Publications

2001
Chapter

Human Capital and Corporate Governance

By: Eric J. Van den Steen and John Roberts

Keywords: Human Capital; Corporate Governance

Article

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? This paper investigates the interactions among corporate culture, norms, and strategy, in order to better understand this issue and related questions. It first shows, through microfoundations, how the forces that drive toward... View Details

Keywords: Culture; Norms; Organizational Culture; Strategy; Values and Beliefs

February 2010
Article

Managing Know-How

By: Deishin Lee and Eric J. Van den Steen

We study how firms can use a knowledge management system to optimally leverage employee-generated know-how. In particular, we consider the following practical strategic questions for the manager of a knowledge-intensive firm: should her firm develop a formal knowledge... View Details

Keywords: Change; Employees; Information; Knowledge Management; Outcome or Result; Practice; Problems and Challenges; Motivation and Incentives; System; Value

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2019
Chapter

Irreversibility

By: Pankaj Ghemawat and Eric J. Van den Steen

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2019
Working Paper

Birds of a Feather ... Enforce Social Norms? Interactions Among Culture, Norms, and Strategy

By: Hongyi Li and Eric J. Van den Steen

This paper analyzes how shared beliefs and preferences (or values) cause the emergence of social norms; why people may enforce norms that go against their own beliefs and preferences/values; and how this may cause a disconnect to develop between the... View Details

Keywords: Culture; Norms; Values and Beliefs; Organizational Culture; Strategy

SSRN

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21 Jul 2009
First Look

First Look: July 21

the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/10-002.pdf Culture Clash: The Costs and Benefits of Homogeneity Author:Eric Van den Steen Abstract This paper develops an economic... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

March 2018 (Revised September 2020)
Background Note

Short Note on Game Theory

By: Eric Van den Steen and Dennis Yao

This note provides a very concise (2 page) introduction to game theory. View Details

Keywords: Competitive Interaction; Commitment; Game Theory; Competitive Strategy

Article

Why Do Firms Have 'Purpose'? The Firm's Role as a Carrier of Identity and Reputation

By: Rebecca Henderson and Eric Van den Steen

Why do so many firms publicly espouse a "purpose" beyond simple profit maximization? And why do so many managers and employees appear to care deeply about this purpose and to believe that it is critically important? In this paper we argue that the conventional answers... View Details

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Identity; Reputation

25 Jan 2011
First Look

First Look: Jan. 25

Authors:Eric J. Van den Steen Publication:Management Science (forthcoming) Abstract This paper derives two mechanisms through which... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

24 Feb 2009
First Look

First Look: February 24, 2009

use of social resources)? We address these questions through the lens of economics, including insights from legal analysis and business scholarship. Disagreement and the Allocation of Control Author:Eric J. View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

January 2018 (Revised July 2020)
Technical Note

Short Note on Relative Cost Analysis

By: Eric Van den Steen and Dennis Yao

This note provides a very concise (2 page) introduction to relative cost analysis, with a simple example. View Details

Keywords: Relative Cost Analysis; Cost; Analysis

June 2014
Case

Airgas, Inc.

By: Eric Van den Steen and Jason Karl

In 2013, Airgas was the market leader in packaged industrial gas distribution. Recent acquisitions had made it into a larger player in upstream gas production as well, where it competed with Praxair and Air Products. Should Airgas continue building a position in gas... View Details

Keywords: Strategy; Competitive Advantage; Competitive Strategy; Competency and Skills; Value Creation

July 2009
Teaching Note

Microsoft's Search (TN)

By: Jan W. Rivkin and Eric J. Van den Steen

Teaching Note for [709461]. View Details

Keywords: Competition; Digital Marketing; Internet and the Web; Strategy; Markets; Computer Industry; Information Technology Industry

January 2009
Case

Microsoft's Search

By: Jan W. Rivkin and Eric J. Van den Steen

In 2008, executives at Microsoft must decide how to compete against Google in the market for Internet search and advertising. The case describes how Microsoft has responded to a set of competitive threats in the past, how Google has gained a dominant position in... View Details

Keywords: Digital Marketing; Competitive Strategy; Internet and the Web; United States