Publications

06 Sep 2007
Working Paper Summaries

The Excess Burden of Government Indecision

Keywords: by Francisco J. Gomes, Laurence J. Kotlikoff & Luis M. Viceira

Article

State Activism and the Hidden Incentives Behind Bank Acquisitions

By: Christopher Marquis, Doug Guthrie and Juan Almandoz

A number of studies have shown that, as a result of the ambiguity of U.S. legal mandates, organizations have considerable latitude in how they comply with regulations. In this paper, we address how the different agendas of the federal and state governments increase... View Details

Keywords: Organizations; Opportunities; Government Legislation; Acquisition; Forecasting and Prediction; Banks and Banking; Motivation and Incentives; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Management Practices and Processes; Research; United States

Read Now

2002
Other Teaching and Training Material

The States vs. Microsoft

By: Michael A. Wheeler and Gillian Morris

Keywords: Lawsuits and Litigation; Business and Government Relations

24 May 2010
Research & Ideas

Stimulus Surprise: Companies Retrench When Government Spends

average firm in his state cut back capital expenditures by roughly 15 percent, according to their working paper, "Do Powerful Politicians Cause Corporate Downsizing?" "It was an enormous surprise, at least to us, to learn... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

November 2003 (Revised March 2004)
Background Note

How Government Shaped the American Diet

By: David E. Bell, Stacey J. Bell and George L. Blackburn

American eating habits have changed over time. Reviews those changes, the role of government policy in affecting those changes, and the health consequences of obesity. View Details

Keywords: Nutrition; Business and Government Relations; United States

October 2013
Case

Mitch Daniels and the State of Indiana

By: Robert Steven Kaplan and Wendy K. Winer

Mitch Daniels, Governor of the State of Indiana, knew he had to make a difficult choice as he sat in his office in December 2010. Should he aggressively push the state legislature to pass comprehensive education reform—a major priority of his administration—or,... View Details

Keywords: Education Reform; Priorities; Leadership; Education; Government and Politics; Public Administration Industry; Education Industry; Indiana

Educators

September 2021
Case

Vignettes on Professional Service Firm Governance

By: David G. Fubini, Suraj Srinivasan and Li-Kuan Ni

The two vignettes within “Vignettes on Professional Service Firm Governance” (HBS No. 122-024) present various issues relating to governance in professional service firms (“PSFs”). In the first, the Managing Director of a U.S. consulting firm contemplates whether to... View Details

Educators

19 Dec 2012
Research & Ideas

Affordable Housing: Israel and the United States

include housing. Returning veterans could not find affordable homes. A condominium costs 12 times annual income; and the country has a dearth of rental units. In Israel, demand for housing outstrips supply—a conundrum familiar to United View Details

Keywords: by Nicolas P. Retsinas, John H. Vogel & Charles S. Laven; Construction; Real Estate

16 Oct 2010
Working Paper Summaries

A Comparative-Advantage Approach to Government Debt Maturity

Keywords: by Robin Greenwood, Samuel G. Hanson & Jeremy C. Stein

December 2007
Journal Article

Industrial Policy in the United States

By: Christian H.M. Ketels

Does US government policy purposefully benefit particular industries or is industrial policy absent in the USA? Based on a review of recent US policies this paper argues that the USA applies many policies with an industry-specific impact. But these policies do not... View Details

Keywords: Microeconomics; Entrepreneurship; Policy; Innovation and Invention; Supply and Industry; Business and Government Relations; United States

Read Now

13 May 2019
Research & Ideas

The Unexpected Way Whistleblowers Reduce Government Fraud

Whistleblower complaints against federal contractors can help government agencies drive better deals with those companies—even when the allegations turn out to be unsubstantiated, according to new research. Under the burden of a... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Service; Construction

2022
Chapter

The Origins of the Developmental State: The European Experience

By: Sophus A. Reinert

Book Abstract: There has been a major revival of interest in State Capitalism: what it is, where it is found, and why it is seemingly becoming more ubiquitous. As a concept, it has evolved from radical critiques of the Soviet Union, to being deployed by neo-liberals to... View Details

Keywords: State Capitalism; History; Macroeconomics; Developing Countries and Economies; Economic Systems; Europe

10 Mar 2008
Research & Ideas

Encouraging Entrepreneurs: Lessons for Government Policy

ideal choice for the study because its labor market shares many of the same characteristics as those found in the United States and the United Kingdom. "Aside from being a source of ideas and opportunities, these former entrepreneurs... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna

03 Jan 2017
Working Paper Summaries

Meet the Oligarchs: Business Legitimacy, State Capacity and Taxation

Keywords: by Rafael Di Tella, Juan Dubra, and Alejandro Lagomarsino

June 2023 (Revised March 2024)
Case

Creating World-Class Board Governance at SECO

By: Krishna G. Palepu and Emer Moloney

In Spring 2023, SECO CEO Massimo Mauri had the ambition to grow the €200 million revenue technology company to a €1 billion company by 2030. Founded in Italy in the 1970s, the family-owned company had gone through a period of growth and internationalization,... View Details

Educators