Publications

Research Summary

China and India in comparative perspective

China and India both have the potential of becoming economic superpowers. The conventional wisdom is that China is far ahead of India in economic reforms and economic performance. Together with my HBS colleague, Professor Tarun Khanna, we are re-examining this... View Details

23 Nov 2010
Working Paper Summaries

Growth Through Heterogeneous Innovations

Keywords: by Ufuk Akcigit & William R. Kerr; Technology

Lynda M. Applegate

Lynda M. Applegate is a Baker Foundation Professor at HBS and is Chair of the Advisory Committee for Harvard University’s Masters Degree of Liberal Arts in Finance and Management at the Harvard University Extension School. She has also played a... View Details

18 Feb 2021
HBS Seminar

Imke Reimers, Northeastern University

March 2021 (Revised January 2023)
Case

The Trouble with TCE

By: Vincent Pons, Rafael Di Tella and Galit Goldstein

Trichloroethylene, or TCE, was a chemical used by tens of thousands of businesses in the United States. It was an affordable tool for many. Yet, TCE had been associated with important health risks, including cancer and autoimmune disease. TCE potentially posed other... View Details

Keywords: Trichloroethylene; Toxicity; Lobbying; Chemicals; Health Disorders; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Policy; Ethics; Business and Government Relations; Chemical Industry; United States

November 1999 (Revised March 2003)
Case

Webvan: Groceries on the Internet

By: John A. Deighton and Kayla Bakshi

What are the prospects for grocery shopping on the Web? This case invites a comparison of seven business models, with particular emphasis on Webvan. Why does the investment community value Webvan at $7.8 billion after less than six months of operating experience, and... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Experience and Expertise; Investment; Information; Marketing; Distribution Channels; Service Delivery; Cognition and Thinking; Internet and the Web; Retail Industry; Service Industry

Big data is defined and distinguished from a mere moment in the “ancient quest to measure.” Specific discontinuities in the practice of information science are identified which, the paper argues, have large consequences for the social order. The infrastructure that... View Details

Michael Y. Yoshino

Professor Yoshino holds the Herman C. Krannert Chair in Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and is a Director of Research. He specializes in global strategy and management, competitive strategy, and general management. A founding member of the... View Details

December 2004 (Revised April 2006)
Case

Managing Diversity at Spencer Owens & Co.

By: Robin J. Ely and Ingrid Vargas

Spencer Owens & Co, a disguised consulting firm, focuses on domestic and international economic development. As an extension of the firm's commitment to social justice, 20 years ago, Spencer Owens management introduced an affirmative action hiring and promotion... View Details

Keywords: Working Conditions; Selection and Staffing; Development Economics; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Employees; Diversity; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Consulting Industry

30 May 2012
News

Widening Secret Patents Seen as Costing Inventors' Rights

11 Feb 2013
News

Thorny research problems, solved by crowdsourcing

20 Aug 2012
News

Can America Compete?

June 2023 (Revised February 2025)
Case

Doing Business in Lima, Peru

By: Jeffrey T. Polzer, Leonard A. Schlesinger and Max Hancock

This case examines the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Peru. It highlights Peru's economic transformation in the decades leading up to 2024 in the context of its history, culture, and politics. The case gives an overview of some of the main obstacles... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Business and Government Relations; Corporate Strategy; Mining Industry; Peru; Latin America

2010
Book

The American Bourgeoisie: Distinction and Identity in the Nineteenth Century

By: Julia Rosenbaum and Sven Beckert

What precisely constitutes an American bourgeoisie? Scholars have grappled with the question for a long time. Economic positions—the ownership of capital, for instance—most obviously defines this group. Control of resources cannot explain, however, the emergence of... View Details

Keywords: Literacy; Income; Identity; Culture; Economics; United States

Find at Harvard

October 2005 (Revised February 2006)
Case

ICEX: Making a Market in Iceland

Examines the impact of increased performance on the international visibility and positioning of the Icelandic Stock Exchange. Allows consideration of various options for stock exchange growth that are created by Iceland's strong economic performance in recent years.... View Details

Keywords: International Finance; Stocks; Financial Markets; Globalization; Economy; Iceland

Find at Harvard

10 Nov 2020
Sharpening Your Skills

Research News and Tips: Innovating Across Time Zones

Danielle Li. American Economic Review: Insights (forthcoming). Selling your pivot story Young companies often shift gears to a new business strategy—pivoting—once the results of the original strategy have... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

Gerald C. Chertavian

Gerald Chertavian is the Founder of Year Up, one of the nation’s largest and most effective youth workforce development programs. Chertavian was a successful technology entrepreneur and Wall Street banker, but it was through his many years as a Big Brother... View Details

21 Dec 2015
Op-Ed

Without Immigrants, We Wouldn't Have Google

immigrants who have made innumerable contributions to the technological and economic success of the United States. Outsiders keep our commercial markets vital by offering perspectives that differ from the... View Details

Keywords: by Shane Greenstein; Information Technology

November–December 2020
Article

Getting Serious About Diversity: Enough Already with the Business Case

By: Robin Ely and David A. Thomas

Leaders may mean well when they tout the economic payoffs of hiring more women and people of color, but there is no research support for the notion that diversifying the workforce automatically improves a company’s performance. This article critiques the popular... View Details

Keywords: Diversity; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Change; Trust