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    Cold Call
    A podcast featuring faculty discussing cases they've written and the lessons they impart.
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    • 03 Dec 2019
    • Cold Call Podcast

    Why CalSTRS Chooses to Engage with the Gun Industry

    Should large institutional investors divest or engage if they have an issue with a company? In a recent case study, Vikram Gandhi discusses how CalSTRS, the $200 billion pension plan for California public school teachers, chose to engage with gun makers and retailers.  Open for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.

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    AcquisitionRemove Acquisition →

    New research on acquisition from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including leveraged buyouts, management challenges that come with growth-by-acquisition, and M&A trends.
    Page 1 of 13 Results
    • 05 Nov 2019
    • Working Paper Summaries

    The Economic Effects of Private Equity Buyouts

    by Steven J. Davis, John Haltiwanger, Kyle Handley, Ben Lipsius, Josh Lerner, and Javier Miranda

    Private equity buyouts are a major financial enterprise that critics see as dominated by rent-seeking activities with little in the way of societal benefits. This study of 6,000 US buyouts between 1980 and 2013 finds that the real side effects of buyouts on target firms and their workers vary greatly by deal type and market conditions.

    • 21 Aug 2019
    • Working Paper Summaries

    Improving Customer Compatibility with Operational Transparency

    by Ryan W. Buell and MoonSoo Choi

    Service firms seeking prospective customers usually highlight the advantages of their offerings and downplay the tradeoffs. This study suggests a different approach: Provide transparency into advantages as well as tradeoffs. The transparency helps customers make informed decisions and can lead to better outcomes for both firms and customers over the long run.

    • 05 Jun 2019
    • Research & Ideas

    If Your Customers Don't Care What You Charge, What Should You Charge?

    by Kristen Senz

    Consumer inertia is the tendency of some customers to buy a product, even when superior options exist. Alexander J. MacKay discusses how that habit affects competitive strategy and even regulatory oversight. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

    • 04 Jun 2019
    • Working Paper Summaries

    Political Influence and Merger Antitrust Reviews

    by Mihir N. Mehta, Suraj Srinivasan, and Wanli Zhao

    This paper uses a large sample of United States mergers between 1998 and 2010 to study how political connections help firms obtain favorable antitrust regulatory outcomes for mergers. Given that antitrust regulators are subject to congressional oversight, the authors predict and find evidence that outcomes systematically favor firms that are constituents of politicians serving on judiciary committees.

    • 30 May 2019
    • Working Paper Summaries

    US Antitrust Law and Policy in Historical Perspective

    by Laura Phillips Sawyer

    Since the late 19th century, American antitrust law and policy has responded to multiple changes: technological advances that have transformed business structures, political imperatives that have reformed regulations and informed prosecutorial discretion, and economic theories that have reshaped the boundaries of government interventions into the economy. Today, antitrust remains a contested field.

    • 10 Apr 2019
    • Working Paper Summaries

    Trade Secrets Protection and Antitakeover Provisions

    by Aiyesha Dey and Joshua White

    The study examines managers’ responses when facing an increased threat of their firm being acquired. Results add to our knowledge of the use of antitakeover provisions, showing that managers, particularly in high-innovation firms, increase certain provisions to protect long-term innovation output in the presence of elevated acquisition risk.

    • 14 May 2018
    • Research & Ideas

    Amazon vs. Whole Foods: When Cultures Collide

    by Michael Blanding

    Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods seemed a Wall Street dream come true. But then Amazon's data-driven efficiency met the customer-driven culture at Whole Foods—and the shelves began to empty. Dennis Campbell and Tatiana Sandino discuss their new case study. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

    • 12 Feb 2018
    • Working Paper Summaries

    Private Equity, Jobs, and Productivity: Reply to Ayash and Rastad

    by Steven J. Davis, John Haltiwanger, Kyle Handley, Ron S. Jarmin, Josh Lerner, and Javier Miranda

    In 2014, the authors published an influential analysis of private equity buyouts in the American Economic Review. Recently, economists Brian Ayash and Mahdi Rastad have challenged the accuracy of those findings. This new paper responds point by point to their critique, contending that it reflects a misunderstanding of the data and methodology behind the original study.

    • 25 Jan 2016
    • Research & Ideas

    When Negotiating a Price, Never Bid with a Round Number

    by Carmen Nobel

    Investors who offer “precise” bids for company shares yield better outcomes than those who offer round-number bids, according to research by Petri Hukkanen and Matti Keloharju. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

    • 03 Sep 2009
    • What Do You Think?

    Are Retention Bonuses Worth the Investment?

    by Jim Heskett

    There is a time and place for retention bonuses but they should be used sparingly, wrote many respondents to this month's column, says Professor Jim Heskett. Others challenged the value of bonuses, and suggested compelling alternatives. (Online forum now closed; next forum begins October 2.) Closed for comment; 42 Comment(s) posted.

    • 15 Dec 2008
    • Research & Ideas

    The Surprisingly Successful Marriages of Multinationals and Social Brands

    by Sarah Jane Gilbert

    What happens when small iconic brands associated with social values—think Ben & Jerry's—are acquired by large concerns—think Unilever? Can the marriage of a virtuous mouse and a wealthy elephant work to the benefit of both? Professors James E. Austin and Herman B. "Dutch" Leonard discuss their research. Closed for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.

    • 28 Nov 2005
    • Research & Ideas

    Unilever: Transformation and Tradition

    by Geoffrey Jones

    In a new book, professor Geoffrey Jones looks at Unilever's decades-old transformation from fragmented underperformer to focused consumer products giant. This epilogue summarizes the years 1960 to 1990. Closed for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.

    • 02 Apr 2001
    • Research & Ideas

    Not All M&As Are Alike—and That Matters

    by Joseph L. Bower

    In this Harvard Business Review article, Professor Joseph L. Bower shares some of the results of his year-long study of M&A activity sponsored by HBS. Discover how five distinct merger and acquisition strategies scenarios play out—and his recommendations for success. Closed for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.

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