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The joint stock company, limited liability, and the principle of linking managers' rewards to those of shareholders were all good ideas that spurred economic growth. But they also have had some dangerous consequences.

The internet's size and impact on the global economy will only increase over the next few years, according to projections from the Boston Consulting Group. In the United States it already accounts for a larger slice of GDP than the federal government. In China it's among the top six industry sectors, and in South Korea it's among the top five.

The case presents the unique business model of Inkaterra, a leading eco-tourism organization in Peru, and the different strategies the company can pursue to grow. Through the experience of Inkaterra the case studies two general issues. First, it discusses the potential barriers that exist for the development of the tourism sector. Second, it presents the debate of whether governments may want to use tourism as an engine of growth, and if so, what is the best strategy to preserve the environment.

Uber, which began operations in 2010, provided a service that allowed customers to call for a limousine using their mobile device. A car would arrive within minutes, and the fee for the trip (including gratuity) would be charged to the customer's credit card. The service was more expensive than a taxi, but cheaper and more responsive than a conventional limousine service. Uber did not own limousines, but contracted with existing, licensed, limousine owners and drivers. By mid-2012, it had service in 16 cities, mostly in the United States. Taxi and limousine operation are heavily regulated at the city and/or state level. Uber's business model did not fit into the conventional regulatory framework for either taxis or limousines, and the company faced intense opposition by taxi drivers and regulators in some cities. The case focuses on Uber's regulatory challenges in Washington, D.C. In July 2012, the Washington D.C. City Council was preparing to vote on a measure that would legitimize Uber's existing operations, but prevent it from offering a planned lower-priced service. The case explores how the company dealt with regulators as part of its corporate strategy.

The sovereign debt crisis that took Greece by storm in 2010 began to spread to other European markets. Within a few months Ireland and Portugal had also lost access to the sovereign debt markets and had to rely on supranational loans for their financing. The risk of further contagion was clear and present. Political leaders continued to seek measures to stem the crisis and to avoid the larger economies of Spain and Italy becoming involved. The European financial system became strained. Banks were found to be undercapitalized and began to ration credit to the economy. The European Central Bank intervened to provide liquidity to the system in order to avoid a credit crunch. Could the eurozone survive the storm?

This case recounts Uber's experience in four cities at different points in time. This approach offers a way to examine Uber's strategy for market entry and evaluate the performance of that strategy in these four cities, as well as elsewhere in the world. The cases included here help frame the discussion on the future of Uber's expansion, and extract lessons for how a firm can successfully navigate the beyond-market business environment.

This case recounts Uber's experience in four cities at different points in time. This approach offers a way to examine Uber's strategy for market entry and evaluate the performance of that strategy in these four cities, as well as elsewhere in the world. The cases included here help frame the discussion on the future of Uber's expansion, and extract lessons for how a firm can successfully navigate the beyond-market business environment.

This case recounts Uber's experience in four cities at different points in time. This approach offers a way to examine Uber's strategy for market entry and evaluate the performance of that strategy in these four cities, as well as elsewhere in the world. The cases included here help frame the discussion on the future of Uber's expansion, and extract lessons for how a firm can successfully navigate the beyond-market business environment.

In an overview of natural gas as a fossil fuel and traded commodity, the case describes various regional markets of natural gas, highlighting diversity of price formation mechanisms across and within those markets. Recent changes in the economics of unconventional natural gas extraction-"the shale revolution"-could potentially remake those markets, steering the world toward the "golden age" of natural gas.

This case presents the Economic Transformation Program (ETP) designed by the Malaysian government meant to revamp productivity growth after a decade of slow down. It also presents the procedures and outcome of the ETP. Follow up to Malaysia: People First? Very transparent view of policy making in Malaysia.

Western corporations seem to be taking for granted the favorable taxation policies they've enjoyed for the past 30 years. But companies that are hoarding cash should keep in mind that those policies could change. Their big reserves may soon prove irresistible to governments that are strapped for funds.

Every country's economy is a mix, but usually one group--producers or consumers--gets favored through tax breaks or subsidies. China and the U.S. stand at opposite extremes. If the U.S. economy is to get stronger, it should emulate Germany, which has a more balanced set of economic policies. Tariffs are high enough to protect German producers from Asian rivals but low enough to prevent them from becoming complacent. Taxes on fossil fuels go to support R&D in value-added manufacturing and clean energy sectors.

The case opens in 2007, when the Washington, D.C. public school system was failing. Parents, politicians, labor unions and activists all agreed that reform was necessary due to abysmal student test scores, attendance records and safety concerns. But stakeholders disagreed sharply on how to achieve their shared goal of providing a good education to the city's children. Reformers wanted to close failing schools, parents wanted to choose where their children attended school, and the teachers' union wanted more compensation for teachers. Michelle Rhee, a former teacher and "outsider," was hired by Mayor Adrian Fenty to institute sweeping and speedy reforms. As Chancellor, Rhee came under fire by teachers and their union, parents and the public for her swift move to close underperforming schools and, controversially, to fire teachers rated as "ineffective" by IMPACT, a value-added evaluation system designed to isolate each teacher's unique contribution to their student's educational achievement based on student test scores. The case discusses the steps Rhee took to reform the D.C. public schools and the support and opposition she encountered along the way, culminating with her November 2010 resignation. Case number 1958

Leaders of the Romanian telecommunications agency must decide about a proposed international merger and how to structure bandwidth auctions critical to the telecoms market. The case is designed to teach about regulatory choices from the perspective of a regulatory agency, but it also describes the competitive standing of domestic and international telecoms providers in Romania and the challenges of operating as a "foreign" multinational, even in the European Union where protection of national champions is supposedly obsolete. Policy tradeoffs are developed among approving, delaying, or denying the proposed merger of domestic Romtelecom with Greek-based Cosmote. Likewise, tradeoffs are described for bandwidth auctions, notably among public transparency, maximizing revenue, preventing collusion, promoting efficient use of spectrum, broadening coverage, and fostering innovation in products and services.

The case goes over the evolution of politics and instituions in Egypt over the last 50 years. The case provides new insights on the reasons for violent political transitions and also explores the effects of political instability on productivity and competitiveness.

EnerNOC is an energy company with an innovative business model: it serves as an intermediary between electric utilities and electricity users. It contracts with electricity users willing to reduce demand during periods of peak energy demand, and sells this as excess capacity to electric utilities. The company is facing an upheaval in the energy markets due to the dramatic growth in natural gas fracking and the resulting increase in natural gas supply. The case enables students to evaluate the EnerNOC's business model--including its environmental implications--and the potential impact of fracking on its business. The case is accessible to non-specialists, as it provides background on the electric utility industry and the debate about fracking for natural gas. Given the substantial environmental impact of the energy and electricity industries, the case is particularly relevant for courses that focus on energy, the natural environment, and environmental sustainability.

The case is concerned with Elia Nuqul, the founder of Jordanian-based Nuqul Brothers, a large diversified business group. It shows how Nuqul, a Christian Palestinian whose family was forced to flee to Jordan after the creation of Israel in 1948, built a business in his new home, first in trading and later in consumer products such as hygienic paper mnaufacturing. The case shows the challenges of building such an entrepreneurial business in a developing region with high political instability. The case is positioned within the wider context of the regional conflict in Palestine and Israel, and it provides a vehicle for exploring the role and responsibility of entrepreneurs, if any, in such conflicts.

Supplement for case HKS147