Publications

2017
Working Paper

Digital Agility: The Impact of Software Portfolio Architecture on IT System Evolution

By: Alan MacCormack, Robert Lagerström, Martin Mocker and Carliss Y. Baldwin

The modern industrial firm increasingly relies on software to support its competitive position. However, the uncertain and dynamic nature of today’s global marketplace dictates that this software be continually evolved and adapted to meet new business challenges. This... View Details

Keywords: Information Systems; Software; Architecture; Modularity; Agility; Coupling; Applications and Software; Design; Decisions; Performance

SSRN

Read Now

14 Mar 2023
In Practice

What Does the Failure of Silicon Valley Bank Say About the State of Finance?

The bank run that led to the stunning collapse of Silicon Valley Bank late last week continues to send shivers through the American financial system. SVB, the Santa Clara, California-based bank that catered to the tech industry, was the... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Financial Services; Financial Services

23 Jan 2024
Book

More Than Memes: NFTs Could Be the Next Gen Deed for a Digital World

encourage them to invest in growing, sharing, and enhancing the brand everywhere, both online and IRL. While writing this book, we tried to think of a title that properly encompassed what an NFT actually can “do.” We worked off the prompt, “What current products and... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Financial Services; Financial Services; Financial Services

March 2024
Case

Funderbeam: Teaming Up or Going Alone?

By: Paul A. Gompers, Elena Corsi and Orna Dan

Funderbeam, a global platform founded in Estonia to enable start-ups to run private syndications and secondaries while offering liquidity for private equity investors, was at a crossroads. Over its ten-year run, the company had expanded its services and areas of... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Business Exit or Shutdown; Transition; Leading Change; Business or Company Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Law; Mergers and Acquisitions; Financing and Loans; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Ownership Stake; Expansion; Business Startups; Venture Capital; Financial Services Industry; Estonia; Republic of Ireland; United Kingdom; Singapore

March 2022 (Revised May 2022)
Case

Reclaiming the Land of Purple: Purpl’s Mission to Unlock Finance in Lebanon

By: Lauren Cohen and Grace Headinger

Karl Naim, Co-Founder and CEO of Purpl, embarked on a venture to lower remittance costs for his native Lebanon. Since October 2019, the Lebanese economy had entered a free fall as its banking sector collapsed and large swathes of its population were plunged into... View Details

Keywords: Business Startup; Fintech; Inflation; Deflation; Cross-border Frictions; Remittances; Business Startups; Diasporas; Financial Crisis; Money; Entrepreneurship; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Poverty; Financial Institutions; Financial Services Industry; Financial Services Industry; Financial Services Industry; Lebanon

24 Oct 2016
Research & Ideas

Bernie Madoff Explains Himself

amount of uninterrupted call time that the prison would allow. The professor and the felon shared a genuine, geeky interest in financial economics. Sometimes they discussed the early days of Madoff’s career, which began in 1960. Other... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Financial Services

Sunil Gupta

Co-Chair, Driving Digital Strategy

Sunil Gupta is the Edward W. Carter Professor of Business Administration and co-chair of the executive program on Driving... View Details

Keywords: financial services; financial services; financial services; financial services; financial services; financial services; financial services; financial services; financial services

Web

Podcast - Business & Environment

Harvard Business School Climate Risk conference held earlier in 2020. Uncovering and Pricing Climate Risk 07 JUL 2020 | Climate Rising How do managers within the different sectors of financial services... View Details

04 Jan 2012
First Look

First Look: January 4

downturns. In particular, the case examines the financial accounting, auditing, and internal management control practices around the Repo 105 transactions, which had a significant effect on the leverage position of the company. Based on... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

2004
Working Paper

Contract Rights and Risk Aversion: Foreign Banks and the Mexican Economy, 1997-2004

By: Stephen Haber and Aldo Musacchio

In 1997 Mexico allowed foreign banks unrestricted entry to the market. What impact did foreign mergers and acquisitions have on Mexico's banks? We find that all banks in Mexico have become increasingly risk averse, and that foreign banks are even more so. Foreign banks... View Details

Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Contracts; Market Entry and Exit; Globalization; Microeconomics; Banks and Banking; Banking Industry; Mexico

Web

Finding Job Opportunities - Alumni

is a job board with a focus on social enterprise. Job postings are frequently mission-driven with an emphasis on collaboration. AngelList Interested in working for a startup? AngelList is a website for startups to find financial backers,... View Details

30 Apr 2024
Book

When Managers Set Unrealistic Expectations, Employees Cut Ethical Corners

introduced, and the hourly wage system was replaced by a system of base pay with productivity incentives for meeting targets. Service advisers were given product-specific sales quotas—sell so many brake jobs, shock absorbers, alignments,... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

May 2022
Case

What's Next

By: Richard S. Ruback and Royce Yudkoff

Is there a typical long-term career path for people who become entrepreneurs through acquisition? What choices do searchers and investors make subsequent to their first search? The former searchers profiled here identified five common longer-term career paths and... View Details

Keywords: Personal Development and Career; Entrepreneurship; Investment Portfolio; Decision Making; Financial Services Industry

June 1999
Case

NovaCare, Inc. - Helping Make Life a Little Better

NovaCare, a rehabilitation and employee-services comapny, has evolved over a 15-year period. Senior management believes that its success is largely due to its core values, which are shared on a daily basis and drive decisions. Operational and structural changes have... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Growth Management; Organizational Culture; Service Industry

Find at Harvard

24 Mar 2009
First Look

First Look: March 24, 2009

effects of v4 scarcity, while obtaining price discovery and allocative efficiency benefits of market transactions. Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/09-091.pdf Why Do Countries Adopt International Financial Reporting... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

16 Jun 2009
First Look

First Look: June 16

economic theory of GAAP under the assumption that GAAP's objective is to facilitate efficient capital allocation within an economy. The theory predicts that GAAP, as shaped by the economic forces of demand for and supply of financial... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

March 2021
Supplement

Making Impact Investing Markets: IFC (B)

By: Shawn A. Cole, John Masko and T. Robert Zochowski

In 2018, Thailand’s Bank of Ayudhya (known as Krungsri), was considering whether to participate in the first issue of a new financial instrument from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), known as a gender bond. Building on the success of the Green Bond program... View Details

Keywords: Impact Investment; Development Economics; Developing Countries and Economies; Borrowing and Debt; Credit; Equity; Bonds; Financing and Loans; Growth and Development; Emerging Markets; Non-Governmental Organizations; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Financial Instruments; Gender; Financial Services Industry; Thailand