Publications

November 2023
Case

Gabon Special Economic Zone

By: John Macomber and Wale Lawal

Tropical rain forest covers about 80% of the West African nation of Gabon, part of the Congo Basin and the "lungs of the world." Gabon is one of the first nations to earn revenue from carbon sequestration...as long as the rain forest remains intact. There are... View Details

Keywords: Economic Development; Forestry; Wood; Carbon Credits; Supply Chain; Economic Growth; Developing Countries and Economies; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability; Government Administration; Business and Government Relations; Strategy; Forest Products Industry; Africa; Gabon

18 Mar 2018
Working Paper Summaries

Thanks for Nothing: Expressing Gratitude Invites Exploitation by Competitors

Keywords: by Jeremy Yip, Kelly Kiyeon Lee, Cindy Chan, and Alison Wood Brooks

15 Mar 2018
Working Paper Summaries

Backhanded Compliments: How Negative Comparisons Undermine Flattery

Keywords: by Ovul Sezer, Alison Wood Brooks, and Michael I. Norton

September 2018
Case

Verisk: Trailblazing in the Big Data Jungle

By: Andrew Wasynczuk, Francesca Gino and Karim Sameh

This case revolves around Verisk Analytics' initiatives to drive innovation throughout the firm's many business verticals. Verisk, originally named ISO, started life as an insurance rating agency in the early 1970s, acting as an intermediary between insurance companies... View Details

Keywords: by Laura Vuillier, Alison Wood Brooks, June Gruber, Rui Sun, Michael I. Norton, Matthew James Samson, Emiliana Simon-Thomas, Paul Piff, Sarah Fan, Jordi Quoidbach, Charles Gorintin, Pete Fleming, Arturo Bejar, and Dacher Keltner

05 Dec 2018
Research & Ideas

Why Managers Should Reveal Their Failures

success. “If you’re highly successful, your achievements are obvious. It’s more novel and inspiring for others to learn about your mistakes,” says Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Alison Wood Brooks. “What’s exciting about this... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

30 Oct 2017
Research & Ideas

Asking Questions Can Get You a Better Job or a Second Date

conversation partners,” says Alison Wood Brooks, assistant professor and Hellman Faculty Fellow at Harvard Business School. “This strategy does both. It’s an easy-to-deploy strategy anyone can use to not only be perceived as more... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

23 Oct 2013
Research & Ideas

Overcoming Nervous Nelly

Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Alison Wood Brooks. “It was surprising to see such a devious twist that people would take advantage of someone in an anxious state” "People who are perfectly healthy feel anxious many times... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

06 Nov 2023
Research & Ideas

Did You Hear What I Said? How to Listen Better

School. “You feel like maybe they weren’t totally listening.” In fact, people often aren’t tuned in when we think they are, and it’s tough to tell when someone is actually paying attention, according to a forthcoming article in the Journal of Experimental Psychology by... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

23 Sep 2015
Research & Ideas

Men Want Powerful Jobs More Than Women Do

tenured professor in the Negotiations, Organizations & Markets (NOM) unit at HBS; Caroline Wilmuth, who is pursuing a doctorate in organizational behavior at Harvard, and Alison Wood Brooks, an assistant professor in the NOM unit. On... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

10 Jan 2023
Research & Ideas

How to Live Happier in 2023: Diversify Your Social Circle

relationships. The study offers new ideas for quiet quitters who are contemplating the meaning of happiness and fulfillment amid pandemic burnout. In addition to Norton, the authors include HBS doctoral student Hanne Collins, HBS Professor Alison View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

16 Mar 2018
Working Paper Summaries

Amount and Diversity of Digital Emotional Expression Predicts Happiness

15 Nov 2022
Cold Call Podcast

Planning the Future for Harlem’s Beloved Sylvia’s Restaurant

Keywords: Re: Christina R. Wing; Food & Beverage

30 Apr 2014
Research & Ideas

Venture Investors Prefer Funding Handsome Men

of entrepreneurial pitching," says Alison Wood Brooks, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School who coauthored the paper with Laura Huang, an assistant professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; Sarah... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Financial Services

February 2005 (Revised March 2009)
Case

Arauco (A): Forward Integration or Horizontal Expansion?

By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Jorge Tarzijan and Jordan Mitchell

Celulosa Arauco is a major Chilean producer of market pulp and wood products. Owning over 1.2 million hectares of forest in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay, the company's key advantage is the ideal growing conditions in which the company's forests are located. As of... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Competitive Advantage; Diversification; Expansion; Vertical Integration; Forest Products Industry; Chile

October 1990 (Revised May 1994)
Case

Confederated Pulp & Paper

By: David E. Bell

A rewritten version of an old case that updates the dates and prices and simplifies the economics. The issue is still one of determining a suitable inventory of wood for the mill to last through the winter. View Details

Keywords: History; Supply Chain Management; Spending; Forecasting and Prediction; Economic Growth; Information Management; Pulp and Paper Industry