Publications

09 Jan 2006
Research & Ideas

What Really Drives Your Strategy?

process itself can actually shape the realized strategy of the firm. This can include internal reporting structures and incentive systems, but it can also reflect external factors such as capital markets and customers. One of the... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

30 Mar 2010
First Look

First Look: March 30

foreign capital may encourage entrepreneurship. We find that entrepreneurial activity is higher in industries that have a large share of foreign firms in vertically linked industries. Second, we find that entrepreneurial activity in... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

February 2021
Teaching Plan

Soofa: Displaying the Right Path?

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Amy Klopfenstein

This teaching plan serves as a supplement to the case “Soofa: Displaying the Right Path?” HBS 820-098. The case explores the tension between two different financing and expansion plans for a startup, and explores issues related to business model pivots and industry... View Details

07 Jul 2015
First Look

First Look: July 7, 2015

Case 815-101 Founder Field Day Branded as the "Millennial firm for Millennials," Mike Rothenberg founded Rothenberg Ventures (RV) in 2012 while earning his MBA at the Harvard Business School (HBS). Over the following 24 months,... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

11 Mar 2001
Research & Ideas

Wired and Black: Focus on Careers

companies are very big companies now." And, according to Butler, the time of the manager has come. "It seems like the limelight has gone a lot to the idea people and the people who find the money for the idea people," he said. "But now, when I talk... View Details

Keywords: by Carrie Levine

February 2024
Case

ReSpo.Vision: The Kickstart of an AI Sports Revolution

By: Paul A. Gompers, Elena Corsi and Nikolina Jonsson

This case study explores the growth journey of Polish computer vision sports start-up ReSpo.Vision in an emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem. By providing 3D data and analysis to soccer clubs, ReSpo.Vision achieved significant milestones with a €1 million seed round, an... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Business Plan; Experience and Expertise; Talent and Talent Management; Decisions; Decision Choices and Conditions; Forecasting and Prediction; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; AI and Machine Learning; Analytics and Data Science; Applications and Software; Business Strategy; Sports Industry; Technology Industry; Poland; Europe

September 1991
Case

Kaiser Steel Corporation, 1984

By: Timothy A. Luehrman

In 1984, Kaiser's shareholders were asked to approve a complicated leveraged buyout of the company. Students are asked to analyze the proposed transaction and make a recommendation. To do this, they must determine who gets what in the deal, whether and how any value is... View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Capital; Value Creation; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Steel Industry

25 Mar 2001
Research & Ideas

Who Wants to Be an Entrepreneur? [Part II]

company could hope to offer any customer. Beyond the daunting technology, Bronner's notion also depended on persuading national partners to direct their marketing budgets toward this kind of unproven customer reward. And meeting both those challenges meant the new... View Details

Keywords: by John S. Rosenberg

05 May 2003
Research & Ideas

What It Takes to Restore Trust in Business

far. The American capital markets are a key element of the economic system, and "when they function well, they are a wonder of the world," he said. But the American capital markets require four... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Financial Services

December 2023 (Revised April 2024)
Case

Yellow Corporation: On the Verge of Bankruptcy

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Edward A. Meyer

Yellow Corporation, one of the country’s oldest and largest less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers, was nearing its 100th anniversary in 2024. Whether it would reach that milestone, however, was uncertain as the company was attempting to restructure its operations to... View Details

Keywords: Labor Unions; Labor and Management Relations; Capital Structure; Restructuring; Financial Management; Ethics; Borrowing and Debt; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Financial Strategy; Truck Transportation; Change Management; Transportation Industry; Shipping Industry; United States

December 2001
Teaching Note

Parenting Magazine TN

By: Paul A. Gompers

Teaching Note for (9-291-015). A rewritten version of an earlier teaching note. View Details

Keywords: Money; Capital; Capital Budgeting; Decisions; Cost Accounting; Economic Systems; Negotiation Process; Corporate Accountability; Negotiation Deal; Business Startups; Financial Strategy; Corporate Finance; Journalism and News Industry; Publishing Industry

22 May 2012
First Look

First Look: May 22

Their challenge had been finding the capital to finance the new ventures rather than the brand. Since 2005, Branson was dedicating more and more time to a charitable organization, Virgin Unite, and had... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

October 2019
Supplement

Impax Laboratories: Executing Accretive Transactions (A)

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Daniel Fisher

Impax Laboratories was a technology-based pharmaceutical company that used a “dual platform” strategy to sell both generic and branded treatments. While Impax had grown organically for most of its history, it was beginning to use major acquisitions for growth. In the... View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; Financial Statements; Mergers and Acquisitions; Capital Structure; Financial Strategy; Competition; Competitive Advantage; Corporate Strategy; Pharmaceutical Industry; United States

01 Aug 2000
Research & Ideas

A Latin American Vision: New HBS Research Center Opens

Silicon Valley and Hong Kong. As for Latin America, in addition to the new Center in Buenos Aires, according to Stevenson, there is also a satellite office in Rio de Janeiro and may soon be one in Mexico. "Our purpose with the Center is to develop intellectual... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

October 2019 (Revised November 2019)
Case

C16 Biosciences: Lab-Grown Palm Oil

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Olivia Hull

Synthetic biology start-up C16 Biosciences wants to solve a big problem: replace palm oil, a major contributor to deforestation and climate change, with a lab-grown substitute. CEO Shara Ticku has ambitious plans to supply her lab-grown palm oil to food manufacturers,... View Details

Keywords: Science-Based Business; Environmental Sustainability; Social Entrepreneurship; Product Development; Product Positioning; Venture Capital; Strategy; Decision Making; Food and Beverage Industry; Consumer Products Industry

January 2001 (Revised May 2010)
Case

BP Amoco (B): Financing Development of the Caspian Oil Fields

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Michael Kane

British Petroleum and Amoco were the two largest members of the Azerbaijan International Oil Consortium (AIOC), an 11-firm consortium that was spending $10 billion to develop oil fields in the Caspian Sea. As of March 1999, AIOC had completed a $1.9 billion development... View Details

Keywords: Investment; Policy; Capital Budgeting; Project Finance; Emerging Markets; Mergers and Acquisitions; Financing and Loans; Financial Strategy; Mining Industry; Energy Industry; United Kingdom; Europe

April 2015 (Revised October 2017)
Teaching Note

Buffett's Bid for Media General's Newspapers

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Annelena Lobb

On May 12, 2012, BH Media Group, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, announced an offer to buy Media General's (MEG) newspaper division for $142 million in cash and provide debt financing to the struggling firm. Reactions from investors and industry... View Details

Keywords: Mergers ＆ Acquisitions; Bankruptcy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Valuation; Capital Structure; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Financial Strategy; Risk Management; Executive Compensation; Cash Flow; Business Exit or Shutdown; Media; Advertising; Restructuring; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Publishing Industry; United States

June 2013 (Revised April 2015)
Case

Buffett's Bid for Media General's Newspapers

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Aldo Sesia

On May 12, 2012, BH Media Group, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, announced an offer to buy Media General's (MEG) newspaper division for $142 million in cash and provide debt financing to the struggling firm. Reactions from investors and industry... View Details

Keywords: Mergers ＆ Acquisitions; Bankruptcy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Valuation; Capital Structure; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Financial Strategy; Risk Management; Executive Compensation; Cash Flow; Business Exit or Shutdown; Media; Advertising; Restructuring; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Publishing Industry; United States