Publications

December 2018 (Revised March 2020)
Technical Note

Note on Economic Inequality (2020)

By: Rebecca Henderson, Jessica A. Gover, Aldo Sesia and Mariana Oseguera Rodriguez

For over half a century, most of the world's economies have enjoyed steady growth and prosperity. While this economic growth has reduced the number of people living in poverty, it has come with an increase in economic inequality. The gap between the "haves" and the... View Details

Keywords: Economic Inequalty; Wealth Inequality; Equality Of Opportunity; Political Polarization; Economic Growth; Economics; Income; Wealth; Equality and Inequality; Society; Problems and Challenges

July–August 2021
Article

Lowering the Bar? External Conditions, Opportunity Costs, and High-Tech Startup Outcomes

By: Annamaria Conti and Maria P. Roche

We assess the heterogeneous impact of economic downturns on individuals’ decisions to bring high-technology ideas to the market in the form of new ventures. We thereby examine how worsening labor market conditions influence individuals’ opportunity costs of starting... View Details

Keywords: Necessity Entrepreneurship; Economic Conditions; Recessions; High-tech Startups; Opportunity Costs; Entrepreneurship; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Business Startups; Information Technology; Performance; Labor

Find at Harvard

15 Sep 2016
News

Harvard study singles out a game-changing economic opportunity

09 Mar 2021
News

Community Colleges as Engines of Economic Opportunity

less than $25,000 a year, this program represents a transformational opportunity to earn a college degree and secure a job with a family-sustaining wage. What is sometimes underestimated is that not only are community colleges obvious... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Gillespie

Forthcoming
Article

Transaction Cost Economics in the Digital Economy: A Research Agenda

By: Frank Nagle, Robert Seamans and Steve Tadelis

Transaction cost economics theory explains when it is more efficient for a transaction between two parties to occur across the market or within an organization. How does transaction cost economics apply in the digital economy, which relies on digital transactions? In... View Details

Keywords: Transaction Cost Economics; Digital Economy; Economics; Cost; Markets; Research; Digital Transformation

2020
Working Paper

Transaction Cost Economics in the Digital Economy: A Research Agenda

By: Frank Nagle, Robert Seamans and Steve Tadelis

Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) theory has played an important role in understanding when it is more efficient for a transaction between two parties to occur within the market or within an organization. However, as more transactions occur in a digitally-mediated... View Details

Keywords: Transaction Cost Economics; Digital Economy; Economics; Cost; Markets; Research; Digital Transformation

SSRN

Read Now

1 PM – 2 PM EDT, 10 Sep 2015
Webinars: Trending@HBS

America's Unconventional Energy Opportunity

In this session, Professor Michael Porter along with co-authors David Gee and Gregory Pope from The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) will discuss the research HBS and BCG have jointly conducted on the opportunities and challenges presented by the United States'... View Details

22 Oct 2022
News

Shared Value Africa Initiative: Why bridging the digital divide is critical to economic opportunity

December 2008 (Revised March 2009)
Case

Rosetree Mortgage Opportunity Fund

By: Victoria Ivashina and Andre F. Perold

In December 2008, in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, Rosetree Capital Management was evaluating the purchase of a pool of U.S. residential mortgages. The firm had formed an investment vehicle to acquire troubled residential mortgages... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Borrowing and Debt; Mortgages; Investment; Housing; Valuation; United States

09 Jan 2014
News

Tapping into Opportunity

of some nebulous wish to do good, however. She's doing it because being smart about water will save these organizations a lot of money. "Providing dramatic improvements in how much water we use, and the natural resources for using water, is one of the greatest business... View Details

Keywords: Constantine von Hoffman; Business and Environment Initiative; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

18 Jul 2005
Research & Ideas

Identify Emerging Market Opportunities

framework—that lets executives map the institutional contexts of any country. Economics 101 tells us that companies buy inputs in the product, labor, and capital markets and sell their outputs in the products (raw materials and finished... View Details

Keywords: by Tarun Khanna, Krishna G. Palepu & Jayant Sinha

25 Oct 2017
News

New Report: Degree Inflation Hurting Bottom Line of U.S. Firms, Closing Off Economic Opportunity for Millions of Americans

12 Jun 2009
Research Event

Business Summit: Lawrence Summers on Market Capitalism’s Historic Opportunity

University Professor, Harvard University In this keynote address, former Harvard president Lawrence Summers shared his view of the challenges facing America at a time of financial and economic turmoil, and the View Details

09 Feb 2017
News

Turning Disorder into Opportunity

creating a net benefit per year of $28,740 for the individual and $26,260 for the government. Over a 20-year career, for 39 participants, these benefits would generate $67 million in benefits to the government and a total economic benefit... View Details

Keywords: Jennifer Myers

19 Apr 2004
Research & Ideas

Ground-Floor Opportunities for Retail in India

India's economic growth is an exciting new playing field for the retail industry and for entrepreneurs looking to get in on the ground level, a panel of that country's businessmen agreed. Rising incomes, increased advertising, and a jump... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Consumer Products; Retail

November 2007 (Revised December 2008)
Background Note

China Rising: An Economic Snapshot

"China Rising: An Economic Snapshot" provides readers with an overview of China's economic transformation, relying on economic data from a variety of sources. It is organized into three sections: (1) "The Big Picture" explores macroeconomic indicators, as well as those... View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Macroeconomics; Microeconomics; Local Range; Globalized Economies and Regions; Business and Government Relations; China

2012
Working Paper

Clusters, Convergence, and Economic Performance

By: Mercedes Delgado, Michael E. Porter and Scott Stern

This paper evaluates the role of regional cluster composition in the economic performance of industries, clusters, and regions. On the one hand, diminishing returns to specialization in a location can result in a convergence effect: the growth rate of an industry... View Details

Keywords: Industry Clusters; Performance; Economics

Find at Harvard