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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(519)
- News (83)
- Research (365)
- Events (3)
- Multimedia (4)
- Faculty Publications (260)
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- January 2008 (Revised July 2008)
- Case
The Allstate Corporation
By: John R. Wells
In 2007, Allstate was the number two property and casualty insurer in the USA and had enjoyed five years of rapid profit improvement. The question facing CEO Thomas J. Wilson was how to maintain the momentum. This case tracks the evolution of Allstate's strategy over... View Details
Keywords: Change Management; Financial Institutions; Insurance; Profit; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Financial Services Industry
Wells, John R. "The Allstate Corporation." Harvard Business School Case 708-485, January 2008. (Revised July 2008.)
- November 1999 (Revised November 2000)
- Background Note
Economic Liberalization and Industry Dynamics
Programs of economic liberalization often lead to dramatic changes in industry structure. This note presents excerpts from several research papers that summarize findings on how industries evolve following abrupt policy reforms. The note is organized into seven... View Details
Keywords: Industry Structures
Kennedy, Robert E. "Economic Liberalization and Industry Dynamics." Harvard Business School Background Note 700-075, November 1999. (Revised November 2000.)
- June 2014
- Simulation
Balanced Scorecard Simulation
By: V.G. Narayanan
In this multi-player simulation, students experience the benefits and challenges of using a scorecard to implement strategic initiatives and monitor firm performance. Small teams of students work together to choose a strategy for their company, create a strategy map,... View Details
- September 2002
- Case
Seattle Public Schools, 1995-2002 (C2): Race, Class, and School Choice
Presents the decision by the Federal Court of Appeals for the ninth Circuit in the spring of 2002 to invalidate Seattle's use of race as a factor in allocating space in Seattle's oversubscribed schools. Summarizes the posture and content of the litigation, including... View Details
Keywords: Management; Leadership; Income; Social Entrepreneurship; Race; Lawsuits and Litigation; Education; Education Industry; Seattle
Leschly, Stig. "Seattle Public Schools, 1995-2002 (C2): Race, Class, and School Choice." Harvard Business School Case 803-040, September 2002.
- March 2009
- Background Note
Note on the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA)
By: Stuart C. Gilson
In 2005, new legislation was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by the President that introduced a number of major amendments to U.S. bankruptcy law, affecting both business and consumer bankruptcies. This legislation, called the Bankruptcy Abuse... View Details
Keywords: Government Legislation; Restructuring; Personal Finance; Laws and Statutes; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Corporate Finance
Gilson, Stuart C. "Note on the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA)." Harvard Business School Background Note 209-133, March 2009.
- January 1995
- Background Note
Note on Foreign Direct Investment
By: Debora L. Spar
Between 1985 and 1990, the global economy witnessed an unprecedented surge in flows of foreign direct investment (FDI). This sudden increase called back into prominence the range of questions that have long surrounded FDI. What causes firms to expand or contract their... View Details
Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment
Spar, Debora L., and Julia Kou. "Note on Foreign Direct Investment." Harvard Business School Background Note 795-031, January 1995.
- December 2004 (Revised August 2007)
- Background Note
LTCM's Profit Motive
By: Henry B. Reiling and Kevin Wall
This case summarizes the finding and reasoning inherent in the economic substance and penalty imposition holdings of the district court decision in Long Term Capital Holdings v. United States. The court upheld the IRS's contention that a transaction between Long Term... View Details
Reiling, Henry B., and Kevin Wall. "LTCM's Profit Motive." Harvard Business School Background Note 205-054, December 2004. (Revised August 2007.)
- January 2008
- Article
The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy
This article includes a one-page preview that quickly summarizes the key ideas and provides an overview of how the concepts work in practice along with suggestions for further reading. In 1979, a young associate professor at Harvard Business School published his first... View Details
Keywords: Profit; Five Forces Framework; Industry Growth; Industry Structures; Business and Government Relations; Competitive Strategy
Porter, Michael E. "The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy." Special Issue on HBS Centennial. Harvard Business Review 86, no. 1 (January 2008): 78–93.
- 2008
- Chapter
The Importance of Default Options for Retirement Saving Outcomes: Evidence from the United States
By: John Beshears, James J. Choi, David Laibson and Brigitte C. Madrian
This paper summarizes the empirical evidence on how defaults impact retirement savings outcomes. After outlining the salient features of the various sources of retirement income in the U.S., the paper presents the empirical evidence on how defaults impact retirement... View Details
Keywords: Saving; Financial Condition; Retirement; Investment Funds; Microeconomics; Outcome or Result; Government and Politics; Financial Institutions; Macroeconomics; United States
Beshears, John, James J. Choi, David Laibson, and Brigitte C. Madrian. "The Importance of Default Options for Retirement Saving Outcomes: Evidence from the United States." In Lessons from Pension Reform in the Americas, edited by Stephen J. Kay and Tapen Sinha, 59–87. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
- November 2012 (Revised September 2013)
- Case
The JOBS Act of 2012
By: Lena G. Goldberg
This Note summarizes the potential of the Jobs Act of 2012 to change the way in which emerging growth companies, or EMGs, access capital markets. Described as among the most significant change to US securities laws in over 20 years, the Jobs Act may reduce the burdens... View Details
Keywords: Laws And Regulation; Crowdfunding; IPO; Quiet Period; Business Ventures; Entrepreneurship; Law; North and Central America
Goldberg, Lena G. "The JOBS Act of 2012." Harvard Business School Case 313-091, November 2012. (Revised September 2013.)
- April 2023
- Technical Note
Venture Capital Firms: What Drives Success?
By: Jo Tango and Alys Ferragamo
With the rapid growth of venture capital (“VC”) in recent decades, we might wonder: who succeeds at VC and why? This is a complicated question, as many factors come into play. VC partnerships are comprised of individual investors with varying backgrounds, experiences,... View Details
Tango, Jo, and Alys Ferragamo. "Venture Capital Firms: What Drives Success?" Harvard Business School Technical Note 823-115, April 2023.
- August 2013 (Revised November 2013)
- Case
Ford vs. GM: The Evolution of Mass Production (A)
By: Willy Shih
This case explores the very different paths taken by the Ford Motor Company and the General Motors Corporation in the first three decades of the twentieth century. Henry Ford's Model T was a car for the masses. After considerable experimentation, Ford Motor... View Details
Keywords: Innovation; Exploration; Dominant Design; Business Growth and Maturation; Business History; Innovation and Management; Innovation Strategy; Technological Innovation; Leading Change; Growth and Development Strategy; Product Positioning; Product Design; Product Development; Business Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Vertical Integration; Auto Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Michigan
Shih, Willy. "Ford vs. GM: The Evolution of Mass Production (A)." Harvard Business School Case 614-010, August 2013. (Revised November 2013.)
- March 2022 (Revised March 2025)
- Technical Note
Ethical Analysis: Society
By: Nien-hê Hsieh
How should managers determine and deliver on their responsibilities to society? This note summarizes prevailing approaches to this question and outlines an approach centered on what distinguishes society from other key constituencies, such as investors or customers.... View Details
Keywords: Social and Collaborative Networks; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Organizational Structure; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Ethics; Analysis
Hsieh, Nien-hê. "Ethical Analysis: Society." Harvard Business School Technical Note 322-119, March 2022. (Revised March 2025.)
- fall 2008
- Article
The Intermediation of Financial Risks: Evolution in the Catastrophe Reinsurance Market
By: Kenneth A. Froot
In this paper, I provide evidence concerning the imperfections in the reinsurance market. I try to get at some of the root causes of these imperfections, e.g., the behavior of ratings firms and the agency problems associated with the corporate form of ownership. I also... View Details
Keywords: Catastrophe Risk; Corporate Finance; Banking And Insurance; Hedging; Banking; Financial Markets; Insurance; Policy; Risk Management; Natural Disasters; Cost of Capital; Asset Pricing; Insurance Industry
Froot, Kenneth A. "The Intermediation of Financial Risks: Evolution in the Catastrophe Reinsurance Market." Risk Management and Insurance Review 11, no. 2 (fall 2008): 281–294.
- 2014
- Chapter
Corporate Social Responsibility and Multinational Corporations
By: Nien-he Hsieh and Florian Wettstein
A central question that arises from the perspective of global ethics is what standards ought to apply to the activities of multinational corporations (MNCs). This chapter surveys the contemporary theoretical literature on this question. The first section provides... View Details
Keywords: Multinational Corporation; Multinational Firms and Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Standards
Hsieh, Nien-he, and Florian Wettstein. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Multinational Corporations." Chap. 19 in The Routledge Handbook of Global Ethics, edited by Darrel Moellendorf and Heather Widdows, 251–266. London: Routledge, 2014.
- February 2009 (Revised June 2011)
- Background Note
A Note on the Legal and Tax Implications of Founders' Equity Splits
By: Noam T. Wasserman and Lauren Barley
This note summarizes key legal and tax issues that founders should consider as they contemplate an equity split and ownership structure. Specific issues covered include why founders should not delay splitting the equity and whether they should involve an attorney or... View Details
Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Equity; Taxation; Intellectual Property; Law; Ownership; Partners and Partnerships
Wasserman, Noam T., and Lauren Barley. "A Note on the Legal and Tax Implications of Founders' Equity Splits." Harvard Business School Background Note 809-110, February 2009. (Revised June 2011.)
- September 2001
- Background Note
Accounting for Computer Software Development Costs
By: Robert S. Kaplan and Tatiana Sandino
Summarizes the debate on accounting for computer software development costs. Provides a historical description of the development of standards on accounting of computer software development costs, both in the United States and internationally. Describes how, after much... View Details
Kaplan, Robert S., and Tatiana Sandino. "Accounting for Computer Software Development Costs." Harvard Business School Background Note 102-034, September 2001.
- October 2003 (Revised April 2005)
- Case
Innovation Corrupted: The Rise and Fall of Enron
Presents an historical overview of Enron's rise and fall and summarizes what is currently known about (1) the evolution of Enron's business model, (2) the organizational processes Enron officials relied on to drive and monitor the business, (3) emergent behavior... View Details
Keywords: Business Model; Behavior; Governing and Advisory Boards; Success; Transformation; Failure; Business Processes; Energy Industry; United States
Salter, Malcolm S. "Innovation Corrupted: The Rise and Fall of Enron." Harvard Business School Case 904-036, October 2003. (Revised April 2005.)
- March 1995
- Background Note
Gender Differences in Managerial Behavior: The Ongoing Debate
Do men and women have distinct leadership styles? Do they approach management differently? This note summarizes the two perspectives that have dominated the ongoing debate on gender differences in organizational leadership and management behavior. Psychological... View Details
Ibarra, Herminia M., and Kristin Daly. "Gender Differences in Managerial Behavior: The Ongoing Debate." Harvard Business School Background Note 495-038, March 1995.
- September 2013 (Revised August 2015)
- Background Note
Leadership and Teaming
By: Ethan Bernstein
Small differences in the leadership of teams can have large consequences for the success of their efforts. Many initiatives fail not because of a fatal error in judgment or insufficient ideas, knowledge, motivation, or capabilities to deliver a solution. They fail... View Details
Keywords: Teams; Teaming; Leadership And Managing People; Leadership; Team Effectiveness; Team Performance; Team Design; Team Leadership; Teamwork; Team Process; Team Function; Team Launch; 60/30/10 Rule; Team Boundary; Distribution Of Leadership Authority; Self-Managed Teams; Virtual Teams; Unbounded Teams; Acts Of Leadership; Execution Teams; Decision Making Teams; Creativity Teams; Team Size; Task Design; Team Timeline; Team Roles; Team Representation; Diversity; Team Familiarity; Collective Intelligence; Team Stages Of Development; Team Coaching; Performance Pressure; X-Teams; Team Focus; Interaction; Management Teams; Managerial Roles; Management Systems; Management Style; Management Skills; Management Practices and Processes; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Performance Effectiveness; Performance Efficiency; Performance Productivity; Groups and Teams; Networks; Social Psychology; Behavior; Conflict and Resolution; Creativity; Social and Collaborative Networks; Satisfaction; Prejudice and Bias; Power and Influence; Personal Characteristics; Familiarity; Cognition and Thinking; Attitudes; Projects; Organizational Culture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Leadership Development; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Knowledge Sharing; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Innovation Leadership; Design; Interpersonal Communication; Accommodations Industry; Accounting Industry; Advertising Industry; Aerospace Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Air Transportation Industry; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Auto Industry; Banking Industry; Battery Industry; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Bicycle Industry; Biotechnology Industry; Chemical Industry; Communications Industry; Computer Industry; Construction Industry; Consulting Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Distribution Industry; Education Industry; Electronics Industry; Employment Industry; Energy Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Fashion Industry; Financial Services Industry; Fine Arts Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Forest Products Industry; Forestry Industry; Green Technology Industry; Health Industry; Industrial Products Industry; Information Industry; Information Technology Industry; Insurance Industry; Journalism and News Industry; Legal Services Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Mining Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Motorcycle Industry; Music Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Public Administration Industry; Public Relations Industry; Publishing Industry; Pulp and Paper Industry; Rail Industry; Real Estate Industry; Retail Industry; Rubber Industry; Semiconductor Industry; Service Industry; Shipping Industry; Sports Industry; Steel Industry; Technology Industry; Telecommunications Industry; Tourism Industry; Transportation Industry; Travel Industry; Utilities Industry; Video Game Industry; Web Services Industry; Asia; North and Central America; South America; Atlantic Ocean; Central Asia; Europe; Latin America; Middle East; Oceania; West Indies
Bernstein, Ethan. "Leadership and Teaming." Harvard Business School Background Note 414-033, September 2013. (Revised August 2015.)