Publications

01 Jun 2023
HBS Case

A Nike Executive Hid His Criminal Past to Turn His Life Around. What If He Didn't Have To?

homes in those neighborhoods, property values would decline and put the FHA’s loans at risk. By 1968, when Congress ultimately passed a law banning racial discrimination in housing, the three decades that Black people had been shut out of... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Apparel & Accessories

11 Apr 2023
Op-Ed

The First 90 Hours: What New CEOs Should—and Shouldn't—Do to Set the Right Tone

motivate other younger executives who will feel inspired by the possibility of promotion under your leadership. My advice is always to avoid, if possible, hiring your old cronies from previous companies before you’ve given the incumbents a View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch

May 1996
Case

First Capital Holdings Corp.

By: Stuart C. Gilson, Harry DeAngelo and Linda DeAngelo

The manager of a money-management firm considers whether to invest in the securities of a large, financially troubled, California-based life insurance holding company that holds 40% of its assets in high-yield junk bonds. Over the past year, the value of its portfolio... View Details

Keywords: Risk Management; Debt Securities; Bonds; Valuation; Investment Return; Fair Value Accounting; Financial Institutions; Insurance Industry

Find at Harvard

16 Oct 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, October 16, 2018

Complementary goods have more value when used together than separately. Complementarity may be strong or weak. Strong complements are specific and unique goods that have no value (or greatly diminished... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

February 2004
Case

Czech Mate: CME and Vladimir Zelezny (A)

By: Mihir A. Desai, Alberto Moel and Kathleen Luchs

This case examines how insiders can expropriate value from shareholders in emerging markets when property rights are ill-defined. As such, it provides a platform for considering how institutions and legal rules impact financing patterns and economic outcomes. CME,... View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Fairness; Financial Institutions; Corporate Governance; Rights; Ownership Stake

06 Jun 2011
Research & Ideas

Why Leaders Lose Their Way

with success tend to look to others to gain satisfaction, and often appear self-centered and egotistical. They start to believe their own press. As leaders of institutions, they eventually believe the institution cannot succeed without them. The Leadership Trap While... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

07 Jul 2021
Book

Good News for Disgraced Companies: You Can Regain Trust

because the goals conflict,” Sucher says. Means: A company’s means are not merely its business methods, but whether it takes “the fair path to get there,” Sucher says, in creating equitable practices for employees and communicating with... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert

May 1999
Background Note

Note on Behavioral Pricing

By: John T. Gourville

The note introduces the behavioral or psychological aspects of consumer price acceptance. Begins by reviewing the traditional economic approach to product pricing and consumer price acceptance--namely, that consumers should be willing to purchase anytime a product's... View Details

Keywords: Customer Satisfaction; Decisions; Fairness; Price; Marketing Strategy; Behavior; Perspective; Public Opinion

28 Jan 2019
Research & Ideas

Forget Cash. Here Are Better Ways to Motivate Employees

receiving the reward to reinforce good behavior—because you’re hoping the worker will repeat that behavior.” Consider thoughtful gifts instead of cash Sometimes cash isn’t king. A 2017 study of 600 salespeople found that when a mixed cash and prize reward program was... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

07 Mar 2011
Research & Ideas

Why Companies Fail—and How Their Founders Can Bounce Back

entrepreneurs whose companies are succeeding. Ghosh says boards of successful companies often seek out the founders and CEOs of failed companies because they value experience over a clean slate. After all, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, and Desh... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

06 Nov 2012
First Look

First Look: November 6

with firm value and operating performance persisted. Read the paper: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1589731 Does Management Really Work? Authors: Nicholas Bloom, Raffaella Sadun, and John Van Reenen Publication:... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

05 May 2011
What Do You Think?

How Ethical Can We Be?

that, under the circumstances, "we should be as ethical as the situation around us can determine while at the same time be mindful of the consequences ." Turning to the core issue of the column, why do we so often regard ourselves as more View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

10 Jan 2024
Research & Ideas

Technology and COVID Upended Tipping Norms. Will Consumers Keep Paying?

percent or less for bad service. That was the expectation up until COVID.” However, “post-COVID,” as businesses came back from pandemic-induced lockdowns, consumer behavior shifted. “Consumers started to realize the value of waitstaff... View Details

Keywords: by Anna Lamb, Harvard Gazette

December 2003
Case

Antitrust Regulations in a Global Setting: The EU Investigation of the GE/Honeywell Merger

By: Mihir A. Desai, Belen Villalonga and Mark Veblen

Helps students understand the principles underlying competition and antitrust policy in the context of the proposed GE-Honeywell merger. The U.S. Department of Justice has already approved the transaction and it is being considered by the European Commission. The... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Decisions; Economy; Fairness; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Competition; Aerospace Industry