Publications

February 2018 (Revised August 2018)
Case

Blue Haven Initiative: The PEGAfrica Investment

By: Vikram S. Gandhi, Caitlin Reimers Brumme and Amram Migdal

This case examines Blue Haven Initiative (BHI), an impact investing fund and family office, and one of its investments, PEGAfrica (PEG). BHI founder Liesel Pritzker Simmons’ motivations for using her family wealth to start a family office focused on impact investing,... View Details

Keywords: Impact Investing; Family Office; Development; International Development; International Development Investing; Development Fund; Sustainability; Solar Energy; Solar; Pay As You Go; PAYG; MFI; Social Venture; Business Ventures; Acquisition; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Startups; Economics; Development Economics; Energy; Energy Conservation; Energy Sources; Renewable Energy; Social Entrepreneurship; Finance; Assets; Asset Pricing; Capital; Capital Budgeting; Capital Structure; Venture Capital; Cash; Cash Flow; Currency; Currency Exchange Rate; Equity; Private Equity; Financial Instruments; Debt Securities; Stock Shares; Financing and Loans; Microfinance; International Finance; Investment; Investment Return; Investment Activism; Investment Funds; Investment Portfolio; Price; Geography; Geographic Location; Emerging Markets; Ownership; Ownership Stake; Private Ownership; Social Enterprise; Value; Valuation; Value Creation; Energy Industry; Financial Services Industry; Green Technology Industry; Africa; United States

29 Jun 2007
First Look

First Look: June 29, 2007

property, the war also brought to an end the deepest Depression in history. Moreover, the decades after the war witnessed more rapid economic growth than the world had ever seen, not least in the vanquished... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

23 Oct 2000
Research & Ideas

The Strategy-Focused Organization

movements, energy prices, and economic cycles. But what determines how the organization does in the long run is how well it is positioned relative to its competitors. If organizations can continue to invest, even during View Details

Keywords: by Robert S. Kaplan & David P. Norton

December 2004 (Revised December 2005)
Case

Nectar: Making Loyalty Pay

By: John A. Deighton

Loyalty Management UK (LMUK) manages British supermarket chain Sainsbury's frequent-shopper card program, called Nectar. LMUK uses Sainsbury's sponsorship as the magnet to attract other retailers into a profitable, multisponsor loyalty network. Examines the economics... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Business or Company Management; Supply Chain Management; Marketing Strategy; Networks; Marketing Channels; Advertising Campaigns; Outcome or Result; Growth and Development; Retail Industry; Great Britain

Web

Research - Behavioral Finance & Financial Stability

relative incidence of crises is associated with slower economic growth in both the medium- and long-term. See Carmen’s other research work here . Related Themes: Global Crisis & Debt Data, Stabilization... View Details

July 2019
Case

Piramal Foundation: The Business of Philanthropy

By: Vikram Gandhi and Mahima Rao-Kachroo

The Piramal Foundation was launched by diversfied Indian conglomerate, the Piramal Group, to improve the healthcare services and quality of education of India’s economically and socially disadvantaged. The foundation operates under three verticals—‘Piramal Foundation... View Details

Keywords: Social Enterprise; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Education; Health Care and Treatment; Performance Improvement; Growth and Development Strategy; Education Industry; Health Industry; India

25 Jun 2018
Research & Ideas

In America, Immigrants Really Do Get the Job Done

for policy choices.” Kerr, the Dimitri V. D’Arbeloff–MBA Class of 1955 Professor of Business Administration, has researched the economic effects of global migration of workers for more than a decade, sometimes partnering with his wife,... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Agriculture & Agribusiness; Technology; Service

2023
Working Paper

Do Third-Party Guarantors Reassure Foot Soldiers?

By: Natalia Garbiras-Díaz, Michael Weintraub, Leopoldo Fergusson, Juana Catalina Garcia Duque and Laia Balcells

Since the end of the Cold War, international third parties such as the United Nations (UN) have become frequent guarantors of peace agreements. Existing studies document that third parties provide assurances that help maintain peace, yet these studies nearly... View Details

Keywords: United Nations; Colombia; Peacemaking; Peace Process; Peace; Civil Unrest; Civil Society; Political Leadership; Policy; Civil Society or Community; Governance; Government and Politics; Economy; Economic Growth; Latin America; South America; Colombia

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06 Jun 2018
Research & Ideas

Cut Salaries or Cut People? The Best Way to Survive a Downturn

eugeniek Companies looking to shed costs in an economic downturn rarely cut compensation—typically, they slash jobs instead. New research confirms the wisdom of that decision. The study concludes that when a company cuts employee pay the... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

16 Jun 2021
HBS Case

Cruising in Crisis: How Carnival Is Riding Out the COVID-19 Storm

unexpected economic blow, Gilson says. “There’s something that’s very distinctive about the economic shock we’ve just gone through,” he says. “It’s remarkable how much cash public companies have been able to... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Travel

11 Mar 2024
Blog Post

A Day in the Life: Ben Hsieh

and International Economy (BGIE) – and we are discussing Korea’s growth story. Our discussion centers around whether government intervention helps economic growth and on the... View Details

April 2012
Article

Big BRICs, Weak Foundations: The Beginning of Public Elementary Education in Brazil, Russia, India, and China

By: Latika Chaudhary, Aldo Musacchio, Steven Nafziger and Se Yan

Our paper provides a comparative perspective on the development of public primary education in four of the largest developing economies circa 1910: Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC). These four countries encompassed more than 50% of the world's population in... View Details

Keywords: Perspective; Growth and Development; Middle School Education; Developing Countries and Economies; Data and Data Sets; Geographic Location; Public Administration Industry; Brazil; Russia; India; China

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Web

Events & Presentations - Institute For Strategy And Competitiveness

HBS ISC Resources Resources Video Courses Data Events & Presentations Frameworks News Publications Events & Presentations Events & Presentations The Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness frequently hosts events and conferences. We deliver presentations on health... View Details

16 Jul 2020
Research & Ideas

Restaurant Revolution: How the Industry Is Fighting to Stay Alive

percent year over year, and the National Restaurant Association projected an industry revenue shortfall of $240 billion for the year. Second-order effects of restaurant closures ripple through the American economy, bringing economic pain... View Details

Keywords: by Michael S. Kaufman, Lena G. Goldberg, and Jill Avery; Food & Beverage

21 Dec 2010
First Look

First Look: December 21

paper: http://www.people.hbs.edu/ffoley/BFSWIPO.pdf Luck or Cheating? A Field Experiment on Honesty with Children Authors:Alessandro Bucciol and Marco Piovesan Publication:Journal of Economic Psychology (forthcoming) Abstract We run an... View Details

13 Jan 2020
Research & Ideas

Do Private Equity Buyouts Get a Bad Rap?

average annual growth of 4 percent for the two years after the buyout. “There is an enormous hunger for economic growth, and here we see dramatic productivity growth for these... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Financial Services; Banking

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

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11 Dec 2007
First Look

First Look: December 11, 2007

Working PapersThe Seer of Wellesley Hills: Roger Babson and the Babson Statistical Organization Author:Walter A. Friedman Abstract Roger Babson was a pioneer of the business-forecasting industry in the United States in the early twentieth century. He built the... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

April 2006 (Revised October 2006)
Case

Best Buy Co., Inc.: Customer-Centricity

By: Rajiv Lal, Carin-Isabel Knoop and Irina Tarsis

With FY2005 sales of $27.3 billion, Richfield, Minn.-based Best Buy Co., Inc. was the leading retailer of consumer electronics, home-office products, and related services in North America. Its operations included the distinct store formats Best Buy, Future Shop in... View Details

Keywords: Customer Focus and Relationships; Service Operations; Business Earnings; Financial Crisis; Failure; Business Model; Leadership; Segmentation; Value Creation; Electronics Industry; United States; Canada; Mongolia