Sweden
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- 14 Feb 2023
- HBS Case
Is Sweden Still 'Sweden'? A Liberal Utopia Grapples with an Identity Crisis
Changing political views and economic forces have threatened Sweden's image of liberal stability. Is it the end of the Scandinavian business-welfare model as we know it? In a case study, Debora Spar examines recent shifts in Sweden and what they mean for the country's future.
- 20 Feb 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Stock Market Returns and Consumption
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.
- 15 Feb 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Can Financial Innovation Solve Household Reluctance to Take Risk?
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.
- 23 Mar 2016
- Research & Ideas
Researchers Prove C-Suite Gender Gap—but Can’t Explain It
In research involving virtually every top executive in Sweden, Matti Keloharju and colleagues document what many already believe: women get fewer opportunities at top positions and lower pay when they get those positions. But just what is causing this gender gap is not so clear. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 May 2015
- Research & Ideas
Kids Benefit From Having a Working Mom
Women whose moms worked outside the home are more likely to have jobs themselves, are more likely to hold supervisory responsibility at those jobs, and earn higher wages than women whose mothers stayed home full time, according to research by Kathleen McGinn and colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Sweden’s Northvolt Electric Battery Maker: A Startup with a Mission
In Stockholm, Sweden an upstart battery maker, Northvolt, is trying to recreate the value chain for European car manufacturers making the switch to EVs. With two founders from Tesla and two experienced financiers at the helm, the company seems bound for success. But can they partner with government, scale fast enough, and truly be part of the climate solution? Harvard Business School professor George Serafeim discusses what it takes to scale a business—the right people, in the right place, at the right time—with the aim of providing a climate solution in the case, “Northvolt, Building Batteries to Fight Climate Change.” As part of a new first-year MBA course at Harvard Business School, this case examines the central question: what is the social purpose of the firm?