Working Knowledge
Business Research for Business Leaders
COVID-19 Business Impact Center
Filter Results: (14) Arrow Down

Government LegislationRemove Government Legislation →

New research on government legislation from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including corporate taxation, food safety economics, and the effects of legislation on innovation.
Page 1 of 14 Results

Many Small-Business Employees May Be Close to Losing Health Insurance

by Rachel Layne

Small-business owners have delayed rent payments and other bills to protect health benefits for employees. Now, financial pressure is mounting, according to research by Leemore Dafny, Yin Wei Soon, Zoë Cullen, and Christopher Stanton. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How to Help Small Businesses Survive COVID's Next Phase

by Danielle Kost

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; Comment(s) posted.

Government Incentives for Entrepreneurship

by Josh Lerner

Even though many public policy efforts on entrepreneurship are well intentioned, the success rate has been disappointing. This essay explores these policies, focusing on financial incentives to entrepreneurs and the intermediaries who fund them.

SUMMING UP: Do We Need an Artificial Intelligence Czar?

by James Heskett

Having government oversee artificial intelligence development is either a sure way to kill a promising technology or the only way to keep our robot overlords at bay. James Heskett's readers debate. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Warning: Scary Warning Labels Work!

by Dina Gerdeman

If you want to convince consumers to stay away from unhealthy diet choices, don't be subtle about possible consequences, says Leslie John. These graphically graphic warning labels seem to do the trick. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Op-Ed: Trump’s Tariffs Could Harm Allies as Much as Opponents

by Dante Roscini

President Trump's duties on steel and aluminum could produce immediate political gain but long-term economic pain for some American industries and global allies, says Dante Roscini. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Tax Reform is on the Front Burner Again. Here’s Why You Should Care

by Sean Silverthorne

As debate begins around the Republican tax reform proposal, Mihir Desai and Matt Weinzierl discuss the first significant tax legislation in 30 years. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Op-Ed: Can the Proposed American Health Care Act Improve on 'Obamacare'?

by John Quelch, Dr. Gordon Moore, and Emily Boudreau

Politics aside, the primary question to be asked about the newly proposed American Health Care Act is this: Will it improve choice, cost, and outcomes for health care consumers? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The State of Small Business Lending: Innovation and Technology and the Implications for Regulation

by Karen Gordon Mills and Brayden McCarthy

New online fintech competitors have entered the small business lending space, filling a gap in small-dollar loans. More than 70 percent of small businesses seek loans in amounts under $250,000 and more than 60 percent want loans under $100,000. Gaps in regulation of the alternative small business lending market create issues of oversight and concerns about predatory lending. The paper first describes the current market for small business lending, including the new disruptors, and presents strategic alternatives for existing banks to partner with fintech entrants and compete in the new environment. The authors then describe the current regulatory environment with its large number of agencies, each with overlapping authority and mandates, and provide a set of recommendations for regulatory activity that will protect borrowers and investors in this space. These recommendations address concerns about systemic risk while trying to avoid dampening innovation that is filling the gap in small business access to credit.

Can Obamacare Be Saved?

by John A. Quelch and Emily Boudreau

Is Obamacare in trouble? With premiums rising and some health providers pulling back, The Affordable Care Act might seem wobbly. John A. Quelch and Emily Boudreau argue for remedies that include more education for consumers, innovation from insurers, and flexibility on behalf of regulators. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Can Paying Firms Quicker Affect Aggregate Employment?

by Jean-Noel Barrot and Ramana Nanda

In 2011, the United States federal government accelerated payments by 15 days to a subset of small-business government contractors. This study shows that, on average, each accelerated dollar of sales led to an almost 10 cent increase in payroll, with two-thirds of the increase coming from new hires and the remainder from increased earnings per worker. These findings highlight a new channel through which financial frictions affect firm-level employment.

Food Safety Economics: The Cost of a Sick Customer

by Dina Gerdeman

When restaurants source from local growers, it can be more difficult to assess product safety—just another wrinkle in high-stakes efforts to keep our food from harming us. Just ask Chipotle. John A. Quelch discusses a recent case study on food testing. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

When Mass Shootings Lead to Looser Gun Restrictions

by Carmen Nobel

Do mass shootings lead to more gun-related legislation? The answer is yes, with an important twist, according to new research by Michael Luca, Deepak Malhotra, and Christopher Poliquin. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

What Companies Should Not Do in the Next Banking Crisis

by Michael Blanding

Following the banking meltdown of 2008, many struggling companies in Spain did what they shouldn’t have: sacrificed their future for short-term gain. Professor Claudia Steinwender calls it the Groucho Marx Criterion. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.