
- 26 Jul 2022
- Research & Ideas
Burgers with Bugs? What Happens When Restaurants Ignore Online Reviews
Negative Yelp reviews hold more sway with consumers than restaurateurs might think. A machine learning study by Chiara Farronato reveals how online platforms amplify the customer voice, and why business owners should listen.

- 14 Jan 2021
- Working Paper Summaries
Dog Eat Dog: Measuring Network Effects Using a Digital Platform Merger
With heated debate over antitrust regulation of online platforms, this study finds that when a larger platform acquired its greatest competitor, users were not better off with a single platform compared with two competitors, despite marked efficiency improvements experienced by the acquiring platform.

- 25 May 2020
- Research & Ideas
Has Occupational Licensing Outlived Its Usefulness?
A recent study shows that consumers do not value occupational licensing of their contractors or the higher prices they charge. Research by Chiara Farronato. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 06 Mar 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Consumer Protection in an Online World: An Analysis of Occupational Licensing
This paper uses new data collected by a digital platform to study the role of occupational licensing laws on individual choices and market outcomes. Results suggest that more stringent licensing laws restrict competition but do not lead to improvements in customer satisfaction.

- 26 Feb 2018
- Research & Ideas
The Airbnb Effect: Cheaper Rooms for Travelers, Less Revenue for Hotels
Hotels enjoy their highest profits when rooms are most in demand, like during holidays and big events. Unfortunately for them, Airbnb is taking away some of that pricing power, according to new research by Chiara Farronato and Andrey Fradkin. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 17 Apr 2017
- Research Event
The Most Pressing Issues for Platform Providers in the Sharing Economy
Platform providers Rover.com, OpenBay, and Agora discussed “chicken-and-egg” and other challenges they face at a recent Digital Initiative event at Harvard Business School. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Mar 2017
- Lessons from the Classroom
More Than 900 Examples of How Climate Change Affects Business
MBA students participating in Harvard Business School’s Climate Change Challenge offer ideas on how companies can negate impacts from a changing environment. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
How Much More Would Holiday Shoppers Pay to Wear Something Rare?
Economic worries will make pricing strategy even more critical this holiday season. Research by Chiara Farronato reveals the value that hip consumers see in hard-to-find products. Are companies simply making too many goods?