Consumer Behavior - Publications - Faculty & Research

March 2017 (Revised September 2017)
Case

Facebook Fake News in the Post-Truth World

By: John R. Wells and Carole A. Winkler

In January 2017, Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, was surrounded by controversy. The election of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States in November 2016 had triggered a national storm of protests, and many attributed Trump’s victory to... View Details

Keywords: Facebook; Fake News; Mark Zuckerberg; Donald Trump; Algorithms; Social Networks; Partisanship; Social Media; App Development; Instagram; WhatsApp; Smartphone; Silicon Valley; Office Space; Digital Strategy; Democracy; Entry Barriers; Online Platforms; Controversy; Tencent; Agility; Social Networking; Gaming; Gaming Industry; Computer Games; Mobile Gaming; Messaging; Monetization Strategy; Advertising; Digital Marketing; Business Ventures; Acquisition; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Headquarters; Business Organization; For-Profit Firms; Trends; Communication; Communication Technology; Forms of Communication; Interactive Communication; Interpersonal Communication; Talent and Talent Management; Crime and Corruption; Voting; Demographics; Entertainment; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Moral Sensibility; Values and Beliefs; Initial Public Offering; Profit; Revenue; Geography; Geographic Location; Global Range; Local Range; Country; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Globalized Firms and Management; Globalized Markets and Industries; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Government and Politics; International Relations; National Security; Political Elections; Business History; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Information Management; Information Publishing; News; Newspapers; Innovation and Management; Innovation Strategy; Technological Innovation; Knowledge Dissemination; Human Capital; Law; Leadership Development; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Business or Company Management; Crisis Management; Goals and Objectives; Growth and Development Strategy; Growth Management; Management Practices and Processes; Management Style; Management Systems; Management Teams; Managerial Roles; Marketing Channels; Social Marketing; Network Effects; Market Entry and Exit; Digital Platforms; Marketplace Matching; Industry Growth; Industry Structures; Monopoly; Media; Product Development; Service Delivery; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Mission and Purpose; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Organizational Structure; Public Ownership; Problems and Challenges; Business and Community Relations; Business and Government Relations; Groups and Teams; Networks; Rank and Position; Opportunities; Behavior; Emotions; Identity; Power and Influence; Prejudice and Bias; Reputation; Social and Collaborative Networks; Status and Position; Trust; Society; Civil Society or Community; Culture; Public Opinion; Social Issues; Societal Protocols; Strategy; Adaptation; Business Strategy; Commercialization; Competition; Competitive Advantage; Competitive Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Customization and Personalization; Diversification; Expansion; Horizontal Integration; Segmentation; Information Technology; Internet and the Web; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Information Infrastructure; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Valuation; Advertising Industry; Communications Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Information Industry; Information Technology Industry; Journalism and News Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Service Industry; Technology Industry; Telecommunications Industry; Video Game Industry; United States; California; Sunnyvale; Russia

Citation

Educators

Purchase

19 Sep 2016
Research & Ideas

Why Isn't Business Research More Relevant to Business Practitioners?

challenging, is achievable. Take HBS colleague Benjamin G. Edelman, an expert in online markets whose research focuses on consumer protection related to online businesses. “My research is made better by choosing questions that are... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Education

08 Nov 2011
First Look

First Look: Nov. 8

structural estimation methods. Our results confirm the belief expressed by industry experts that in the fast-food drive-thru industry, customers trade off price and waiting time. More interestingly, our estimates indicate that consumers... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

26 Nov 2001
Op-Ed

Why Corporate Budgeting Needs To Be Fixed

Corporate budgeting is a joke, and everyone knows it. It consumes a huge amount of executives' time, forcing them into endless rounds of dull meetings and tense negotiations. It encourages managers to lie and cheat, lowballing targets and... View Details

Keywords: by Michael C. Jensen

15 Apr 2002
Research & Ideas

In the Virtual Dressing Room Returns Are A Real Problem

Many distinctive aspects of the textile and apparel industries present challenges to implementing electronic commerce. First, and perhaps most important, is the difficulty of accurately characterizing the product online. Many of the characteristics of a garment that... View Details

Keywords: by Jan Hammond & Kristin Kohler; Consumer Products; Consumer Products; Consumer Products; Consumer Products; Consumer Products

13 Oct 2009
Research & Ideas

7 Lessons for Navigating the Storm

Authentic Leadership. "Everyone inside and outside the company is watching what they do. It is imperative that they stay focused on their True North as it sets a standard internally for principled business behavior and will make... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

May 2022
Case

Rawbank's Illico Cash: Can 'Fast Money' Overcome Cash Dependency in the DRC?

By: Lauren Cohen and Grace Headinger

Thomas de Dreux-Brézé, the Head of Strategy and Project Management at Rawbank Congo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was perplexed as he reviewed annual adoption rates for the bank’s launch of Illico Cash 2.0. As the bank’s mobile money app, Illico Cash... View Details

Citation

Educators

Purchase

22 Jul 2015
Research & Ideas

Name Your Price. Really.

relationships between people, and don't necessarily need to be balanced evenly. It's the kind of interaction we have when taking a friend out to dinner. "If you give me a dollar, I may not feel the need to give you back the dollar immediately," says Santana.... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Consumer Products

17 Sep 2001
Research & Ideas

Is There Help for the Big Ticket Buyer?

helping individuals make wise consumption decisions. Behavioral decision researchers in consumer research have used the rationality criterion to demonstrate consumer bias, but... View Details

Keywords: by Max H. Bazerman

September 2013 (Revised August 2015)
Background Note

Leadership and Teaming

By: Ethan Bernstein

Small differences in the leadership of teams can have large consequences for the success of their efforts. Many initiatives fail not because of a fatal error in judgment or insufficient ideas, knowledge, motivation, or capabilities to deliver a solution. They fail... View Details

Citation

Educators

Purchase

14 Sep 2007
Research & Ideas

How to Profit from Scarcity

Harvard Business School professor John Quelch writes a blog on marketing issues, called Marketing Know: How, for Harvard Business Online. It is reprinted on HBS Working Knowledge.Marketers are trained to match supply to demand. Everything that View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch; Consumer Products; Consumer Products

17 Mar 2021
Research & Ideas

Beyond Pajamas: Sizing Up the Pandemic Shopper

that attract consumers to retailers’ websites. Companies typically have to balance the popularity of these policies in a competitive market with the high costs of managing returns, including shipping and restocking fees that cut into... View Details

Keywords: by Ayelet Israeli, Eva Ascarza, and Laura Castrillo; Retail

04 Jun 2014
What Do You Think?

Does Internet Technology Threaten Brand Loyalty?

choice, why would you have to be brand loyal?" Consumer loyalty, he continued, "will vary and fluctuate on a technological continuum of innovation/change (loyal one day and maybe not the next)." Based on personal... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Consumer Products; Consumer Products; Consumer Products

19 Nov 2018
Sharpening Your Skills

E-Santa: Is Retail Ready for Digital Christmas?

brick-and-mortar retail, specifically in the form of large-scale shopping malls, is still the dominant venue for consumer purchases in the developed world. Large-Scale Demand Estimation with Search Data This study proposes a practical and... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Retail

28 Jul 2016
Op-Ed

Where is TripAdvisor for Doctors?

85 percent of consumers make a purchase after reading such online reviews. But in the world of doctors, nothing compares in assisting consumers to make decisions that are arguably more involved emotionally... View Details

Keywords: by John A. Quelch; Health

31 May 2023
Research & Ideas

With Predictive Analytics, Companies Can Tap the Ultimate Opportunity: Customers’ Routines

haven’t made a service part of their routines, the authors find. These findings come as companies such as Procter & Gamble, Adidas, and McDonald’s are trying to collect more consumer data to hone their marketing messages. With... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne; Transportation

25 Aug 2003
Research & Ideas

Should You Sell Your Digital Privacy?

It's a startling idea: Instead of relying on regulators to protect our privacy against telemarketers, data miners, and consumer companies, we should capitalize on the value of our personal information and get something of value in return.... View Details

Keywords: by Manda Salls & Sean Silverthorne; Advertising

06 Mar 2017
Research & Ideas

Why Comparing Apples to Apples Online Leads To More Fruitful Sales

Online, consumers are more likely to buy when a product grouping display contains like items. Source: Mik22 In online retail displays, items pictured next to your product may make or break a decision to buy that product, according to... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Retail; Advertising

26 Feb 2014
Research & Ideas

How Grocery Bags Manipulate Your Mind

those who bring their own bags are more likely to buy indulgent items like ice cream and cookies. Moreover, consumers tend to place a higher value on both organic products and decadent treats when they bring their own bags than when they... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Retail

13 Mar 2017
Research & Ideas

Hiding Products From Customers May Ultimately Boost Sales

once, or if she sees them a few at a time throughout the season? “In product categories where the consumer is likely to purchase several products, the value of concealment tends to be positive” The answer depends on the product category,... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Retail; Fashion

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Facebook Fake News in the Post-Truth World

Why Isn't Business Research More Relevant to Business Practitioners?

First Look: Nov. 8

Why Corporate Budgeting Needs To Be Fixed

In the Virtual Dressing Room Returns Are A Real Problem

7 Lessons for Navigating the Storm

Rawbank's Illico Cash: Can 'Fast Money' Overcome Cash Dependency in the DRC?

Name Your Price. Really.

Is There Help for the Big Ticket Buyer?

Leadership and Teaming

How to Profit from Scarcity

Beyond Pajamas: Sizing Up the Pandemic Shopper

Does Internet Technology Threaten Brand Loyalty?

E-Santa: Is Retail Ready for Digital Christmas?

Where is TripAdvisor for Doctors?

With Predictive Analytics, Companies Can Tap the Ultimate Opportunity: Customers’ Routines

Should You Sell Your Digital Privacy?

Why Comparing Apples to Apples Online Leads To More Fruitful Sales

How Grocery Bags Manipulate Your Mind

Hiding Products From Customers May Ultimately Boost Sales

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