Publications

June 2022 (Revised January 2023)
Case

South Africa – a 'Just Energy Transition'

By: Richard Vietor

South Africa, like most other countries, is in the process of reducing its carbon emissions to comply with COP26 and, hopefully, reach net zero emissions by 2050. However, because South Africa relies almost wholly on coal (93%) for electricity, and on coal for... View Details

Keywords: Energy; Economic Development; Climate Change; Coal Mining; Emission Reduction; Environmental Regulation; Environmental Sustainability; Environmental Law; Labor and Management Relations; Labor Unions; Natural Resources; Energy Policy; Energy Sources; South Africa

January 1994 (Revised April 1994)
Case

EMC Corporation: Response to Shareholder Litigation (B)

By: Josh Lerner

Reports EMC's decision concerning the second shareholder class-action suit and its implications. Legislative efforts to reform securities litigation are also discussed. View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Lawsuits and Litigation; Going Public; Policy; Management Teams; Business and Shareholder Relations; Technology Industry; United States

22 Jul 2014
First Look

First Look: July 22

firms is significantly lower than that of comparable U.S. firms and that the difference depends on the firm's home country characteristics. Foreign firms from countries with a weak rule of law are less... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

February 1995 (Revised July 1995)
Case

Power Play (A): Nintendo in 8-bit Video Games

The home video-game industry began in 1972 with the founding of Atari. After riding a dramatic boom and bust in the early 1980s, most players left the business. Nintendo of Japan then rebuilt the industry--establishing a commanding worldwide position by the end of the... View Details

Keywords: Value Creation; Lawfulness; Competitive Advantage; Monopoly; Video Game Industry; Japan

November 2006 (Revised August 2012)
Background Note

A Strategic Perspective on Bankruptcy

By: Bill George, Jim Sharpe and Andrew N. McLean

An overview of bankruptcy procedures in U.S. courts, recent filing data and a framework for evaluating a reorganization with creditors or considering opening a court-supervised reorganization under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. View Details

Keywords: Bankruptcy; Financial Distress; Turnarounds; Legal Aspects Of Business; Liquidation; Boards Of Directors; Hedge Funds; Strategy; Law; Governing and Advisory Boards; Negotiation; Crisis Management; Policy; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Credit; Financial Crisis; United States

December 1994 (Revised September 1996)
Case

Cementownia Odra (A)

The Polish government is privatizing Cementownia Odra, a cement firm. Tomasz Budziak, a team leader, is negotiating on behalf of the Polish Ministry of Privatization. Hans-Hugo Miebach, owner of a German cement company, has made an attractive offer; a deal hinges on... View Details

Keywords: Contracts; Negotiation; Privatization; Construction Industry; Germany; Poland

20 Sep 2011
News

A Taxing Question

repeal the tax law that allows corporations to defer paying taxes on their overseas income, thereby generating billions in much-needed revenue for the US Treasury. And they point to major competitors with... View Details

Keywords: Roger Thompson; Accounting, Tax, Bookkeeping, Payroll Services; Professional Services

23 Oct 2019
News

Negotiators Share Lessons from High-Stakes Global Diplomacy

Madeleine Albright was interviewed for the American Secretaries of State Project, a collaboration among faculty members at HBS, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Law School designed to extract lessons in... View Details

Keywords: University Collaborations

December 2022 (Revised February 2023)
Case

Daniel Defense: Responding to the Shooting at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Daniel Fisher

At 11:33am on May 24, 2022, an 18-year-old man from Uvalde, Texas walked into the Robb Elementary School carrying a semi-automatic "AR-15-style” rifle manufactured by Daniel Defense and killed 19 children and two adults. Three days later, Representative Carolyn Maloney... View Details

Keywords: Gun Violence; Gun Policy; Second Amendment; Legal Liability; Government Legislation; Marketing Strategy; Business or Company Management; Product Marketing; Ethics; Corporate Accountability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Moral Sensibility; Crime and Corruption; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Manufacturing Industry; Advertising Industry; United States

31 Jul 2019
News

Honoring the Code

law is going to be, I'm going to carry it out. “But in 2008, I'm now chairman, much different from 1993 when I wasn't involved. It just struck me that I'm leading an institution whose main value is integrity. View Details

January 2019
Case

Accenture's Code of Business Ethics

By: Eugene Soltes

Leaders of Accenture’s compliance and ethics program are seeking to design a new code of business ethics for its global workforce of over 400,000 employees. The case explores the decision-making process that went into the design process and ultimately how they created... View Details

Keywords: Code Of Conduct; Compliance; Ethics; Law; Leadership; Governance Compliance

October 1987 (Revised October 1998)
Case

CVD, Inc. vs. A.S. Markham Corp. (A)

Describes the legal odyssey of two engineers who left their old employer to start a company that was directly competitive. The issues include employment contracts, technology licenses, antitrust, trade secrets, and confidential information. Provides a good opportunity... View Details

Keywords: Business Strategy; Human Resources; Contracts; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Intellectual Property; Ethics; Legal Liability; Business Startups; Monopoly

January 2008
Supplement

Joe Bachelder: Reflections

By: Brian Hall and James K. Sebenius

After Charles Suarez's failed compensation negotiations with Victor, Suarez's attorney, Joe Batchelder, joined class discussions of the case in a course taught by Professor Brian Hall. Professor James Sebenius also interviewed Joe Bachelder at length on this case and... View Details

Keywords: Courts and Trials; Attorney and Client Relationships; Negotiation Deal; Executive Compensation; Knowledge Sharing; Talent and Talent Management; Perspective; Organizations

August 2003 (Revised January 2013)
Case

Multinational Corporations in Apartheid-era South Africa: The Issue of Reparations

By: Geoffrey Jones and Cate Reavis

Considers the lawsuits filed on behalf of victims of apartheid against multinationals who operated in South Africa prior to 1994. Reviews the debates about divestment from and sanctions against South Africa from the 1950s. Includes case studies of companies that... View Details

Keywords: Ethics; Multinational Firms and Management; Government Legislation; Lawsuits and Litigation; Business and Government Relations; Prejudice and Bias; South Africa

April 2010 (Revised October 2010)
Case

The International Criminal Court

By: Rafael M. Di Tella and Natalie Kindred

This Case describes a controversial 2010 decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and alludes to some of the broader challenges of building international institutions. The case briefly highlights certain milestones in international relations preceding the... View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Decision Choices and Conditions; International Relations; Political Elections; Courts and Trials; Organizations; Kenya

06 Nov 2015
Blog Post

Casey Gerald: Becoming a Leader at HBS

and resources that I-- and people like me in my neighborhood-- never had access to. The question really became permanent in my mind: What am I going to do with my opportunities to provide opportunities to... View Details

April 1986 (Revised July 1986)
Supplement

Duncan Field (B)

By: Howard H. Stevenson

Following the acquisition of a new business, the manager is approached for the "continuation" of a regular payment for services to "insure labor peace" and maintain a parking lot. The case allows discussion of ethical, legal, and practical issues involved. View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Ethics; Law; Management; Service Industry

Article

Should Business Have Human Rights Obligations?

By: Nien-he Hsieh

Businesses and their managers are increasingly called upon to take on human rights obligations. Focusing on the case of multinational enterprises (MNEs), the paper argues we have reason to reject assigning human rights obligations to business enterprises and their... View Details

Keywords: Human Rights; Ruggie Principles; Corporate Responsibility; Multinationals; Rights; Multinational Firms and Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact