Publications

2025
Working Paper

Partisan Corporate Speech

By: William Cassidy and Elisabeth Kempf

We construct a novel measure of partisan corporate speech using natural language processing techniques and use it to establish three stylized facts. First, the volume of partisan corporate speech has risen sharply between 2012 and 2022. Second, this increase has... View Details

Keywords: Natural Language Processing; Perspective; Communication; Public Opinion; Business and Shareholder Relations; Trends

SSRN

Read Now

February 2002 (Revised May 2002)
Background Note

That's a Wrap: The Dynamics of the Video Rental Industry

By: V.G. Narayanan and Lisa Brem

The history, current dynamics, and future trends of the $10 billion home video rental industry provides a platform to discuss revenue-sharing contracts between suppliers of home videocassettes and retailers. View Details

Keywords: Contracts; Motivation and Incentives; Supply Chain Management; Revenue; Financial Strategy; Motion Pictures and Video Industry

05 Jul 2006
Working Paper Summaries

The Motion Picture Industry: Critical Issues in Practice, Current Research & New Research Directions

Keywords: by Jehoshua Eliashberg, Anita Elberse & Mark A. A. M. Leenders; Entertainment & Recreation; Motion Pictures & Video; Advertising

January 2010 (Revised February 2011)
Case

The Random House Response to the Kindle

By: Bharat N. Anand and Peter Olson

In early 2010, e-readers, like Amazon's Kindle and Apple's impending iPad, threatened to disrupt the book publishing industry. The case provides an overview of the industry, describes the broader trends regarding e-readers, and asks: how should major publishers like... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Trends; Disruptive Innovation; Technological Innovation; Consumer Behavior; Industry Structures; Corporate Strategy; Hardware; Publishing Industry

Research Summary

Firm and aggregate volatility

US publicly traded companies have become more volatile over the postwar period. This trend has been the result of increased competition in product markets through deregulation, through more intensive innovation activity, and through easier access to capital markets.... View Details

02 Jun 2020
Working Paper Summaries

HBS COVID-19 Global Policy Tracker

Keywords: by Alberto Cavallo and Tannya Cai; Health

2013
Report

The Brink of Renewal: A Business Leader's Guide to Progress in America's Schools

By: Jan Rivkin, Meg Sommerfeld, Linda Jacobson, Lisa Rosenthal, David Ruenzel, Sara Allan, Tyce Henry and Allen Grossman

This report focuses on the current state of U.S. PK-12 education. It highlights the converging trends that make this a special, promising moment in education reform. View Details

Keywords: U.S. Competitiveness; PK - 12 Education; Competition; Education; United States

April 2010 (Revised January 2013)
Case

California's Budget Crises, Tax Reform, and Domestic and International Tax Competition

By: Matthew C. Weinzierl and Jacob Kuipers

How do (and how should) governments design fiscal policies to compete in a globalized economy while meeting internal policy priorities including redistribution? In 2009, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger repeatedly declared fiscal emergencies as California's state budget... View Details

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Economy; Globalization; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Policy; Taxation; Competition; California

02 May 2005
What Do You Think?

Where is Consumer Generated Marketing Taking Us?

"consumer generated marketing." Is it time to ask ourselves whether these trends are always in our best interests as marketers and customers? Is it possible to be too well connected with one segment of customers? Is there a... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

Fall 2019
Article

Endogenous Productivity of Demand-Induced R&D: Evidence from Pharmaceuticals

By: Kyle Myers and Mark Pauly

We examine trends in the productivity of the pharmaceutical sector over the past three decades. Motivated by Ricardo’s insight that productivity and rents are endogenous to demand when inputs are scarce, we examine the industry’s aggregate R&D production function.... View Details

Keywords: Innovation; Productivity; Pharmaceuticals; Innovation and Invention; Performance Productivity; Pharmaceutical Industry

SSRN

Find at Harvard

Research Summary

Leading The Finance Function in the Future

Marc L. Bertoneche is analyzing, for research and teaching purposes, the trends of the finance function in various parts of the world and its increasing role as a strategic partner in business decisions. View Details

20 Dec 2018
Research & Ideas

Most Popular Stories and Research Papers of 2018

and social posts in 2018. Tell us in the comment section below what you thought were the most interesting business trends of the year and what you expect in 2019. Kids of Working Moms Grow into Happy Adults In earlier research, Kathleen... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

03 May 2004
Research & Ideas

Business History around the World

While many history departments of American universities prefer to keep business as a separate discipline, HBS entrepreneurship professor Geoffrey Jones encourages the examination of history as a way to better understand contemporary management issues. To that end,... View Details

Keywords: by Cynthia Churchwell

May 1986 (Revised August 1987)
Supplement

Gillette Co.: Dry Idea Advertising (A), Video Introduction

Provides an overview of video contents and three attachments: 1) chart discussed at meeting shown in video, 2) historical Dry Idea copy strategies, and 3) graphic comparison of Dry Idea share trends and airing history. View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Consumer Products Industry

2024
Chapter

Corporations as the Central Institutions of Society

By: Joseph L. Badaracco

Mark Twain observed that, “Prediction is very difficult—particularly when it involves the future,” and he was right. One way to reduce the risk of becoming an infamous forecaster—like the experts who told us the Internet would quickly collapse, that Apple would never... View Details

Keywords: Trends; Business and Government Relations; Organizations; Power and Influence; Society

2020
Chapter

Luxury and Environmental Responsibility

By: Anat Keinan, Sandrine Crener and Dafna Goor

Luxury and sustainability are often perceived as incompatible and contradictory. However, as the concept of luxury and our understanding of conspicuous consumption are evolving and need to be revisited—from conspicuous to conscious consumption—the book chapter explores... View Details

Keywords: Luxury; Goods and Commodities; Trends; Environmental Sustainability; Research

21 Apr 2011
Research & Ideas

Searching for Better Practices in Social Investing

Investing: Emerging Trends in a Changing Landscape," a recent panel discussion hosted by Harvard Business School's Social Enterprise Initiative. They also touched on growing trends including venture... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Financial Services

September 2002 (Revised December 2005)
Case

DaimlerChrysler Post-Merger Integration (A)

By: Richard F. Meyer, Michael G. Rukstad, Peter J. Coughlan and Stephan A. Jansen

Describes the background, process, and aftermath of the merger between Daimler-Benz of Germany and Chrysler Corp. of America. Describes the economic structure and trends of the world automobile industry at the turn of the century as well as the individual histories and... View Details

Keywords: Integration; Negotiation Process; Corporate Strategy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Auto Industry; Germany; United States

2008
Working Paper

The Agglomeration of U.S. Ethnic Inventors

By: William R. Kerr

The ethnic composition of US inventors is undergoing a significant transformation—with deep impacts for the overall agglomeration of US innovation. This study applies an ethnic-name database to individual US patent records to explore these trends with greater detail.... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Geographic Location; Patents; Ethnicity; City; Innovation and Invention; United States