Publications

Career Coach

Tricia Peralta

these decision points against your overall career goals, and serve as a sounding board as you think about what matters most to you. She is also happy to help with career visioning, case interviews, networking tips, and everything else in between. Furthermore, as an... View Details

February 2019 (Revised July 2025)
Case

Theranos: Who Has Blood on Their Hands? (A)

By: Nien-hê Hsieh, Christina R. Wing, Emilie Fournier and Anna Resman

This case covers the rise and fall of Theranos, the company founded by Elizabeth Holmes in 2004 to revolutionize the blood testing industry by creating a device that could provide from a small finger prick the same results and accuracy as intravenous blood draws. As... View Details

Keywords: Health Testing and Trials; Corporate Accountability; Organizational Culture; Misleading and Fraudulent Advertising; Crime and Corruption; Ethics; Entrepreneurship; Lawsuits and Litigation

April 2002 (Revised September 2002)
Background Note

Capital Controls

By: Rawi E. Abdelal and Laura Alfaro

Only in the waning years of the 20th century did international financial markets begin to enjoy the freedom from government regulation that they had experienced before the first world war. By 2002, international capital markets had grown to be enormous--$1.2 trillion... View Details

Keywords: History; Policy; Business and Government Relations; Change Management; Cost vs Benefits; Governance Controls; Governance Compliance; Emerging Markets; Financial Markets; Network Effects; Banking Industry; Financial Services Industry

06 May 2016
Blog Post

Make Social Media Work For You Abroad

Looking to move to a new country? An international job search can be difficult after years of working in a different country. Your contacts can be your biggest asset when you’re looking to make a move, and you should use your network,... View Details

August 1998 (Revised March 2002)
Background Note

Overview of the Nonprofit Sector

By: James E. Austin and Elaine V. Backman

Provides brief background information to aid in understanding the U.S. and international nonprofit sectors. View Details

Keywords: Nonprofit Organizations

August 2000 (Revised December 2003)
Case

Dell's Working Capital

By: Richard S. Ruback and Aldo Sesia

Dell Computer Corp. manufactures, sells, and services personal computers. The company markets its computers directly to its customers and builds computers after receiving a customer order. This build-to-order model enables Dell to have much smaller investment in... View Details

Keywords: Financial Management; Working Capital; Manufacturing Industry; Computer Industry

Gunnar Trumbull is the Phillip Caldwell Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

Professor Trumbull’s primary area of expertise in political economy, with a focus on climate change. His current research and teaching focuses on... View Details

Keywords: agribusiness; consumer products; credit card; financial services; food; food processing; grocery; microfinance; retail financial services; retailing

June 2002
Case

Oxfam America in 2002

Raymond Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America,a major international relief and development nongovernmental organization (NGO), is working with his staff to undertake a major strategic shift in the organization. The organization is placing a growing emphasis on... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Business or Company Management; Decision Choices and Conditions; Non-Governmental Organizations

Find at Harvard

December 1988 (Revised December 1989)
Background Note

Country Analysis Framework

By: James E. Austin

Presents basic framework for country analysis as used in Business, Government, and the International Economy course. View Details

Keywords: Framework; Government and Politics; Globalization

Web

Publications - Faculty & Research

Capital ; Management ; Macroeconomics ; Governance Controls ; Mathematical Methods Citation Read Now Related Acosta-Henao, Miguel, Laura Alfaro, and Andrés Fernández. "Sticky Capital Controls." Art. 104104. Journal of International... View Details

February 1997 (Revised February 2002)
Case

Mexico (B): Escaping from the Debt Crisis?

By: Huw Pill

Describes the response of the Mexican authorities and the international community to the "Third World Debt Crisis" that came to the forefront of global economic concerns in the early 1980s. Focuses on the respective roles of the private sector, governments (Mexican and... View Details

Keywords: Globalized Economies and Regions; Financial Crisis; Macroeconomics; Mexico

Teaching

Overview

Core strategy, competitive strategy, organizational economics, strategic change and innovation, international business, non-profit management, non-market strategy View Details

26 Nov 2012
News

“Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter”

Research Summary

Book in progress

Expanding on my work on BP, I am starting a new book on the transformation of the major international oil companies since the 1970s. Prior to that, the oil majors largely controlled the international flow of oil, which was channelled through their vertically... View Details

September 1984
Background Note

Marketing Research: An Overview of Research Methods

By: Robert J. Dolan

Broadly describes the scope of marketing research, and describes experiments, non-survey methods, and internal data. View Details

Keywords: Marketing Strategy; Mathematical Methods

July 2022
Case

boAt Lifestyle

By: Rajiv Lal and Kairavi Dey

boAt began as a lifestyle brand in the consumer electronics category in 2016 with the aim of bringing affordable, durable, and fashionable audio products and accessories to millennials and Gen-Z customers in India. Born in 2016 with Amazon India as its only sales... View Details

Keywords: Marketing; Brands and Branding; Initial Public Offering; Digital Marketing; Product Development; Product Marketing; Business or Company Management; Electronics Industry; Consumer Products Industry; Web Services Industry; Asia; India

Career Coach

Lindsay Muller

business and gained experience leading teams, managing a P&L, and scaling a start-up. Prior to that, she worked at a Series A kidney dialysis start-up in Tanzania. Lindsay also has a background in social enterprise and international... View Details

December 2004 (Revised April 2006)
Case

Managing Diversity at Spencer Owens & Co.

By: Robin J. Ely and Ingrid Vargas

Spencer Owens & Co, a disguised consulting firm, focuses on domestic and international economic development. As an extension of the firm's commitment to social justice, 20 years ago, Spencer Owens management introduced an affirmative action hiring and promotion... View Details

Keywords: Working Conditions; Selection and Staffing; Development Economics; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Employees; Diversity; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Consulting Industry