All Articles About Op-Ed — HBS Working Knowledge

Diagnosing the Public Health Care Alternative

Published:	July 13, 2009
Feature:	Op-Ed

With deep experience in health insurance reform, HBS faculty describe how improved competition in insurance plans could improve value for patients. Professors Regina E. Herzlinger, Robert Huckman, and Michael E. Porter take the pulse of a debate.

GM: What Went Wrong and What's Next

Published:	June 15, 2009
Feature:	Op-Ed

For decades, General Motors reigned as the king of automakers. What went wrong? We asked HBS faculty to reflect on the wrong turns and missed opportunities of the former industry leader, and to suggest ideas for recovery.

Credit is Not the Bogey

Published:	March 4, 2009
Feature:	Op-Ed

"As we attempt to jump-start the economy of 2009, we should recognize both the risks and the advantages inherent in a robust credit industry," write HBS lecturer Nicolas P. Retsinas and Eric S. Belsky. The director and executive director, respectively, of Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, they offer a prescription for making credit neither too easy nor too hard to get.

Selling Out The American Dream

Published:	November 6, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

The American Dream has been transformed from an embodiment of the country's core values into a crass appeal to materialism and easy gratification. One result: the current economic crisis, says professor John Quelch. The federal government isn't helping.

The Time is Right for Creative Capitalism

Published:	August 20, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

Bill Gates has it right. Business is the most powerful force for change in the world right now and gives the idea of creative capitalism real power, writes Harvard Business School professor Nancy F. Koehn.

Google-Yahoo Ad Deal is Bad for Online Advertising

Published:	August 12, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

A proposed advertising deal between Internet competitors Google and Yahoo would reduce competitiveness in the Internet advertising market, likely resulting in higher advertising rates, says Harvard Business School professor Benjamin G. Edelman.

Why the U.S. Should Encourage FDI

Published:	July 30, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

American financial executives are courting foreign direct investors, particularly sovereign wealth funds, for new investments. Should these investments draw increased scrutiny from U.S. regulators? Harvard Business School professor Mihir Desai argues that most of these deals work out in America's best financial interest.

What Should Employers Do about Health Care?

Published:	July 16, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

Companies that cut health care costs without improving the overall value of care eventually pay a price in terms of employee absenteeism and chronic ailments. According to Harvard University professor and strategy expert Michael E. Porter and coauthors, the best way to truly reduce health care costs is to improve quality.

The Gap in the U.S. Treasury Recommendations

Published:	April 23, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

U.S. Treasury recommendations for strengthening the regulation of the financial system are a good start but fall short, says Harvard Business School professor emeritus Dwight B. Crane. Here's his suggestion for bringing regulation into the 21st century.

A House Divided: Investment or Shelter?

Published:	January 23, 2008
Feature:	Op-Ed

For decades Americans viewed their homes as a safe harbor, a place to put down roots. But the last decade saw the rise of housing as an investment opportunity. What comes next? asks Harvard Business School professor Nicolas P. Retsinas, director of Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

3 Steps to Reduce Financial System Risk

Published:	August 15, 2007
Feature:	Op-Ed

By using complex derivative products, banks are better able to manage risk. But this "credit risk transfer" technology is transferring risk to a new set of investors inexperienced in this arena and posing exposure problems for the international financial system as a whole, argues Harvard Business School professor Mohamed El-Erian. Here's how to fix the problem.

Company Town: Fixing Corrupt Governments

Published:	August 1, 2007
Feature:	Op-Ed

Too many democracies are ruled by corrupt leaders, says HBS professor Eric Werker. So how about letting good corporate citizens run for elected office in Third World regions?

Leveling the Executive Options Playing Field

Published:	June 18, 2007
Feature:	Op-Ed

Harvard Business School professor Mihir A. Desai recently presented testimony to a U.S. Senate subcommittee looking at the subject of executive stock options. His theme: A "dual-reporting system" makes it difficult for investors and tax authorities to learn the real numbers.

Government's Misguided Probe of Private Equity

Published:	March 14, 2007
Feature:	Op-Ed

The U.S Department of Justice has begun an inquiry into potentially anti-competitive behavior on the part of leading private equity firms. Professor Josh Lerner looks to history to underscore why this move carries the prospect of damaging what is actually an incredibly competitive industry that creates much value.

What a U.N. Partnership with Big Business Could Accomplish

Published:	February 21, 2007
Feature:	Op-Ed

If the world's large corporations really are the greatest drivers of wealth creation, it only seems reasonable that their capabilities and resources can be focused on global poverty, says professor emeritus George C. Lodge. Here's the case for a partnership between business, the United Nations, and NGOs.

Tata-Corus: India's New Steel Giant

Published:	February 14, 2007
Feature:	Op-Ed

By acquiring Anglo-Dutch steel firm Corus, India's Tata Steel is now one of the world's top five steel makers. Professor Tarun Khanna says the fact that the deal is the largest out of India and generated by the private sector makes this a notable event. But now comes the hard part—making the merger work. Can Tata avoid mistakes made by Chinese companies? From The Economic Times/India Times.

Learning from Private-Equity Boards

Published:	January 17, 2007
Feature:	Op-Ed

Boards of professionally sponsored buyouts are more informed, hands-on, and interventionist than public company boards. HBS professor emeritus Malcolm S. Salter argues that this board model could have helped Enron—and perhaps your company as well.

India Needs to Encourage Trade with China

Published:	December 6, 2006
Feature:	Op-Ed

Although India and China have increased bilateral trade over the last five years, the amount is far less than what would be expected. Harvard Business School professor Tarun Khanna says India has primarily itself to blame. From The Economic Times.

Rising CEO Pay: What Directors Should Do

Published:	September 13, 2006
Feature:	Op-Ed

Compensation committees are under pressure to keep CEO pay high, even as shareholders and the media agitate for moderation. The solution? Boards of directors need better competitive information and an ear to what shareholders are saying, says Jay Lorsch.

The Compensation Game

Published:	August 30, 2006
Feature:	Op-Ed

Do CEOs deserve "star" compensation? The idea that CEO pay is driven by the invisible hand of market forces is a myth from which chief executives have long benefited, say Harvard professors Lucian Bebchuk and Rakesh Khurana.

The Real Wal-Mart Effect

Published:	August 23, 2006
Feature:	Op-Ed

Critics are lining up to take shots at Wal-Mart's treatment of workers and a host of other alleged knocks against society. But the critics miss one big point, says Pankaj Ghemawat: Wal-Mart's overall impact benefits the economy and lower-income consumers.

Enron Jury Sent the Right Message

Published:	July 21, 2006
Feature:	Op-Ed

Although the actions of Enron's executives were in many areas neither clearly legal nor illegal, jurors sent an unambiguous message that all executives should heed: Truth telling and ethical discipline are the cornerstone values in corporate governance.

The Case for Consumer-Driven Medicaid

Published:	July 14, 2006
Feature:	Op-Ed

The Medicaid program is a health insurance safety net for 52 million Americans, but the price tag threatens the financial stability of the states. Regina Herzlinger looks to South Carolina for a model in consumer-driven healthcare.

Corporate Governance Activists are Headed in the Wrong Direction

Published:	July 5, 2006
Feature:	Op-Ed

Corporate governance reformers are pushing the idea of majority voting for directors. But that solution, as Joseph Hinsey sees it, won't produce the desired outcome. The answer? Keep CEOs and board chairs separate.

Is Business Management a Profession?

Published:	February 21, 2005
Feature:	Op-Ed

If management was a licensed profession on a par with law or medicine, there might be fewer opportunities for corporate bad guys, argue HBS professors Rakesh Khurana and Nitin Nohria, and research associate Daniel Penrice.

Using Big Business to Fight Poverty

Published:	August 12, 2002
Feature:	Op-Ed

Can an international alliance of global corporations win a war on poverty? Yes, if such an alliance is well planned and formed soon, according to HBS professor emeritus George C. Lodge.

A Cure for Enron-Style Audit Failures

Published:	May 13, 2002
Feature:	Op-Ed

In an opinion piece in the Financial Times, Harvard Business School professor Jay Lorsch argues for legislation to create an independent, self-regulatory organization to oversee accounting firms. Enron, he says, is not an isolated incident.

Why Corporate Budgeting Needs To Be Fixed

Published:	November 26, 2001
Feature:	Op-Ed

Not to mince words, but corporate budgeting is a joke, argues HBS professor emeritus Michael C. Jensen in this Harvard Business Review excerpt. The problem isn't with the budget process—it's when budget targets are used to determine compensation.