Free cases from Stanford Graduate School of Business
Cases in
- Corporate Governance
- E-commerce
- Entrepreneurship
- Ethics and Social Responsibility
- Human Resources
- International Business
- Marketing
- Operations Information & Technology
- Organisational Design
- Political Economics
- Social Innovation
- Social Media
- Strategic Management
These cases are available free to registered educators at thecasecentre.org. Click on a case title below to access its record.
Corporate Governance
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A Meeting of the Minds: How do Companies Distribute Knowledge and Workload Across Board Committees? David F Larcker, Brian Tayan and Christina Zhu Topics: Board of directors; Board committees; Board committee overlap; Board comittees and shared knowledge; Corporate governance |
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Does the Composition of a Company's Shareholder Base Really Matter? Anne Beyer, David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Shareholder base; Shareholder investment horizon; Managing the shareholder base; Shareholder influence; Shareholder composition; Corporate governance; Long-term and short-term shareholders |
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Follow the Money: Compensation, Risk, and the Financial Crisis David F Larcker, Gaizka Ormazabel, Brian Tayan and Daniel Taylor Topics: 2008 financial crisis; Risk-taking incentives; Executive compensation; Board of directors; Risk oversight; Risk tollerance; Financial incentives; Corporate governance |
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Is a Powerful CEO Good or Bad for Shareholders? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate Governance; CEO; Leadership; Executive power; Power dynamics |
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Josh Hardy and the #Savejosh Army: How Corporate Risk Escalates and Accelerates Through Social Media David F Larcker, Sarah M Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Social media; Monitoring; Social media; Reputation risks; Corporate risk management |
E-commerce
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Amazon.com: Marching Towards Profitability Haim Mendelson Philip Meza Topics: Internet; Electronic commerce; Content / viewer monetization |
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BabyCenter Garth Saloner, A Michael Spence, Tyee Harpster and Meredith Unruh Topics: Electronic commerce; Internet; Online retailing; International expansion; Growth strategy; Entrepreneurship |
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Broker.com Haim Mendelson, Daricha Techopitayakul and Philip Meza Topics: Financial services; Industry analysis; Investment brokers; Electronic commerce; Market segmentation; Organizational change |
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CheckFree Haim Mendelson and Geoffrey Adamson Topics: Electronic commerce; Banking industry; Data processing; Alliances; Accounting standards; Accounts payable |
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Cisco Systems: A Novel Approach to Structuring Entrepreneurial Ventures Garth Saloner, A Michael Spence, James McJunkin and Todd Reynders Topics: Spin-ins; Alliances; Telecommunications industry; Computer industry |
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Disintermediation in the US Auto Industry Garth Saloner, A Michael Spence and Eric Marti Topics: Electronic commerce; Automobile industry; Online buying services; Industry analysis; Industry structure; value of information |
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E-Commerce Building Blocks Garth Saloner, A Michael Spence, Christopher Thomas and Elizabeth Urban Topics: Electronic commerce; Entrepreneurship; Web professional services firms; Consultants; Internet data service; Venture capital |
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E-Markets 2000 Robert Burgelman, Garth Saloner and Christopher Thomas Topics: Electronic markets; Market analysis; Electronic commerce; Business models; Supply chain; Information technology |
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Gap.com Garth Saloner, A Michael Spence, Katherine McIntyre and Ezra Perlman Topics: Electronic commerce; Online retailing; Channel conflict; Strategic planning; Strategic implementation |
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HP E-Services Solutions Garth Saloner, Michelle Moore and Cara Snyder Topics: Electronic commerce; Computer industry; Management of change; Strategy formulation; Strategy implementation; Organizational change |
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Karen Brown Garth Saloner, A Michael Spence and Kasey Craig Topics: Electronic commerce; Travel; Business models; Publishing industry |
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NetCustomer: A Global Start-up George Foster, Antonio Davila and Geoffrey Adamson Topics: Globalization; Customer service; Entrepreneurial finance; India; International entrepreneurial finance; Venture capital |
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Nike: Channel Conflict Garth Saloner, A. Michael Spence, Katherine McIntyre and Ezra Perlman Topics: Electronic commerce; Online retailing; Competitive decision making |
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Online Auctions Garth Saloner, A Michael Spence, Katie Gray, Traie Neist and Geoffrey Adamson Topics: Electronic commerce; Auctions; Internet |
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Pricing and Branding on the Internet Garth Saloner, A Michael Spence and Kostas Sgoutas Topics: Electronic commerce; Pricing policies; Brand management; Customer retention; Customer service |
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QRS Corporation Haim Mendelson and Geoffrey Adamson Topics:Electronic commerce; Information collection and delivery services; Retailing industry; Supply chain; Growth strategy |
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SAP and the Online Procurement Market Garth Saloner, A Michael Spence and Eric Marti Topics: Electronic commerce; Information collection and delivery services; Online procurement software; Digital marketplace; Growth strategy |
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Searching for Revenue on the Internet: Yahoo! Acquires Overture Garth Saloner and Philip Meza Topics: Internet search engine; Electronic commerce; Online advertising; Sponsored search |
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Siebel Systems, Inc. Garth Saloner, A Michael Spence and Eric Marti Topics: Electronic commerce; Customer relationship management software; Infrastructure; Software; Enterprise systems; Growth management |
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Amir Goldberg, Robert E Siegel and Matthew Saucedo
Topics: Data visualisation; Technology company; Product management |
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Tradeweave Garth Saloner, A Michael Spence and David Doctorow Topics: Electronic commerce; Auctions; Information industry; Consumer goods; Demand analysis; Strategy formulation |
Entrepreneurship
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2016 Search Fund Study: Selected Observations Peter Kelly; David Dodson; Harold Irving Grousbeck, Susan Pohlmeyer and Sara Rosenthal Topics: Search fund, Investment, Entrepreneurship, Funding, MBA, Acquisition, Private equity |
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2018 Search Fund Study: Selected Observations Peter Kelly and Austin Yoder Topics: Search funds; Entrepreneurship through acquisition; Entrepreneurial acquisition; Entrepreneurship |
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Area De Conservacion Guanacaste William P Barnett, William Durham and Carl Palmer Topics: Environmental protection |
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Ashesi University Garth Saloner and Sean Harrington Topics: New venture; Economic development; Emerging market; Entrepreneurship; Education; University; College; Ghana; Africa; Ashesi |
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Bozeman, Montana & The Yellowstone Business Partnership William P Barnett and Dave Boennighausen Topics: Economic development; Non-profit organizations; Environmental protections Business & society; Economic growth; Business philosophy |
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Creating Qualcomm (A) William P Barnett and Gary Mekikian Topics: Telecommunications; Wireless communication; Technology;Technological change; Standardization; Barriers to entry |
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Databank Garth Saloner and Sean Harrington Topics: New venture; Economic development; Emerging market; Entrepreneurship; Capital markets; Brokerage; Asset management; Ghana; Africa; Databank |
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Designing AI for All: A Primer on Bias in Artificial Intelligence Systems Jennifer Aaker, Fei Fei Li, Thomas Higginbotham, Zoe Weinberg and Wendy De La Rosa Topics: Artificial Intelligence; Machine learning; Human well-being; Responsible; Ethics; Human-centered; Fairness; Bias; Explainability; Diversity |
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Endeavor Garth Saloner and Sean Harrington Topics: New venture; Economic development; Emerging markets; Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneur |
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Establishing Network Appliance (A) William P Barnett and Lauren Dutton Topics: Computer systems; Entrepreneurial management; Marketing channels; Organizational development; Strategy formulation |
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Equity Bank (A) Garth Saloner and Bethany Coates Topics: Equity; Equity bank; Microfinance; Kenya; Strategy |
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Facebook William P Barnett, Ziad Mokhtar, Gabriel Tavridis, Mike Harkey Topics: Entrepreneurs; High technology; Networks; Software; Venture capital; World Wide Web |
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Facebook (B) William P Barnett, Ziad Mokhtar and Gabriel Tavridis Topics: Entrepreneurship; Internet; Growth strategy; Product development; Technology |
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Facebook in 2011 William P Barnett and Arar Han Topics: Social media; Digital media; Platform; Valuation; Advertising; Facebook; Social network; Silicon Valley |
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Frameworks for Designing Artificial Intelligence Jennifer Aaker, Fei Fei Li, Thomas Higginbotham, Zoe Weinberg and Wendy De La Rosa Topics: Artificial Intelligence; Machine learning; Human well-being; Responsible; Ethics; Human-centered; Fairness; Governance; Explainability; Social impact |
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Good Ventures: The Power of Informed Decisions Sarah Murray and Laura K Arrillaga Topics: Evaluation; Grantmaking; Transparency; Knowledge sharing; Partnership; Social impact; Collaboration |
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Guidestar: Data as a Tool for Non-Profit Transformation Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen and Sarah Murray Topics: Non-profit, Philanthropy, Data, Social Impact, Education, Transparency, Evaluation, Accountability |
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Hand in Hand, India Garth Saloner, Annie Adams, Sarah Garrett, and Whit Keuer Topics: Non-profit organizations; Community development; Women executives; Women in business; Strategic planning; Globalization; Sustainability |
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Human-centered Artificial Intelliegence and Workforce Displacement Jennifer Aaker and Thomas Higginbotham Topics: Artificial Intelligence; Machine learning; Human well-being; Workforce; Ethics; Human-centered; Displacement; Automation; Augmentation; Emerging technology |
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Kiva Garth Saloner and Bethany Shaler Coates Topics: Kiva; Microfinance |
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Laura and John Arnold Foundation: Addressing the Root Cause of Persistent Problems Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen and Sarah Murray Topics: Policy, Philanthropy, Data, Public Finance, Social Impact, Education, Criminal Justice |
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Michael & Susan Dell Foundation: Technology Enables Social Impact
Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen and Sarah Murray Topics: Technology, Philanthropy, Data, Microfinance, Social Impact, Education, Evaluation |
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Montebello Capital William P Barnett and Janet Feldstein Topics: Business growth; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Valuation |
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Montebello Capital (B) William P Barnett and Brad Wolfe Topics: Acquisitions; Constructive conflict; Employee attitude; Employee morale; Entrepreneurship; Ethics; Growth strategy; Industry analysis; Logistics; Management styles; Negotiations; Partnerships; Risk; Risk management |
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Network Appliance (B) William P Barnett, Jamie Earle, Lauren Dutton and Stephen Henkenmeier Topics: Technology market; Rapid growth |
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Network Appliance (C): The Growth of Network Appliance William P Barnett, Charles A Holloway, Jamie Earle and Jeffrey Eisen Topics: Computer systems; Distribution channels; Entrepreneurial management; Organizational development; Strategy formulation |
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Network Appliance (D) William P Barnett, Charles A Holloway and Jamie Earle Topics: Technology market; Rapid growth |
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Redefining Goals for Artiticial Intelligence Jennifer Aaker, Fei Fei Li, Thomas Higginbotham, Zoe Weinberg and Wendy De La Rosa Topics: Artificial Intelligence; Machine learning; Human well-being; Responsible; Excellence; Human-centered; Collaboration; Autonomy; Explainability; Purpose |
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Search Fund Study - 2001: Selected Observations and Investor Return Analysis Harold Irving Grousbeck and Christopher S Flanagan Topics: Search fund; Investment; Acquisition; Return |
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Search Funds - 2003: What has changed since 2001? Harold Irving Grousbeck and Mu Y Li Topics: Search fund; Entrepreneurship |
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Search Funds - 2005: Selected Observations Harold Irving Grousbeck and Mike Harkey Topics: Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurial finance; Leveraged buyouts; Acquisitions |
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Search Funds - 2007: Selected Observations Harold Irving Grousbeck and Sean Harrington Topics: Entrepreneurship; Private equity; Entrepreneur; Search fund; Acquisition; Raising a funds |
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Search Funds - 2009: Selected Observations Harold Irving Grousbeck, Lisa Sweeney, Tjarko Leifer and Aimee Leifer Topics: Search fund; Search fund model; Entrepreneurship through acquisition; Pledge fund; Entrepreneurial acquisition; Searcher; Search fund principal; Search fund entrepreneur; Search fund investor |
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Search Funds - 2013: Selected Observations |
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Shonaquip Garth Saloner and Jessica Jackley Topics: Business growth; Business marketing; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Growth strategy; South Africa; Health; Family-owned business; Social issues |
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Silkor Laser Medical Center Garth Saloner, Jessica Jackley, Riad Dimechkie, and Carla Sayegh Topics: Business growth; Business marketing; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Growth strategy; Middle East; Political risk; Family-owned business |
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Skoll Foundation Laura K Arrillaga and Victoria Chang Topics: Topics: Private foundation; Capacity building; Knowledge management; Social entrepreneurship; Strategy development |
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SkyStream Networks, INC (A) William P Barnett, Andrea M Higuera and Aimee Noelle Swanson Topics: Broadcasting industry; Downsizing; Entrepreneurship; Equipment; Financing; High technology; Networking; Product development; Silicon Valley |
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SkyStream Networks, INC (B) William P Barnett, Andrea M Higuera and Aimee Noelle Swanson Topics: Broadcasting industry; Downsizing; Entrepreneurship; Equipment; Financing; High technology; Networking; Product development |
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User-Generated Content Systems at Intuit (A) William P Barnett and Sara Gaviser Leslie Topics: User-generated content; Crowdsourcing; Entrepreneurship; Market research; Customer experiences; Product development; Taxes; User contribution systems; Web 2.0 |
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User-Generated Content Systems at Intuit (B) William P Barnett and Sara Gaviser Leslie Topics: User-generated content; Crowdsourcing; Entrepreneurship; Market research; Customer experiences; Product development; Taxes; User contribution systems; Web 2.0 |
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Volantis William P Barnett and Mike Harkey Topics: Telecommunications; Organizational structure; Organizational design; Technological change; Venture capital; United Kingdom |
Ethics and Social Responsibility
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A Meeting of the Minds: How do Companies Distribute Knowledge and Workload Across Board Committees? David F Larcker, Brian Tayan and Christina Zhu Topics: Board members of directors; Board of committees; Board committee overlap; Board committees and shared knowledge; Corporate governance |
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Are Current CEOs the Best Board Members? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Board members; CEO |
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Berkshire Hathaway: The Role of Trust in Governance David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Free case; Management integrity; Risk management; Governance structure |
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CEO Health Disclosure at Apple: A Public or Private Matter? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: CEO succession; Disclosure & transparency; Free case; Enterprise risk |
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CEO Succession Planning: Who's Behind Door Number One? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Board of Directors; Free case; Disclosure; Succession planning |
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Director Networks: Good for the Director, Good for Shareholders David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Equity; Equity bank; Microfinance; Kenya; Strategy |
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Do ISS Voting Recommendations Create Shareholder Value? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Proxy advisory firms; Institutional shareholder voting; Free case; Stock option exchanges; Proxy voting |
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Financial Manipulation: Words Don't Lie David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Disclosure; Transparency; Linguistic studies; Corporate governance; Free case; Accounting restatements |
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Fixed or Contingent: How Should ‘Governance Monitors’ Be Paid? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Executive compensation; Executive pay; Fixed or contingent pay; General counsel; Governance monitors |
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A Historical Look at Compensation and Disclosure: Cool and Refreshing! David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Disclosure; Compensation; Proxy statements; Free case |
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Leadership Challenges at Hewlett-Packard: Through the Looking Glass David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: CEO succession planning; Board of directors decision making; Corporate governance; Strategy and risk |
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Lehman Brothers: Peeking under the Board Facade David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Board of Directors; Board structure; Corporate governance; Free case; Regulatory oversight |
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Lululemon: A Sheer Debacle In Risk Management David F Larcker, Sarah M Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Social media; Social media onitoring, Corporate risk management; reputational risk and Corporate governance |
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Pledge (and Hedge) Allegiance to the Company David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Executive compensation; Free case; Equity pledging; Hedging; Equity hedging; Pledging |
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Pro Forma Earnings: What's Wrong with GAAP? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Financial reporting; Free case; Non-GAAP accounting; Corporate governance; Financial statements; GAAP; Transparency |
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Risk Management Breakdown at AXA Rosenberg: The Curious Case of a Quant Manager Trusted Too Much David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Free case; Ratings; Proxy access; Proxy voting |
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RiskMetrics: Uninvited Guest at the Equity Table David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Risk management; Board of directors oversight; Agency theory; Governance structure; Personality factors; Separation and control; Corporate governance |
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Proxy Access: A Sheep, or Wolf in Sheep's Clothing? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Free case; Proxy access; Shareholder democracy |
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Scarlet Letter: Are the CEOs and Directors of Failed Companies 'Tainted'? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: CEO; Board members; Failed companies |
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Sensitivity of CEO Wealth to Stock Price: A New Tool for Assessing Pay for Performance David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Free case; Compensation; Risk management; Pay for performance |
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Separation Anxiety: The Impact of CEO Divorce on Shareholders Allan McCall, David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: CEO divorce; Disclosure & transparency; Executive divorce |
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Seven Myths of Corporate Governance David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Executive compensation; Board of Directors; CEO succession; Say-on-pay; Corporate governance research; Corporate governance; Governance structure; Pay for performance; Corporate governance regulations; Corporate governance best practices |
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Seven Myths of Executive Compensation David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Pay for performance; Corporate governance research; Corporate governance practices; Incentives; Say-on-pay; Pay equity; Executive compensation |
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Shareholder Lawsuits: Where is the Line Between Legitimate and Frivolous? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Executive compensation; Proxy voting; Shareholder lawsuits; Freecase; Corporate governance; Say-on-pay; Shareholder litigation |
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Sneak Preview: How ISS Dictates Equity Plan Design Ian D Gow, David F Larcker, Allan McCall and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Proxy advisors; Institutional investors proxy votes; Proxy advisory firms |
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Sudden Death of a CEO: Are Companies Prepared When Lightning Strikes? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Boards role in succession planning; CEO succession planning |
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Ten Myths of 'Say On Pay' David F Larcker, Allan McCall, Gaizka Ormazabel and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Say-on-pay; Executive compensation; Shareholder; Executive pay |
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The Handpicked CEO Successor David F Larcker, Stephen A Miles and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; CEO; Successor |
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The Resignation of David Sokol: Mountain or Molehill for Berkshire Hathaway? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; Free case; Warren Buffett; Insider trading; Berkshire Hathaway; David Sokol |
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The Thiel Foundation: Contrarian Philanthropy Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Topics: Strategic philanthropy; Philanthropic innovation; Technological innovation; Strategy; Scientific innovation; Scientific progress; Scientific research; Social impact; Contrarian philanthropy; Venture philanthropy |
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The NCAA Adopts 'Dodd-Frank': A Fable David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: NCAA; Governance provisions; Dodd-Frank |
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Tesla Motors: The Evolution of Governance from Inception to IPO David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Executive compensation; Board of Directors; Tesla Motors; Governance structure; Corporate governance; IPO; Free case; Anti-takeover protections |
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Trust: The Unwritten Contract in Corporate Governance David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate culture; High-trust organizations; Governance structure; Organizational trust |
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Union Activism: Do Union Pension Funds Act Solely in the Interest of Beneficiaries? David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Shareholder activism; Freecase; Retirement assets; Union pensions funds; Corporate governance; Proxy process; Shareholder proposals |
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What Does It Mean for an Executive to 'Make' $1 Million? David F Larcker, Brian Tayan and Allan McCall Topics: Corporate governance; Executive compensation; Earned versus realized pay; Black Scholes |
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What is CEO Talent Worth? David F Larcker, Brian Tayan and Usman Liaqat Topics: Executive compensation; CEO pay; Pay for performance; Incentives |
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Where Experts Get it Wrong: Independence vs Leadership in Corporate Governance
David F Larcker and Brian Tayan Topics: Corporate governance; CEO and executive leadership; CEO personality; CEO-Chairman quality |
About Stanford cases
Stanford GSB faculty work with case writing and research center staff to create a diverse case collection, with many focused on global issues.
The collection covers a wide range of topics including Entrepreneurship, Strategic Management, Social Innovation, Global Supply Chain, and International Business. In the classroom, these cases provide contextual background, connect theory with application, and develop insight.