Publications

08 Nov 2021
Blog Post

Building an Internship Program at Your Startup: An Interview with Facily’s Diego Dzodan (MBA 1999)

of his childhood. A classmate introduced Westphal to a friend in VC in Brazil and immediately, the VC partner knew the right person to introduce him to, Diego Dzodan (MBA 1999), founder of Facily. A Non-Linear Path to Entrepreneurial... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Consumer Products / Retail

November 2001 (Revised October 2006)
Case

Smartix (A): Dancing with Elephants

By: Donald N. Sull, James K. Sebenius and Noam Wasserman

This case describes issues facing the founder-CEO of a high-tech start-up in Boston, as he negotiates with multiple large potential partners and investors. The negotiations include a potential business partnership with FleetCenter and Madison Square Garden, and a... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Venture Capital; Negotiation; Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Power and Influence; Technology Industry; Boston

September–October 2022
Article

The Essential Link Between ESG Targets and Financial Performance

By: Mark R. Kramer and Marc W. Pfitzer

Despite heightened attention to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, surprisingly few companies are making meaningful progress in delivering on their commitments. Most firms are not integrating ESG factors into internal strategy and operational decisions... View Details

Keywords: ESG; Environmental Sustainability; Social Issues; Governance; Financial Strategy; Decision Making; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Organizational Structure

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October 2011 (Revised December 2013)
Case

Lehman Brothers and Repo 105

By: Anette Mikes, Gwen Yu and Dominique Hamel

The collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 was the largest bankruptcy in US history. The case examines the economics of the off-balance sheet transactions Lehman undertook prior to the collapse, and highlights the corporate governance challenges in situations where firms... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Policy; Accounting Audits; Corporate Governance; Financial Instruments; Risk Management; Financial Services Industry

January 2002 (Revised January 2004)
Case

Cola Wars Continue: Coke and Pepsi in the Twenty-First Century

By: David B. Yoffie and Yusi Wang

Examines the industry structure and competitive strategy of Coca-cola and Pepsi over 100 years of rivalry. New challenges of the 21st century included boosting flagging domestic cola sales and finding new revenue streams. Both firms also began to modify their bottling,... View Details

Keywords: Price; Growth and Development; Brands and Branding; Emerging Markets; Industry Structures; Performance; Competition; Competitive Strategy; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

Nitin Nohria served as the tenth dean of Harvard Business School from 2010-2020. He previously served as co-chair of the Leadership Initiative, Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Development, and Head of the Organizational Behavior unit.

As Dean, building on... View Details

November 2003 (Revised July 2014)
Case

'Walking on a Tightrope': Maintaining London as a Financial Center

By: Geoffrey Jones and Meghan Gallagher-Kernstine

Focuses on the development of London as a leading international financial center and the difficulties it faces maintaining its status. Examines London's history as a financial center from Roman times to the present day. London's position in the 19th century rested on... View Details

Keywords: International Finance; Geographic Location; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Business History; Status and Position; Financial Services Industry; Europe; London

October 1999 (Revised October 2000)
Case

Women's World Banking: Catalytic Change Through Networks

By: James E. Austin and Susan Hamerling

Describes the evolution of Women's World Banking, an international microfinance nonprofit promoting financial access for poor women. Explores the organization's development of different types of networks to achieve its mission. View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; History; Networks; Microfinance; Nonprofit Organizations; Gender; Growth and Development Strategy

April 2023 (Revised July 2023)
Case

Fermenting Accounting Problems at Vermont Kombucha Corp.

By: Tatiana Sandino and Marshal Herrmann

Founded in 2005, Vermont Kombucha Corp. (V-Ko) was an early mover in the fledgling U.S. market for kombucha, a drink brewed for its health benefits. Early on, the company captured more than 90% of market share. Under the leadership of its founder and CEO, Joe Williams,... View Details

Keywords: Going Public; Business Model; Financial Reporting; Ethics; Corporate Governance; Stock Shares; Food and Beverage Industry

24 Oct 2005
Research & Ideas

IPR: Protecting Your Technology Transfers

infringers? In a recent paper, researchers looked at the issue of IPR from a wider perspective: Does the presence of stronger intellectual property rights increase international technology transfer in general? It's an important question... View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia Churchwell

September 2017
Case

Christine Lagarde

By: Julie Battilana, Carin-Isabel Knoop, Vanessa Ampelas and Noemie Assenat

The case covers the youth and career trajectory of Christine Lagarde across her time at Baker & McKenzie, as a minister in the government of France and as the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The case highlights the challenges and opportunities she faced... View Details

Keywords: Change; Personal Development and Career; Power and Influence; Leadership; Gender; Leading Change

June 2017 (Revised October 2017)
Case

Uber in 2017: One Bumpy Ride

By: Suraj Srinivasan, Jay W. Lorsch and Quinn Pitcher

Uber Technologies Inc., the popular ride-hailing company, entered 2017 having doubled its bookings in 2016 and achieving a valuation of nearly $70 billion, making it the largest venture capital-backed company in the world. Co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick embodied... View Details

Keywords: Governance; Information Technology; Transportation; Venture Capital; Organizational Culture; Technology Industry; Transportation Industry; United States

25 Mar 2014
First Look

First Look: March 25

link: http://www.palgrave.com/Products/TitlePrint.aspx?PID=362801 August 2013 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Investors Prefer Entrepreneurial Ventures Pitched by Attractive Men By: Brooks, Alison Wood, Laura Huang, Sarah... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

27 Mar 2012
First Look

First Look: March 27

enculturating new employees such that they develop pride in their new organization and internalize its values. Drawing on authenticity research, we propose that socialization leads to more effective employment relationships when it starts... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

17 Jun 2002
Research & Ideas

Entrepreneurship in Asia and Foreign Direct Investment

worried about the ascendance of China, while firms in Taiwan and Hong Kong have reaped enormous benefits from Chinese economic expansion, according to Huang. He presented his new research proposal to an audience of faculty and doctoral students at an HBS View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

Career Coach

Arun Munthala

As the CFO of Finance Club, Arun can help point students to resources and opportunities available at HBS for preparing for interviews with investment banks and new job opportunities. Arun can also provide insight as to what banking... View Details

May 2001
Case

The Mexican Debt Crisis of 1982

By: Huw Pill

Describes Mexico's development strategy based on international borrowing and its culmination in the debt crisis of 1982. Discusses Mexico's approach to overcoming the crisis. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details

Keywords: Borrowing and Debt; Financial Crisis; Growth and Development Strategy; Mexico

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15 Dec 2015
First Look

December 15, 2015

Competition Policy International Whither Uber? Competitive Dynamics in Transportation Networks By: Edelman, Benjamin G. Abstract—Transportation Network Companies offer notable service advances—but do they comply with the law? And if not,... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

March 2005 (Revised December 2005)
Case

Actis & CDC: A New Partnership

By: G. Felda Hardymon and Ann Leamon

The senior managing partner of Actis, a leading private equity investor in emerging markets, must decide whether to go into the market to raise money. Actis was spun out of CDC, a 50-year-old division of the U.K.'s Department for International Development, and is... View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Partners and Partnerships; Emerging Markets; Financial Services Industry; United Kingdom