Markets
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- 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.
- 24 Feb 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Recovering Investor Expectations from Demand for Index Funds
Understanding investor beliefs and their dynamics is important in many settings. This paper proposes a framework that uses observed ETF trades to reveal the full distribution of investor expected returns. The authors apply the framework to the S&P 500 and other asset classes over the period 2008-2018. This approach to measuring expectations and risk preferences can be applied quite broadly and provides a potentially useful signal of investor beliefs.
- 28 Dec 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Tech Clusters
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.
- 17 Dec 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Does Apple Anchor a Shopping Mall? The Effect of the Technology Stores on the Formation of Market Structure
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.
- 16 Dec 2019
- Research & Ideas
Taking on the Taboos That Keep Women Out of India's Workforce
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.
- 21 Nov 2019
- Research & Ideas
Do TV Debates Sway Voters?
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.
- 06 Nov 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Why Does Business Invest in Education in Emerging Markets? Why Does It Matter?
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.
- 30 Oct 2019
- Research & Ideas
How to Recover Gracefully After Shutting Down Your Startup
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.
- 17 Oct 2019
- Research & Ideas
‘Chick Beer’ for Women? Why Gender Marketing Repels More Than Sells
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.
- 20 Sep 2019
- Research & Ideas
Solving the Riddle of How Companies Grow Over Time
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.
- 05 Sep 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
The Value of Intermediation in the Stock Market
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.
- 20 Aug 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Spatial Agglomeration and Superstar Firms: Firm-level Patterns from Europe and US
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.
- 22 Jul 2019
- Book
How to Be a Digital Platform Leader
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.
- 01 Jul 2019
- Research & Ideas
The Airbnb Lesson for Startups? Success Takes More Than Technology
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.
- 27 Jun 2019
- Research & Ideas
Rituals Strengthen Couples. Here’s Why They’re Good for Business, Too
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.
- 27 Jun 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
The Effect of Payment Choices on Online Retail: Evidence from the 2016 Indian Demonetization
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.
- 25 Jun 2019
- Cold Call Podcast
In the Platform Economy, Upwork Searches for Better Matches in the Cloud
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.
- 17 Jun 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
The Comprehensive Effects of a Digital Paywall Sales Strategy
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.
- 05 Jun 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
How Transparency into Internal and External Responsibility Initiatives Influences Consumer Choice
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.
From Sweetheart to Scapegoat: Brand Selfie-Taking Shapes Consumer Behavior
Using a dataset of more than 280,000 user reviews on Yelp, this paper describes a series of eight studies exploring how brand selfie-taking affects consumers’ behavior and sense of connection toward a brand.