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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(6,938)
- People (11)
- News (1,689)
- Research (3,963)
- Events (36)
- Multimedia (146)
- Faculty Publications (2,858)
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- March 2021 (Revised April 2021)
- Case
Wirecard: The Downfall of a German Fintech Star
By: Jonas Heese, Charles C.Y. Wang and Tonia Labruyere
Wirecard was a German fintech company, member of the DAX30, that provided payment processing and related services. Wirecard had enjoyed large growth rates over the years and most investors and analysts were enthusiastic about the company's prospects. Wirecard's... View Details
Keywords: Accounting Fraud; Scandal; Accounting Audits; Accounting; Financial Reporting; Financial Institutions; Financial Markets; Corporate Governance; Governance Compliance; Corporate Accountability; Governance Controls; Financial Services Industry; Germany; Singapore; Dubai
Heese, Jonas, Charles C.Y. Wang, and Tonia Labruyere. "Wirecard: The Downfall of a German Fintech Star." Harvard Business School Case 121-058, March 2021. (Revised April 2021.)
- October 2008
- Case
The Talbots, Inc., and Subsidiaries: Accounting for Goodwill
By: William J. Bruns Jr.
In 2006, Talbots, Inc., a specialty women's retailer, purchased a competitor, J. Jill. The transaction created a large goodwill account along with accounts for trademarks and other intangible assets. Using prevailing accounting standards (Statement of Financial... View Details
Keywords: FASB; Intangible Assets; Standards; Financial Statements; Goodwill Accounting; Apparel and Accessories Industry; Retail Industry
Bruns, William J., Jr. "The Talbots, Inc., and Subsidiaries: Accounting for Goodwill." Harvard Business School Brief Case 083-254, October 2008.
- 2014
- Article
The Governance of Social Enterprises: Mission Drift and Accountability Challenges in Hybrid Organizations
By: Alnoor Ebrahim, Julie Battilana and Johanna Mair
We examine the challenges of governance facing organizations that pursue a social mission through the use of market mechanisms. These hybrid organizations, often referred to as social enterprises, combine aspects of both charity and business at their core. In this... View Details
Keywords: Governance; Hybrid Organizations; Nonprofit; Performance Measurement; Legal Form; Agency Theory; Stakeholder Management; Mission and Purpose; Social Enterprise; Corporate Accountability
Ebrahim, Alnoor, Julie Battilana, and Johanna Mair. "The Governance of Social Enterprises: Mission Drift and Accountability Challenges in Hybrid Organizations." Research in Organizational Behavior 34 (2014): 81–100.
- June 2020 (Revised February 2021)
- Case
Accounting for Leases at American Airlines (A)
By: Jonas Heese, Gerardo Pérez Cavazos and Julia Kelley
In March 2020, as coronavirus reduced demand for air travel, an analyst was forecasting American Airlines’ (American’s) first quarter financial results. To develop a forecast, she needed to familiarize herself with Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, “Leases... View Details
Keywords: Accounting; Financial Reporting; Financial Statements; Finance; Governance; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Governance; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Governing and Advisory Boards; Leasing; Accounting Industry; Accounting Industry; North and Central America; United States
Heese, Jonas, Gerardo Pérez Cavazos, and Julia Kelley. "Accounting for Leases at American Airlines (A)." Harvard Business School Case 120-069, June 2020. (Revised February 2021.)
- 2006
- Working Paper
Placing the Normative Logics of Accountability in 'Thick' Perspective
By: Alnoor Ebrahim
Ebrahim, Alnoor. "Placing the Normative Logics of Accountability in 'Thick' Perspective." Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations Working Paper, No. 33.2, January 2006.
- September 2010 (Revised September 2013)
- Case
Accounting for the iPhone at Apple Inc.
By: Francois Brochet, Krishna G. Palepu and Lauren Barley
Apple initially recognized revenue associated with its iPhone product using subscription accounting. However, in 2008, the company started providing non-GAAP supplemental numbers where substantially all of the revenue was recognized upfront. Market participants'... View Details
Brochet, Francois, Krishna G. Palepu, and Lauren Barley. "Accounting for the iPhone at Apple Inc." Harvard Business School Case 111-003, September 2010. (Revised September 2013.)
- January 2018 (Revised August 2018)
- Supplement
Fair Value Accounting at Noble Group (B)
By: Siko Sikochi, Suraj Srinivasan and Quinn Pitcher
Following a series of reports by Iceberg Research alleging that Noble Group was too aggressive in its fair value accounting for contracts and investments in producers, Noble’s stock price continued to fall and stakeholders began to call for improved transparency in... View Details
Sikochi, Siko, Suraj Srinivasan, and Quinn Pitcher. "Fair Value Accounting at Noble Group (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 118-062, January 2018. (Revised August 2018.)
- 2012
- Working Paper
A Framework for Research on Corporate Accountability Reporting
By: Karthik Ramanna
This paper provides an accounting-based conceptual framing of the phenomenon of corporate accountability reporting. Such reporting is seen as arising from a delegator's (e.g., a citizenry) demand to hold a delegate (e.g., shareholders) to account. When effective,... View Details
Keywords: Integrated Corporate Reporting; For-Profit Firms; Framework; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Governance; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Research; Environmental Sustainability; Social Issues
Ramanna, Karthik. "A Framework for Research on Corporate Accountability Reporting." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 12-021, September 2011. (Revised July 2012, October 2012.)
- October 2023
- Case
Social Finance: Driving Accountability
By: Robin Greenwood, Richard S. Ruback and Robert Ialenti
Social Finance is a Boston-based nonprofit that works at the intersection of finance and policy. It raises, allocates, and manages capital to fund projects in the areas of education, early childhood development, criminal justice, and health. The case explores how... View Details
Greenwood, Robin, Richard S. Ruback, and Robert Ialenti. "Social Finance: Driving Accountability." Harvard Business School Case 224-043, October 2023.
- August 2018 (Revised April 2019)
- Case
Fair Value Accounting at Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (A)
By: Jonas Heese, Suraj Srinivasan, Francois Brochet and Christine Johnson
In May 2018, Berkshire Hathaway announced an unprecedented loss of more than $1 billion for the first quarter of 2018. Warren Buffett blamed this loss on the new accounting rules for equity securities which he criticized. In the case ‘Fair Value Accounting at Berkshire... View Details
Keywords: Equity Securities; FASB; Fair Value Accounting; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Financial Services Industry
Heese, Jonas, Suraj Srinivasan, Francois Brochet, and Christine Johnson. "Fair Value Accounting at Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (A)." Harvard Business School Case 119-030, August 2018. (Revised April 2019.)
- 09 Mar 2011
- Working Paper Summaries
Accounting Scholarship That Advances Professional Knowledge and Practice
- Teaching Interest
Leadership and Corporate Accountability
In this course, students learn about the complex responsibilities facing business leaders today. Through cases about difficult managerial decisions, the course examines the legal, ethical, and economic responsibilities of corporate leaders. It also teaches students... View Details
- 2022
- Working Paper
A Conceptualization of Sub-Living Wages: Liabilities, Leverage, and Risk
By: Drew Keller, Katie Panella and George Serafeim
Currently the accounting system records employee wages as an expense in the income statement. However, paying below living wages can expose an organization to reputational and operational risks. In this paper, we offer an alternative conceptualization of the issue of... View Details
Keywords: Accounting; Impact Accounting; Leverage; Wages; Compensation and Benefits; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Business and Government Relations; Social Issues; Human Capital
Keller, Drew, Katie Panella, and George Serafeim. "A Conceptualization of Sub-Living Wages: Liabilities, Leverage, and Risk." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 22-076, June 2022.
- October 2010 (Revised July 2013)
- Case
ActionAid International: Globalizing Governance, Localizing Accountability
By: Alnoor Ebrahim and Rachel Gordon
As a global NGO working in 45 countries, ActionAid International aims to eradicate poverty by addressing its underlying causes such as injustice and inequality. This case follows a series of radical transformations implemented by the organization's CEO, Ramesh Singh—a... View Details
Keywords: Local Range; Globalized Firms and Management; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Governance; Leading Change; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Structure; Nonprofit Organizations; Power and Influence; Johannesburg; London
Ebrahim, Alnoor, and Rachel Gordon. "ActionAid International: Globalizing Governance, Localizing Accountability." Harvard Business School Case 311-004, October 2010. (Revised July 2013.)
- September 2004 (Revised January 2006)
- Tutorial
Introduction to Cost Accounting Systems
By: David F. Hawkins, V.G. Narayanan, Jacob Cohen and Michele Jurgens
Covers the basics of cost system design, demonstrating in a clear, step-by-step fashion how costs are assigned to cost objects. Key concepts include direct and indirect costs, two-stage allocation, cost pools, and cost drivers. Also provides a brief review of several... View Details
- 2017
- Other Teaching and Training Material
Financial Accounting Reading: Revenue Recognition
By: David F. Hawkins
The overarching goal of the revenue recognition chapter is to help students better understand the substance and implementation challenges of the joint FASB/IASB revenue recognition standard. This Reading includes four Interactive Illustrations: "Time Value of Money for... View Details
Hawkins, David F. "Financial Accounting Reading: Revenue Recognition." Core Curriculum Readings Series. Harvard Business Publishing 5066, 2017.
- 1988
- Chapter
Originality in Management Accounting Systems: Field Studies of the Processes
By: Robert S. Kaplan
Kaplan, Robert S. "Originality in Management Accounting Systems: Field Studies of the Processes." In New Directions in Creative and Innovative Management, edited by Y. Ijiri and R. L. Kuhn, 103–114. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger Publishing Company, 1988.
- 2007
- Working Paper
Evidence from Goodwill Non-impairments on the Effects of Unverifiable Fair-Value Accounting
By: Karthik Ramanna and Ross L. Watts
SFAS 142 requires firms to use unverifiable fair-value estimates to determine goodwill impairments. Standard setters suggest managers will use the discretion given by such estimates to convey private information on future cash flows, while agency theory predicts... View Details
Ramanna, Karthik, and Ross L. Watts. "Evidence from Goodwill Non-impairments on the Effects of Unverifiable Fair-Value Accounting." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 08-014, August 2007.
- December 2010
- Article
Implications for GAAP from an Analysis of Positive Research in Accounting
By: S.P. Kothari, Karthik Ramanna and Douglas J. Skinner
Based on extant literature, we review the positive theory of GAAP. The theory predicts that GAAP's principal focus is on control (performance measurement and stewardship) and that verifiability and conservatism are critical features of a GAAP shaped by market forces.... View Details
Keywords: Fair Value Accounting; Standards; International Accounting; Financial Markets; Financial Reporting
Kothari, S.P., Karthik Ramanna, and Douglas J. Skinner. "Implications for GAAP from an Analysis of Positive Research in Accounting." Journal of Accounting & Economics 50, nos. 2-3 (December 2010): 246–286. (Presented at the 2009 Journal of Accounting & Economics Conference.)