Athena Bancorp, Teaching Note (Brief Case)

Leonard A. Schlesinger; Sarah  Abbott

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Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

Athena Bancorp, Teaching Note (Brief Case)

by Leonard A. Schlesinger and Sarah Abbott

Abstract

Teaching Note for HBS No. 919-517.

Language: English

Format: Print

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Citation:

Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Sarah Abbott. "Athena Bancorp, Teaching Note (Brief Case)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 919-518, June 2019.

About the Author

Leonard A. Schlesinger

Baker Foundation Professor

General Management

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Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2011 (Revised July 2019)

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Stuart C. Gilson and Sarah L. Abbott

One of the leading publishers of textbooks and other educational materials for the U.S. K-12 educational instruction market has suffered a dramatic decline in sales and profits in the wake of the 2008-2009 financial market crisis and economic recession, and is now overburdened with debt. To regain its competitiveness the company has to significantly reduce its debt, by billions of dollars. Company management is trying to decide which of several options is best for achieving this goal, including filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, restructuring its debt out-of-court, or filing a “pre-packaged” Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Keywords: Restructuring; Capital Structure; Financial Crisis; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Decision Choices and Conditions; Publishing Industry; Massachusetts;

Citation:
Gilson, Stuart C., and Sarah L. Abbott. "Houghton Mifflin Harcourt." Harvard Business School Case 211-027, January 2011. (Revised July 2019.) View Details

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Supplement | HBS Case Collection | February 2011 (Revised July 2019)

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Stuart C. Gilson and Sarah Abbott

One of the leading publishers of textbooks and other educational materials for the U.S. K-12 educational instruction market has suffered a dramatic decline in sales and profits in the wake of the 2008-2009 financial market crisis and economic recession, and it now overburdened with debt. To regain its competitiveness, the company has to significantly reduce its debt, by billions of dollars. Company management is trying to decide which of several options is best for achieving this goal, including filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, restructuring its debt out-of-court, or filing a "pre-packaged" Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Keywords: Restructuring; Decisions; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Borrowing and Debt; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Profit; Crisis Management; Goals and Objectives; Sales; Competition; Publishing Industry; United States;

Citation:
Gilson, Stuart C., and Sarah Abbott. "Houghton Mifflin Harcourt." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 211-708, February 2011. (Revised July 2019.) View Details

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Case | HBS Case Collection | June 2019

Athena Bancorp (Brief Case)

Leonard A. Schlesinger, Sarah Abbott, Leonard A. Schlesinger and Sarah Abbott

Athena Bancorp was founded in 2016 by Beth Daniels, a banking professional with 15 years of experience in the industry. Daniels took advantage of what she perceived as a gap in the market caused by recent industry consolidation, a decreasing industry focus on branch banking, and tighter lending standards. Athena has an aggressive growth goal—"to grow to 15 branches, with loans and deposits increasing by threefold over the next five years." However, the bank's operating philosophy centers on a high-touch approach, and it relies on dedicated, highly capable employees who are willing to work long hours. Burnout is setting in at the branch level and morale is declining. Daniels and her leadership team are struggling to hire enough employees to execute this strategy. The case illustrates a company whose success is driven primarily by its human resources (HR) strategy. It also highlights the opportunities and challenges of operating a service business with a high performance/high commitment culture. The case can be used to discuss topics such as leadership, management, organizational culture, strategy, motivation, and entrepreneurs. It is recommended for upper-level undergraduate students or MBA students in courses focused on organizational behavior, general management, human resource management, leadership, or entrepreneurship.

Keywords: Banks and Banking; Entrepreneurship; Growth and Development Strategy; Organizational Culture; Human Resources; Strategy; Service Delivery; Banking Industry;

Citation:
Schlesinger, Leonard A., and Sarah Abbott. "Athena Bancorp (Brief Case)." Harvard Business School Brief Case 919-517, June 2019. View Details

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Athena Bancorp, Teaching Note (Brief Case)

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