Case Studies

Case studies by Stanford GSB faculty that illustrate concepts and lessons in corporate governance.

Case|

Keller Williams Realty (B)

|HR29B

James Baron, David Larcker, Brian Tayan

2011

This case is a follow up to HR-29A, and explains the actions taken by Keller Williams in response to the residential real estate market downturn in 2008 and 2009. The...

Case|

Baker Hughes, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

|CG18

David Larcker, Brian Tayan

2010

In 2002, Baker Hughes was accused of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). This case describes the actions taken by the company in response to those accusations. These include...

Case|

Equity on Demand, The Netflix Approach to Compensation

|CG19

David Larcker, Allan McCall, Brian Tayan

2010

Netflix was among a small group of Silicon Valley companies to emerge from the technology bubble of the late 1990s a clear winner in terms of growth, market share, and...

Case|

Multimillionaire Matchmaker, An Inside Look At CEO Succession Planning

|CG21

David Larcker, Brian Tayan

2010

This case takes an inside look at CEO succession planning at Energy Corp. The case provides an overview of various models of succession planning, including external search, COO appointment, a...

Case|

Sharks in the Water, Battling an Activist Investor for Corporate Control (A)

|CG20A

David Larcker, Brian Tayan

2010

In July 2006, Barracuda became the largest investor in Tarco International. In a meeting with management, Barracuda’s managing director advised that strong measures needed to be taken to improve operating...

Case|

Sharks in the Water, Battling an Activist Investor for Corporate Control (B)

|CG20B

David Larcker, Brian Tayan

2010

This case is a follow up to CG-20A, and explains the actions taken by Tarco in response to threat from activist investor Barracuda. The case explains how the company relied...

Case|

Royal Dutch/Shell, A Shell Game with Oil Reserves (A)

|CG17A

David Larcker, Robert Lawson, Brian Tayan

2009

In January 2004, the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies announced that it would reduce its estimate of proved oil reserves by nearly 4 billion barrels, or 20 percent. The announcement...

Case|

Royal Dutch/Shell, A Shell Game with Oil Reserves - Governance Overhaul After Scandal (B)

|CG17B

David Larcker, Robert Lawson, Brian Tayan

2009

Following the revelation that the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies had overstated its proved oil reserves by over 4 billion barrels, company officials announced dramatic changes to the company’s organizational...

Case|

Attention Shoppers, Executive Compensation at Kroger, Safeway, Costco and Whole Foods

|CG13

David Larcker, Brian Tayan

2008

Retail grocery sales represent a significant portion of the U.S. economy. The industry was highly competitive, with companies operating on low gross and net margins. As a result, grocery stores...

Case|

Financial Restatements: Methods Companies Use to Distort Financial Performance

|A198

Madhav Rajan, Brian Tayan

2008

Over the last 10 years, the number of publicly traded companies that have had to restate financial results has risen dramatically. Regardless of whether the restatements stemmed from the aggressive...