder of Ockham Technologies

By: Noam Wasserman

Describes the issues facing a founder-CEO regarding building a board, assembling an executive team, managing tension between co-founders, and outsourcing system development work. The abridged version does not include the introduction and final sections of the full case... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Governing and Advisory Boards; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Management Teams; Managerial Roles; Conflict Management

17 Apr 2006
Research & Ideas

Resisting the Seductions of Success

In his novel I Come as a Thief, Louis Auchincloss introduces us to Tony Lowder, a lawyer in his early forties. Tony and his wife have two children. He works for the New York office of the Securities and Exchange Commission, but his job is just a resting spot. Tony has... View Details

Keywords: by Joseph L. Badaracco Jr.; Entertainment & Recreation; Information; Publishing

October 2003
Case

Henry Tam and the MGI Team

By: Jeffrey T. Polzer, Ingrid Vargas and Hillary Anger Elfenbein

Within a short time frame, seven diverse team members assemble to write a business plan for a new company and struggle to define their roles, make decisions together, and resolve conflict. Henry Tam, a second-year Harvard MBA student, who joins an aspiring start-up... View Details

Keywords: Interpersonal Communication; Business Plan; Groups and Teams; Decision Making; Jobs and Positions; Leadership Style; Human Resources; Management Teams; Conflict and Resolution; Diversity

October 2006 (Revised September 2014)
Case

Summit Partners - The FleetCor Investment (A)

By: Michael J. Roberts

Part of a 3-case series in which students get to see the unfolding of due diligence on private equity (buy out) deal. In this, the A case, the deal team has negotiated a letter of intent with FleetCor, a firm that operates a fuel payment network for vehicle fleets.... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Preparation; Private Equity; Leveraged Buyouts; Investment; Negotiation Offer; Service Industry

August 2015 (Revised June 2019)
Case

Shonda Rhimes' ShondaLand

By: Anita Elberse and Henry McGee

In January 2015, superstar television creator Shonda Rhimes, whose production company ShondaLand dominates American television's most competitive and lucrative night with three shows in primetime on network ABC's Thursday night, is plotting the future. One challenge... View Details

Keywords: Entertainment; Television; Broadcasting; Creative Industries; Television Industry; Product Portfolio Management; Superstar; Talent Management; Television Entertainment; Media; Creativity; Marketing; Talent and Talent Management; Personal Development and Career; Media and Broadcasting Industry; United States

November 2007
Case

Ockham Technologies: Living on the Razor's Edge (Abridged)

By: Noam T. Wasserman

Describes the issues facing a Founder-CEO regarding building a board, assembling an executive team, managing tension between co-founders, and outsourcing system development work. The abridged version does not include the introduction and final sections of the full case... View Details

Keywords: Selection and Staffing; Recruitment; Governing and Advisory Boards; Management Teams; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Information Technology

November–December 2021
Article

Does Gender Matter? The Effect of Management Responses on Reviewing Behavior

By: Davide Proserpio, Isamar Troncoso and Francesca Valsesia

We study the effect of management responses on the reviewing behavior of self-identified female and male reviewers. Using data from Tripadvisor, we show that after hotels begin to respond to reviews, the probability that a negative review comes from a self-identified... View Details

Keywords: Word Of Mouth; Online Reviews; Management Responses; E-commerce; Gender; Prejudice and Bias; Digital Platforms; Customers