Publications

April 2009
Teaching Note

Apple's Core (TN)

By: Noam T. Wasserman and Lisa Brem

Teaching Note for [809063]. View Details

Keywords: Product Design; Resignation and Termination; Decisions; Business Growth and Maturation; Equity; Selection and Staffing; Electronics Industry; Computer Industry

May 2012
Article

Complicated Firms

By: Lauren Cohen and Dong Lou

We exploit a novel setting in which the same piece of information affects two sets of firms: one set of firms requires straightforward processing to update prices, while the other set requires more complicated analyses to incorporate the same piece of information into... View Details

Keywords: Investment Portfolio; Information; Price; Forecasting and Prediction; Complexity; Mathematical Methods

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24 Jun 2008
First Look

First Look: June 24, 2008

log variance of income per worker. This figure should be compared to the 42% success rate of the usual model. Download the paper from SSRN ($5): http://papers.nber.org/papers/w14060 Bounded Decision Making: From Description to Improvement... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

Profile

Richard Lou

multi-perspective approach. HBS is about learning from those in finance and marketing, but also from people with a background in in education and politics. The opinions are so diverse, yet all of them add value to the learning... View Details

12 Aug 2014
First Look

First Look: August 12

arises from behavioral biases and misperceptions of probability distributions. Finally, nonpecuniary taste-based factors may be important in motivating both the decisions to enter into and to persist in entrepreneurship. Publisher's link:... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

26 Jan 2010
First Look

First Look: Jan. 26

The Irrational Economist: Making Decisions in a Dangerous World, edited by Erwann Michel-Kerjan and Paul Slovic, 151-160. New York: Public Affairs Books, 2010 Abstract Particularly since the 1960s, the federal government has played a... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

July 2004 (Revised May 2005)
Case

Pfizer's Virtual CIO (Abridged)

By: F. Warren McFarlan and Brian DeLacey

Discusses the IT organization and IT strategy issues facing Pfizer, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. Managing over $1 billion of IT expense, the company has a committee approach for handling all critical IT decisions, an approach that is consistent... View Details

Keywords: Decision Making; Cost Management; Organizational Culture; Strategy; Information Technology; Pharmaceutical Industry

January 2008
Background Note

Equity Options

By: Joshua Coval and Erik Stafford

The goal of this simulation is to understand the reliance of option values on volatility. When an investor trades an option, they are essentially trading volatility. Therefore, much of the focus in this lesson is on forecasting volatility. Students are able to use two... View Details

Keywords: Volatility; Forecasting and Prediction; Stock Options; Investment Return; Price; Market Transactions; Mathematical Methods; Value

30 May 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, May 30

company had performed well and was gaining momentum. Interline was a rare asset in terms of the scale it had reached. However, there were still unknowns. Would buyers reward Interline with a high valuation multiple that reflected its acceleration in organic growth?... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

24 Aug 2016
Research & Ideas

Can Obamacare Be Saved?

insurance premiums for the average plan are expected to rise by 9 percent in 2017. Aetna’s decision prompted commentary from both sides of the political spectrum. Republicans see it as proof that the public exchanges simply won’t work,... View Details

Keywords: by John A. Quelch and Emily Boudreau; Insurance; Health

11 May 2016
News

World Bank Vice President and Treasurer: Negative Rates Not the Answer

Bank in September 2015, previously serving a five-year term as director-general of Nigeria’s Security and Exchange Commission from 2011 to 2015. An alumni profile of her during that stint details her transformative efforts at the Commission: Oteh's bold View Details

May 1984 (Revised August 1987)
Case

Raymond Mushroom Corp.

By: Benson P. Shapiro

In April 1984 Deborah Raymond, president of Raymond Mushrooms was deciding whether or not to raise prices on Raymond canned mushrooms in conjunction with an advertising promotional program to build consumer preference. View Details

Keywords: Product Positioning; Advertising; Decisions; Price; Management Teams; Food and Beverage Industry

February 1991 (Revised October 1991)
Case

Fenchel Lampshade Co.

By: William A. Sahlman

Describes the proposed purchase of a lampshade manufacturer by Steven and Michele Rogers, recent graduates of the Harvard Business School. Focuses on their plans to raise the capital necessary to buy the company. Among the issues raised are how to structure the deal... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Financing and Loans; Negotiation Deal; Business or Company Management; Cost vs Benefits; Manufacturing Industry

January 1995 (Revised May 1997)
Case

Syscom Computers

By: Kenneth A. Froot, Peter Tufano and Chris L Marshall

Discusses a company deciding what it should do to manage its worldwide hedging operations. View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Currency Exchange Rate; Information Management; Management Practices and Processes; Risk Management; Operations

August 2010 (Revised February 2012)
Supplement

Cosmeticos de Espana, S.A. (D)

By: David F. Hawkins

The fourth case in the Cosmeticos de Espana case series. What should management's accounting response be to the imposition of foreign currency controls? View Details

Keywords: Financial Statements; Decision Choices and Conditions; Inflation and Deflation; Currency Exchange Rate; Governance Controls; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Spain; Venezuela

October 1995 (Revised December 1998)
Case

Otis Elevator Company (A): China Strategy

By: Michael Y. Yoshino and Thomas W. Malnight

Examines the evolution of Otis's joint venture in China, from inception to the political crisis in 1989. Raises the question of whether or not the company should make an additional investment in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square incident. View Details

Keywords: Joint Ventures; Decisions; Investment; Globalization; Government Administration; Business and Government Relations; Strategy; China

May 2022 (Revised May 2024)
Case

The Freedom Fund (A): Ending Modern Slavery

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Courtney Han

The Freedom Fund founded in 2013 to end modern slavery had raised more than half its intended target (by 2025) of $200 million. In 2021, impressed by its decentralized-partnering style of operations, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott awarded the Fund a gift of $35 million... View Details

Keywords: Social Issues; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Spending; Decisions; India; Thailand; Ethiopia