Publications

December 2017 (Revised November 2018)
Case

Tesla Motors (B): Merging with SolarCity

By: Stuart C. Gilson and Sarah L. Abbott

In 2016, electric car manufacturer Tesla announced that it was making an offer to acquire solar panel manufacturer SolarCity in an all-stock offer worth $2.6 billion in Tesla stock. Tesla’s co-founder and CEO, Elon Musk, believed that the merger would generate... View Details

Keywords: M＆A; M＆A Valuation; Investing; Equities; Equity; Valuation; Mergers and Acquisitions; Auto Industry; Energy Industry; United States

20 Oct 2010
Op-Ed

Export Competitiveness: Reversing the Logic

strategy, whether or not it could be improved or remains feasible. One concern relates back to the empirical evidence presented at the outset, which indicated that the link between exports and prosperity is... View Details

Keywords: by Christian Ketels

Article

Case Study: Follow Dubious Orders or Speak Up?

By: Sandra J. Sucher and Matthew Preble

The article discusses an intern for the technology security company Zantech addressing her concerns about her boss in Seoul, South Korea, regarding an inappropriate suggestion on misrepresenting her identity. An overview of the ethical aspects of addressing her... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Labor and Management Relations; Organizational Culture

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26 Apr 2010
News

The Pay Problem

May 2008
Case

Thomas Green: Power, Office Politics and a Career in Crisis

By: W. Earl Sasser Jr. and Heather Beckham

The case describes the dilemma of a marketing manager, Thomas Green, who, after being rapidly promoted, is harshly criticized by his boss, Frank Davis. Green and Davis disagree on work styles and market projections. Green believes the sales goals set by Davis are based... View Details

Keywords: Superior ＆ Subordinate; Performance Management; Personal Strategy ＆ Style; Management Style; Conflict Management; Communication; Rank and Position; Personal Characteristics; Power and Influence

15 Jan 2014
News

Yelp giving businesses that buy ads preferential treatment?

30 Jul 2018
News

HBS Alumnus and Great Benefactor C. D. Spangler, Jr., Dies at 86

01 Dec 2015
HBS Seminar

Nicola Lacetera, University of Toronto

November 2010 (Revised February 2011)
Case

BonneSante S.A.

By: David F. Hawkins

IASB and FASB propose new lease accounting rules and the owner of a French chain of fast food outlets is concerned about the impact on his company's balance sheets. View Details

Keywords: Financial Reporting; International Accounting; Policy; Standards; Leasing; Food and Beverage Industry; Retail Industry; France

October 2007 (Revised February 2008)
Background Note

Evaluating M&A Deals: Accretion vs. Dilution of Earnings-per-share

By: Carliss Y. Baldwin

When discussing the pros and cons of an acquisition, practitioners often talk about the impact of the deal on the buyer's earnings-per-share (eps). An acquisition is said to be "accretive" if the buyer's eps goes up post-deal; it is "dilutive" if the buyer's eps goes... View Details

Keywords: Business Earnings; Mergers and Acquisitions; Private Equity; Negotiation Deal

I received my first degree in Economics in 1990 from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina and a D.Phil in Economics from Oxford University in 1996. After a short stay in Argentina I joined Harvard Business School in July 1997, where I... View Details

Keywords: broadcasting; state government

September 2018
Article

When and Why Randomized Response Techniques (Fail to) Elicit the Truth

By: Leslie K. John, George Loewenstein, Alessandro Acquisti and Joachim Vosgerau

By adding random noise to individual responses, randomized response techniques (RRTs) are intended to enhance privacy protection and encourage honest disclosure of sensitive information. Empirical findings on their success in doing so are, however, mixed. In nine... View Details

Keywords: Truth-telling; Lying; Privacy; Information Disclosure; Survey Research; Surveys; Attitudes; Behavior

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02 Nov 2016
Op-Ed

Government and Financial Tech Can Fix Cash Woes for Small Businesses

Ask any small business owner and they will tell you that cash flow is on their mind pretty much all the time. This isn’t surprising, given that they are continuously managing dollars coming in from customers and going out to pay for... View Details

Keywords: by Karen Mills

November 1997 (Revised December 1999)
Case

Cinemex

By: James L. Heskett

The founders of Cinemex, the largest capitalized venture start-up in Mexican history, are debating several issues concerning the operations of their new chain of motion picture theatres in Mexico City. The first concerns whether some seats should be left unsold to... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Service Operations; Debates; Venture Capital; Customer Satisfaction; Advertising; Investment; Theater Entertainment; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Mexico City

October 2004 (Revised March 2006)
Background Note

Learning from Scandals: Responsibility of Professional Organizations

By: Ashish Nanda

This case comments on the responsibility of professional organizations to respond openly to public accusations of wrongdoing by its members. It briefly relates the circumstances of the sexual abuse scandal in the Boston archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church and the... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Disclosure; Ethics