Competition
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- 21 Jun 2022
- HBS Case
Free Isn’t Always Better: How Slack Holds Its Own Against Microsoft Teams
What will it take to win the collaboration app wars: massive scale or a loyal following? A case study by David Yoffie digs into the intense competition between Microsoft Teams and Salesforce's Slack.

- 28 Apr 2022
- Research & Ideas
Can You Buy Creativity in the Gig Economy?
It's possible, but creators need more of a stake. A study by Feng Zhu of 10,000 novels in the Chinese e-book market reveals how tying pay to performance can lead to new ideas.

- 13 Apr 2021
- Working Paper Summaries
Deregulation, Market Power, and Prices: Evidence from the Electricity Sector
Efforts to deregulate the US electricity sector beginning in the 1990s included market-based prices and restructuring measures to introduce competition. This paper argues that electricity prices increased after deregulation because of the presence of market power.

- 07 Sep 2020
- Research & Ideas
How to Help Small Businesses Survive COVID's Next Phase
For small businesses that have survived the coronavirus so far, what's next? Karen Mills outlines steps that business owners and government should take immediately. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 03 Sep 2020
- Op-Ed
Why American Health Care Needs Its Own SEC
The United States needs a health care equivalent of the Securities and Exchange Commission to increase transparency and competition, argues Regina Herzlinger. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Jun 2020
- What Do You Think?
Will Challenged Amazon Tweak Its Retail Model Post-Pandemic?
James Heskett's readers have little sympathy for Amazon's loss of market share during the pandemic. Has the organization lost its ability to learn? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 21 Apr 2020
- Research & Ideas
7 Successful Battle Strategies to Beat COVID-19
The Agile methodology used to speed complex software development is also helpful for managing decision-making in today's crisis environment, says Euvin Naidoo. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 06 Apr 2020
- Research & Ideas
Where Do Workers Go When the Robots Arrive?
Marco Tabellini and colleagues investigate where workers go after losing their jobs to automation and Chinese imports. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 24 Mar 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Free Riding in Loan Approvals: Evidence From SME Lending in Peru
Using data from a large Peruvian bank trying to expand credit access to small and medium enterprises, this study shows that competing lenders use one another’s loan approvals as an input into their own approval process. Such “free riding” has great impact on market outcomes and might warrant policy intervention.

- 17 Mar 2020
- Cold Call Podcast
Is There a Winner in Huawei’s Digital Cold War with the US?
Bill Kirby discusses his case study of China-based Huawei’s growth and ultimate confrontation with the United States government, and China's response to the coronavirus. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 09 Mar 2020
- Research & Ideas
Warring Algorithms Could Be Driving Up Consumer Prices
Companies increasingly use software to conduct rapid price changes. Alexander MacKay explains why firms might benefit but consumers should be worried. 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.

- 25 Feb 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Reinventing Retail: The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores
Independent booksellers in the United States have proven resilient in the face of multiple technological and business model shifts in the bookselling industry. By tapping into a larger social movement that promotes the value of shopping local and a desire to cultivate community, successful booksellers are differentiating themselves from online and big box competitors.

- 10 Feb 2020
- In Practice
6 Ways That Emerging Technology Is Disrupting Business Strategy
How are AI, data analytics, and the Internet of Things changing the way business leaders think about strategy? Harvard Business School faculty members discuss how emerging technology has changed the rules of competition. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 21 Jan 2020
- Research & Ideas
Lessons for Retailers from the Rebirth of Indie Bookstores
Independent bookstores are resurging. Their strategies offer lessons for many disrupted industries to compete against Amazon and other digital retailers, says Ryan Raffaelli. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 09 Jan 2020
- Book
Rethinking Business Strategy in the Age of AI
For the first time in 100 years, new technologies such as artificial intelligence are causing firms to rethink their competitive strategy and organizational structure, say Marco Iansiti and Karim R. Lakhani, authors of the new book Competing in the Age of AI. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 17 Dec 2019
- Cold Call Podcast
Under Pressure, Oxxo Rethinks the Convenience Store
Mexican convenience store chain Oxxo dominated its market—until its chief rival doubled in size almost overnight. Professor Tatiana Sandino discusses her recent case study CEO Eduardo Padilla's response. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Nov 2019
- What Do You Think?
Should Non-Compete Clauses Be Abolished?
SUMMING UP: Non-compete clauses need to be rewritten, especially when they are applied to lower-income workers, respond James Heskett's readers. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 02 Oct 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
The Limitations of Dynamic Capabilities
This paper explains the role dynamic capabilities play in competitive advantage, identifies the conditions that make them valuable by establishing their relationship to resources and market positioning, and describes two types and various levels of the phenomenon. Developing such capabilities is desirable, but there are limitations to their effectiveness.
Muhammad Ali: A Case Study in Purpose-Driven Decision Making
Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., rose from a poor family in segregated Louisville, Kentucky to international fame, winning three heavyweight boxing titles and becoming a civil rights leader and role model for millions of people around the world. How did he do it? Early in his career, Ali’s creativity and hard work helped him overcome significant obstacles. Rather than letting his fear of flying keep him from competing in the 1960 Olympics, he traveled to Italy wearing a parachute -- and easily won the gold medal in boxing. When he returned to the U.S. as a gold medalist, Ali used his growing fame to bring attention to racism and humanitarian causes he supported, including his then-controversial decision to refuse to fight in the Vietnam War. Professor Robert Simons discusses how Ali made decisions throughout his life and career to leave a lasting impact on the world in his case, “Muhammad Ali: Changing the World.”