Publications

2024
Working Paper

You've Got Mail! The Late 19th Century U.S. Postal Service Expansion, Entrepreneurship, and Firm Performance

By: Astrid Marinoni and Maria P. Roche

This paper examines the impact of the expansion of the US Postal Service in the late 19th century on firm creation and performance. Utilizing newly digitized archival data on historic business establishments, post office locations, and road networks in California,... View Details

Keywords: Institutional Innovation; Knowledge Exchange; US Postal Service; Firm Performance; Infrastructure; Expansion; Government Administration; Communication; Business History; Entrepreneurship; Public Administration Industry; California

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2021
Working Paper

Caccia Selvaggia: Myth, Rites, and the Right in Carlo Ginzburg's Storia notturna

By: Robert Fredona and Sophus A. Reinert

Carlo Ginzburg (b. 1939) is widely considered one of Europe’s leading historians. His masterpiece Storia notturna (Turin: Einaudi, 1989), widely praised for its extraordinary erudition and creativity, is now over three decades old but it continues to inspire... View Details

Keywords: Mythology; Culture; Political Doctrine; History; Government and Politics; Society

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April 2021 (Revised January 2022)
Case

SA Taxi: A Vehicle for Empowerment? (A)

By: Nien-he Hsieh, Dilyana Karadzhova Botha and F. Christopher Eaglin

SA Taxi was a vertically integrated business that operated in South Africa’s distinctive taxi industry. Despite being plagued by violence, informal structures, unsafe road practices and lack of government support, the taxi industry had grown to become South Africa’s... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Accountability; Ownership; Ownership Stake; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Equality and Inequality; Race; Situation or Environment; Transportation Industry; South Africa; Africa

02 Jan 2024
Research & Ideas

10 Trends to Watch in 2024

The lightning-fast ascent of generative AI isn’t the only sea change on the horizon for businesses in the new year. The global economy is in flux as war, climate change, trade issues, and infrastructure problems demand attention. Many companies continue to struggle to... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

Web

Faculty & Advisors - MBA

communications, capital markets, and finance functions. Prior to MyoKardia, he held operating, investing, or finance roles at Silk Road Medical, American Infrastructure Funds, RBC Capital Markets, and Valero. Wayne is an active volunteer... View Details

April 2021 (Revised January 2022)
Supplement

SA Taxi: A Vehicle for Empowerment? (B)

By: Nien-he Hsieh, Dilyana Karadzhova Botha and F. Christopher Eaglin

SA Taxi was a vertically integrated business that operated in South Africa’s distinctive taxi industry. Despite being plagued by violence, informal structures, unsafe road practices and lack of government support, the taxi industry had grown to become South Africa’s... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Accountability; Ownership; Ownership Stake; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Equality and Inequality; Race; Situation or Environment; Transportation Industry; South Africa; Africa

18 Oct 2016
First Look

October 18, 2016

Ejaz, Arti Grover Goswami, and William R. Kerr Abstract—We investigate the impact of the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) highway project on the spatial organization and efficiency of manufacturing activity. The GQ project upgraded the quality and width of 3,633 miles of... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

January 2020
Case

Sunset Limited or Full Speed Ahead? Amtrak Talks to Congress

By: John D. Macomber

Richard Anderson took the helm of Amtrak in 2017 after leading a successful turnaround at Delta Airlines. Amtrak is a US state owned enterprise with about $3.5 bn in annual revenue (and a large operating loss) that is responsible for substantial segments of passenger... View Details

Keywords: Railroad; Passenger Transportation; Urbanization; Cities; U.S. Congress; Infrastructure; Transition; Transportation; Rail Transportation; Climate Change; Urban Scope; Strategic Planning; Business and Government Relations; Rail Industry; United States

30 Oct 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, October 30, 2018

2018 Northamption, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing Varieties of Green Business: Industries, Nations and Time By: Jones, G. Abstract—Published at a time of ever-increasing warnings that the pace of climate change and other environmental changes risk making the Earth... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

Valuing Snap After the IPO Quiet Period

Snap, the disappearing message app, went public at $17 per share on March 2, 2017, making its two 20-something founders the youngest self-made billionaires in the country. Over the next three weeks, 14 analysts make investment recommendations on Snap: two with buy... View Details

07 Mar 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research, March 7

in press Academy of Management Annals Scaling: Organizing and Growth in Entrepreneurial Ventures By: DeSantola, Alicia, and Ranjay Gulati Abstract—Entrepreneurial ventures face unique challenges related to growth, particularly in the management of internal... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 2011
Article

The New Path to the C-Suite

By: Boris Groysberg, L. Kevin Kelly and Bryan MacDonald

Job requirements at the top of corporations have changed. Companies have come to expect much more from their C-level executives, who need new and different skills to deal with today's business realities. Exactly what abilities do firms want in their leaders—now and in... View Details

Keywords: Experience and Expertise; Leadership; Management Skills; Personal Development and Career

Find at Harvard

April 2007 (Revised October 2007)
Background Note

An Overview of Project Finance & Infrastructure Finance - 2006 Update

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Aldo Sesia

Provides an introduction to the fields of project finance and infrastructure finance, and gives a statistical overview of project-financed investments over the years from 2002 to 2006. Examples of project-financed investments include the $4 billion Chad-Cameroon... View Details

Keywords: Project Finance; Infrastructure; Investment; Projects; Trends

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Browse All Articles, Research, & Case Studies - HBS Working Knowledge

ensuring implementation, and the critical importance of corporate involvement in driving ambitious climate action. 05 Nov 2024 Book Building the Road to 'Small Business Utopia' with AI and Fintech by Karen G. Mills Could artificial... View Details

05 Apr 2011
First Look

First Look: April 5

strategy, decision making, and innovation. Download the paper (HBS only): http://intranet.hbs.edu/dept/drfd/papers/1011/11-099.pdf Cases & Course MaterialsChina Construction America (A): The Road Ahead Regina M. Abrami and Weiqi... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

26 Sep 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, September 26, 2017

forthcoming Review of Financial Studies Managing the Family Firm: Evidence from CEOs at Work By: Bandiera, Oriana, Andrea Prat, Renata Lemos, and Raffaella Sadun Abstract—We present evidence on the labor supply of CEOs and on whether family and professional CEOs differ... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

29 Jan 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, January 29, 2019

Sustainability. Past Roads and Future Prospects By: Bergquist, Ann-Kristin, Shawn A. Cole, John Ehrenfeld, Andrew A. King, and Auden Schendler Abstract— This working paper examines key barriers to business sustainability discussed at a... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

October 2009 (Revised December 2010)
Case

GE Money Bank: The M-Budget Card Initiative

By: Michael L. Tushman, Sebastian Raisch and Christian Welling

The M-Budget Card case study is about mastering the challenges of an exploratory strategic initiative in a context marked by time pressure and frequent change. M-Budget was the first of a series of highly successful projects that established GE Money Bank as a leader... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Credit Cards; Leading Change; Product Launch; Product Development; Groups and Teams; Banking Industry; Switzerland