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New research on measurements and metrics from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including online metrics, auditing firms, and measuring social impact.
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Tech Clusters

by William R. Kerr and Frederic Robert-Nicoud

We are witnessing a major transformation of business to achieve strategic positions in powerful tech hubs, but most workers and consumers will always be far away. The authors describe the spatial concentration of tech activity in the United States and explore the economics of tech clusters with an eye to the future of innovation and economic geography.

Does Apple Anchor a Shopping Mall? The Effect of the Technology Stores on the Formation of Market Structure

by Doug J. Chung, Kyoungwon Seo, and Reo Song

How do technology stores, particularly those owned by Apple and Microsoft, affect retail sales and market dynamics at malls? Through modeling and simulation, the authors found that these stores helped malls draw more high-income consumers, supporting the entry of upscale stores and exit of midscale and discount stores.

Taking on the Taboos That Keep Women Out of India's Workforce

by Julia Hanna

Giving women in rural India more control over household finances reduces the social stigma of working, says research by Natalia Rigol. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Do TV Debates Sway Voters?

by Danielle Kost

As Democratic presidential candidates face off at the podium, Vincent Pons reports that TV debates don’t influence voters. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Why Does Business Invest in Education in Emerging Markets? Why Does It Matter?

by Valeria Giacomin, Geoffrey Jones, and Erica Salvaj

Drawing on 110 interviews with business leaders as part of the Creating Emerging Markets project at Harvard Business School, this paper represents the first systematic attempt to identify and compare investment in education across emerging economies, specifically in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Turkey, and the Persian Gulf between the 1960s and the present day.

How to Recover Gracefully After Shutting Down Your Startup

by Danielle Kost

It’s hard to call it quits on a business venture, but entrepreneurs can wind down a struggling startup while keeping their reputations and sanity intact, says Tom Eisenmann. The first step is knowing when to accept defeat. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

‘Chick Beer’ for Women? Why Gender Marketing Repels More Than Sells

by Dina Gerdeman

Just how far will women go to avoid products labeled "for women?" Research by Leslie K. John and colleagues explores why gender marketing usually offends the very people a company is trying to attract. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Solving the Riddle of How Companies Grow Over Time

by Michael Blanding

Can company growth rates persist over long periods of time? A new study of long-lasting enterprises might make CEOs rethink their strategies, says Gary Pisano. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Value of Intermediation in the Stock Market

by Marco Di Maggio, Mark Egan, and Francesco Franzoni

Despite the rise of alternative trading platforms, high-touch broker trading remains prominent in institutional equity markets. The authors analyze how fees, research, quality of execution, and information can help explain how execution decisions and preferences vary across investors.

Spatial Agglomeration and Superstar Firms: Firm-level Patterns from Europe and US

by Laura Alfaro, Maggie X. Chen, and Harald Fadinger

Large, productive, or internationalized firms tend to co-locate geographically. This study of the United States and Eurozone shows greater agglomeration around high performance plants, particularly multinationals. For policymakers, then, policies aimed at improving industry performance should pay attention to firm productivity distribution and not only focus on average performance.

How to Be a Digital Platform Leader

by Martha Lagace

The most valuable companies in the world have one thing in common: all are leaders in the platform economy. In a new book, David Yoffie and colleagues identify key strategies and tactics for success on digital platforms. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Airbnb Lesson for Startups? Success Takes More Than Technology

by Danielle Kost

As investors speculate about the timing of an Airbnb IPO, Thales S. Teixeira discusses the analog tactics and economic conditions that helped catapult the company. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Rituals Strengthen Couples. Here’s Why They’re Good for Business, Too

by Dina Gerdeman

Couples with deliberate rituals feel more satisfied with their relationships, says research by Michael I. Norton and Ximena Garcia-Rada. Can businesses benefit? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Effect of Payment Choices on Online Retail: Evidence from the 2016 Indian Demonetization

by Chaithanya Bandi, Toni Moreno, Donald Ngwe, and Zhiji Xu

Online sellers in many emerging markets are in the early stages of a shift from cash-based payments to digital payments. Findings from this study of a leading Indian online retailer show that firms may enjoy gains from consumer demand on top of operational gains resulting from payment digitization.

In the Platform Economy, Upwork Searches for Better Matches in the Cloud

Re: David B. Yoffie

Welcome to the Platform Economy, where business strategists must learn a new form of competition. David Yoffie and Michael Cusumano explain choices facing Upwork, which matches jobs with job hunters in the cloud. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Comprehensive Effects of a Digital Paywall Sales Strategy

by Doug J. Chung, Ho Kim, and Reo Song

Many print media firms are switching to a business model requiring readers to pay for online content. This study of media paywall strategies in the US finds that adopting a digital paywall can lead to positive demand substitution from digital to print channels, particularly for large-sized firms and those with unique content.

How Transparency into Internal and External Responsibility Initiatives Influences Consumer Choice

by Ryan W. Buell and Basak Kalkanci

Three studies examined how firms can use transparency into social and environmental responsibility initiatives to differentiate themselves in the consumer market. Results show that transparency into internal, responsible operations practices can increase sales at least as much as transparency into external, corporate social responsibility practices, if not more so.

US Antitrust Law and Policy in Historical Perspective

by Laura Phillips Sawyer

Since the late 19th century, American antitrust law and policy has responded to multiple changes: technological advances that have transformed business structures, political imperatives that have reformed regulations and informed prosecutorial discretion, and economic theories that have reshaped the boundaries of government interventions into the economy. Today, antitrust remains a contested field.

Investor Lawsuits Against Auditors Are Falling, and That's Bad News for Capital Markets

by Martha Lagace

It's becoming more difficult for investors to sue corporate auditors. The result? A weakening of trust in US capital markets, says Suraj Srinivasan. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

If the Key to Business Success Is Focus, Why Does Amazon Work?

Re: Sunil Gupta

Sunil Gupta explores the infiltration of Amazon into dozens of industries including web services, grocery, and movie production. What’s the big plan? Is the company spread too thin? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.