Risk Taking - Publications - Faculty & Research

25 Aug 2022
Research & Ideas

It’s All in a Name: Reputable Investors Help Startups Shine

company off the ground,” says Bernstein, the Marvin Bower Associate Professor in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at HBS. “At the earliest stages, you have no reputation, no brand name, and you're facing significant uncertainty and View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

02 Jun 2003
Research & Ideas

Stuck in Gear: Why Managers Don’t Act

that a success formula may frequently go stale or, as he puts it, "harden," for a complex set of reasons that are, in fact, surprisingly predictable—though not easy to avoid. "To succeed in business, every manager must make choices and View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

01 May 2000
What Do You Think?

Can You Hard-Wire Performance?

divisions of Big 5 professional service firms to separate themselves from their auditing colleagues in order to enable consultants to take equity positions in their clients' firms. Ilyas Naibov-Aylisli suggested it would be a good way to... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

06 Oct 2003
What Do You Think?

Is “the Innovator’s Solution” to Sustained Corporate Growth an Unnatural Act?

be managed effectively on a continuing basis. As Richard Eckel put it, "'Disruptive' is the clue for why the proposed method of sustained growth will fail in most organizations ... B-schools graduate and laud those who are risk... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

22 Jul 2002
Research & Ideas

How Business Strategy Tamed the “Invisible Hand”

and practices, or to product developments in complementary industries."14 However, another leading strategist, Igor Ansoff, argued that Levitt was asking companies to take unnecessary risks by investing... View Details

Keywords: by Pankaj Ghemawat

29 Jan 2013
First Look

First Look: Jan. 29

some cases down to the source code level. Our study thus extends the concept of IP modularity to comprise the notion of hierarchy levels. Working PapersInflation Bets or Deflation Hedges? The Changing Risks of Nominal Bonds... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

05 Jul 2016
First Look

July 5, 2016

conservation for climate risk reduction. Although more comprehensive research programs to answer these questions are needed, some insights are emerging. Integrating two or more behavior change approaches that target multiple,... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

09 Jul 2018
Research & Ideas

Overcoming the Challenges of Selling Brand New Technology (Hey, Need a 3-D Printer?)

third-party distributors in Europe and Asia; and (3) selling directly on Amazon. The direct salesforce offered the most control, but was also the costliest option and the one that would take the most time to put in place. Developing more... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Technology; Consumer Products; Electronics; Industrial Products; Information Technology; Manufacturing; Medical Devices & Supplies; Retail

28 Apr 2014
Research & Ideas

Football Stars Debate ‘The Social Capital of the Savvy Athlete’

there's the risk of being exposed." Foster recounted an anecdote that put Twitter in perspective for him. "I put a Gandhi quote on there one, and someone responded, ['F**k] Gandhi,'" he said. "That's when I stop View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Sports

12 Feb 2001
Research & Ideas

Creating Value Across Borders

Europe and Africa because property rights are more difficult to enforce there. —Walter Kuemmerle The first difference is the development of capital markets and the transparency of these markets. In countries where family-owned conglomerates are the main source of... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

05 Mar 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, March 5, 2019

forthcoming Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis Leverage and the Beta Anomaly By: Baker, Malcolm, Mathias F. Hoeyer, and Jeffrey Wurgler Abstract— The well-known weak empirical relationship between beta risk and the cost of... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

27 Feb 2007
First Look

First Look: February 27, 2007

family to consider a liquidity event. The family's five-year lock-up arrangement with Interbrew has just expired. In March 2004, Interbrew has announced its plans to take a controlling stake in Brazilian giant AmBev, a deal that will... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

08 Dec 2008
Research & Ideas

Thinking Twice About Supply-Chain Layoffs

make mistakes or take shortcuts to get their work done." Merchandise ends up being misshelved, or not shelved at all. The store claims to have it, but neither the customer nor employees can find it. If other stores have the same product,... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Retail

12 Feb 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, February 12, 2019

enable different forms of brokering, which in turn produce distinct effects on others’ relationships; (b) brokering is a multifaceted social influence process that can take the form of intermediation (connecting disconnected others) or... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

03 Jan 2017
Research & Ideas

5 New Year's Resolutions You Can Keep (With the Help of Behavioral Science Research)

communal, but rather personal and private. “One woman wrote about gathering all the pictures of her and her ex-boyfriend, taking them to the park were they met, and tearing them up,” Norton recalled in an interview with Working Knowledge.... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

05 Dec 2013
What Do You Think?

Is Walmart Defying Economic Gravity?

a core strength and therefore their commensurate risks (are) lower." And Steve Fotenberry said that "As much as some people like to complain about Walmart The 'family' atmosphere for the workers continues to exist, and the value... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Retail

04 May 2009
Research & Ideas

What’s Next for the Big Financial Brands

headquarters reminds us that a brand is a precious asset. The value of any brand asset depends upon whether it has delivered on its past promises and is believed likely to do so in the future. It takes years of effort to build brand trust... View Details

Keywords: by John Quelch; Banking; Financial Services

04 Apr 2008
What Do You Think?

Who Owns Intellectual Property?

individuals, can borrow and adapt." That belief, they maintain, will require that some companies, in their own best interests, relinquish control over brands and "be more generous" with consumers. In other words, they take... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett

12 Oct 1999
Research & Ideas

Rapid Response: Inside the Retailing Revolution

advances in information technology, a revolution has been taking place in retailing during the past two decades, and nowhere more so than in the apparel and textile sectors. The first to chronicle these changes and their implications in... View Details

Keywords: by James E. Aisner; Apparel & Accessories; Fashion; Consumer Products; Manufacturing; Retail

19 Jan 2022
In Practice

7 Trends to Watch in 2022

for consumers. So it’s also likely that NFTs will help (finally!) take crypto mainstream. Scott Duke Kominers is the MBA Class of 1960 Associate Professor of Business Administration. Robert S. Huckman: Flexibility in health care could... View Details

Keywords: by HBS News

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