Publications

Find at Harvard

Read Now

2009
Working Paper

Prices or Knowledge? What Drives Demand for Financial Services in Emerging Markets?

By: Shawn A. Cole, Thomas Sampson and Bilal Zia

Financial development is critical for growth, but its micro-determinants are not well understood. We test leading theories of low demand for financial services in emerging markets, combining novel survey evidence from Indonesia and India with a field experiment. We... View Details

Keywords: Banks and Banking; Saving; Knowledge Acquisition; Emerging Markets; Motivation and Incentives; Financial Services Industry; India; Indonesia

Read Now

1 Apr 1987
Conference Presentation

Immunizing Children Against the Negative Effects of Reward

By: Teresa M. Amabile and Beth A. Hennessey

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives

March 2024 (Revised July 2024)
Case

The CHIPS Program Office

By: Mitchell B. Weiss and Sebastian Negron-Reichard

In February 2023, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo weighed signing off on a Notice of Funding Opportunity (“NOFO”) with at least one unconventional provision: a pre-application (“pre-app”) to the actual application for parts of $39 billion in direct semiconductor... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Public Sector; Government Administration; Government Legislation; Motivation and Incentives; Semiconductor Industry; Public Administration Industry; United States

January 1976 (Revised June 1984)
Case

Megalith, Inc. -- Hay Associates (A)

By: John P. Kotter

In 1969, Megalith centralized its financial and control functions. John Boyd, senior vice president for finance, hired four brilliant young managers to "bring the group out of the stone age." By 1975, this management team had created a near-perfect finance office of... View Details

Keywords: Management Teams; Compensation and Benefits; Motivation and Incentives; Problems and Challenges

January 2025 (Revised April 2025)
Case

Duolingo: On a 'Streak'

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport, Nicole Tempest Keller and Nicole Luo

In December 2024, Severin Hacker, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Duolingo, reflected on the remarkable evolution of the language-learning app he helped launch in 2011. As the #1 most downloaded education app in the world, Duolingo had over 100 million... View Details

Keywords: Learning; AI and Machine Learning; Growth and Development Strategy; Motivation and Incentives; Diversification; Business Model; Market Entry and Exit; Technology Industry; Education Industry; United States

26 Jun 2012
First Look

First Look: June 26

agents, for whom the relative value of the reward is higher. Second, contrary to existing laboratory evidence, financial incentives do not appear to crowd out intrinsic motivation in this setting. Third,... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

January 2021 (Revised March 2022)
Teaching Note

Maritz Automotive

By: Ashley V. Whillans and Lamar Pierce

This case focuses on Charlotte Blank, the Chief Behavioral Officer at Maritz, as she tries to assist a major automotive manufacturer (CarCo) with increasing their sales by prepaying monthly bonuses to independently franchised car dealers and clawing them back if the... View Details

Keywords: Loss-framing; Sales; Performance Improvement; Compensation and Benefits; Motivation and Incentives; Behavior; Theory; Auto Industry

11 Aug 2014
HBS Case

The Business of Behavioral Economics

wish to avoid losing something they have, they also try to avoid feeling regret for something they could have had. "It's awful to think of the situation where you could have won $100 but didn't," says John. The incentives... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Food & Beverage; Health

November – December 1993
Article

Rethinking Rewards

By: Stewart Bennett III, Eileen Appelbaum, M. Beer and Andrew Lebby

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives

Find at Harvard

July 2007 (Revised April 2008)
Teaching Note

Rapid Rewards at Southwest Airlines (TN)

By: Frances X. Frei

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Air Transportation Industry

17 Oct 2024
Research & Ideas

The Reputation Risks of Sharing Fake News

Challenging a concerning proposal Jordan studies how individuals and organizations manage their reputations. This research asked whether the desire to look good in the eyes of others might motivate people to... View Details

Keywords: by Avery Forman

04 Aug 2003
What Do You Think?

Are We Facing an Attitude Shortage?

of nearly all respondents to the August questions of the month. And many respondents believe they know who is responsible for the "attitude deficit": leaders and managers. Edward Hare summed up the... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

2012
Article

Do Voters Demand Responsive Governments? Evidence from Indian Disaster Relief

By: Shawn Cole, Andrew Healy and Eric Werker

Using rainfall, public relief, and election data from India, we examine how governments respond to adverse shocks and how voters react to these responses. The data show that voters punish the incumbent party for weather events beyond its control. However, fewer voters... View Details

Keywords: Political Elections; System Shocks; Natural Disasters; Policy; Motivation and Incentives; Public Opinion; India

Find at Harvard

Read Now

June 2000 (Revised July 2000)
Case

ORIX KK

By: Malcolm S. Salter and Andrew Eggers

Describes the challenges facing a Japanese financial services company as it attempts to maintain its ability to attract and retain talented employees. The CEO's ideas of corporate governance and evidence from the competitive labor environment suggest the need for more... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Governance; Compensation and Benefits; Motivation and Incentives; Management Analysis, Tools, and Techniques; Geographic Location; Financial Services Industry; Japan

December 1997
Case

Making the Grade (A)

By: Robert L. Simons

Focuses on the dilemma of a young professor at a graduate school of business. He must decide what final grade to give a student who has worked extremely hard, but he is constrained by the school's "forced curve" grading policy. Designed to explore the multiple purposes... View Details

Keywords: Design; Management Systems; Performance Evaluation; Motivation and Incentives; Education Industry