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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(264)
- News (60)
- Research (164)
- Events (1)
- Multimedia (6)
- Faculty Publications (83)
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- 15 Apr 2015
- Research & Ideas
Why Americans Voted for an Income Tax
rich. We ask the highest earners among us to pay a greater share of their income than the rest of us. But, despite the well-known fact that inequality in incomes is now at... View Details
Keywords: by Matthew C. Weinzierl
- 2007
- Working Paper
Plant-Size Distribution and Cross-Country Income Differences
By: Laura Alfaro, Andrew Charlton and Fabio Kanzcuk
We investigate, using plant-level data for 79 developed and developing countries, whether differences in the allocation of resources across heterogeneous plants are a significant determinant of cross-country differences in income per worker. For this purpose, we use a... View Details
Keywords: Heterogeneous Plants; Productivity; Policy Distortions; Wages; Equality and Inequality; Resource Allocation; Macroeconomics
Alfaro, Laura, Andrew Charlton, and Fabio Kanzcuk. "Plant-Size Distribution and Cross-Country Income Differences." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 07-086, May 2007. (Revised May 2008, August 2008. NBER Working Paper Series, No. 14060, June 2008)
- June 23, 2020
- Article
Inequality in Socially Permissible Consumption
By: Serena Hagerty and Kate Barasz
Lower-income individuals are frequently criticized for their consumption decisions; this research examines why. Eleven preregistered studies document systematic differences in permissible consumption—interpersonal judgments about what is acceptable (or not) for others... View Details
Keywords: Interpersonal Judgments; Consumption; Economic Inequalty; Income; Equality and Inequality; Spending; Judgments
Hagerty, Serena, and Kate Barasz. "Inequality in Socially Permissible Consumption." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, no. 25 (June 23, 2020): 14084–14093.
- August 2004
- Article
Inequality and Happiness: Are Europeans and Americans Different?
By: Rafael Di Tella, Alberto Alesina and Robert MacCulloch
We study the effect of the level of inequality in society on individual well-being using a total of 123,668 answers to a survey question about “happiness”. We find that individuals have a lower tendency to report themselves happy when inequality is high, even after... View Details
Di Tella, Rafael, Alberto Alesina, and Robert MacCulloch. "Inequality and Happiness: Are Europeans and Americans Different?" Journal of Public Economics 88, nos. 9-10 (August 2004): 2009–42.
- 02 Jul 2018
- Research & Ideas
Corporate Tax Cuts Don't Increase Middle Class Incomes
they’re more likely to be investing in capital. So, it would increase returns, but those returns are going to the capital owners.” “Compensation and income inequality are very relevant to managers” In the... View Details
Keywords: by Roberta Holland
- 06 Feb 2013
- What Do You Think?
Is ‘Conscious Capitalism’ an Antidote to Income Inequality?
Summing Up Can "Conscious Capitalism" Become a Viable Antidote to Income Inequality? Conscious capitalism as an antidote to income inequality apparently is an idea that... View Details
Keywords: by James Heskett
- 2013
- Working Paper
Inequality and Decision Making: Imagining a New Line of Inquiry
By: David Moss, Anant Thaker and Howard Rudnick
The substantial increase in inequality in the United States over the past three decades has provoked considerable debate, with some analysts characterizing rising inequality as among the greatest threats facing the nation and others dismissing it as little more than a... View Details
Keywords: Equality and Inequality; Income; Decision Making; Government and Politics; Economics; United States
Moss, David, Anant Thaker, and Howard Rudnick. "Inequality and Decision Making: Imagining a New Line of Inquiry." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 13-099, June 2013.
- January 2015 (Revised March 2015)
- Case
San Francisco, 2015 #tech #inequality
By: Clayton Rose, Allison Ciechanover and Kunal Modi
In December 2013 a group of angry protesters blocked one of the commuter buses provided by the large Silicon Valley firms (known as "Google buses") which was stopped in San Francisco on its way to the company's headquarters 40 miles south. The protests were a tangible... View Details
Keywords: Income Inequality; Economic Inequalty; Technology; Silicon Valley; Income Characteristics; Equality and Inequality; Technology Industry; United States; California; San Francisco
Rose, Clayton, Allison Ciechanover, and Kunal Modi. "San Francisco, 2015 #tech #inequality." Harvard Business School Case 315-076, January 2015. (Revised March 2015.)
- July 2017 (Revised December 2018)
- Case
Populism in America: Fake News, Alternative Facts and Elite Betrayal in the Trump Era
By: Rafael Di Tella and Sarah McAra
During the 2016 U.S. election, long-time politician Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, and celebrity billionaire Donald Trump, a Republican, faced off in a contentious race for president. In the primaries, candidates from both major political parties used anti-establishment... View Details
Keywords: Populism; Elites; Income Inequality; Government and Politics; Globalization; Political Elections; News; Media; Labor; Prejudice and Bias; Public Opinion; Social Issues; Wealth and Poverty; Social Media
Di Tella, Rafael, and Sarah McAra. "Populism in America: Fake News, Alternative Facts and Elite Betrayal in the Trump Era." Harvard Business School Case 718-005, July 2017. (Revised December 2018.)
- 2019
- Working Paper
Thinking Outside the Box (12): The Benefits of Increased Transparency in Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance for the 180 Million Insured
By: Regina E. Herzlinger and Barak D. Richman
Economists have long noted that the tax exclusion of employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) caused workers to purchase health plans that differ in price and other characteristics from those they would otherwise choose for themselves. We explore the short-term and long-term... View Details
Keywords: After-tax Income; Consumer-driven Health Care; Health Care Costs; Health Insurance; Income Inequality; Tax Policy; Health Care and Treatment; Cost; Insurance; Income; Equality and Inequality; Taxation; Policy; United States
Herzlinger, Regina E., and Barak D. Richman. "Thinking Outside the Box (12): The Benefits of Increased Transparency in Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance for the 180 Million Insured." Duke Law School Public Law & Legal Theory Series, No. 2020-4, December 2019.
- 2022
- Working Paper
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Satisfaction of Workers in Low-Wage Jobs
How did job satisfaction change during the pandemic for workers in low-wage jobs, and how did workers’ experiences compare to those in professional jobs? Using nationally representative survey data, we show that the pandemic increased the dissatisfaction of workers in... View Details
Keywords: Low-Wage Jobs; COVID-19 Pandemic; Pay; Job Satisfaction; Income Inequality; Stereotypes; Satisfaction; Compensation and Benefits; Working Conditions
Johnson, Elizabeth R., and Ashley V. Whillans. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Satisfaction of Workers in Low-Wage Jobs." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 23-001, July 2022.
- 2020
- Working Paper
Cutting the Gordian Knot of Employee Health Care Benefits and Costs: A Corporate Model Built on Employee Choice
By: Regina E. Herzlinger and Barak D. Richman
The U.S. employer-based health insurance tax exclusion created a system of employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) with limited insurance choices and transparency that may lock employed households into health plans that are costlier or different from those they prefer to... View Details
Keywords: After-tax Income; Consumer-driven Health Care; Health Care Costs; Health Insurance; Income Inequality; Tax Policy; Health Care and Treatment; Cost; Insurance; Employees; Income; Taxation; Policy; United States
Herzlinger, Regina E., and Barak D. Richman. "Cutting the Gordian Knot of Employee Health Care Benefits and Costs: A Corporate Model Built on Employee Choice." Duke Law School Public Law & Legal Theory Series, No. 2020-4, December 2019. (Revised January 2021.)
- July 2011
- Article
Institutions and Inequality in Single Party Regimes: A Comparative Analysis of Vietnam and China
Despite the fact that China and Vietnam have been the world's two fastest growing economies over the past two decades, their income inequality patterns are very different. In this paper, we take a deep look at political institutions in the two countries, demonstrating... View Details
Keywords: Equality and Inequality; Developing Countries and Economies; Motivation and Incentives; Government and Politics; Policy; Power and Influence; Decision Making; Income; China; Viet Nam
Malesky, Edmund, Regina M. Abrami, and Yu Zheng. "Institutions and Inequality in Single Party Regimes: A Comparative Analysis of Vietnam and China." Comparative Politics 43, no. 4 (July 2011).
- November 2022 (Revised October 2024)
- Case
'A Marshall Plan for Africa': James Mwangi and Equity Group Holdings
By: Caroline M. Elkins, Debora L. Spar, Zeke Gillman and Julia M. Comeau
Financial Inclusion. Dignity. Trust. These were the core principles driving James Mwangi’s transformation of Equity Building Society, insolvent in 1991, into what is, today, Equity Group Holdings, East and Central Africa’s largest retail banking institution. Raised in... View Details
Elkins, Caroline M., Debora L. Spar, Zeke Gillman, and Julia M. Comeau. "'A Marshall Plan for Africa': James Mwangi and Equity Group Holdings." Harvard Business School Case 323-048, November 2022. (Revised October 2024.)
- 2008
- Working Paper
Accountability and Inequality in Single-Party Regimes: A Comparative Analysis of Vietnam and China
Over the past two decades, no two economies have averaged more rapid economic growth than China and Vietnam. But while China's income inequality has risen rapidly over that same time frame, Vietnam's has only grown moderately. Structural and socio-cultural determinants... View Details
Keywords: Income Characteristics; Economic Growth; Policy; Government and Politics; Equality and Inequality; China; Viet Nam
Abrami, Regina M., Edmund Malesky, and Yu Zheng. "Accountability and Inequality in Single-Party Regimes: A Comparative Analysis of Vietnam and China." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 08-099, May 2008.
- 04 Jun 2008
- Working Paper Summaries
Accountability and Inequality in Single-Party Regimes: A Comparative Analysis of Vietnam and China
- Research Summary
Overview
Lumumba Seegars explores the reproduction and contestation of intergroup inequality within organizations. View Details
- 2017
- Working Paper
Rethinking Measurement of Pay Disparity and its Relation to Firm Performance
By: Ethan Rouen
I develop measures of firm-level pay disparity and examine their relation to firm accounting performance. Using comprehensive compensation data for a large sample of firms, I find no statistically significant relation between the ratio of CEO-to-mean employee... View Details
Keywords: Pay Disparity; Pay Ratio; CEO Pay Ratio; Income Inequality; Executive Compensation; Wages; Equality and Inequality; Business Ventures; Performance
Rouen, Ethan. "Rethinking Measurement of Pay Disparity and its Relation to Firm Performance." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 18-007, July 2017.
- Article
We Have a Rare Opportunity to Create a Stronger, More Equitable Society
By: Shai Davidai, Martin Day, Daniela Goya-Tocchetto, Oliver Hauser, Jon M. Jachimowicz, M. Usman Mirza, Nailya Ordabayeva, L. Taylor Phillips, Barnabas Szaszi and Stephanie Tepper
Income inequality in the United States was at historic levels before the coronavirus hit. Now, as the disease—and the social and economic implications it brings—spread across the country, it is likely to create even deeper fissures between the poor and rich. View Details
Keywords: Socioeconomic Status; Coronavirus; Inequality; Work; Income; Equality and Inequality; Health Pandemics; Gender; Money; Policy; Race; Society
Davidai, Shai, Martin Day, Daniela Goya-Tocchetto, Oliver Hauser, Jon M. Jachimowicz, M. Usman Mirza, Nailya Ordabayeva, L. Taylor Phillips, Barnabas Szaszi, and Stephanie Tepper. "We Have a Rare Opportunity to Create a Stronger, More Equitable Society." Behavioral Scientist (June 1, 2020).
- 2016
- Working Paper
Popular Acceptance of Inequality Due to Innate Brute Luck and Support for Classical Benefit-Based Taxation
U.S. survey respondents' views on distributive justice are shown to differ in two specific, related ways from what is conventionally assumed in modern optimal tax research. A large share of respondents, and in some cases a large majority, resist the full equalization... View Details
Weinzierl, Matthew C. "Popular Acceptance of Inequality Due to Innate Brute Luck and Support for Classical Benefit-Based Taxation." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 16-104, March 2016. (Revised July 2016. Also NBER Working Paper Series, No. 22462, July 2016. Also see Notes on Fortune article. Accepted for publication by the Journal of Public Economics.)