What Impedes Oil and Gas Companies' Transparency?
| Authors: | Paul Healy, Venkat Kuppuswamy, and and George Serafeim |
|---|---|
| Published: | December 6, 2011 |
| Paper Release Date: | November 2011 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
Oil and gas companies face asset expropriations and corruption by foreign governments in many of the countries where they operate. In addition, most of these companies operate in multiple host countries. What determines their disclosure of business activities and hence transparency? Paul Healy, Venkat Kuppuswamy, and George Serafeim examine three forms of disclosure costs that oil and gas managers could potentially consider. Both the US government and the European Union are currently considering laws that would require oil and gas companies to disclose information about operations in host countries.
Historical Trajectories and Corporate Competences in Wind Energy
| Authors: | Geoffrey Jones and Loubna Bouamane |
|---|---|
| Published: | October 18, 2011 |
| Paper Release Date: | May 2011 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
Analyzing developments in the wind turbine business over more than a century, Geoffrey Jones and Loubna Bouamane argue that public policy has been a key variable in the spread of wind energy since the 1980s, but that public policy was more of a problem than a facilitator in the earlier history of the industry. Geography has mattered to some extent, also: Both in the United States and Denmark, the existence of rural areas not supplied by electricity provided the initial stimulus to entrepreneurs and innovators. Building firm-level capabilities has been essential in an industry which has been both technically difficult and vulnerable to policy shifts.
The Untold Story of 'Green' Entrepreneurs
| Published: | September 12, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
| Forum: | open for comment; 16 Comments posted |
The history of entrepreneurs in green industries is largely unwritten, a fact that Harvard Business School business historian Geoffrey Jones is trying to remedy. In a new paper, Jones explores the edge-of-society pioneers who created the wind turbine industry.
Twenty-first Century Skill: Trading Carbon Credits
| Published: | June 8, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Paper Release Date: | October 2010 (revised) |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
| Forum: | open for comment; 7 Comments posted |
As cap and trade becomes an increasingly popular mechanism for governments to cut corporate pollution, students at Harvard Business School use a simulation to learn how it works. An interview with professor Peter Coles.
HBS Faculty Comment on Environmental Issues for Earth Day
| Published: | April 26, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | Op-Ed |
| Forum: | open for comment; 3 Comments posted |
Harvard Business School faculty members offer their views on the many business facets of "going green."
Will the Japan Disaster Remake the Landscape for Green Energy in Asia?
| Published: | April 8, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Entrepreneurs at the recent Asia Business Conference at Harvard Business School said the disaster in Japan could accelerate the move toward "green" energy sources in Asia, opening opportunities.
When Should the Public Sector Take Over in a Meltdown?
| Published: | April 7, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | What Do YOU Think? |
| Forum: | closed | 39 Comments posted |
Summing Up Jim Heskett's readers have wildly differing opinions as to what extent governments should step in to remedy public sector "meltdowns."
Water, Electricity, and Transportation: Preparing for the Population Boom
| Published: | March 14, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
| Forum: | open for comment; 17 Comments posted |
By 2050, the world's cities will have to support 3 billion more inhabitants, mostly in developing countries, with crucial investments needed in three areas: water, energy, and transportation. Several of the planet's top city planning and environmental business experts gathered at Harvard Business School earlier this month to discuss available options.
HBS Faculty on Revolution in the Middle East and North Africa
| Published: | March 3, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | Views on News |
| Forum: | open for comment; 7 Comments posted |
The historic events in North Africa and the Middle East are examined by three professors: Deepak Malhotra, an authority on negotiation strategy; Noel Maurer, an expert on the politics and economics of the energy business; and Magnus Thor Torfason, an authority on how behavior is influenced by the social structures of individuals and organizations.
Published in 2010
Managing the Support Staff Identity Crisis
| Published: | December 13, 2010 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
| Forum: | open for comment; 29 Comments posted |
Employees not connected directly to profit and loss can suffer from a collective "I-am-not-strategic" identity crisis. Professor Ranjay Gulati suggests that business managers allow so-called support function employees to become catalysts for change.
Venture Capital's Disconnect with Clean Tech
| Published: | October 18, 2010 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
| Forum: | closed | 18 Comments posted |
Clean-tech start-ups depend on patience and public policy to thrive—the Internet models for VC funding don't apply. That's why Harvard Business School professor Joseph Lassiter is making an unusual recommendation to his entrepreneurship students: Spend a few years serving time in a government job.
The Profits of Power: Commercial Realpolitik in Eurasia
| Author: | Rawi E. Abdelal |
|---|---|
| Published: | October 7, 2010 |
| Paper Release Date: | September 2010 (Revised March 2011) |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
The concept of good old-fashioned realpolitik-politics primarily shaped by practicality and power-has returned to Europe, clashing with the traditional ideologies of the European Union, says Harvard Business School professor Rawi Abdelal. Citing supporting evidence from the Russian gas giant Gazprom, he argues that scholars need to pay better attention to the role of large corporations in international relations.
How to Speed Up Energy Innovation
| Q&A with: | Rebecca Henderson |
|---|---|
| Published: | August 9, 2010 |
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
We know the grand challenge posed by shifting away from dirty energy sources. The good news, says Harvard Business School professor Rebecca Henderson, is that we have seen such change before in fields including agriculture and biotech, giving us a clearer pathway to what it will take.
Renewable Energy: Winds at Our Back?
| Q&A with: | Richard H.K. Vietor |
|---|---|
| Published: | July 6, 2010 |
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
It certainly stirred up controversy in 2001 when an entrepreneur proposed erecting 130 wind turbines off the coast of Massachusetts' Cape Cod. After nine years of struggle over regulatory, environmental, safety, and social issues, the plan appears closer to becoming a reality. HBS professor Richard Vietor reflects on wind energy and innovations in the renewable energy industry.
The Empire Struck Back: The Mexican Oil Expropriation of 1938 Reconsidered
| Author: | Noel Maurer |
|---|---|
| Published: | June 30, 2010 |
| Paper Release Date: | June 2010 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
The Mexican petroleum expropriation of 1938 looms large as the beginning of Latin American resource nationalism and the apogee of America's "Good Neighbor" policy. In Mexico, the expropriation is viewed as a patriotic triumph, in which the federal government seized control of the country's most valuable natural resource. In the U.S., the temperate reaction of the Roosevelt Administration is seen as the decisive break with Washington's imperial relationship towards Latin America. Washington "curbed its finance capital," it is said, and downgraded the protection of American overseas private investments. In this paper, HBS professor Noel Maurer explains how the actual historical record diverges substantially from the accepted view.
Accelerating Innovation In Energy: Insights from Multiple Sectors
| Authors: | Rebecca M. Henderson and Richard G. Newell |
|---|---|
| Published: | February 24, 2010 |
| Paper Release Date: | February 2010 (Revised February 2011) |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
How should the energy sector best respond to the threat of climate change? In this introductory chapter to a forthcoming book, Harvard Business School's Rebecca M. Henderson and Richard G. Newell of Duke University frame the discussion by highlighting the volume's contributions concerning four particularly innovative sectors of the U.S. economy: agriculture, chemicals, life sciences, and information technology. These four sectors have been extraordinarily important in driving recent economic growth. Henderson and Newell describe why accelerating innovation in energy could play an important role in shaping an effective response to climate change.
Is a Stringent Climate Change Agreement a Pot of Gold?
| Published: | January 6, 2010 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | What Do YOU Think? |
| Forum: | closed | 19 Comments posted |
Reading this month's comments, HBS professor Jim Heskett wonders if we even need a climate change agreement as a catalyst to foster innovation and the VC investment required to support it. (Online forum has closed; next forum opens February 4.)
Published in 2009
Business Summit: The Coming World Oil Crisis
| Published: | July 10, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | HBS Business Summit |
Without enormous changes the world faces an imminent oil crisis—and there are no silver bullet solutions. People must wake up to the sobering ramifications of peak oil, which may be the defining issue of this century.
Business Summit: Business and the Environment
| Published: | June 26, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | HBS Business Summit |
If the causes for global climate change are not addressed, the consequences for the planet are likely to be disastrous. Governments, business, and consumers must act.
The Energy Politics of Russia vs. Ukraine
| Published: | March 11, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | HBS Cases |
A recent Harvard Business School case looks at Russia's decision in 2006 to cut off supply of natural gas to Ukraine's energy company—a move repeated this year. Is Russia just an energy bully? Students of professor Rawi Abdelal learn there is nothing black and white when it comes to Russia's energy politics. From HBS Alumni Bulletin.
Barriers to Acting in Time on Energy and Strategies for Overcoming Them
| Author: | Max H. Bazerman |
|---|---|
| Published: | February 26, 2009 |
| Paper Release Date: | October 2008 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
What can the new presidential administration do to address our energy problems? For the past decade, most experts have accepted climate change as a fact, making the issue difficult to ignore—yet many politicians, and the voters who elect them, have done exactly that: ignored the problem. Scientists, policymakers, and others have come up with good ideas to address climate change and other energy issues. Many people seek to identify one cause of climate change, when it is abundantly clear that there are multiple causes. Cognitive, organizational, and political barriers exist that prevent us from addressing energy problems despite clearly identified courses of action. The creation and implementation of wise policy recommendations requires us to anticipate resistance to change and develop strategies that can overcome these barriers. Enacting wise legislation to act in time to solve energy problems requires surmounting cognitive, organizational, and political barriers to change.
Published in 2008
The Value of Environmental Activists
| Q&A with: | Ramon Casadesus-Masanell |
|---|---|
| Published: | September 8, 2008 |
| Feature: | HBS Cases |
With decidedly non-profit goals leading them on, how do environmental protection groups such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund create value? Can it be measured? A Q&A with Harvard Business School professor Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and case writer Jordan Mitchell.
Innovation Corrupted: How Managers Can Avoid Another Enron
| Q&A with: | Malcolm S. Salter |
|---|---|
| Published: | July 7, 2008 |
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
The train wreck that was Enron provides key insights for improving corporate governance and financial incentives as well as organizational processes that strengthen ethical discipline, says HBS professor emeritus Malcolm S. Salter. His new book, Innovation Corrupted: The Origins and Legacy of Enron's Collapse, is a deep reflection on the present and future of business.
A Resource Belief-Curse: Oil and Individualism
| Authors: | Rafael M. Di Tella, Juan Dubra, and Robert MacCulloch |
|---|---|
| Published: | January 9, 2008 |
| Paper Release Date: | November 2007 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
Capitalism is not as widespread as economists would hope. Data from surveys of public opinion, as well as on the distribution of political parties, confirm the idea that capitalism doesn't flow to poor countries. In some countries, anti-market sentiment has increased in recent years, a period where the price of oil and other primary commodities have soared. This combination of anti-market sentiment and high oil prices has led to renegotiations of oil contracts and even nationalizations in some countries such as Bolivia and Venezuela. It is tempting for economists trained in the theory of political capture to argue that this is just another instance where special interests exploit the circumstances to make an extra dollar. Given that these nationalizations are often popular with the majority of voters, however, the researchers resist this temptation and ask if there are explanations where a positive correlation emerges between voter anti-market sentiment and dependence on oil.
Published in 2007
Climate Change Puts Heat on GMs
| Published: | October 31, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | HBS Cases |
Ready or not, companies are being swept up in the increasing public debate over global climate change. How should firms respond? A case study exploring how financial service giant UBS thinks through the issues has students coming down on different sides.
HBS Cases: Using Investor Relations Proactively
| Q&A with: | Gregory S. Miller, Vincent Dessain, and Daniela Beyersdorfer |
|---|---|
| Published: | August 20, 2007 |
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Investor relations has a delicate balancing act. It communicates with stakeholders, of course, but can also help employees take a step back and analyze their firm as outsiders do. Harvard Business School's Gregory S. Miller, Vincent Dessain, and Daniela Beyersdorfer explain where IR is going, with energy giants BP and Total leading the way.
Teaching the Next Generation of Energy Executives
| Published: | June 11, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
A new generation of energy industry managers will make decisions that affect the quality of life for hundreds of millions of people. At Harvard Business School, students in professor Forest Reinhardt's Energy course are learning the complexities and realities of developing and implementing strategy in such a complex environment.
Will Market Forces Stop Global Warming?
| Published: | April 6, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | What Do YOU Think? |
| Forum: | closed | 59 Comments posted |
HBS professor Jim Heskett sums up many creative responses from readers on the role of business in combatting global climate change. Online forum now closed.
Risky Business? Protecting Foreign Investments
| Q&A with: | Louis T. Wells |
|---|---|
| Published: | March 5, 2007 |
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
After a string of forced nationalizations of private enterprises in the 1960s and 1970s, the pendulum swung back and companies were again encouraged by host countries to build and run major infrastructure projects such as power and water. But a set of new property protections has done little to manage the risk in many of these politically unstable environments. Professor Louis T. Wells, coauthor of a new book on making foreign investment safe, discusses the current landscape.
Published in 2006
Manly Men, Oil Platforms, and Breaking Stereotypes
| Published: | November 27, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Men who work in dangerous places often act invulnerable to prove their merit as workers and as men—objectives that can lead to decreased safety and efficiency. Professor Robin Ely and her team helicoptered to offshore oil platforms in order to understand "manly men" and how working environments can be changed to alter men's enactments of manhood.
