Publications

01 Jan 2020
What Do You Think?

Why Not Open America's Doors to All the World’s Talent?

(as of 2017) is capped at 85,000 per year, although this does not include renewals or transfers. This triggers a lottery for determining who gets the visa, creating uncertainty for both the immigrant and the sponsor. The US system, like... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Technology

07 Jul 2015
First Look

First Look: July 7, 2015

Amgen, not least because it contravened Amgen's mission. Internal debate was exacerbated by the presence of considerable uncertainty over the regulatory requirements for BS development and how difficult it would be to develop a BS. Some... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

Web

Global - Global Activities 2020

in 10 countries to help Raffaella Sadun, Professor of Business Administration, examine how resilient businesses can effectively and safely restart in the wake of COVID-19. Her findings are summarized in the report Restarting Under View Details

December 2019
Case

CME Group in 2019

By: José B. Alvarez, Forest Reinhardt and Natalie Kindred

Chicago-based CME Group is the world’s largest futures and options marketplace, with annual trading volume of over 4.8 billion contracts in 2018. This case is set in late 2019, as heightened perceptions of risk stemming from the U.S.-China trade war are driving record... View Details

Keywords: Financial Markets; Risk Management; Futures and Commodity Futures; Trade; Price; Competition; Risk and Uncertainty; Competitive Strategy; United States; China; Brazil

August 1990 (Revised February 1991)
Case

Whirlpool Corp.

By: Michael Y. Yoshino and Sarah D. Hall

Examines the company's global strategy and potential acquisition of Philips' major domestic appliance operations in Europe in light of increasing trends toward globilization in the major appliance industry. Allows discussions weighing the advantages and risks of... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Joint Ventures; Global Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Risk and Uncertainty; Opportunities; Competitive Strategy; Consumer Products Industry; Europe

30 Jan 2018
First Look

January 30, 2018

injects uncertainty into the consumer's relative product valuations since she is unable to observe the entire catalog of products that the retailer will sell that season. Rationally acting consumers may respond to this additional View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

16 Dec 2016
News

An Environmental Epiphany

degree to which there was scientific uncertainty around this. And the way in which we needed to address climate change as a major risk factor for businesses, for markets, and for society as a whole. That View Details

December 2020 (Revised May 2021)
Case

Riverstone

By: David E. Bell and Natalie Kindred

In 2020, Luke Minion and the leadership team at Riverstone, a hog producer founded in 2013 in Shandong, China, were evaluating Riverstone’s strategy as it rebounded from outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in two of its three farm complexes. Riverstone was a joint... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Globalization; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Animal-Based Agribusiness; Consumer Behavior; Demand and Consumers; Disruption; Risk and Uncertainty; Risk Management; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; Consulting Industry; United States; China

April 2010 (Revised September 2011)
Case

The Dannon Company: Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility (A)

By: Christopher Marquis, Pooja Mehta Shah, Amanda Elizabeth Tolleson and Bobbi Thomason

At the end of 2009, The Dannon Company was considering pro actively communicating its CSR efforts to consumers. With the strong connection between Dannon's production of health foods and its commitment to health and nutrition-based CSR activities, communicating these... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Nutrition; Marketing Communications; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Risk and Uncertainty; Natural Environment; Food and Beverage Industry

2005
Working Paper

Nominal versus Indexed Debt: A Quantitative Horse Race

By: Laura Alfaro and Fabio Kanczuk

The main arguments in favor of and against nominal and indexed debt are the incentive to default through inflation versus hedging against unforeseen shocks. We model and calibrate these arguments to assess their quantitative importance. We use a dynamic equilibrium... View Details

Keywords: Borrowing and Debt; Taxation; Risk and Uncertainty; Inflation and Deflation; System Shocks; Developing Countries and Economies; Mathematical Methods

Read Now

29 Oct 2018
Research & Ideas

Hunting for a Hot Job in High Tech? Try 'Digitization Economist'

economists dispel any uncertainty about whether it’s a tenable career path—the data suggest that there might be more economists hired in tech companies than in policy schools in recent years. To lure an economist As competition for talent... View Details

Keywords: by Roberta Holland; Technology; Education

01 Mar 2006
News

One-on-One with Dr. Margaret Chan

hygiene, as well as planning for social distancing and quarantine. Communicating with the public will be essential during a pandemic, not only because antivirals and vaccines will be in short supply, but because there will be tremendous View Details

Keywords: Garry Emmons; Government; Ambulatory Health Care Services; Health, Social Assistance

July 2020
Case

Michael Solomonov: Jerusalem in a Bowl

By: Boris Groysberg, Evan M.S. Hecht and Katherine Connolly Baden

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook had begun to wonder whether it might be time to rethink their opportunistic approach to the expansion of their small restaurant empire in Philadelphia, CooknSolo. The pandemic, however, caused an... View Details

Keywords: Restaurant Industry; Entrepreneur; COVID-19; Crisis; Crisis Response Plans; Entrepreneurship; Food; Health Pandemics; Crisis Management; Innovation and Invention; Leadership; Creativity; Strategy; Ownership; Problems and Challenges; Risk and Uncertainty; Situation or Environment; Food and Beverage Industry; United States

June 2011
Article

The Paradox of Excellence

By: Thomas J. DeLong and Sara DeLong

Why is it that so many smart, ambitious professionals are less productive and satisfied than they could be? We argue that it's often because they're afraid to demonstrate any sign of weakness. They're reluctant to ask important questions or try new... View Details

Keywords: Employees; Innovation and Invention; Strength and Weakness; Performance Productivity; Risk and Uncertainty; Motivation and Incentives; Satisfaction

Find at Harvard

March 2019
Case

Mahindra Finance

By: V.G. Narayanan and Tanvi Deshpande

Mahindra Finance is a non-banking lender operating mainly in the rural and semi-urban areas of India. Set up in 1991, the company had grown to become a market leader with assets of $8.5 billion and a presence in 3,30,000 villages across India. Since most of Mahindra's... View Details

Keywords: Accounting; Business Model; Volatility; Customer Focus and Relationships; Decisions; Credit; Financing and Loans; Service Delivery; Risk and Uncertainty; Financial Services Industry; India

May 1991 (Revised October 1993)
Case

Collision Course in Commercial Aircraft: Boeing-Airbus-McDonnell Douglas--1991 (A)

By: David B. Yoffie

Describes the competitive situation that has arisen in the commercial aircraft manufacturing industry since Airbus entered in 1970. Having overtaken McDonnell Douglas for second place, Airbus announces plans to challenge market leader Boeing's last pocket of dominance.... View Details

Keywords: Transition; Trade; Ethics; Investment; Problems and Challenges; Business and Government Relations; Risk and Uncertainty; Sales; Competitive Strategy; Technology Adoption; Air Transportation Industry; Manufacturing Industry

03 Sep 2014
What Do You Think?

Who Should Choose Your Boss?

of inputs to the decision-making process. For example, Yadeed Lobob commented that a dual board structure that included workers' representatives would help alleviate uncertainty around choosing an authentic leader. "Germany has such... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Food & Beverage

16 Mar 2023
Blog Post

HySynergy and Crossbridge Energy

with two shipping companies weighing green fuel options such as ammonia, methanol, and hydrogen. We also heard from a transmission system operator (TSO) that is in the process of expanding pipeline infrastructure for a hydrogen future. A theme across these market... View Details

March 2004 (Revised October 2013)
Case

Innocents Abroad: Currencies and International Stock Returns

By: Mihir A. Desai, Kathleen Luchs, Elizabeth A. Meyer and Mark Veblen

What do international stocks contribute to the portfolio of a U.S. investor? How do currencies interact with stock price movements in determining the benefits of international diversification? This case helps students compare the risks and returns of foreign stock... View Details