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New research on society from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including political polarization, urban life, and social networks.
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Birds of a Feather ... Enforce Social Norms? Interactions Among Culture, Norms, and Strategy

by Hongyi Li and Eric J. Van den Steen

Does culture eat strategy for breakfast? By analyzing the role of a company's social norms—how they develop and why people reinforce them, despite their personal beliefs—this paper offers new insights about the power of culture.

What Grade Would You Give Walmart CEO Doug McMillon?

by James Heskett

The Business Roundtable proposes that companies be judged on a much higher standard than the traditional "maximize shareholder value." James Heskett asks, is Walmart's recent response to gun violence a sign of things to come? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

What Can the World’s Largest Refugee Camp Teach Us About the Meaning of Work?

by Danielle Kost

Almost 1 million Rohingya refugees are sinking deeper into despair while sitting idle in a camp they can’t easily leave. But the opportunity to work might provide a resource more scarce than cash: hope. Research by Reshmaan N. Hussam.

Corporate Purpose and Firm Ownership

by Claudine Gartenberg and George Serafeim

This study shows that corporate purpose varies greatly according to the nature of firm ownership, and these differences can be least partly explained by the choices and compensation of the CEOs. The greater the pay gap between CEOs and employees, the lower the sense of corporate purpose within the organization.

Legislators' Response to Changes in the Electorate: The Great Migration and Civil Rights

by Alvaro Calderon, Vasiliki Fouka, and Marco Tabellini

The second Great Migration (1940–1970) brought to the US North and West more than four million African Americans. We show that this unique episode of internal migration contributed to the development and eventual success of civil rights legislation.

Labor Market Shocks and the Demand for Trade Protection: Evidence from Online Surveys

by Rafael Di Tella and Dani Rodrik

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.

Activist CEOs Are Rising Up—and Their Customers Are Listening

by Michael Blanding

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; Comment(s) posted.

Consumers Blame Business for Global Health Problems. Can Business Become the Solution?

by Danielle Kost

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; Comment(s) posted.

What Should the Leadership of YouTube Do?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP Readers comment on how YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki should solve its “sustainability” versus "respectability" problem. What should YouTube do? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Would You Live in a Smart City Where Government Controls Privacy?

Toronto is experimenting with smart-city concepts envisioned by Google spinoff Sidewalk Labs. Leslie John and Mitch Weiss discuss the tradeoffs of using technology to improve modern city life. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Formal Employment and Organized Crime: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from Colombia

by Gaurav Khanna, Carlos Medina, Anant Nyshadham, and Jorge Tamayo

Using data from Colombia’s second-largest city, Medellín, this study tests the relationship between formal employment and participation in crime at the individual level. Among the findings, subsidies for health care had the unintended consequence of amplifying gang activity. Results shed light on deterring criminality through improving access to formal sector employment.

The Life of Luxury and How to Sell It

by Sean Silverthorne

Luxury is its own market, but who shops there? Who sells there? What's the best strategy? Researchers at Harvard Business School examine consumerism at the top of the curve. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Does Our Bias Against Federal Deficits Need Rethinking?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP. Readers lined up to comment on James Heskett's question on whether federal deficit spending as supported by Modern Monetary Theory is good or evil. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Ferrari Way

by Michael Blanding

Secretive sports car maker Ferrari opens up to Stefan Thomke about how it has bucked industry trends to achieve success. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Gender-Diverse Companies Thrive Only Where Diversity is Embraced

by Sean Silverthorne

Researchers have produced murky, conflicting results about whether gender-diverse companies perform better than those managed mostly by men. Letian Zhang offers new insight that explains why. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Business of Saving the Planet

by Sean Silverthorne

The biggest challenge facing today's business leaders? Putting their operations in harmony with the environment. Read the latest research around building sustainability into business processes and management practices. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Stereotypes and Belief Updating

by Katherine B. Coffman, Manuela Collis, and Leena Kulkarni

Increasing evidence demonstrates that stereotyped beliefs drive key economic decisions. This paper shows the significant role of self-stereotyping in predicting beliefs about one’s own ability. Stereotypes do not just affect beliefs about ability when information is scarce. In fact, stereotypes color the way information is incorporated into beliefs, perpetuating initial biases.

Green Businesses Are Incredibly Difficult to Make Profitable. Try It Anyway

by Dina Gerdeman

Making a business successful is a challenge in itself, but making a green business profitable is an even harder journey. For society's sake, entrepreneurs must be prepared to make that journey, says Geoffrey Jones. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

These 4 CEOs Created a New Standard of Leadership

by Bill George

At the height of the 2008 financial crisis, these four corporate leaders stepped forward—and changed how we think of leadership forever, says Bill George. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Digital Commons: Tragedy or Opportunity? A Reflection on the 50th Anniversary of Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons

by Frank Nagle

Garrett Hardin’s Science article “The Tragedy of the Commons” 50 years ago focused on a physical world where common goods are finite and rivalrous. By contrast, this paper explores the digital commons, calling for better understanding of its long-term impact and for government policies supporting benefits while mitigating costs.