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• Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2012 (Revised January 2018)

  Doing Business in South Africa

  Rawi Abdelal, Catherine S. M. Duggan and Ian McKown Cornell

  Keywords: South Africa; South Africa;

  Citation:

  Abdelal, Rawi, Catherine S. M. Duggan, and Ian McKown Cornell. "Doing Business in South Africa." Harvard Business School Case 713-024, September 2012. (Revised January 2018.)  View Details

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• Supplement | HBS Case Collection | June 2012 (Revised August 2014)

  Foreign Direct Investment and South Africa (B)

  Eric Werker and Ian McKown Cornell

  Incoming and outgoing foreign direct investment in an environment of politics, geography, globalization, and history. Updates the 2006 case to 2012. The subsequent six years only reinforce the message of the original case. Since the end of apartheid, South Africa had undertaken substantial economic reforms in order to attract more foreign direct investment, but it was slow in coming. At the same time, South African firms had become major players in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Collectively, these investment decisions could have a major long-run impact on South Africa's economic growth and political stability. South African policymakers needed to decide what they wanted from the private sector, and how to achieve it.

  Keywords: global business; developing countries; foreign direct investment; business government relations; Economic Growth; Foreign Direct Investment; Globalized Markets and Industries; Developing Countries and Economies; Business and Government Relations; South Africa;

  Citation:

  Werker, Eric, and Ian McKown Cornell. "Foreign Direct Investment and South Africa (B) ." Harvard Business School Supplement 712-054, June 2012. (Revised August 2014.)  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2013 (Revised August 2013)

  First Solar: CFRA's Accounting Quality Concerns

  Suraj Srinivasan and Ian McKown Cornell

  The case relates to accounting quality analysis conducted by the leading research firm Center for Financial Research and Analysis (CFRA) on companies in the solar industry with a focus on First Solar Inc. In 2009, CFRA was concerned that First Solar, like much of the solar industry, was facing deterioration in business prospects and exposed to risks arising from revenue recognition, high inventory levels, lack of customer and geographic diversification, aggressive warranty policies, excessive production capacity growth, and supply chain risks. The case places students in the shoes of CFRA analysts who need to assess First Solar's accounting quality and business prospects after the company releases its second quarter financial numbers in 2009. The case provides students with background information on the solar power industry, First Solar, data from CFRA research, and First Solar's quarterly reports and the earnings conference call to analyze and draw conclusions about First Solar's accounting practices and strength as a company. Students have to decide whether CFRA should flag First Solar as a concern and add it to CFRA's "Biggest Concerns" list. Order: http://hbr.org/search/113044-PDF-ENG

  Keywords: accounting; accounting quality; earnings management; Financial Accounting; financial statement analysis; financial statements; accounting fraud; accounting red flags; accounting scandal; valuation; Risk and Uncertainty; Quality; Earnings Management; Valuation; Crime and Corruption; Financial Statements; Energy Sources; Green Technology Industry; Accounting Industry; Energy Industry;

  Citation:

  Srinivasan, Suraj, and Ian McKown Cornell. "First Solar: CFRA's Accounting Quality Concerns." Harvard Business School Case 113-044, January 2013. (Revised August 2013.)  View Details

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