Publications

May 2009 (Revised January 2011)
Case

Enel: Power, Russia, and Global Markets

By: Rawi E. Abdelal, Richard H.K. Vietor and Sogomon Tarontsi

Although the global trend toward liberalization of electric utilities forced Enel, the largest power company in Italy, to give up some of its assets in its home base, it also opened up many opportunities abroad, including in Russia, one of the largest electricity... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Energy Generation; Foreign Direct Investment; Global Strategy; Globalized Firms and Management; Globalized Markets and Industries; Business and Government Relations; Utilities Industry; Russia; Italy

April 3, 2018
Article

Insight on Syria: What Are Putin's Motives?

By: Rawi Abdelal and Alexandra Vacroux

Russia’s direct entry into the Syrian conflict in September 2015 was spurred by a plethora of motivations. Russian scholars Rawi Abdelal and Alexandra Vacroux unpack the various rationales. View Details

Keywords: Syrian Civil War; Vladimir Putin; War; International Relations; Russia; Syria

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January 2017 (Revised December 2020)
Case

Turkey and Russia: Dangerous Liaisons

By: Rawi Abdelal, Esel Çekin, Eren Kuzucu and Gamze Yucaoglu

The case opens in November 2015, after the Turkish military’s shooting down of a Russian military airplane over the Turkish-Syrian border. The incident threatened to undermine the countries’ political and economic ties, and starting from late 2015, the dialogue between... View Details

Keywords: Business ＆ Government Relations; Politics; Natural Gas; Natural Resources; Nuclear Power; Business and Government Relations; Energy Policy; Infrastructure; Energy; Strategy; International Relations; Russia; Turkey

September 2006 (Revised November 2006)
Supplement

SUN Brewing (A) (CW)

The Khemka family of India--founders, managers, and majority owners of Russia-based SUN Brewing--faces a difficult decision in 1998. Following the ruble's massive devaluation in August 1998, the stock price of SUN brewing, which is publicly listed on the Luxemburg... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Emerging Markets; Family Business; Financing and Loans; Capital Markets; Decision Choices and Conditions; Food and Beverage Industry; India; Russia

August 2008 (Revised July 2009)
Supplement

Gazprom (C): The Ukrainian Crisis and Its Aftermath

By: Rawi E. Abdelal, Sogomon Tarontsi and Alexander Jorov

The case describes the resolution to the January 2006 gas crisis, precipitated by the decision of Gazprom, the largest natural gas producer in the world, to cut off gas supply to Ukraine because of disagreement on the terms of future trade. The case also narrates the... View Details

Keywords: Trade; Non-Renewable Energy; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Conflict Management; Reputation; Energy Industry; Russia; Ukraine

September 1996 (Revised June 1998)
Case

InterSoft of Argentina (A)

By: Linda A. Hill and Stacy Palestrant

Focuses on InterSoft of Argentina, a growing software company in Argentina. In 1993, InterSoft acquires a Russian software company and Emilo Lopez, the vice president and director of InterSoft's Systems Software Lab, must manage a creative, cross-cultural, "virtual"... View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Business Growth and Maturation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Management Teams; Groups and Teams; Partners and Partnerships; Information Technology Industry; Argentina; Russia

02 Mar 2018
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Trump’s Tariffs Could Harm Allies as Much as Opponents

Russia are ahead of it. The European Union will also suffer from these tariffs; they will poison the global trade climate and may represent the first warning shot in a potential global trade war. As always, what drives protectionism is... View Details

Keywords: by Dante Roscini; Steel; Manufacturing

03 Dec 2012
HBS Case

HBS Cases: Against the Grain

Solutions Because of his background in political economy, Ramanna sees corruption as a problem of the commons. Beyond Jim's experience in "Against the Grain," Ramanna points to Russia as an example of a business environment... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Food & Beverage

June 2023
Case

Russia's Invasion of Ukraine in 2022: Consequences for Agriculture

By: José B. Alvarez and Natalie Kindred

Russia's brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine that begain in February 2022 caused major destruction to Ukraine's agriculture sector, one of the most productive and important in the world. This note provides a brief overview of certain singificant moments and moments... View Details

Keywords: Food; Agribusiness; War; Disruption; Food and Beverage Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Shipping Industry; Ukraine; Russia

March 2022
Supplement

Ukraine: On the Border of Europe and Eurasia (B)

By: Rawi Abdelal, Jonathan Schlefer and Cressida Arkwright

Supplements the (A) case. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 raised questions about democratization and a possible reshaping of the global order. It arose from deep roots in the history of both nations but also turned on contingent decisions by their... View Details

Keywords: Global Order; Social Issues; Government Administration; History; War; Ukraine; Russia

26 Apr 2011
First Look

First Look: April 26

School Case 711-026 Russian and German energy firms initiated the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline project with strong political support from their home governments but encountered resistance from other states. Although the pipeline would connect View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

September 1996
Case

InterSoft of Argentina (C)

By: Linda A. Hill and Stacy Palestrant

Supplements the (A) and (B) cases. Designed to be handed out at the end of class. View Details

Keywords: Applications and Software; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Business Growth and Maturation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Management Teams; Groups and Teams; Partners and Partnerships; Conflict Management; Information Technology Industry; Argentina; Russia

April 7, 2020
Editorial

The Pandemic and the Price of Power

By: Rawi Abdelal

Keywords: Energy Industry; Russia; Saudi Arabia

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16 Sep 2015
Op-Ed

The Real Duty of the Board of Directors

liability, separate corporate personhood, and the primacy of directors’ duty to the corporation are universal. From Russia to China to Brazil to India to the United Kingdom, the notion of directors’ duty to shareholders is always separate... View Details

Keywords: by Robert G. Eccles & Tim Youmans

06 Jan 2003
What Do You Think?

China: The Next Big Market Opportunity or the Next Big Bubble?

economy, Russia is not a good analogy. The risk of a sudden disruption in China is much lower. Patrik Akerman articulated the argument in this way: "The European Communists opened up their economies because of a collapse (on a... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

March 2014 (Revised January 2025)
Case

Ukraine: On the Border of Europe and Eurasia

By: Rawi Abdelal, Rafael M. Di Tella, Sogomon Tarontsi and Lavinia Teodorescu

In the fall of 2013, the people of Ukraine disagreed passionately whether their country should intensify ties with the European Union or Russia. After President Yanukovych rejected the free trade agreement with the EU in November, thousands of Ukrainians peacefully... View Details

August 2008 (Revised July 2009)
Case

Gazprom (A): Energy and Strategy in Russian History

By: Rawi E. Abdelal, Sogomon Tarontsi and Alexander Jorov

Critics have accused Gazprom, the world's largest natural gas producer, of eschewing market principles in favor of the foreign policy priorities of the Russian government, ever since the energy giant cut off the supply to Ukraine in January of 2006. The purported... View Details

Keywords: History; International Relations; Trade; Energy Industry; Russia; Soviet Union; Ukraine; Europe

January 1999 (Revised August 1999)
Background Note

Doing Business in Russia: Note on Negotiating in the "Wild East"

By: James K. Sebenius and Randall A Fine

Based on an MBA's experience, this anecdotal note explores cross-border negotiations between U.S. executives and Russian counterparts. The first section guides the reader through general aspects of the Russian market. Next follows a characterization of the Russian... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation Deal; Problems and Challenges; Negotiation Style; Decisions; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Negotiation Participants; Russia; United States