- 24 Nov 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Accounting for Product Impact in the Consumer Finance Industry
A framework and method for measuring and monetizing product impact across industries, applying it to two competitors in the consumer finance space.
- 23 Nov 2020
- Research & Ideas
COVID Was Supposed to Increase Bankruptcies. Instead, They've Gone Down.
Down economic cycles and increasing unemployment usually usher in a rise in bankruptcies. Not so in the COVID-19 recession, where just the reverse has happened. Research by Raymond Kluender and colleagues. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 17 Nov 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Venture Capitalists and COVID-19
This survey of more than 1,000 venture capitalists finds that the VC industry and its portfolio companies have reduced their activity less than in previous recessions and have been more resilient than many other sectors of the global economy.
- 17 Nov 2020
- Research & Ideas
Why a Blended Workforce May Be Key to Lasting Competitive Advantage
Companies are increasingly blending full-time staff with skilled on-demand talent. The problem: Few companies have developed cultures that accommodate gig workers, says Joseph B. Fuller. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 17 Nov 2020
- In Practice
How Retailers Can Thrive in a Shopping Season Like No Other
Is it the end of Black Friday as we know it? Harvard Business School faculty members share what retailers can expect from a holiday shopping season without precedent. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 16 Nov 2020
- Research & Ideas
Transitions of Power Are Difficult. What Joe Biden and Other Incoming Leaders Need to Know.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter discusses ways leaders can navigate bumpy transitions and heal divided constituencies. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 16 Nov 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Private Equity and COVID-19
Private equity investors are seeking new investments despite the pandemic. This study shows they are prioritizing revenue growth for value creation, giving larger equity stakes to management teams, and targeting somewhat lower returns.
- 13 Nov 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Long-Run Returns to Impact Investing in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies
Examination of every equity investment made by the International Finance Corporation, one of the largest and longest-operating impact investors, shows this portfolio has outperformed the S&P 500 by 15 percent.
- 13 Nov 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
The European Commission’s Sustainable Corporate Governance Report: A Critique
The European Commission commissioned a report on sustainable corporate governance that purports to find serious problems of corporate short-termism. The report is wholly flawed: it conflates time horizon problems with externality problems, mismeasures investment and its financing, and proposes ineffective, possibly harmful reforms.
- 11 Nov 2020
- Research & Ideas
How Hackathons Help Decide Platform Winners and Losers
Hackathons are an overlooked venue for developers to learn about new technologies—and a lucrative place for tech companies to show off their platforms, says Andy Wu.
- 10 Nov 2020
- Cold Call Podcast
The Challenges of Commercializing Fertility
Entrepreneur Christy Jones wants to create a venture to help women preserve their eggs and postpone motherhood. But what would an egg-freezing service sell—and to whom? Debora Spar discusses the challenges of commercializing fertility in a new case study. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 10 Nov 2020
- Sharpening Your Skills
Research News and Tips: Innovating Across Time Zones
Recent research insights on collaborating across time zones, the economic cost of immigrant bans, selling a pivot story to investors, and more.
- 03 Nov 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
The Stock Market Value of Human Capital Creation
Measuring human capital creation is complex but increasingly important to managers for understanding the relationship between employee expenditures and firm performance. This paper develops a strategy to examine aspects of the intangible human capital investment embedded in a firm’s personnel expense. Closed for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 03 Nov 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
An Executive Order Worth $100 Billion: The Impact of an Immigration Ban’s Announcement on Fortune 500 Firms’ Valuation
President Trump’s executive order restricting entry of temporary foreign workers to the United States negatively affected the valuation of 471 publicly traded Fortune 500 firms by an estimated $100 billion. Closed for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 02 Nov 2020
- What Do You Think?
Is Antitrust Just a Quaint Notion in the Digital Age?
Given the US Department of Justice's new antitrust complaint against Google, is it time to revisit what defines a market monopoly in the internet era? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 02 Nov 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Accounting for Organizational Employment Impact
Impact-weighted accounting methodology standardizes previously disparate measures of impact, in this case the impact of employment. This paper’s methodology and analysis of Intel, Apple, Costco, and Merck shows the feasibility of measuring firm employment impact for insight into firm practices and performance. Closed for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 01 Nov 2020
- Research & Ideas
Good Leadership Is an Act of Kindness
The pandemic has challenged managers as never before, but one powerful leadership strategy is being overlooked, say Boris Groysberg and Susan Seligson: Be kind. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 29 Oct 2020
- Research & Ideas
The COVID Gender Gap: Why Fewer Women Are Dying
To promote the greatest safety, public health officials should target their pandemic messaging to men differently than to women. Research by Vincent Pons and colleagues. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 27 Oct 2020
- Research & Ideas
Can Being the ‘Token’ Give Women and Minorities a Competitive Edge?
Underrepresented professionals are more likely to choose predominantly male or white workgroups if it helps their ideas stand out, according to research by Edward H. Chang and colleagues. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
Evaluating Innovative Health Care Solutions for Obesity
From Weight Watchers to bariatric surgery, innovations for combatting obesity abound. But which will do the most good for society and yield the best business results? Professor Regina Herzlinger discusses a new case study. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.