Publications

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Technology & Operations Management Awards & Honors - Faculty & Research

C. Edmondson : Awarded the 2024 Medal for Distinguished Service by the Teachers College at Columbia University. Kris Johnson Ferreira : "Warnings and Endorsements: Improving Human-AI Collaboration Under Covariate Shift" with Matthew... View Details

May 2004 (Revised June 2004)
Case

Sarvega

By: Paul A. Gompers and Vanessa del Valle Broussard

David Cowan, general partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, has taken the lead on Sarvega, a Bessemer-backed company that was recently orphaned by the departure of one of Bessemer's other general partners. Cowan must decide whether to reinvest in Sarvega and, if so,... View Details

Keywords: Decisions; Venture Capital; Investment; Governance Compliance; Resignation and Termination; Negotiation Deal; Partners and Partnerships; Information Technology Industry

2017
Working Paper

And the Children Shall Lead: Gender Diversity and Performance in Venture Capital

By: Paul A. Gompers and Sophie Q. Wang

With an overall lack of gender and ethnic diversity in the innovation sector documented in Gompers and Wang (2017), we ask the natural next question: Does increased diversity lead to better firm performances? In this paper, we attempt to answer this question using a... View Details

Keywords: Diversity; Gender; Venture Capital; Performance Improvement; Capital Markets

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October 2003
Article

The Determinants of Board Structure at the Initial Public Offering

By: Malcolm Baker and Paul Gompers

This paper describes board size and composition and investigates the role of venture capital in a sample of 1,116 firms' initial public offerings. First, firms backed by venture capital have fewer insider and instrumental directors and more independent... View Details

Keywords: Governing and Advisory Boards; Venture Capital; Initial Public Offering; Managerial Roles; Power and Influence

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2006
Working Paper

Skill vs. Luck in Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital: Evidence from Serial Entrepreneurs

By: Paul A. Gompers, Anna Kovner, Josh Lerner and David S. Scharfstein

This paper argues that a large component of success in entrepreneurship and venture capital can be attributed to skill. We show that entrepreneurs with a track record of success are more likely to succeed than first time entrepreneurs and those who have previously... View Details

Keywords: Return On Investment; Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Success; Experience and Expertise

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February 2019
Editorial

Introduction To: The Euro at Twenty

By: Laura Alfaro and Paul R. Bergin

The article introduces a special volume on the “Euro at Twenty” as the currency was first introduced January 1, 1999. The volume includes papers by renowned leaders and thinkers: Jean-Claude Trichet, former President of the European Central Bank; Claudia Buch,... View Details

Keywords: The Euro; Currency; Europe; European Union

Web

Entrepreneurial Management Awards & Honors - Faculty & Research

one of 100 Black Board Members Making a Difference by Board Prospects in 2024. Archie L. Jones : Received the 2024 Dr. James I. Cash Advancing Pathways Award. Olivia S. Kim : Winner of the 2024 Best Paper Award at the Red Rock Finance... View Details

13 Mar 2018
First Look

March 13, 2018

multidivisional enterprises that have diversified into related product lines. The present book aims to fill in this gap in the literature by adopting a coherent approach to this elusive subject. Publisher's link:... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

28 Feb 2012
First Look

First Look: Feb. 28

reforms, we find that an increase in female representation in local government induces a large and significant rise in documented crimes against women in India. Our evidence suggests that this increase is good news, driven primarily by... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

17 Nov 2009
First Look

First Look: Nov. 17

The Irrational Economist: Making Decisions in a Dangerous World, edited by Erwann Michel-Kerjan and Paul Slovic. New York: Public Affairs Books, forthcoming. Book Abstract Of the 20 most costly catastrophes... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

Winter 2021
Article

Dealmaking Disrupted: The Unexplored Power of Social Media in Negotiation

By: James K. Sebenius, Ben Cook, David A. Lax, Isaac Silberberg and Paul Levy

While social media has had profound effects in many realms, the theory and practice of negotiation have remained relatively untouched by this potent phenomenon. In this article, we survey existing research in this area and develop a broader framework for understanding... View Details

Keywords: Bargaining; 3D Negotiation; Negotiation; Conflict and Resolution; Social Media

March 2024 (Revised June 2024)
Case

Kashat: Navigating the Uncertainties of the Egyptian Fintech Market

By: Paul A. Gompers and Ahmed Dahawy

Karim Nour, the founder of Kashat, an Egyptian nano-lending fintech company, is contemplating how to manage the growth of his startup. Over the summer of 2022, Kashat's loan disbursements had grown by nearly 40%, fueled by macroeconomic instability in Egypt. However,... View Details

Keywords: Fintech; Business Model; Developing Countries and Economies; Acquisition; Business Exit or Shutdown; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Startups; Financing and Loans; Capital; Financial Services Industry; Banking Industry; Egypt

March 2003 (Revised November 2009)
Case

Hudson Manufacturing Company

By: Paul A. Gompers and Vanessa del Valle Broussard

Concerns the decision by Brett Keith and Owen Colligan to purchase Hudson Manufacturing, a maker of heaters and air filtration units for the military. Keith and Colligan have organized a search fund and identified Hudson as a potential buyout. The decline in the... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Decision Choices and Conditions; Investment; Pollutants; Industrial Products Industry; Manufacturing Industry

Web

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Awards & Honors - Faculty & Research

Extrapolation: Evidence from Clinical Trials” ( The Quarterly Journal of Economics , February 2024) with Marcella Alsan, Maya Durvasula, Harsh Gupta, and Heidi Williams. 2024 Amit Goldenberg : Winner of the 2024 Janet Taylor Spence Award for Transformative Early Career... View Details

08 Jul 2008
First Look

First Look: July 8, 2008

Paul M. Healy, and Yang Gui Periodical:Journal of Financial Transformation (forthcoming) Abstract Since 1949 Lehman Brothers has used an investment committee to select the top ten recommendations made by its... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

2016
Working Paper

What Factors Drive Director Perceptions of Their Board's Effectiveness?

By: Boris Groysberg, Paul M. Healy and Richard Ellis Crum

We use a survey of directors to collect data on their ratings of board effectiveness as well as board internal dynamics and key processes. Controlling for many of the governance metrics examined by prior research, we find that directors’ ratings of their boards’... View Details

Keywords: Board Of Directors; Corporate Governance; Performance Effectiveness; Perception; Risk Management

SSRN

09 Nov 2022
Blog Post

Building Community: Meet the HBS Latino Student Organization Leadership

related to MBA Admissions, alumni engagement, career development, and more to advocate for and empower the Latino community on campus and beyond. The LASO Board is led by the club’s three Co-Presidents – Camila Diaz, Evelyn Ramirez, and... View Details

March 2025
Case

Mobvoi's Path Through Market Challenges and Business Reinvention

By: Paul A. Gompers and Shu Lin

Founded in 2012, Mobvoi evolved through multiple transformations—from AI-driven voice technology to smart wearables and later AI-generated content. Backed by major investors, the company navigated shifts in strategy while facing two failed IPO attempts. As market... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; AI and Machine Learning; Transformation; Initial Public Offering; Business Strategy; Technology Industry; China

October 2010 (Revised January 2011)
Case

Charter Communications Bankruptcy

By: Paul A. Gompers and Emily Weisburst

Charter Communications' bankruptcy presents an opportunity for some of its creditors to convert their debt holdings into equity. A mutual fund manager must determine how to maximize his debt investment in Charter given the restructuring and decide whether to... View Details

Keywords: Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Private Equity; Borrowing and Debt; Investment; Financial Strategy; Financial Services Industry