Publications

July 2012 (Revised May 2024)
Case

Lyric Dinner Theater (A)

By: Richard G. Hamermesh and Jim Sharpe

Looking back at five years of losses, Rivka Belzer, a newly minted MBA, steps into her family owned business with their mandate to turn it around or close it. In her first six months, she has made a number of changes, with mixed results, but is beginning to show a... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurial Management; Crisis Management; Family Business; Turnarounds; Financial Crisis; Boards Of Directors; Operations Management; Strategy Implementation; Career Planning; Entrepreneurship; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; United States

01 Apr 2002
News

New Director of MBA Career Services Focuses on Power of Alumni Network

interview Merrick immediately; both offered him jobs. After graduation, he accepted a position at Parson Group, a Chicago-based consulting firm he learned of through a previous contact. That was then, this is now, but Merrick's approach - what the recently appointed... View Details

Keywords: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services

March 2021
Case

P.F. Chang's

By: Ashish Nanda, Nitin Nohria and Margaret Cross

Excited yet apprehensive after being named CEO of P.F. Chang’s beginning July 1st, 2020, Damola Adamolekun was well aware of the extraordinary challenges facing the firm. The closure of businesses deemed “nonessential” owing to the COVID-19 pandemic had devastated the... View Details

Keywords: Restaurants; COVID-19 Pandemic; Scenario Planning; Scenarios; Health Pandemics; Risk and Uncertainty; Strategy

2024
Working Paper

What Drives Variation in Investor Portfolios? Estimating the Roles of Beliefs and Risk Preferences

By: Mark Egan, Alexander MacKay and Hanbin Yang

We present an empirical model of portfolio choice that allows for the nonparametric estimation of investors' (subjective) expectations and risk preferences. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset of 401(k) plans from 2009 through 2019, we explore heterogeneity in asset... View Details

Keywords: Stock Market Expectations; Demand Estimation; Retirement Planning; Defined Contribution Retirement Plan; 401 (K); Finance; Investment Portfolio; Investment; Retirement; Behavioral Finance; Financial Services Industry; United States

SSRN

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01 Sep 2023
News

Turning Point: Listen to the Music

“Honey, none of these Oregon farmers will trust their money to a woman. Can you type?” No, I couldn’t type. In fact, I had flunked typing. I thought, “Okay, I’ll apply to the top business school. If I don’t get in, I’ll figure out Plan... View Details

Keywords: music; film; purpose; career

December 2018
Case

CIR Group: Passing Wealth through the Generations

By: Lauren Cohen, Christopher J. Malloy and Elena Corsi

Rodolfo, Marco, and Edoardo De Benedetti had received from their father his controlling shares in COFIDE, a publicly listed holding company that held 45.8% of CIR Group, another publicly listed holding. The latter held majority shares in GEDI, Italy’s largest print... View Details

Keywords: Succession Planning; Transferring Shares; Wealth Management; Holding Structures; Family Ownership; Ownership Stake; Management Succession; Governing and Advisory Boards; Policy; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Health Industry; Italy

03 Jun 2025
Blog Post

Alumni Career Journey: Margot Zuckerman (MBA 2024) – Integrating Climate into Business (and Government) Priorities

In our Alumni Career Journey series, we spotlight inspiring HBS graduates who are leveraging their business and leadership skills to make a significant impact in tackling climate change. Join us as we explore their diverse View Details

19 Dec 2013
Blog Post

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

graduating students to answer a question posed by Mary Oliver’s poem, The Summer Day - “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” While I don’t yet have an answer to that question, I do know that I want to... View Details

Keywords: Technology

19 Jan 2022
Blog Post

From Retail to HBS: How I’m Building a Career Path at the Intersection of Arts, Culture, and Business

Strategy & Planning at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and resides in New York City. Tell us about your background before HBS. How did you choose a career in retail? I’ve always been drawn to the... View Details

Research Summary

The Transition to Retirement

By: Teresa M. Amabile

My current major research program is the Retirement Transitions Study: a broad study of retiring professionals' everyday experiences, including identification with work; identity stability, change, and development; meaningfulness of work; changes in life structure,... View Details

Keywords: Careers; Psychology; Creativity; Identity; Retirement; Meaning

August 2022
Teaching Plan

Janet Ames (A), (B), (C), (D)

By: Brian Trelstad

Teaching Plan for HBS Case Nos. 320-076, 320-077, 320-078, and 322-051. The series of Janet Ames cases follow a fictional alumna of Harvard Business School into her consulting career in Boston. Over the series of cases, Ames is first offered the opportunity to join... View Details

Keywords: Philanthropy; Board; Non-profit Management; Career Changes And Transitions; Evaluation; Personal Development and Career; Opportunities; Decision Choices and Conditions; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Governing and Advisory Boards; Social Enterprise; Social Entrepreneurship; Nonprofit Organizations; Management; United States

February 2013 (Revised February 2013)
Case

Wayne Ferrari: iAutomation at a Crossroads

By: Jim Sharpe and Michael Norris

Wayne Ferrari has bridged the gap between being an independent entrepreneur and a "professional manager." After selling his business to a Private Equity (PE) firm, Ferrari takes on the role of CEO and with their support implements a roll-up strategy to attain growth... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Management; Entrepreneurial Organizations; Leveraged Buyouts; Roll-up; Career Planning; Acquisitions; Pricing; Pricing Policies; Pricing Strategy; Pricing Structure; Acquisition; Entrepreneurship; Private Equity; Distribution; Integration; System; Electronics Industry; Distribution Industry; United States

16 May 2024
News

On the Job

useful perspective later in her career as cofounder of Lighthouse Capital Partners, a venture capital firm with early investments in a number of health care companies. Gwill York: I started earning money when I was in fourth grade, and I... View Details

Keywords: first job; leadership; life experience; career lessons; Finance; Oil and Gas Extraction; Mining; Retail Trade

June 2013
Supplement

AME Learning Inc. (Video Supplement)

By: Jim Sharpe

This is the Video Supplement for AME Learning, Inc., HBS Case #810065. View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Management; Entrepreneurs; Angels; Angel Investors; Growth Planning And Management; Growth Strategy; Family Businesses; Family-owned Business; Careers; Venture Capital; Entrepreneurship; Personal Development and Career; Family and Family Relationships; Family Business; Publishing Industry; Education Industry; Canada; United States

28 Jun 2020
News

Leverage Baker Library to Inform Your Job Search

Keywords: HBS Career Programs; Baker Library

12 Feb 2021
News

How Dunkin’ Donuts Took Over the World

build their careers. So I would say the satisfaction from all the customers, the satisfaction from building a franchise network that enables families to live far better than they would have had it not been for us. And also the career... View Details

Keywords: brands; leadership; management; strategy; operations; career; Food and Beverage Stores; Retail Trade

June 2013
Teaching Note

Eric Weston (TN)

By: Jim Sharpe and Noah Fisher

This is the Teaching Note Associated with case #813045 (Eric Weston). View Details

Keywords: Acquisitions; Bankruptcy; Financing; Turnarounds; Liquidation; Negotiation; Entrepreneurial Management; Crisis Management; Entrepreneurs; Bank Loan; Career Planning; Financial Analysis; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Entrepreneurship; Acquisition; Retail Industry; United States