Publications

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March 2006 (Revised February 2017)
Case

Rwanda: National Economic Transformation

By: Michael E. Porter, Kaia Miller, Michael McCreless, Kjell Carlsson, Jem Hudson and Haviland Sheldahl-Thomason

Set in the year 2004, when Rwanda commemorated the 10th anniversary of a genocide that had claimed the lives of over 10% of its population. Focuses on the formulation of an economic strategy to rebuild the economy and its institutions after the devastation. Rwanda, one... View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Developing Countries and Economies; Policy; Government Administration; Crisis Management; Strategy; Rwanda

12 Dec 2012
Research & Ideas

Book Excerpt: Strength in Numbers

Professor Gunnar Trumbull disagrees. In his new book, Strength in Numbers: The Political Power of Weak Interests, Trumbull shows how groups such as consumers can effect change by forming interest-driven alliances among activists,... View Details

Keywords: Re: Gunnar Trumbull

October 2014 (Revised December 2015)
Background Note

China's Environmental Challenge

By: William C. Kirby, Nora Bynum, Erica M. Zendell and Brittany Crow

China faces enormous environmental challenges. This background note looks at the historical, economic and political origins of the environmental crisis that faces the world's fastest-growing economy. View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Globalized Economies and Regions; History; Crisis Management; Environmental Sustainability; China

02 Mar 2018
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Trump’s Tariffs Could Harm Allies as Much as Opponents

investors perceive as a move that will have more disadvantages than benefits for the economy as a whole. Uncertainty ahead More broadly, Trump’s actions pave the way for much uncertainty ahead, since the long history of trade... View Details

Keywords: by Dante Roscini; Steel; Manufacturing

October 2005
Background Note

Tax Impropriety: Judicial Sanctions and Professional Repercussions

By: Henry B. Reiling, Catherine M. Conneely, Frank Bruno and Kevin Wall

Examines the case histories of high-profile individuals who failed to meet their tax obligations, the judicial sanctions carried out against them, and the repercussions on their professional and personal lives. View Details

Keywords: Governance Compliance; Taxation; Courts and Trials; Personal Development and Career

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June 1996 (Revised November 1996)
Background Note

Economic Gains from Trade: Comparative Advantage

By: Robert E. Kennedy and Nancy F. Koehn

How nations trade and whether they benefit from it are two of the oldest and most important questions in political economy. In the 170 years since David Ricardo formally developed the theory of comparative advantage, it has become one of the principles most widely... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Microeconomics; Trade; Cost Management; Business and Government Relations

September 2019
Case

Clean Energy for the Future

By: Richard H.K. Vietor and Howaida Kamel

This is an industry note on renewable energy – wind, solar, governmental incentives and storage. It covers the recent history of both the wind and solar industries, an extensive look at governmental policies in the United States, including the Green New Deal, and... View Details

Keywords: Green New Deal; Renewable Energy; Energy Policy; Industry Growth; Supply and Industry; Price; Motivation and Incentives; Energy Industry; Green Technology Industry; United States

April 2009 (Revised June 2020)
Case

Al Capone

By: Tom Nicholas and David Chen

In 1929, Chicago, IL mob boss Al Capone was at the height of his power. As head of the extensive crime organization known as "The Outfit" during most of U.S.'s Prohibition Era (1920-1933), Capone oversaw hundreds of brothels, speakeasies, and roadhouses which served as... View Details

Keywords: Bootlegging; Entrepreneurship; Crime and Corruption; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Business History; United States; Chicago

January 2003 (Revised March 2009)
Case

The State of Connecticut: Strategy for Economic Development

By: Michael E. Porter and Kaia Miller

Describes the history of Connecticut's economy, its competitive challenges in the 1990s, and the steps taken to develop an economic plan for the state. A prominent issue is the competitive position of Connecticut's industry clusters and the efforts to create a formal... View Details

Keywords: Economic Growth; Economy; Government and Politics; Industry Clusters; Competition; Connecticut

March 2022 (Revised April 2022)
Case

In Search of Global Regulation

By: Geoffrey Jones and Mona Rahmani

The history of the international regulation of global capitalism is surveyed, addressing the challenges facing firms confronting international, national, and regional regulation. Follows the history of global regulation after 1914, from the League of Nations;... View Details

Keywords: History; Multinational Firms and Management; International Relations; Laws and Statutes; Corporate Governance; Business and Government Relations

January 2007 (Revised January 2007)
Background Note

Note on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

By: Robert F. Higgins, Richard G. Hamermesh and Virginia Fuller

Describes the U.S. FDA with particular emphasis on its role in the development of new drugs, biologic products, and medical devices today. Provides context for the drug approval process by describing the FDA's history and organizational structure. View Details

Keywords: Health; Governance Compliance; Policy; Product Development; Government and Politics; Pharmaceutical Industry; Medical Devices and Supplies Industry; Biotechnology Industry; Public Administration Industry; United States

April 2004 (Revised September 2005)
Case

China and the WTO: Doing the Right Thing?

In late 2001, the People's Republic of China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). Sets the terms of China's accession agreement against its compliance record some two years later. Discusses why key actors, such as business, organized labor, and other governments,... View Details

Keywords: Management; History; International Relations; Judgments; Trade; Business and Government Relations; Development Economics; Governance Compliance; Emerging Markets; Global Strategy; China

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19 Jan 2016
First Look

January 19, 2016

comprehensive and multidisciplinary view of the field of user and open innovation, reflecting advances in the field over the last several decades. The contributors—including many colleagues of Eric von Hippel—offer both theoretical and empirical perspectives from such... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

July 2004 (Revised September 2004)
Case

China and the WTO: Doing the Right Thing? (Abridged)

In late 2001, the People's Republic of China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). Sets the terms of China's accession agreement against its compliance record some two years later. Discusses why key actors, such as business, organized labor, and other governments,... View Details

Keywords: History; International Relations; Judgments; Trade; Business and Government Relations; Development Economics; Governance Compliance; Emerging Markets; Economic Growth; Global Strategy; China

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December 2001 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Argentine Paradox: The, Economic Growth and the Populist Tradition

By: Rafael M. Di Tella and Ingrid Vogel

Describes the political and economic development in Argentina from 1900 to 1989, with a focus on the role of Peron and populism. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details

Keywords: History; Development Economics; Economic Growth; Government Administration; Argentina