- 19 Jan 2021
- Working Paper Summaries
The Role of Constraints in Creative Problem-Solving
This study shows that constraints can support creative problem solving in a consumer electronics setting. Adding (some) constraints increased the quantity and quality of strong ideas generated and selected through an open innovation process.
- 11 Jan 2021
- Research & Ideas
Is A/B Testing Effective? Evidence from 35,000 Startups
A/B tests help startup founders capitalize on good ideas—and move on from duds—faster, says research from Rembrand Koning. How can established companies benefit? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 30 Nov 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Short-Termism, Shareholder Payouts, and Investment in the EU
Shareholder-driven “short-termism,” as evidenced by increasing payouts to shareholders, is said to impede long-term investment in EU public firms. But a deep dive into the data reveals a different story.
- 24 Nov 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Accounting for Product Impact in the Consumer Finance Industry
A framework and method for measuring and monetizing product impact across industries, applying it to two competitors in the consumer finance space.
- 13 Oct 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Fencing Off Silicon Valley: Cross-Border Venture Capital and Technology Spillovers
This study of foreign corporate investment transactions from 32 countries between 1976 and 2015 finds these investments pose a trade-off: While they support young firms in pursuing innovations they could not otherwise afford, they also generate knowledge for the foreign investors.
- 29 Sep 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Centrino and the Restructuring of Wi-Fi Supply
This study examines Intel’s launch of Centrino and interprets it as a platform leader’s attempt to restructure a supply chain.
- 28 Sep 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
What Can Economics Say About Alzheimer's Disease?
This essay discusses the role of market frictions and "missing medicines" in drug innovation and highlights how frameworks and toolkits of economists can help our understanding of the determinants and effects of Alzheimer's disease on health.
- 22 Sep 2020
- Research & Ideas
Recessions Push Some Entrepreneurs to Launch Too Soon
Research by Maria Roche looks at how past economic downturns forced job-insecure, high-tech entrepreneurs to rush their ventures to market. Will COVID-19 do the same? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 24 Aug 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
When Do Experts Listen to Other Experts? The Role of Negative Information in Expert Evaluations for Novel Projects
Evaluators of early-stage scientific proposals tend to systematically focus on the weaknesses of proposed work rather than its strengths, according to evidence from two field experiments.
- 20 Aug 2020
- Book
From the Plow to the Pill: How Technology Shapes Our Lives
Many technologies have upended long-held beliefs about love, sex, marriage, and reproduction, says Debora Spar in a new book, Work Mate Marry Love: How Machines Shape Our Human Destiny. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 18 Aug 2020
- Cold Call Podcast
Is a Pandemic the Best Time To Try Out a New Idea?
Singapore's new nationwide, Bluetooth-based contact tracing program TraceTogether must overcome privacy issues to be effective. Would Singaporeans adopt TraceTogether? Professor Mitch Weiss discusses his new case study. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 08 Jul 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Inventing the Endless Frontier: The Effects of the World War II Research Effort on Post-War Innovation
Investments made in World War II by the United States Office of Scientific Research and Development powered decades of subsequent innovation and the take-off of regional technology hubs around the country.
- 22 Jun 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Iterative Coordination and Innovation
Do Agile methodologies promote innovation? Results of a field experiment with Google show that increasing the frequency and goal orientation of stand-up meetings reinforces integration and value but reduces specialization and novelty in outcomes.
- 16 Jun 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Government Incentives for Entrepreneurship
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.
- 11 Jun 2020
- In Practice
Are Digital Organizations Better at Overcoming COVID?
Experts from Harvard Business School's Digital Initiative discuss how technology is helping leading companies gain an edge during the coronavirus pandemic. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 07 Jun 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Financial Distancing: How Venture Capital Follows the Economy Down and Curtails Innovation
Common wisdom holds that VC investment and VC-backed startups are relatively insulated from downturns. This study shows that the relative quantity and quality of innovation declines more for VC-backed firms than for other types of firms during downturns.
- 02 Jun 2020
- Research & Ideas
Coronavirus Careers: Cloud Kitchens Are Now Serving
Cloud kitchens are restaurants built around food delivery rather than sit-down service, and they are increasing in popularity as COVID-19 disrupts the industry, write Lena Ye and Geoffrey Jones. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 12 May 2020
- Cold Call Podcast
Autonomous Vehicles Are Ready to Disrupt Society, Business—and You
The rise of autonomous vehicles has enormous implications for business and society. Professors William R. Kerr and Elie Ofek explore the factors influencing their development and commercialization. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 07 May 2020
- Research & Ideas
The One Good Thing Caused by COVID-19: Innovation
Hong Luo and Alberto Galasso see risk-mitigating innovation everywhere the virus spreads. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
The Value of Descriptive Analytics: Evidence from Online Retailers
Analytics are descriptive when they describe what happened. Descriptive-analytics solutions are popular among marketers and retailers. This paper provides a benchmark for the benefits of using a descriptive dashboard and illustrates how to potentially extract these benefits.