- 30 Jul 2024
- Research & Ideas
Do Social Movements Sway Voters? Not Really, Except for One
People often take to the streets to express their outrage, but research by Vincent Pons finds that only one recent social movement has shifted public opinion: Black Lives Matter. In an election year marked by widespread protests, Pons explores why marches and rallies often fail to achieve long-term results.
- 20 Jun 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover: Lessons in Strategic Change
In late October 2022, Elon Musk officially took Twitter private and became the company’s majority shareholder, finally ending a months-long acquisition saga. He appointed himself CEO and brought in his own team to clean house. Musk needed to take decisive steps to succeed against the major opposition to his leadership from both inside and outside the company. Twitter employees circulated an open letter protesting expected layoffs, advertising agencies advised their clients to pause spending on Twitter, and EU officials considered a broader Twitter ban. What short-term actions should Musk take to stabilize the situation, and how should he approach long-term strategy to turn around Twitter? Harvard Business School assistant professor Andy Wu and co-author Goran Calic, associate professor at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, discuss Twitter as a microcosm for the future of media and information in their case, “Twitter Turnaround and Elon Musk.”
- 08 May 2023
- Research & Ideas
How Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Crushed Crowdfunding for Minority Entrepreneurs
When public anxiety about immigration surges, Black, Asian, and Hispanic inventors have a harder time raising funds for new ideas on Kickstarter, says research by William Kerr. What can platforms do to confront bias in entrepreneurial finance?
- 01 Nov 2022
- What Do You Think?
Why Aren’t Business Leaders More Vocal About Immigration Policy?
Immigration fuels the American economy, feeds the talent pool, and can directly affect company performance. And yet few executives and entrepreneurs have waded into the policy dialogue, says James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 17 Oct 2022
- Research & Ideas
Why Quiet Quitters Need More Than Money to Re-Engage
A hefty bonus might do little to inspire a truly checked-out employee. It's time for managers to genuinely connect with their colleagues, and build more community and meaning in the workplace, say Rawi Abdelal and Thomas DeLong.
- 17 Oct 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Persuasion by Populist Propaganda: Evidence from the 2015 Argentine Ballotage
This paper studies data generated prior to the 2015 Argentine presidential ballotage, when a government propaganda campaign was used to attack the opposition candidate and influence voter preferences. Results show the propaganda was persuasive.
- 28 May 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Labor Market Shocks and the Demand for Trade Protection: Evidence from Online Surveys
This paper provides evidence on the role played by different kinds of labor-market shocks in shaping individuals’ policy preferences. Specifically, it studies how people’s opinions about trade protectionism and compensatory financial transfers change when presented with six different types of shocks, all of which have the same effect on local labor markets.
- 20 May 2019
- Research & Ideas
Activist CEOs Are Rising Up—and Their Customers Are Listening
Are product sales affected by the CEO's stance on political and social issues? Michael Toffel and Aaron Chatterji study how consumers react to vocal chief executives. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 06 May 2019
- Research & Ideas
Consumers Blame Business for Global Health Problems. Can Business Become the Solution?
Millions of people have been harmed by cigarettes, defective merchandise, pollution, addiction and other business by-products. now, pioneering companies are exploring healthier ways to operate, say Amy C. Edmondson and Dr. Howard K. Koh. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 09 Oct 2017
- Research & Ideas
Fearing Fox News, Democratic-leaning Companies Delayed Negative Announcements
Jonas Heese and Vishal P. Baloria explore strategies used by companies to reduce the risk of potentially negative press, focusing on Fox News and the 2000 presidential election. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 20 Apr 2016
- Research & Ideas
When CEOs Become Activists
More and more, CEOs are promoting social causes that lie far outside their core business interests. Research by Mike Toffel and Aaron Chatterji explores the rise of CEO activists and the effects on their companies. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Jan 2016
- Working Paper Summaries
Incentives for Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Reputations
This study documents how small monetary incentives discourage volunteering when they are public and thus introduce a “greedy” signal. The discouragement from this greedy signal, however, is less pronounced among volunteers with public reputations, or those who are likely known not to be too greedy.
The Reputation Risks of Sharing Fake News
Misinformation can sway opinions about political candidates, important issues, and even corporate brands. Despite the prevalence of falsehoods and misleading headlines on social media, research by Jillian Jordan shows that people still value honesty.