Living Standards - Publications - Faculty & Research

21 Feb 2007
Op-Ed

What a U.N. Partnership with Big Business Could Accomplish

As Ban Ki-moon begins his tenure as secretary-general of the United Nations, the world's poor continue to cry out for help and hope. One-sixth of the world's population lives in "deep poverty"—generally defined as surviving on... View Details

Keywords: by George C. Lodge & Craig Wilson

January 2016
Case

Haiti Hope: Innovating the Mango Value Chain

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Jean-François Harvey

This case study examines a market-based approach to economic development through the eyes of NGO TechnoServe's project manager, implementing a US$9.5 million five-year public-private partnership between Coca-Cola, IDB, and USAID. The case ends at the beginning of the... View Details

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Research Summary

Dissertation: Is the Ideal Worker Still Real? Sources and Consequences of Men's Professional Identities

My dissertation examines the implications of men's changing lives for their work identities and for gender inequality in organizations. Current theories of workplace gender inequality hinge upon the widely-shared cultural image of an "ideal worker,"... View Details

16 Jan 2018
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, January 16, 2018

unionized, it paid well, offered benefits, and was secure. But manufacturing employment has steadily declined, from about 25% of the U.S. labor force in 1970 to less than 10% today. Now a decent living entails more than a generous wage;... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

26 Sep 2006
First Look

First Look: September 26, 2006

high-definition (HD) technology created a need for a format with greater storage capacity. Instead of agreeing on a single standard for a new HD disc, however, key players had formed two rival camps. The Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats each... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

05 Dec 2013
Working Paper Summaries

Heterogeneous Technology Diffusion and Ricardian Trade Patterns

Keywords: by William R. Kerr

08 Sep 2009
Research & Ideas

The Height Tax, and Other New Ways to Think about Taxation

less burdensome for all citizens. "While the idea of a height tax follows directly from the standard economic framework for tax analysis, most people find the idea crazy," allows HBS professor Matthew C. Weinzierl, an economist... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

28 Apr 2009
First Look

First Look: April 28, 2009

from the risk that they will live a long time. The funds that individuals contribute to a MIF are invested in a mutual fund. The proceeds from the fund's underlying assets are reinvested until the contributor dies or he turns an age... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

23 Jun 2023
HBS Case

This Company Lets Employees Take Charge—Even with Life and Death Decisions

euphoric,” and de Blok explains that, “if a team feels ownership over their decisions, they happen faster.” Emphasis on accountability. Could Buurtzorg offer too much freedom, and endanger patient lives or lead to misconduct? The... View Details

Keywords: by Annelena Lobb; Health

23 Jul 2001
Research & Ideas

Sam Walton: Great From the Start

contained no renewal clause. Options to renew were standard features of leases such as the one Walton had originally entered into. L. S. Robson, Walton's father-in-law, was reportedly shocked by Walton's mistake. Not only had Walton built... View Details

Keywords: by Richard S. Tedlow; Retail

14 Feb 2022
Research & Ideas

Curiosity, Not Coding: 6 Skills Leaders Need in the Digital Age

future might unfold. They realize and accept the limits of their knowledge and actively seek out the views of people with different lived experiences and perspectives. Explorers adopt what one executive calls a "software mindset,"... View Details

Keywords: by Linda A. Hill, Ann Le Cam, Sunand Menon, and Emily Tedards; Technology

21 Jun 2010
Research & Ideas

Strategy and Execution for Emerging Markets

and internal vigilance, to deal with corruption. Infosys and Tata Group set high standards for their organizations in light of corruption in India. As illustrated by the experience of Siemens—which agreed to pay $1.36 billion to U.S. and... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

31 Jan 2022
Research & Ideas

Where Can Digital Transformation Take You? Insights from 1,700 Leaders

levels, but success requires more than technology: Explicit discussions about shared purpose, values, and norms can encourage ownership and collaboration. Regular meetings—not just ad hoc troubleshooting—help standardize processes.... View Details

Keywords: by Linda A. Hill, Ann Le Cam, Sunand Menon, and Emily Tedards

07 Jul 2008
Research & Ideas

Innovation Corrupted: How Managers Can Avoid Another Enron

regulatory agencies, and the absence of Enron's ethical discipline while choosing to live in the murky borderlands of the law." Our Q&A follows. Martha Lagace: In a nutshell, why did Enron succeed insofar as it did? How did it... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Energy; Utilities

04 Sep 2001
Research & Ideas

Governing the Family-Run Business

Scout troop, effective governance: Generates a sense of direction, values to live by or work by, and well-understood and accepted policies that tell organization members how they should behave or what they should do in certain... View Details

04 Sep 2001
Research & Ideas

Is Government Just Stupid? How Bad Decisions Are Made

decision making. These barriers are: Do no harm. Their gain is our loss. Competition is always good. Support our group. Live for the moment. No pain for us, no gain for them. The antidote? An approach used in the business schools, whereby... View Details

Keywords: by Max H. Bazerman, Jonathan Baron & Katherine Shonk

06 Jul 2016
Research & Ideas

The Truth About Authentic Leaders

expanding every year. As the Harvard Business Review declared in January 2015, “Authenticity has emerged as the gold standard for leadership.” In 2003, our book Authentic Leadership proposed a new kind of leader, whose character was the... View Details

Keywords: by Bill George

08 Mar 2021
In Practice

COVID Killed the Traditional Workplace. What Should Companies Do Now?

A year ago, COVID-19 forced many companies to send employees home—often with a laptop and a prayer. Now, with COVID cases subsiding and vaccinations rising, the prospect of returning to old office routines appears more possible. But will employees want to flock back to... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

06 Jun 2011
Research & Ideas

Why Leaders Lose Their Way

narcissistic wounds from childhood. Many times, this desire is so strong that leaders breach the ethical standards that previously governed their conduct, which can be bizarre and even illegal. Very few people go into leadership to cheat... View Details