- 24 May 2018
- Research & Ideas
Distance Still Matters in Business, Despite the Internet
The internet makes distance less a problem for conducting business, but geography still matters in the digital age. Shane Greenstein explains why. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 02 Mar 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Evidence of Decreasing Internet Entropy: The Lack of Redundancy in DNS Resolution by Major Websites and Services
Stabilizing the domain name resolution (DNS) infrastructure is critical to the operation of the internet. Single points of failure become more consequential as a larger proportion of the internet's biggest sites are managed by a small number of externally hosted DNS providers. Providers could encourage diversification by requiring domain owners to select a secondary DNS provider.
- 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; Comment(s) posted.
- 03 Nov 2016
- Working Paper Summaries
Ideological Segregation among Online Collaborators: Evidence from Wikipedians
This study analyzes the dynamics supporting or undermining segregated conversations. Among the findings: In spite of their great differences, contributors on Wikipedia tend to move toward less segregated conversations. Contributors’ positions become more neutral over time, not more extreme. In addition, the conflict resolution mechanisms and the mix of informal and formal norms at Wikipedia play an important role in encouraging a community that works toward a neutral point of view.
- 26 Sep 2016
- Working Paper Summaries
Technological Leadership (de)Concentration: Causes in ICTE
The market structure for the Information and Communications Technology equipment industry has undergone enormous changes in the last four decades. This paper characterizes long-term trends by analyzing the concentration in patents from 1976 to 2010 and comparing measured changes against popular assumptions about the size and scale of changes in innovation.
- 19 Sep 2016
- Research & Ideas
Why Isn't Business Research More Relevant to Business Practitioners?
There’s a pervasive paradox in academia: Research conducted at business schools often offers no obvious value to people who work in the world of business. Professors and practitioners weigh in on how to enhance the relevance of research. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 14 Sep 2016
- Research & Ideas
Web Surfers Have a Schedule and Stick to It
Note to web marketers: Consumers won't carve out more time to visit your site. So how do you attract them? Start by understanding their online habits, reports new research by Shane Greenstein and colleagues. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 17 Aug 2016
- Working Paper Summaries
The Empirical Economics of Online Attention
This study uses extensive data on user online activity between 2008 and 2013 to examine the links between user allocation of attention and characteristics of user. Findings show remarkable stability in how households allocated their scarce attention over the five years. Results imply that suppliers are competing for a finite supply of user time while generally lacking the ability to use price discounts to attract user attention.
- 02 Aug 2016
- First Look
August 2, 2016
Can rituals decrease performance anxiety? ... How to attract attention on the internet ... The risk of eliminating what you are known for.
- 07 Mar 2016
- Working Paper Summaries
Net Neutrality: A Fast Lane to Understanding the Trade-offs
Shane Greenstein and colleagues identify the economic dimensions involved with net neutrality and show that many questions can be informed by simple economic models of the market for internet services.
- 21 Dec 2015
- Op-Ed
Without Immigrants, We Wouldn't Have Google
What is the secret sauce of US commercial success? It’s the contributions of immigrants, like Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who have made huge contributions to the technological and economic success of the United States, argues Harvard Business School Professor Shane Greenstein. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 02 Nov 2015
- Book
Dear Internet: You Are Extraordinary, But Not Exceptional
Professor Shane Greenstein is annoyed by “Internet exceptionalism,” the prevalent idea that the Internet defies economic logic, that there’s never been anything like it in business history, and that its impact supersedes everything. In his new book, Greenstein argues that the Internet actually follows classic patterns of economic behavior, detailing the commercial forces that guided the Internet’s path from cool invention to successful innovation. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 19 Oct 2015
- Research & Ideas
Business Research that Makes for Smarter Public Policy
Just as researchers in the life sciences often target their work to tackle the most dangerous diseases, business scholars are using their research to make a difference in government policy. Open for comment; 0 Comment(s) posted.
The Impact of the General Data Protection Regulation on Internet Interconnection
While many countries consider implementing their own versions of privacy and data protection regulations, there are concerns about whether such regulations may negatively impact the growth of the internet and reduce technology firms’ incentives in operating and innovating. Results of this study suggest limited effects of such regulations on the internet layer.