Finance
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- 28 May 2020
- Coronavirus
Coronavirus Could Create a 'Bankruptcy Pandemic'
An expected explosion in bankruptcy proceedings over the coming months could overwhelm the courts, says Stuart Gilson. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 12 May 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Elusive Safety: The New Geography of Capital Flows and Risk
Examining motives and incentives behind the growing international flows of US-denominated securities, this study finds that dollar-denominated capital flows are increasingly intermediated by tax haven financial centers and nonbank financial institutions.
- 11 May 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Targeting High Ability Entrepreneurs Using Community Information: Mechanism Design in the Field
Based on a field experiment involving 1,345 microentrepreneurs in India, this study provides insight into the depth and breadth of social knowledge contained in rural and peri-urban social networks. Harnessing community information directly from a microentrepreneur’s peers helps to identify high-growth microentrepreneurs and predict their returns to capital.
- 05 May 2020
- Coronavirus
China Tariffs and Coronavirus a Double Hit to American Retailers
American retailers have yet to pass along higher prices caused by Chinese tariffs, but shrinking product demand caused by the coronavirus could change that, warns Alberto Cavallo. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 27 Apr 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Corporate Leadership and Creditor Recovery Rates: Evidence from Executive Gender
This paper examines the relationship between executive gender and creditor recovery rates, showing that creditors to female-run firms have higher recovery rates in the event of default.
- 23 Apr 2020
- Coronavirus
This Crisis Loan Program Preserved Jobs—and Made Money
Following the 2008 financial crisis, France offered a business loan program that helped firms, employees, and even the government, says Boris Vallee. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 14 Apr 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Contractual Restrictions and Debt Traps
Microfinance has failed to catalyze entrepreneurship in developing countries, despite abundant evidence of high return on investment opportunities. What can account for this? This study presents a theory in which firms that borrow from an informal lender may see their growth stalled and remain in the relationship indefinitely, even though they would have continued to grow in the absence of a lender.
- 13 Apr 2020
- Coronavirus
Small Businesses Are Worse Off Than We Thought
A survey of small-business owners shows that lack of liquidity and skepticism of government programs are compounding COVID crisis recovery efforts. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 09 Apr 2020
- Research & Ideas
How Social Entrepreneurs Can Increase Their Investment Impact
Grants or investments? Philanthropic organizations have multiple funding tools available, but choosing the wrong one can dilute the benefits, according to research by Benjamin N. Roth. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 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.
- 20 Mar 2020
- Coronavirus
How Small Businesses Can Survive the Coronavirus Outbreak
COVID-19 will put many small businesses on life support. Karen G. Mills, who has been advising policymakers on aid options, offers guidance to owners on the brink of ruin. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 09 Mar 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Impact Investing: A Theory of Financing Social Entrepreneurship
The author provides a formal definition of organizational sustainability and characterizes the situations in which a social enterprise should be sustainable. The analysis then delineates when an investment in a social enterprise delivers superior impact to a grant.
- 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; Comment(s) posted.
- 27 Feb 2020
- Sharpening Your Skills
How Best Business Practices Can Improve Health Care
Why do Harvard Business School scholars spend so much time and money analyzing health care delivery? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 18 Feb 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
A Preliminary Framework for Product Impact-Weighted Accounts
Although there is growing interest in environmental, social, and governance measurement, the impact of company operations is emphasized over product use. A framework like this one that captures a product’s reach, accessibility, quality, optionality, environmental use emissions, and end of life recyclability allows for a systematic methodology that can be applied to companies across many industries.
- 04 Feb 2020
- Cold Call Podcast
Why Backstage Capital Invests in ‘Underestimated’ Entrepreneurs
Laura Huang discusses VC Arlan Hamilton’s strategy of backing entrepreneurs who have been ignored because of stereotypes, biases, and preconceptions. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 03 Feb 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Competition in Pricing Algorithms
The adoption of pricing technology can lead to higher prices, by increasing the frequency of price changes and/or encoding pricing strategies in algorithms. This raises new antitrust questions for policymakers, as firms do not need to coordinate or collude to raise prices.
- 13 Jan 2020
- Research & Ideas
Do Private Equity Buyouts Get a Bad Rap?
Elizabeth Warren calls private equity buyouts "Wall Street looting," but a recent study by Josh Lerner and colleagues shows they have both positive and negative impacts. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 07 Jan 2020
- Cold Call Podcast
Can Capitalism Be Fixed by Making Companies More Just?
JUST Capital seeks to make public companies more "just" by measuring and ranking their overall impact on society, based on priorities most important to average Americans. Ethan Rouen and Charles Wang explore whether JUST Capital's performance evaluation methodology can improve corporate behavior. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
Rebates in the Pharmaceutical Industry: Evidence from Medicines Sold in Retail Pharmacies in the U.S.
Retail pharmacy data illustrates it can be misleading to use list prices instead of net prices to understand pharmaceutical prices. Analysts and economists working in public policy should be extremely cautious in drawing policy conclusions based on list prices alone.