Publications

December 2001 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Argentine Paradox: The, Economic Growth and the Populist Tradition

By: Rafael M. Di Tella and Ingrid Vogel

Describes the political and economic development in Argentina from 1900 to 1989, with a focus on the role of Peron and populism. A rewritten version of an earlier case. View Details

Keywords: History; Development Economics; Economic Growth; Government Administration; Argentina

20 Nov 2019
Video

Susana Balbo

Susana Balbo, owner and chief winemaker of Argentina-based Susana Balbo Wines, discusses overcoming the obstacles that are some of the biggest limitations SMEs in Argentina face when trying to gain access to... View Details

30 Sep 2019
Working Paper Summaries

Comments on Macri's Macro by Federico Sturzenegger

Keywords: by Rafael Di Tella; Banking

Rafael M. Di Tella

I received my first degree in Economics in 1990 from the Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina and a D.Phil in Economics from Oxford University in 1996. After a short stay in Argentina I joined Harvard Business School in July 1997, where I... View Details

Keywords: broadcasting; state government

Horst Paulmann Kemna

Keywords: Retail

01 Feb 2018
News

Can big data revolutionise policymaking by governments?

15 Mar 2018
Working Paper Summaries

Targeted Price Controls on Supermarket Products

Keywords: by Alberto Cavallo and Diego Aparicio; Food & Beverage

March 2005 (Revised August 2007)
Case

Aguas Argentinas: Settling a Dispute

By: Louis T. Wells Jr. and Alexandra de Royere

The French-owned Aguas Argentinas faces a demand from the Argentine government that it renegotiate its concession to operate the Buenos Aires water and sewage services. The company must decide whether to continue with efforts to settle on a new contract or to exercise... View Details

Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment; Contracts; Infrastructure; Privatization; Business and Government Relations; Conflict and Resolution; Business Strategy; Utilities Industry; France; Buenos Aires

29 Jan 2015
Blog Post

Ask about the FIELD Immersion during your next interview

From Argentina to China, over 900 first-year students recently wrapped up a 10 day immersion experience with organizations around the globe. The immersion is part of the FIELD curriculum where student teams develop a new product or... View Details

June 2003
Case

Ford Argentina: Transforming a Global Industry in a Local Market

By: Lynda M. Applegate, Ramiro Montealegre, Laureano Berasategui and Paula Rodriguez Etchard

The president of Ford Argentina has to decide on the e-business approach at this subsidiary of Ford Motor Co. The approach must take into consideration the ambitious global e-business transformation proposed by the parent company within the context of a major economic... View Details

Keywords: Business Subsidiaries; Financial Crisis; Global Strategy; Technological Innovation; Problems and Challenges; Internet

August 2006 (Revised October 2012)
Case

Natura: Global Beauty Made in Brazil

By: Geoffrey G. Jones and Ricardo Reisen de Pinho

Explores the globalization strategies of Natura, Brazil's largest cosmetics company. Founded in 1969, Natura grew using a direct selling model. Led by its three founders, the firm made distinctive use of Brazil's diversity and became characterized by high ethical and... View Details

Keywords: Global Strategy; Globalized Firms and Management; Globalized Markets and Industries; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Beauty and Cosmetics Industry; Brazil

Alberto F. Cavallo

Alberto Cavallo is the Thomas S. Murphy Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, where he teaches in the Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE) unit, a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a... View Details

December 2001 (Revised February 2004)
Case

Argentina's Convertibility Plan

By: Rafael M. Di Tella and Ingrid Vogel

Describes the political and economic development in Argentina from 1989 to 1995, with a focus on the role of the currency board. Culminates in Argentine policy makers (Menem in particular) contemplating how to respond to the tequila crisis in the middle of 1995.... View Details

Keywords: Currency Exchange Rate; Government and Politics; Interest Rates; Balance and Stability; Developing Countries and Economies; Financial Crisis; Crisis Management; Policy; Currency; Macroeconomics; Argentina

01 Aug 2000
Research & Ideas

A Latin American Vision: New HBS Research Center Opens

Fernando de la Rua, the President of Argentina noted, "This is an historic day," about the opening of the School's new Latin America Research Center in Buenos Aires. Speaking as guest of honor at the Center's inaugural dinner on... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

Article

Criminal Recidivism after Prison and Electronic Monitoring

By: Rafael Di Tella and Ernesto Schargrodsky

We study criminal recidivism in Argentina by focusing on the re-arrest rates of two groups: individuals released from prison and individuals released from electronic monitoring. Detainees are randomly assigned to judges, and ideological differences across judges... View Details

Keywords: Crime; Prison; Recidivism; Behavior; Situation or Environment; Crime and Corruption; Argentina

Find at Harvard

Read Now

October 2003 (Revised January 2004)
Case

The 2001 Crisis in Argentina: An IMF-Sponsored Default? (A)

By: Rafael M. Di Tella and Ingrid Vogel

At the end of 2001, Argentina's economy and society both appeared on the verge of collapse. Furious about controls imposed on the convertibility of their bank deposits into cash (the "corralito") and huge proposed government spending cuts amidst high unemployment and... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Banks and Banking; Problems and Challenges; Decision Choices and Conditions; Currency Exchange Rate; Economy; Government Administration; Crime and Corruption; Argentina

October 2011
Article

Government Advertising and Media Coverage of Corruption Scandals

By: Rafael Di Tella and Ignacio Franceschelli

We construct measures of the extent to which the four main newspapers in Argentina report government corruption in their front page during the period 1998-2007 and correlate them with government advertising. The correlation is negative. The size is considerable: a one... View Details

Keywords: Crime and Corruption; Advertising; Government and Politics; Newspapers; Media; Argentina

Find at Harvard

Read Now

December 2010 (Revised January 2011)
Case

Los Grobo: Farming's Future?

By: David E. Bell and Cintra Scott

This case describes the international expansion plans of the second largest grain producer in Latin America, Los Grobo. Based in Argentina with US$550 million in annual sales, Los Grobo also operated in Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay--usually with local partners. Los... View Details

Keywords: Agribusiness; Business Model; Ownership; Networks; Expansion; Information Technology; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Argentina

December 2018
Article

Some Elements of Peronist Beliefs and Tastes

By: Rafael Di Tella and Juan Dubra

We study the beliefs and values of Peronism. Instead of a comprehensive approach, we focus on three elements. First, we study beliefs and values about the economic system present in Peron’s speeches during the period 1943–1955. Second, given that these beliefs are... View Details

Keywords: Populism; Altruism; Exploitation; Economic Systems; Values and Beliefs; Argentina