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- 28 Sep 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Rankings Matter Even When They Shouldn't: Bandwagon Effects in Two-Round Elections
Results of the French parliamentary and local elections since 1958 show that candidates ranked higher in the first round are more likely to stay in the race for the second round and win it. Arriving first instead of second and second instead of third increases winning by 5.8 and 9.9 percentage points, respectively.
- 23 Apr 2018
- Research & Ideas
Sponsorship Programs Could Actually Widen the Gender Gap
Companies increasingly provide sponsors to help women get ahead. But certain aspects of sponsorship programs can hinder women instead, according to experimental research by Nancy R. Baldiga and Katherine B. Coffman. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 04 Apr 2018
- Research & Ideas
Smart Cities are Complicated and Costly: Here's How to Build Them
When governments take on a smart city project, it's often the private sector that's left to execute the vision—sometimes at the expense of good public policy. John Macomber proposes a roadmap that considers situation, solution, and sovereignty. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 29 Mar 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Government Incentives and Financial Intermediaries: The Case of Chinese Sell-Side Analysts
This study is the first to examine analysts’ incentives vis-à-vis the government in a context where government has the ability and motives to influence capital market institutions. The paper highlights the role of government incentives in analysts’ behavior and output.
- 12 Mar 2018
- Op-Ed
Op-Ed: Why BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Is Not a Socialist
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink’s open letter to CEOs has reignited the “shareholders versus stakeholders” debate. Bill George says it's actually not much of a debate: mission-driven, values-centered companies perform better. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 28 Feb 2018
- Sharpening Your Skills
Master the Team Meeting
Business meetings aren't always enjoyable, but they are key to moving a team forward. Julia Austin offers tips for making the most of your meeting time. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 29 Jan 2018
- Book
How 'Teaming' Saved 33 Lives in the Chilean Mining Disaster
Teams composed of people from across expertise areas can create solutions beyond what any one agency can deliver, says Amy Edmondson. Just ask several dozen Chilean workers rescued from a mine collapse. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 20 Nov 2017
- Research & Ideas
How Independent Bookstores Have Thrived in Spite of Amazon.com
Ryan Raffaelli set out to discover how independent bookstores managed to survive and even thrive in spite of competition from Amazon and other online retailers. His initial findings reveal how much consumers still value community and personal contact. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 08 Nov 2017
- Research & Ideas
Handgun Waiting Periods Prevent Hundreds of Homicides Each Year
Waiting-period laws reduce gun-related homicides by 17 percent and gun-related suicides by up to 11 percent, according to a study by Deepak Malhotra, Michael Luca, and Christopher Poliquin. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 06 Nov 2017
- Research Event
Who is Responsible for the Future of Cities?
As technological innovations continue to transform urban growth, many believe the private sector should lead the future of cities—and that government regulators should follow its lead. But in a recent cross-disciplinary panel at Harvard, not everyone agreed. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 24 Oct 2017
- Research & Ideas
Tax Reform is on the Front Burner Again. Here’s Why You Should Care
As debate begins around the Republican tax reform proposal, Mihir Desai and Matt Weinzierl discuss the first significant tax legislation in 30 years. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 11 Oct 2017
- Research & Ideas
The House Wants to Squelch Voices of ‘Small’ Shareholders. Research Shows Those Voices Matter.
Company management frequently seeks to exclude investor proposals even though some ultimately win shareholder support, according to new research by Eugene F. Soltes, Suraj Srinivasan, and Rajesh Vijayaraghavan. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 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; Comment(s) posted.
- 03 Oct 2017
- Sharpening Your Skills
7 Effective Ways to Lead Teams
Managers of teams require communications skills, organizational capabilities, and a knack for judging how people might work together. Research from Harvard Business School investigates the challenges of team leadership. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 25 Sep 2017
- Research & Ideas
Why Politics is Failing America, and What Business Can Do To Help
How could a country that epitomized the success of modern democracy have fallen into such a state of failure? Michael Porter and Katherine Gehl find a rigged American political system that limits competition and works against the public interest. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 28 Aug 2017
- Research & Ideas
Should Industry Competitors Cooperate More to Solve World Problems?
George Serafeim has a theory that if industry competitors collaborated more, big world problems could start to be addressed. Is that even possible in a market economy? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 25 Aug 2017
- Op-Ed
Op-Ed: After Charlottesville, Where Does a CEO's Responsibility Lie?
Donald Trump, the "business president," has recently had serious disagreements with some of the most powerful CEOs in the country. Gautam Mukunda discusses the responsibility of business leaders to themselves, their companies, and their country. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 18 Aug 2017
- Op-Ed
Op-Ed: Courageous Leader Triggers a Moral Revolt of CEOs Against Trump
CEOs are responsible to uphold their company’s mission and values, says Bill George. When these values are violated, even by the president of the United States, they are obliged to take a clear stand. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 31 Jul 2017
- HBS Case
It’s Hard to Fix the Family Business Without Offending the Family
Navigating complex relationships and understanding unwritten processes are among the many challenges of transitioning a family-owned business to the next generation. Len Schlesinger, Michael Raiche, and Roger Zhu discuss the dilemmas of a small Vietnamese restaurant in the case study “Pho Hoa Dorchester.” Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
Design Rules, Volume 2: How Technology Shapes Organizations: Chapter 5 Complementarity
Even as economics has theories about what assets and activities should be grouped together under common ownership and unified governance, in practice it sometimes makes sense to distribute complementary assets, skills, and activities across separate organizations. This paper investigates when and how this happens.