Publications

12 Feb 2018
Research & Ideas

Customers at the Back of the Line Are Anxious—Can You Keep Them from Leaving?

—Buell explains in a new working paper, “Last Place Aversion in Queues.” "If I can’t look behind me and see someone else is willing to wait longer than me, I start to question whether waiting in line is worthwhile” Buell’s research... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Retail; Service

10 Aug 2010
First Look

First Look: August 10

PublicationsAdverse Selection in Online 'Trust' Certifications and Search Results Author:Benjamin G. Edelman Publication:Electronic Commerce Research and Applications (June 2010) Abstract Widely used View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

2024
Book

The Everything Token: How NFTs and Web3 Will Transform the Way We Buy, Sell, and Create

By: Steve Kaczynski and Scott Duke Kominers

We demystify the coming digital revolution, showing how NFTs will transform our online and offline interactions.

NFTs aren’t just pictures on the internet, or a fad that has come and gone. Rather, they’re a new technology for creating digital assets and... View Details

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November 2013
Teaching Note

Barnes & Noble: Managing the E-Book Revolution

By: Alan MacCormack, Brian Kimball Dunn and Chris F. Kemerer

In 2012, Barnes & Noble found itself in a difficult position. While the company had weathered the advent of online retailing relatively well, the arrival of electronic books (e-books) threatened the company's viability. Primary competitor Borders had already fallen by... View Details

Keywords: Technological Innovation; Internet and the Web; Adaptation; Books; Retail Industry

April 2013
Teaching Note

Bluefin Labs: The Acquisition by Twitter

By: John Deighton and Leora Kornfeld

What is the value of Bluefin Labs's social listening data to Twitter? Acquired by Twitter in 2013, Bluefin had built a system that gathered millions of online comments in an effort to develop new metrics for TV programs and brand advertising. With data from Twitter and... View Details

Keywords: Knowledge Use and Leverage; Knowledge Acquisition; Marketing; Television Entertainment; Mobile Technology

October 2000 (Revised March 2001)
Case

eLance.com: Building a Professional Services Marketplace

By: Lynda M. Applegate and Kristin Kohler

Launched as an eBay for services, eLance promises to leverage the capabilities of the Internet to not only change the way services are bought and sold, but change the fundamental dynamics of the global economy. Building on theories posited in the HBR article by Tim... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Technological Innovation; Job Search; Business or Company Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Business Strategy; Competitive Strategy; Web Sites; Information Technology Industry; Service Industry

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October 2006 (Revised October 2007)
Case

Google Advertising

By: Youngme E. Moon and David Chen

In mid-2006, Google is the number one search engine in America with 99% of its revenues deriving from its simple, text-only advertising services. It is on track to bring in roughly $9.5 billion in advertising revenue in 2006, which would place it fourth among American... View Details

Keywords: Digital Marketing; Disruptive Innovation; Media; Expansion; Internet and the Web; Advertising Industry; United States

17 Jul 2007
First Look

First Look: July 17, 2007

shared platform, such as Visa, DVD, or Linux, multiple firms collaborate in developing the platform's technology then compete in offering users different but compatible versions of the platform. This article examines factors that favor proprietary versus shared models... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

07 Aug 2009
What Do You Think?

Why Can’t Americans Get Health Care Right?

achieved is in question. Where, for example, should fiat or regulation ("push"), incentives or subsidies ("pull"), or the provision of new information, education, or even competitive alternatives be employed? Given the... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett; Health

July 2021 (Revised January 2024)
Case

Fynd

By: Ranjay Gulati, Kairavi Dey and Rachna Tahilyani

Fynd is a fast-growing venture that in 7 years since its founding has become India's largest omnichannel retail company with real-time access to over 9,000 stores' offline inventory. It started as a B2B business supporting retailers who didn’t have an online business,... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Business Startups; Business Model; Acquisition; Decision Making; Cost vs Benefits; Growth and Development Strategy; Web Services Industry; Technology Industry; Communications Industry; India; Mumbai

02 Aug 2016
First Look

August 2, 2016

the optimal capital requirement is around 20%. Download working paper: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=51305 The Empirical Economics of Online Attention By: Boik, Andre, Shane Greenstein, and Jeffrey Prince Abstract—In... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

2025
Book

Negotiation: The Game Has Changed

By: Max Bazerman

The world has changed dramatically in just the past few years—and so has the game of negotiation. COVID-19, Zoom, political polarization, the online economy, increasing economic globalization, and greater workplace diversity—all have transformed the who, what, where,... View Details

Keywords: Negotiation; Change

June 2025
Case

Khabar Lahariya

By: Ranjay Gulati and Kanika Jain

Founded and run entirely by women, Khabar Lahariya was a leading digital media portal, known for its uniquely feminist perspective and rural focus. It started in 2002 as a non-profit print publication, and by 2023, had evolved into a multimedia news site that was part... View Details

Keywords: South Asia; India; Purpose; Strategy; Business Model; Leadership; Digital; Business Ventures; Change; Decision Making; Growth and Development; Management; Media; Social Enterprise; Journalism and News Industry; Journalism and News Industry; Journalism and News Industry; Asia