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New research on business operations from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including the digital supply chain, supply chain strategy, outsourcing and evolving skillsets.
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The Impacts of Increasing Search Frictions on Online Shopping Behavior: Evidence from a Field Experiment

by Donald Ngwe, Kris J. Ferreira, and Thales Teixeira

This paper challenges the logic that making it easier for consumers to search across a wide assortment of products is the best strategy for online retailers. Experiments show that adding extra search costs to find discounted items can improve gross margins and sales by increasing the number of items inspected and serving as a self-selecting price discrimination mechanism among customers.

The Better Way to Forecast the Future

by Roberta Holland

We can forecast hurricane paths with great certainty, yet many businesses can't predict a supply chain snafu just around the corner. Yael Grushka-Cockayne says crowdsourcing can help. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Find and Replace: R&D Investment Following the Erosion of Existing Products

by Joshua Krieger, Xuelin Li, and Richard T. Thakor

This study sheds light on how product outcomes shape the direction of innovation and markets for technology. In the drug development industry in particular, negative product shocks appear to spur investment changes both within the directly affected firm and in competing firms in the same R&D markets.

Platform Competition: Betfair and the U.K. Market for Sports Betting

by Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Neil Campbell

Since the early 2000s, online betting exchanges have had a new relationship with customers relative to traditional bookmakers, providing a platform to match individuals willing to lay and back the same outcome. This study shows how exchanges’ platform design choices have major implications for their likelihood of success.

Forecasting Airport Transfer Passenger Flow Using Real-Time Data and Machine Learning

by Xiaojia Guo, Yael Grushka-Cockayne, and Bert De Reyck

Passengers arriving at international hubs often endure delays, especially at immigration and security. This study of London’s Heathrow Airport develops a system to provide real-time information about transfer passengers’ journeys through the airport to better serve passengers, airlines, and their employees. It shows how advanced machine learning could be accessible to managers.

How to Use Free Shipping as a Competitive Weapon

by Kristen Senz

Free shipping is an increasingly important tool in the online retailer's marketing arsenal, but profit is lost when not done right, says Donald Ngwe. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Hidden Benefit of Giving Back to Open Source Software

by Kristen Senz

Firms that allow their software programmers to "give back" to the open source community on company time gain benefits—even though competitors might benefit too, says Frank Nagle. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Supersmart Manufacturing Tools are Lowering Prices on TVs, Bulbs, and Solar Panels

by Sean Silverthorne

Electronics manufacturers are finding it increasingly difficult to stay ahead of low-cost competitors, says Willy Shih. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

In America, Immigrants Really Do Get the Job Done

by Michael Blanding

Far from being a drain on the US economy, William Kerr’s research finds immigrants are a driver of innovation and entrepreneurship. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Cut Salaries or Cut People? The Best Way to Survive a Downturn

by Rachel Layne

When times are tight, companies usually respond with employee layoffs. But what if they held on to workers and cut their salaries instead? New research by Christopher Stanton and colleagues has the answer. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Trust and Disintermediation: Evidence from an Online Freelance Marketplace

by Grace Gu and Feng Zhu

Intermediaries such as brokers, distributors, and agents all face a risk of disintermediation, when two sides circumvent the intermediary and thus avoid the intermediary’s fees. This study of a large online freelance marketplace finds that enhanced user trust increases this risk, alongside other contributing factors like being geographically near one another, having easily divisible jobs, and clients themselves having high ratings.

Amazon vs. Whole Foods: When Cultures Collide

by Michael Blanding

Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods seemed a Wall Street dream come true. But then Amazon's data-driven efficiency met the customer-driven culture at Whole Foods—and the shelves began to empty. Dennis Campbell and Tatiana Sandino discuss their new case study. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Op-Ed: The Trouble with Tariffs

by Willy C. Shih

The world's economies are interconnected by globalization, which makes threats of tariff wars doubly dangerous, says Willy Shih. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Evidence of Decreasing Internet Entropy: The Lack of Redundancy in DNS Resolution by Major Websites and Services

by Samantha Bates, John Bowers, Shane Greenstein, Jordi Weinstock, and Jonathan Zittrain

Stabilizing the domain name resolution (DNS) infrastructure is critical to the operation of the internet. Single points of failure become more consequential as a larger proportion of the internet's biggest sites are managed by a small number of externally hosted DNS providers. Providers could encourage diversification by requiring domain owners to select a secondary DNS provider.

When a Competitor Abandons the Market, Should You Advance or Retreat?

by Rachel Layne

Companies pay close attention when a competitor drops out of the market, according to new research by Joshua Lev Krieger. Too often, though, they come to the wrong conclusion. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Supply Chain Economy: A New Framework for Understanding Innovation and Services

by Mercedes Delgado and Karen G. Mills

This study shows that a large and dynamic supply chain economy plays a crucial role in innovation and in the creation of well-paid jobs. Traded service suppliers are particularly important. Policies that help suppliers access skilled labor, buyers, and capital could be beneficial for fostering innovation and economic growth.

A New Categorization of the US Economy: The Role of Supply Chain Industries in Innovation and Economic Performance

by Mercedes Delgado and Karen G. Mills

This paper provides a novel industry categorization that quantifies the supply chain economy in the United States. Suppliers of goods, and particularly services, to business and government are a distinct and large sector, and play an important role in national innovation and economic performance.

Last Place Aversion in Queues

by Ryan W. Buell

While no one likes standing in line for service, being last intensifies the pain of waiting, doubles the probability of switching queues, and quadruples the chances of leaving the line altogether. Many service settings could be improved if managers actively mitigated last place aversion.

Transaction Costs and the Duration of Contracts

by Alexander MacKay

When buyers transact with sellers, they select not only whom to transact with but also for how long. This paper develops a model of optimal contract duration arising from underlying supply costs and transaction costs. The model allows for the quantification of transaction costs, which are often unobserved, and the impact of these costs on welfare.

How to Design a Better Customer Experience

by Dina Gerdeman

With the help of LEGO bricks, Stefan Thomke helps business executives discover how design principles can serve as building blocks to create a great customer experience. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.