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- 2020
- Working Paper
Is Accounting Useful for Forecasting GDP Growth? A Machine Learning Perspective
We provide a comprehensive examination of whether, to what extent, and which accounting variables are useful for improving the predictive accuracy of GDP growth forecasts. We leverage statistical models that accommodate a broad set of (341) variables—outnumbering the...
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- December 2018 (Revised August 2022)
- Teaching Note
Revenue Recognition at HBP
By: Siko Sikochi and Paul Healy
In early 2014, Corporate Learning, one of three business units at Harvard Business Publishing (HBP), was in the process of revamping its flagship product, Harvard Manage-Mentor (HMM) from version 11.0 (HMM11) to version 12.0 (HMM12). The revamped software would be...
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- 2018
- Article
The Role of Overbilling in Hospitals' Earnings Management Decisions
By: Jonas Heese
This paper examines the role of overbilling in hospitals’ earnings management choices. Overbilling by hospitals is a form of revenue manipulation that involves misclassifying a patient into a diagnosis-related group that yields higher reimbursement. As overbilling...
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- August 2018 (Revised July 2020)
- Case
Revenue Recognition at HBP
By: Paul Healy and Siko Sikochi
In early 2014, Paul Bills, CFO of Harvard Business Publishing (HBP), sat down with David Wan, the company’s CEO, to discuss budget preparations for the coming year. Bills noted that the performance of Corporate Learning, one of HBP’s three business units, would be...
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- June 2016
- Supplement
Supply Chain Finance at Procter & Gamble Spreadsheet Supplement
By: Benjamin C. Esty, Scott Mayfield and David Lane
In April 2013, Procter & Gamble (P&G), the world’s largest consumer packaged goods (CPG) company, announced that it would extend its payment terms to suppliers by 30 days. At the same time, P&G announced a new supply chain financing (SCF) program giving suppliers the...
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Keywords:
Working Capital;
Supply Chain Finance;
Corporate Treasury;
Consumer Packaged Goods;
Value Creation;
Supply Chain;
Supplier Relationships;
Banking;
Liquidity;
Accounts Payable;
Accrual Accounting;
Financial Reporting;
Cash Flow;
Cost Management;
Banks and Banking;
Financial Strategy;
Multinational Firms and Management;
Supply Chain Management;
United States;
Brazil
- May 2016 (Revised May 2017)
- Case
Supply Chain Finance at Procter & Gamble
By: Benjamin C. Esty, E. Scott Mayfield and David Lane
In April 2013, Procter & Gamble (P&G), the world’s largest consumer packaged goods (CPG) company, announced that it would extend its payment terms to suppliers by 30 days. At the same time, P&G announced a new supply chain financing (SCF) program giving suppliers the...
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Keywords:
Working Capital;
Supply Chain Finance;
Corporate Treasury;
Consumer Packaged Goods;
Supply Chain;
Supplier Relationships;
Banking;
Liquidity;
Accounts Payable;
Financial Reporting;
Cash Flow;
Cost Management;
Banks and Banking;
Financial Strategy;
Multinational Firms and Management;
Supply Chain Management;
Accrual Accounting;
Value Creation;
Consumer Products Industry;
Forest Products Industry;
United States;
Brazil
- 2017
- Working Paper
Economic Uncertainty and Earnings Management
By: Luke C.D. Stein and Charles C.Y. Wang
In the presence of managerial short-termism and asymmetric information about skill and effort provision, firms may opportunistically shift earnings from uncertain to more certain times. We document empirically that when financial markets are less certain about a firm's...
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- June 2015 (Revised January 2017)
- Case
Greece's Debt: Sustainable?
By: George Serafeim
The case "Greece's Debt: Sustainable?" describes the Greek economic crisis, bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the debt restructuring that followed. Because of a lack of trust in Greece's ability to repay its debt, two...
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- March 2013
- Case
NovaStar Financial: A Short Seller's Battle
By: Suraj Srinivasan and Amy Kaser
The NovaStar case describes the challenges faced by short seller Marc Cohodes of hedge fund Rocker Partners as he tried to expose what he thought was widespread fraud in mortgage lender NovaStar Financial. The case is set in the time period from 2001 to 2007 and tracks...
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Keywords:
Short Selling;
Financial Accounting;
Financial Analysis;
Financial Analysts;
Valuation;
Business Analysis;
Financial Statement Analysis;
Financial Statements;
Securitization;
Securities Analysis;
Fraud;
Accounting Quality;
Accounting Red Flags;
Accounting Restatements;
Hedge Fund;
Hedge Funds;
Accounting Scandal;
Accounting Fraud;
Financial Crisis;
Financial Intermediaries;
Financial Firms;
Corporate Accountability;
Subprime Lending;
Mortgage Lending;
Accounting;
Accrual Accounting;
Fair Value Accounting;
Governance;
Governance Compliance;
Corporate Governance;
Governance Controls;
Financial Services Industry;
United States;
California
- February 2013
- Case
Diamond Foods, Inc.
By: Suraj Srinivasan and Tim Gray
The Diamonds Foods, Inc. case describes the major accounting blow up at the company in late 2011 that was triggered by a report by Off Wall Street, a prominent short selling research firm. Diamond Foods, a high flying growth company in 2011, grew from a walnut farmers'...
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Keywords:
Accounting Restatements;
Accounting Scandal;
Accounting;
Financial Analysis;
Financial Statement Analysis;
Short Selling;
Revenue Recognition;
Board Of Directors;
Audit Committees;
Auditing;
Financial Reporting;
Financial Statements;
Agribusiness;
Accrual Accounting;
Earnings Management;
Corporate Accountability;
Corporate Disclosure;
Corporate Governance;
Valuation;
Revenue;
Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry;
California;
Cambridge
- December 2010
- Supplement
Urban Water Partners (A) Spreadsheet Solutions (CW)
By: Karthik Ramanna and George Serafeim
Teaching Note for Spreadsheet (111701).
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- August 2010 (Revised December 2010)
- Supplement
Urban Water Partners (A) (CW)
By: Karthik Ramanna and George Serafeim
The case explores a new venture to bring clean water to Tanzanians who otherwise cannot access or afford it. Management has enough money to get their company through August 2010, but needs more capital. An HBS alum is interested in investing in the company;...
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- August 2010 (Revised January 2013)
- Case
Urban Water Partners (A)
By: Karthik Ramanna, George Serafeim and Aldo Sesia
The case explores a new business venture to bring clean water to residents of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, who otherwise cannot afford it. Management has enough money to get the company through August 2010 but needs more capital thereafter. An HBS alumnus is interested in...
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- August 2010 (Revised January 2013)
- Supplement
Urban Water Partners (B)
By: Karthik Ramanna, George Serafeim and Aldo Sesia
The case explores a new business venture to bring clean water to residents of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, who otherwise cannot afford it. Management has enough money to get their company through August 2010, but needs more capital thereafter. An HBS alumnus is interested...
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- August 2009 (Revised June 2011)
- Case
Kansas City Zephyrs Baseball Club, Inc. 2006
This case centers around a dispute between the owners and the players regarding the profitability of professional baseball teams in connection with the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The case describes the financial statements of the baseball...
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- May 2008
- Article
Real and Accrual-Based Earnings Management in the Pre- and Post-Sarbanes Oxley Periods
By: Daniel Cohen, Aiyesha Dey and Thomas Lys
We document that accrual‐based earnings management increased steadily from 1987 until the passage of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002, followed by a significant decline after the passage of SOX. Conversely, the level of real earnings management activities declined...
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- July 2002 (Revised April 2003)
- Case
Computer Associates International, Inc.: Governance and Investor Communication Challenge
By: Paul M. Healy and Krishna G. Palepu
Sanjay Kumar, the CEO of Computer Associates, faces investor communication challenges following the company's implementation of a new business model and the accompanying change method used to recognize revenue. Despite management's confidence that the new business...
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- July 2000
- Case
Aerospace Technologies, Inc.
By: Paul M. Healy and Jacob Cohen
Ben Galil's privately held engineering consulting firm represents aerospace products manufacturers in Israeli government biddings. The company incurs expenses for years before getting paid. This case deals with the alternative methods for booking revenues and expenses...
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- November 1999 (Revised July 2003)
- Case
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.
By: Paul M. Healy and Jacob Cohen
Pre-Paid Legal Services' business model reveals two key issues--managing the sales force and sales growth and managing claims. Students analyze the economics of the business and consider how to measure firm performance, how to evaluate and reward the sales force, and...
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- November 1999
- Background Note
Recognizing Revenues and Expenses: Realized and Earned
By: Robert S. Kaplan
Describes a key concept in financial accounting: choosing an appropriate revenue recognition point. The accrual process requires revenue recognition and expense matching for reporting on the value creation process of companies. Describes the two key criteria for...
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