Publications

31 May 2011
First Look

First Look: May 31

Abstract Theories of the firm have been dominated by a legacy of ideas from early industrialization that pose zero-sum opposition between capital and labor (or capital and nearly everything else), differentiating the economy from society... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

February 2021
Supplement

HNA Group: Global Excellence with Chinese Characteristics (C)

By: William C. Kirby, Billy Chan and John P. McHugh

July 2017 was supposed to be a triumphant month for HNA Group. The latest Fortune Global 500 list showed the company had again skyrocketed in its ranking to no. 170, an improvement of over 200 positions from the year prior. Yet earlier that same July, the mysterious... View Details

Keywords: Conglomerate; Airline Industry; Coronavirus; Financial Risk; Debt; Bankruptcy; Global Strategy; Restructuring; Health Pandemics; Financial Markets; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Financial Condition; Globalized Firms and Management; Business and Government Relations; Air Transportation Industry; Financial Services Industry; China

January 2009
Case

Xi'an International University: The Growth of Private Universities in China

By: William C. Kirby, Michael Shih-ta Chen, Keith Chi-ho Wong and Tracy Manty

Huang Teng founded Xi'an International University (XAIU) as a private institute of higher education in 1992. Throughout its ensuing years, the school filled a niche and met the demand of students who did not test into one of China's public institutions. In 2008, it was... View Details

Keywords: Higher Education; Growth and Development Strategy; Private Ownership; Expansion; Education Industry; China

27 Aug 2013
First Look

First Look: August 27

jointly develops an offshore tract-performs relative to a solo firm. I employ a regression discontinuity strategy based on bids in first-price sealed-bid auctions for the rights to develop leases. By focusing on leases where one... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

19 Feb 2013
First Look

First Look: Feb. 19

PublicationsLabor Regulations and European Venture Capital Authors:Bozkaya, Ant, and William R. Kerr Publication:Journal of Economics & Management Strategy Abstract European nations substitute between employment protection... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

29 May 2012
First Look

First Look: May 29

capacity, land use regulation, and development politics. Purchase this case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/212056-PDF-ENG The China Entrepreneurs Forum William C. Kirby, G.A. Donovan, and Tracy Yuen... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

13 Sep 2011
First Look

First Look: September 13

W. Dunn, Dana R. Carney, and Dan Ariely Publication:Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (forthcoming) Abstract We predicted that able-bodied individuals and white Americans would have a difficult time saying no to persuasive appeals offered View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

17 Apr 2012
First Look

First Look: April 17

thus leading to capital market benefits by reducing insiders' ability to exploit private information. Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/11-109.pdf Putting Integrity into Finance: A Purely Positive Approach Authors:Werner... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

18 Oct 2011
First Look

First Look: October 18

Funds at Vanguard (A) Robert C. Pozen and Steven VickersHarvard Business School Case 311-134 Vanguard Group management, led by CEO John Brennan, was considering whether to launch exchange-traded funds (ETFs)... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

January 2025 (Revised February 2025)
Background Note

A High-Tech Revolution with Chinese Characteristics: China's Drive Towards EV Supremacy

By: William C. Kirby, Daniel Fu and Matthew Ngai

This background note explains and documents the rise of China's EV industry. Moreover, it identifies the challenges facing it and posits several questions about the decisions needed to be made to sustain the industry's global dominance. Would Chinese producers be able... View Details

Keywords: State Capitalism; Electric Vehicles; Tesla; Renewable Energy; Global Strategy; Taxation; Technological Innovation; Industry Growth; Competition; Auto Industry; China; United States; Japan; European Union

16 Dec 2014
First Look

First Look: December 16

benefits are at most partially realized. The same institutions and practices that facilitate efficient ad placement can also facilitate fraud. The networks that should be serving advertisers have decidedly mixed incentives, such as cost savings from cutting corners,... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

14 Jun 2016
First Look

June 14, 2016

Wicked Problem Solvers: Lessons from Successful Cross-industry Teams By: Edmondson, Amy C. Abstract—Companies today increasingly rely on teams that span many industries for radical innovation, especially to solve “wicked problems.” So... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

13 Jul 2010
First Look

First Look: July 13

taken and proposed by the U.S. and European governments. Purchase this case:http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/110048-PDF-ENG The U.S. Life Insurance Industry Robert C. Pozen and McCall MerchantHarvard... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

21 Jan 2009
First Look

First Look: January 21, 2009

that result in a failure to notice ethical erosion when it occurs slowly. Broadly, our studies provide evidence as to when and why people overlook cheating by others and examine the conditions under which the slippery slope effect occurs.... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

Web

Harvard Business School

Black Presidents' Roundtable Association. He is the president and founder of the Scientific and Commercial Systems Corporation, which he established in 1983. C. Patricia 'Pat' Alsup MBA 1974 Pat Alsup currently serves as US ambassador to... View Details

12 Feb 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, February 12, 2019

that hold back progress in resource mobilization research. We then propose a path ahead for future research guided by two overarching goals. First, we advocate for a process perspective, focusing attention on how an individual actor’s... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

May 2011
Case

Baria Planning Solutions, Inc.: Fixing the Sales Process

By: Steven C. Wheelwright and William Schmidt

Baria Planning Solutions (BPS) is a consulting firm that specializes in using spend analysis to help companies identify savings through reduced procurement costs and improved supplier performance. Management is concerned about the disappointing performance of the sales... View Details

Keywords: Quantitative Analysis; Technology; Operations Management; Product Lines; Manufacturing; Capacity Planning; Production Planning; Production; Management Practices and Processes; Service Operations; Supply Chain Management; Salesforce Management; Planning; Consulting Industry; North and Central America

18 Dec 2012
First Look

First Look: December 18

novel proposals. Download the paper: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2184791 IP Modularity: Profiting from Innovation by Aligning Product Architecture with Intellectual Property Authors:Henkel, Joachim, Carliss Y. Baldwin, and Willy View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

November 2016
Supplement

Uber in China: Driving in the Gray Zone (B)

By: William C. Kirby, Yuanzhuo Wang, Shuang L. Frost and Adam K. Frost

Starting in 2014, for two years Uber had fought an intense, costly battle for China’s ridesharing market with well-financed and well-connected domestic Chinese competitors. During this time, Uber also had to respond to an ever-shifting regulatory landscape that looked... View Details

Keywords: China; Uber; Didi Chuxing; Start-up Growth; Regulation; Ride-sharing; Transportation; Business Startups; Growth and Development; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Transportation Industry; Technology Industry; China