Publications

January 2021 (Revised May 2021)
Case

'GEnron'? Markopolos versus General Electric (A)

By: Jonas Heese and David Lane

In August 2019, Harry Markopolos—the forensic accountant known for uncovering Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme—alleged that General Electric had committed accounting fraud totaling $38 billion, coining the term “GEnron” for perceived similarities with the 2001 accounting... View Details

Keywords: Financial Statements; Communication; Energy; Financial Condition; Insurance; Performance; Planning; Business and Shareholder Relations; Risk and Uncertainty; Value; Insurance Industry; Financial Services Industry; Energy Industry

November 2012 (Revised November 2013)
Case

Generator Hostels: The Way Out

By: Nicolas P. Retsinas and Lisa Strope

Josh Wyatt, Director of Patron Capital Partners, needs to make an exit decision for a successful investment in Generator Hostels. After five years of explosive growth and in the middle of a financial crisis, Wyatt needs to evaluate Patron's alternatives: IPO the... View Details

Keywords: Hotel; Real Estate; Finance; Property; Accommodations Industry; European Union

February 1991 (Revised June 1993)
Case

Ross Perot and General Motors

By: Jay W. Lorsch

In December, 1986 the General Motors Board of Directors must decide whether to accept the buyout agreement between GM and Ross Perot, a director of GM and its largest stockholder. The agreement called for GM to purchase all of Perot's GM shares in exchange for his... View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Mergers and Acquisitions; Stock Shares; Resignation and Termination; Business or Company Management; Agreements and Arrangements

December 2023 (Revised November 2024)
Case

Generative AI and the Future of Work

By: Christopher Stanton, Matt Higgins, Shira Aronson and Meg Shriber

Generative AI seemed poised to reshape the world of work, including the higher-wage, white-collar jobs typically pursued by MBA graduates. Informed by the latest research, this case explores generative AI's potential impacts on work, productivity, value creation, and... View Details

Keywords: AI; Future Of Work; Labor Market; AI and Machine Learning; Labor; Value Creation; Performance Productivity; Technology Industry; United States

11 AM – 12:30 PM EDT, 12 Mar 2025
Virtual Programming

"Storrowed": Getting Hands-on with Generative AI

"Storrowed" is a Generative AI session created and led by HBS professor Mitch Weiss to build that proficiency. In a lively, interactive fashion he introduces the latest in generative AI techniques for innovation and more broadly. View Details

02 Feb 2016
Blog Post

A Summer Internship in General Management

Like many of his classmates, Andrew Ling (MBA 2015) decided to use the summer between his first and second year to try out something new. Formerly a consultant at McKinsey, he spent his summer working in a marketing and general management... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products / Retail

Jun 23 2022
Testimonial

Preparing for Future Generations

March 2005
Background Note

Home Video Games: Generation Seven

By: Elie Ofek

Discusses the issues facing firms in the seventh generation of home video game platforms. In particular, Sony and Microsoft plan to launch new game consoles in the 2005 to 2006 time frame. Each firm seems to be following a different strategy. Microsoft wants to launch... View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Technological Innovation; Information Infrastructure; Applications and Software; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Information Technology Industry

March 1993 (Revised July 2008)
Case

Liability Management at General Motors

By: Peter Tufano

An analyst at General Motors charged with managing the structure of the automaker's debt must decide whether and how to modify the interest rate exposure of the firm's most recent debt offering. The analyst must take into consideration GM's liability management policy... View Details

Keywords: Borrowing and Debt; Capital Structure; Financial Management; Interest Rates; Risk Management; Auto Industry; North America

December 2005 (Revised April 2011)
Case

General Electric's 20th Century CEOs

By: Nitin Nohria, Anthony Mayo and Mark Benson

General Electric thrived in every decade of the 20th century. Since its founding in 1892, GE has placed a high value on picking and training the best people. Staff members worked with other scientists in the company's research lab to design and manufacture new and... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Leadership Style; Growth and Development Strategy; Management Style

Nov 07 2022
Testimonial

The General Management Program Impact

November 1993 (Revised December 1997)
Supplement

General Dynamics: Compensation and Strategy (B)

Updates General Dynamics: Compensation and Strategy (A). View Details

February 1986
Case

General Foods Corp.: Project Duck Soup

General Foods must decide whether to acquire Entenmann's Bakery. Price and financing must also be decided. The teaching objectives include analysis of strategic fit, selection of purchase price, and financing method. Another issue is the debt to equity ratio that is... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Corporate Finance; Manufacturing Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

March 1991 (Revised May 1995)
Case

Kraft General Foods: The Merger (A)

By: David J. Collis

Describes Philip Morris' acquisitions of General Foods in 1985 and Kraft, Inc. in 1989, focusing on the integration of Kraft and General Foods that forms a $30 billion food subsidiary. Details the steps required to merge these two large companies, emphasizing the... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Subsidiaries; Business or Company Management; Managerial Roles; Business Processes; Cooperation; Integration; Food and Beverage Industry

May 2021 (Revised June 2021)
Supplement

'GEnron'? Markopolos versus General Electric (B)

By: Jonas Heese and David Lane

Supplement to the (A) case that offers an assessment of the August 2019 Markopolos report on General Electric. View Details

Keywords: Financial Statements; Communication; Energy; Financial Condition; Insurance; Performance; Planning; Business and Shareholder Relations; Risk and Uncertainty; Value; Insurance Industry; Financial Services Industry; Energy Industry

Jan 06 2015
Testimonial

Expanding General Management Horizons

24 Apr 2014
News

Multiple generations of computing

Throughout her career, Donna Dubinsky (MBA 1981) has worked on the next generation of computing. In the early days of Apple, she participated in the creation of personal computers, moving from a specialized tool for professionals to an... View Details

12 May 2015
Blog Post

A Summer Internship in General Management

Like many of his classmates, Andrew Ling (MBA 2015) decided to use the summer between his first and second year to try out something new. Formerly a consultant at McKinsey, he spent his summer working in a marketing and general management... View Details

October 2005
Case

General Eisenhower and the D-Day Invasion

Describes the way in which General Dwight D. Eisenhower worked with his commanders, as well as political leaders, to plan the June 1944 D-Day invasion. View Details

Keywords: Risk Management; Strategic Planning; Leadership; War