Yao, Dennis A. →

Corporate Innovation Increasingly Benefits from Government Research

Nearly a third of US patents rely directly on government-funded research, says Dennis Yao. Is government too involved in supporting private sector innovation—or not enough? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

The Impact of Regulation on Strategic Positioning: Self-Regulation in the RTE Cereal Industry

Regulations often change the competitive environment firms operate in by inducing product repositioning. This study examines the responses and performance impacts resulting from industry self-regulation to improve the nutritional content of children’s cereals. Dynamic links between product positioning and product brand equity resources are explored.

Delay as Agenda Setting

A common business (and life) practice involves delaying a decision in order to avoid immediate commitment. James J. Anton (Fuqua School of Business) and Dennis A. Yao (HBS) discuss ways in which delaying or, alternatively, speeding up commitment can be a valuable tactic, how these tactics influence the actions of other decision makers, and ways in which such actions affect other decisions. Changing the speed at which a decision is made affects how others allocate resources to influence how that and other decisions will eventually be made. The researchers identify two tactics associated with changing decision speed: "pinning" and "focusing." Key concepts include: Commitment-avoiding can be a valuable tactic in that delaying a decision will greatly affect the actions of other decision makers-including both allies and rivals. Pinning involves taking actions that "pin" a rival decision maker's resources to one decision, thus reducing the rival's influence on other decisions. Focusing involves speeding up a decision, which frees up an ally's resources for use on other decisions. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.