Publications

Research Summary

Overview

My research lies in the intersection of economic growth and political economy focusing on the role of historical legacies, biogeography and culture in shaping contemporary economic performance. As growth economists our understanding of comparative economic development... View Details

Keywords: Institutions; Ethnicity; Economic Growth; Development Economics; Macroeconomics; Culture; Religion; Africa; Asia

2011
Working Paper

Fractionalization and the Municipal Bond Market

We study the impact of ethnic and religious fractionalization on the U.S. municipal debt market and find that issuers from more ethnically and religiously fractionalized counties pay higher yields on their municipal debt. A two standard deviation increase in religious... View Details

Keywords: Ethnicity Characteristics; Bonds; Financial Markets; Investment Return; Geographic Location; City; Religion; United States

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19 Jun 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, June 19, 2018

company's entire value chain? Purchase this case:https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/618045-PDF-ENG Harvard Business School Case 318-127 Managing Religion in the Workplace: Abercrombie & Fitch and Masterpiece Cakeshop Challenges related... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

December 2010
Article

Work Pray Love

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter

This article identifies five problematic issues in the intersection of work and life that create human resource challenges for organizations and their employees. These include work overload, the slow pace of adopting telecommuting, gender-related pay gaps, a household... View Details

Keywords: Wages; Work-Life Balance; Religion; Technology Adoption; Problems and Challenges; Human Resources; Gender

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01 Nov 1999
Research & Ideas

Companies, Cultures and the Transformation to the Transnational

American managerial capitalism, the Japanese cultural heritage fostered a form of management Chandler called "group capitalism." As many observers have noted, the homogeneity of Japanese society, its isolationism during the Tokugawa period, and the influence... View Details

Keywords: by Christopher A. Bartlett & Sumantra Ghoshal

13 Jun 2017
First Look

First Look at New Research and Ideas, June 13

religious employer allow his employees access to contraceptives or break with healthcare legislation? People and organizations of faith often face moral decisions that have significant consequences. Research in psychology found that View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

December 2020 (Revised December 2022)
Case

The Dance of Dharma: On the Difficulty of Being Good

By: Arthur I. Segel and Tyler M. Richard

When deciding how to be good and act well, we often seek outside help. Many of our oldest and most frequently consulted sources of ethical guidance are our religious traditions. Just as one might consult a thoughtful friend, countless people seek direction from their... View Details

Keywords: Hinduism; Ethics; Religion; Values and Beliefs; Decision Making

September 2004 (Revised February 2010)
Case

The Passion of the Christ (A)

By: John A. Quelch, Anita Elberse and Anna Harrington

Bob Berney, president of Newmarket Films, must decide on a distribution and marketing strategy for Mel Gibson's controversial new movie, The Passion of the Christ. Fueled by Gibson's star power as well as an extensive prescreening campaign among Christian leaders and... View Details

Keywords: Advertising Campaigns; Film Entertainment; Marketing Strategy; Product Launch; Product Positioning; Distribution Channels; Religion; Motion Pictures and Video Industry

January 2015 (Revised September 2017)
Case

Omar Selim: Building a Values-Based Asset Management Firm (A)

By: George Serafeim, Rebecca Henderson and Shannon Gombos

The sustainable investing market was a recent phenomenon in the first decade of the 21st century. However, an increasing number of investors began to integrated Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues in investment decisions. At Barclays Capital, Omar Selim... View Details

2014
Working Paper

Islam, Inequality, and Pre-Industrial Comparative Development

By: Stelios Michalopoulos, Alireza Naghavi and Giovanni Prarolo

This study explores the interaction between trade and geography in shaping the Islamic economic doctrine and in turn the comparative development of the Muslim world. We build a model where an unequal distribution of land quality in presence of trade opportunities... View Details

Keywords: Islam; Inequality In Land Quality; Wealth Accumulation; Public Good Investment; Conflict; Wealth; Geography; Religion; Trade

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November 2008 (Revised December 2008)
Case

Differences at Work: Sameer (A)

By: Sandra J. Sucher and Rachel Gordon

Sameer, an Indian Muslim, is a summer intern in a small firm. Prompted by a conflict in the Middle East, members of the organization make a number of anti-Muslim jokes. Sameer wonders whether he should surface discomfort; he otherwise enjoys the firm, and is hoping to... View Details

Keywords: Prejudice and Bias; Ethnicity; Behavior; Religion; Organizational Culture; Middle East; India

January 2018
Case

Scaling Swagbucks (A)

By: Jeffrey F. Rayport and Matthew G. Preble

In early 2014, Chuck Davis (HBS '86) has joined Swagbucks as its first professional CEO to scale a successful and profitable brand promotion and consumer research business. Davis came into the job while serving as a venture partner at TCV, a growth stage VC firm,... View Details

Keywords: Loyalty Management; Scaling; Scale; Entrepreneurship; Human Resources; Employees; Employee Relationship Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Culture; Organizational Design; Leading Change; Growth Management; Religion; Information Technology; Internet and the Web; Transition; Leadership; Web Services Industry; Technology Industry

2020
Chapter

Islamic Capitalism and the Rise of Religious-Conservative Big Business

By: Kristin Fabbe, Űmit Őzlale and Efe Murat Balikçioğlu

This chapter argues that the rise of “Islamic capitalism” and the country’s so-called “conservative bourgeoisie” owes much to the pragmatism and agility of Islamic actors who are quick to seize upon new economic and political opportunities by leveraging religious... View Details

Keywords: Islamic Capitalism; Economic Systems; Religion; Values and Beliefs; Government and Politics; Power and Influence; Turkey

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2010
Other Unpublished Work

God, Government and Outsiders: The Influence of Religious Beliefs on Depositor Behavior in an Emerging Market.

By: Ayesha K. Khan and Tarun Khanna

This paper provides evidence that religious beliefs can have a significant impact on individual financial choices. Using proprietary panel data on the distribution of bank deposits across all commercial banks in Pakistan over a 33-month period, I find that Islamic... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Commercial Banking; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Consumer Behavior; Emerging Markets; Religion; Banking Industry; Pakistan

2016
Chapter

Nudging as a Tool for Leaders

By: Max Bazerman

BOOK ABSTRACT: Jewish organizational life is inundated with publications on organizational change and effective leadership, but from mutually exclusive sources: business and organizational studies, on the one hand, and Jewish studies, on the other. One addresses... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Change and Adaptation; Strategy; Leadership; Civil Society or Community; Religion; Business and Community Relations

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January 2016 (Revised May 2016)
Supplement

IKEA in Saudi Arabia (C)

By: Karthik Ramanna, Jerome Lenhardt and Marc Homsy

Supplements the (A) Case. View Details

Keywords: Corporate Values; Islam; Multinationals; Globalization; Leadership; Equality and Inequality; Multinational Firms and Management; Religion; Organizational Culture; Gender; Consumer Products Industry; Saudi Arabia; Sweden

13 Nov 2007
Research & Ideas

Six Steps for Reinvigorating America

strength in many ways, including having influence in other countries because we've taught those leaders here. So these kinds of restrictions, small restrictions, began to undermine our competitiveness. “Values-based capitalism starts with principles.” The debates about... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

January 2004 (Revised April 2004)
Case

Crisis and Response: Sexual Abuse Allegations in the Boston Archdiocese (A)

By: Ashish Nanda

This case describes how the Boston archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church handled allegations of clergy sexual abuse during the 1990s. In 2002, the archdiocese was confronted by public revelations of how the allegations were handled. Professional organizations first... View Details

Keywords: Conflict of Interests; Crime and Corruption; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Religion; Crisis Management; Boston