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Lessons from IBM in Nazi Germany

Re: Geoffrey G. Jones

Geoffrey Jones discusses his case study, "Thomas J. Watson, IBM and Nazi Germany," exploring the options and responsibilities of multinationals with investments in politically reprehensible regimes. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Spatial Agglomeration and Superstar Firms: Firm-level Patterns from Europe and US

by Laura Alfaro, Maggie X. Chen, and Harald Fadinger

Large, productive, or internationalized firms tend to co-locate geographically. This study of the United States and Eurozone shows greater agglomeration around high performance plants, particularly multinationals. For policymakers, then, policies aimed at improving industry performance should pay attention to firm productivity distribution and not only focus on average performance.

Field-Level Paradox and the Co-Evolution of an Entrepreneurial Vision

by Ryan Raffaelli and Richard DeJordy

Swiss watchmaking embodies the classic strategic paradox created by the introduction of new technology: the choice between resisting and defending, or embracing and prospecting. This paper offers a model for how fields and organizational leaders experiencing similar paradoxes can adapt to environmental change while still preserving valuable aspects of their past success.

Can These Business Students Motivate Londoners to Do the Right Thing?

by Dina Gerdeman

In the Harvard Business School course Behavioral Insights, students work in the UK with psychology experts to understand what motivates consumers and workers. What they learn can help businesses of all types, says Michael Luca. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Government Technology Policy, Social Value, and National Competitiveness

by Frank Nagle

This study examines the impact of a French law requiring government agencies to favor open source software (OSS) over proprietary software in technology procurement processes. Results suggest a cost-effective policy lever that countries can use to both create global social value and increase their own national competitiveness.

The Ferrari Way

by Michael Blanding

Secretive sports car maker Ferrari opens up to Stefan Thomke about how it has bucked industry trends to achieve success. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Voter ID Laws Don't Work (But They Don't Hurt Anything, Either)

by Sean Silverthorne

Voter ID laws are often proposed as an antidote to election fraud. There's just one problem, according to Vincent Pons. They don't work. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The UK Needs a Bold Strategy Around Competition to Survive Brexit

by Michael Blanding

There is little doubt that the United Kingdom’s separation from Europe will reduce its competitiveness for the foreseeable future, argues Michael E. Porter. Here's what can be done about it. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Platform Competition: Betfair and the U.K. Market for Sports Betting

by Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Neil Campbell

Since the early 2000s, online betting exchanges have had a new relationship with customers relative to traditional bookmakers, providing a platform to match individuals willing to lay and back the same outcome. This study shows how exchanges’ platform design choices have major implications for their likelihood of success.

Towards a New Approach for Upgrading Europe’s Competitiveness

by Christian Ketels and Michael E. Porter

Is the EU’s model of European integration a driver or a barrier towards higher European prosperity? This paper analyzes why the integration model that was successful in the past has lost effectiveness, and sets out strategic principles to guide a new approach. Integration remains key for upgrading European competitiveness, but needs to move towards a new form.

Rankings Matter Even When They Shouldn't: Bandwagon Effects in Two-Round Elections

by Vincent Pons and Clémence Tricaud

Results of the French parliamentary and local elections since 1958 show that candidates ranked higher in the first round are more likely to stay in the race for the second round and win it. Arriving first instead of second and second instead of third increases winning by 5.8 and 9.9 percentage points, respectively.

UK Competitiveness after Brexit

by Michael E. Porter

This paper discusses the UK’s economic performance and policy approach in the run-up to the June 2016 Brexit referendum, analyzes the impact of European Union membership and loss of membership on UK competitiveness, and sets forth a new strategic agenda to enhance UK competitiveness in the post-Brexit era.

Should US Companies Still Care About the Paris Climate Change Agreement?

Re: Vincent Pons

American President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change one year ago. Vincent Pons discusses what it means for US business leaders in confronting environmental challenges. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

No More General Tso's? A Threat to 'Knowledge Recombination'

by Michael Blanding

Immigrants bring with them innovations from their homelands, knowledge that local inventors often build upon, says Prithwiraj Choudhury. Examples: turmeric medicine, double-entry bookkeeping, and American Chinese food. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Would You Price One of the World's Great Watches?

by Roberta Holland

For companies with lots of innovation stuffed in their products, getting the price right is a crucial decision. Stefan Thomke discusses how watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne puts a price on its 173-year-old craftsmanship. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Companies Managed Risk (and Even Benefitted) in World War Internment Camps

by Julia Hanna

Foreign businesses located in at-war countries are often victims of expropriation. Historian Valeria Giacomin explores how German businesses in the United Kingdom and India mitigated risk and even benefitted when their employees were placed in internment camps during the World Wars. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How a Coal Polluter Became a Renewable Energy Leader

Re: Mark R. Kramer

Enel, Italy’s state-owned power company, was one of Europe’s largest coal users and polluters. Now it is recognized as a leader in renewable energy services. Mark Kramer discusses how CEO Francesco Starace drove the huge strategy shift. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Impact of CEOs in the Public Sector: Evidence from the English NHS

by Katharina Janke, Carol Propper, and Raffaella Sadun

To what extent do CEOs impact their organizations? This study finds little consistent evidence of any CEO effect on the large set of production metrics examined in hospitals averaging 4,500 employees in the English National Health Service. This result stands in stark contrast with earlier findings of a CEO effect in the private sector and smaller public sector organizations.

Stock Market Returns and Consumption

by Marco Di Maggio, Amir Kermani, and Kaveh Majlesi

Using a unique dataset for the entire Swedish population, this study of household consumption in response to changes in capital gains and dividends shows that the marginal propensity to consume (MPC) out of capital gains for households in the top 50 percent of financial wealth distribution is relatively uniform and around 5 percent but is more than 10 percent for the bottom 50 percent. These results explain why the recent stock market rally ignited a spending splurge that is cutting into how much households save for rainy days.

Can Financial Innovation Solve Household Reluctance to Take Risk?

by Laurent Calvet, Claire Celerier, Paolo Sodini, and Boris Vallée

Structured products are an innovative class of retail financial products with option-like features. This paper provides empirical evidence suggesting that innovative financial products like these can help alleviate loss aversion and thus the low participation of households in risky asset markets.