Publications

In this simulation exercise, four family members must negotiate over the future of the family business. Should the business be sold to a strategic buyer, or should the family retain control? If the business is sold, how should the proceeds of the sale be distributed... View Details

Keywords: Succession; Sale Of Business; Understanding Interests; Value Creation; Family Business; Business Exit or Shutdown; Negotiation; Ownership Stake; Perspective; Agreements and Arrangements

August 2012 (Revised March 2013)
Case

Preem (A)

By: Bo Becker, Annelena Lobb and Aldo Sesia

High yield bond fund Proventus Capital Partners (PCP) has invested in underwater bonds issued by Preem, a large oil refinery. As maturity approaches, in the midst of financial crisis, Preem appear unlikely to be able to refinance. Meanwhile, Prreem has a complicated... View Details

Keywords: Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Financial Liquidity; Restructuring; Courts and Trials; Negotiation; Bonds; Mining Industry; Energy Industry; Europe

April 2018
Exercise

Stoy Foods: Role Information for Danijela Stoyanovic

In this simulation exercise, four family members must negotiate over the future of the family business. Should the business be sold to a strategic buyer, or should the family retain control? If the business is sold, how should the proceeds of the sale be distributed... View Details

Keywords: Succession; Sale Of Business; Understanding Interests; Value Creation; Family Business; Business Exit or Shutdown; Negotiation; Perspective; Agreements and Arrangements

September 1997 (Revised May 1999)
Case

Precision Controls, Inc.

By: James K. Sebenius and David T. Kotchen

Precision Controls is a Minnesota-based manufacturer of electronic control devices. To enhance its product line, Precision would like to establish an artificial intelligence research group, either through internal development or, preferably, by merging with or... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Valuation; Research and Development; Negotiation Process; Stock Shares; Negotiation Tactics; Mergers and Acquisitions; Manufacturing Industry; Electronics Industry; Minnesota

Find at Harvard

April 2018
Exercise

Stoy Foods: Role Information for Petja Stoyanovic

In this simulation exercise, four family members must negotiate over the future of the family business. Should the business be sold to a strategic buyer, or should the family retain control? If the business is sold, how should the proceeds of the sale be distributed... View Details

Keywords: Succession; Sale Of Business; Understanding Interests; Value Creation; Family Business; Business Exit or Shutdown; Negotiation; Ownership Stake; Perspective; Agreements and Arrangements

June 2007 (Revised March 2008)
Case

Lazard LLC

By: Guhan Subramanian and Eliot Sherman

Describes Lazard's situation in 2001, and supplies context for the subsequent negotiation between its Chairman and his hand-picked successor. In 2001 Lazard, the last of the great investment houses to remain both private and in the control of its founding family, is in... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Family Business; Talent and Talent Management; Selection and Staffing; Management Succession; Negotiation Tactics; Financial Services Industry

December 1994 (Revised September 1996)
Case

Cementownia Odra (A)

The Polish government is privatizing Cementownia Odra, a cement firm. Tomasz Budziak, a team leader, is negotiating on behalf of the Polish Ministry of Privatization. Hans-Hugo Miebach, owner of a German cement company, has made an attractive offer; a deal hinges on... View Details

Keywords: Contracts; Negotiation; Privatization; Construction Industry; Germany; Poland

April 2008 (Revised September 2008)
Case

Shareholder Activists at Friendly Ice Cream (A)

By: Fabrizio Ferri, V.G. Narayanan and James Weber

Two activist investors, one a founder and one a hedge-fund manager, seek to improve board oversight at a chain restaurant company. Prestley Blake founded Friendly Ice Cream in 1935 with his brother, and the two created a chain of full-service restaurants. In 1979 they... View Details

Keywords: Investment Activism; Governing and Advisory Boards; Lawsuits and Litigation; Business or Company Management; Business and Shareholder Relations; Conflict of Interests; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

06 Sep 2016
First Look

September 6, 2016

Final-Offer Arbitration Challenge Gives Negotiators a Valuable New Tool By: Bazerman, Max H., and Daniel Kahneman Abstract—In legal disputes, contested insurance claims, and similarly adversarial negotiations, one party is likely to open... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

August 2009 (Revised June 2011)
Case

Kansas City Zephyrs Baseball Club, Inc. 2006

By: Krishna G. Palepu

This case centers around a dispute between the owners and the players regarding the profitability of professional baseball teams in connection with the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The case describes the financial statements of the baseball... View Details

Keywords: Accrual Accounting; Financial Statements; Profit; Labor Unions; Measurement and Metrics; Agreements and Arrangements; Performance; Sports Industry; United States

July 2024
Technical Note

Intellectual Property in Tough Tech Ventures

By: Joshua Lev Krieger, Jim Matheson, Russ Wilcox and Mel Martin

This note explains the crucial role of intellectual property rights (IPR), particularly patents, in the success of tough tech ventures (TTVs). It outlines the patent system's mechanics, emphasizing utility patents and their requirements for novelty, non-obviousness,... View Details

Keywords: Intellectual Property

17 Dec 2014
News

Deceiving with the truth

June 2018 (Revised February 2019)
Teaching Note

Home Nursing of North Carolina

By: Richard S. Ruback, Royce Yudkoff and Ahron Rosenfeld

In 2011, immediately after graduating HBS, Ari Medoff began a self-funded search for a small firm to buy and run as its CEO. After just three month of searching, he identified Home Nursing of North Carolina (HNNC), a home care agency based in Greensboro, NC, as a... View Details

Keywords: Small Firms Management; Acquisition; Negotiation Process; Investment; Small Business; Management; Personal Development and Career

April 2018
Exercise

Stoy Foods: Role Information for Katrina Stoyanovic

In this simulation exercise, four family members must negotiate over the future of the family business. Should the business be sold to a strategic buyer, or should the family retain control? If the business is sold, how should the proceeds of the sale be distributed... View Details

Keywords: Succession; Sale Of Business; Understanding Interests; Value Creation; Family Business; Business Exit or Shutdown; Negotiation; Ownership Stake; Perspective; Agreements and Arrangements

10 Jan 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research: January 10, 2017

“Who are the world’s best negotiators? What makes them effective?” Inevitably Henry Kissinger’s name comes up as an elite, if controversial, negotiator from whom we can learn a great deal. At a time of rancorous divisions in American... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

December 2012
Teaching Note

The Paris Opera Hotel (TN)

By: Arthur I Segel

This case provides an introduction to hotel investment, development and management from the perspective of a short term oriented investor group. Students learn that hotels are a unique real estate property type, with performance often tied to the broader economy, and... View Details

Keywords: Real Estate; Hotel; Paris; Business or Company Management; Negotiation; Finance; Accommodations Industry; Real Estate Industry

February 2012 (Revised August 2014)
Case

Poles Apart on PZU (A)

By: Francesca Gino, Vincent Dessain, Karol Misztal and Michael Khayyat

In October 2008, Andrzej Klesyk, CEO of Poland's largest insurer PZU, reflected on possible ways of resolving a decade-long cross-border shareholder conflict at his company. Owned 55% by the Polish State Treasury and 33% by the Dutch insurer Eureko as of October 2008,... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation; Trust; Conflict and Resolution; Business and Shareholder Relations; Poland