Publications

April 2012
Article

The Impact of Relative Standards on the Propensity to Disclose

By: Alessandro Acquisti, Leslie John and George Loewenstein

Two sets of studies illustrate the comparative nature of disclosure behavior. The first set investigates how divulgence is affected by signals about others' readiness to divulge. Study 1A shows a "herding" effect, such that survey respondents are more willing to... View Details

Keywords: Rights; Surveys; Management Practices and Processes; Ethics; Corporate Disclosure; Judgments; Consumer Behavior; Standards

04 Mar 2024
What Do You Think?

Do People Want to Work Anymore?

represented himself as a successful entrepreneur. The gist of the letter was that there was one thing wrong with what we wrote. It was that: “People don’t want to work any more. So I’ve designed my jobs accordingly. They can be performed by any reasonably intelligent... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

Article

Businessmen and Land Ownership in the Late Nineteenth Century

By: Tom Nicholas

This article analyses the proportions of personal to real estate wealth for a group of 295 businessmen profiled in the Dictionary of business biography. It shows that businessmen who owned land on a large scale in the late nineteenth century were a comparatively small... View Details

Keywords: Ownership; Personal Finance; Property; Biography; History; Acquisition; Wealth; Power and Influence; Status and Position; Integration; Transformation; Market Transactions

Find at Harvard

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TeachingInterests

Real Property

By: John D. Macomber

This course is intended for any student serious about a career in managing, developing, or investing in real estate. Due to its rigor, it will be more than sufficient for those thinking about real estate as a hobby or for those considering real estate for limited... View Details

November 2007 (Revised February 2011)
Case

The Ice King

By: Tom Nicholas and Sandra Nicholas

Provides an opportunity to examine the risk-reward tradeoff and the travails of entrepreneurial venturing in the nascent U.S. economy. Traces the origins and development of Frederic Tudor's Ice Company, a business which developed during the 19th century to hack chunks... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Cost vs Benefits; Entrepreneurship; Globalization; Business History; Operations; Risk and Uncertainty; United States

31 Dec 2010
News

Entrepreneur for the World Award

June 2018
Case

The Grommet in 2018

By: Lynda M. Applegate, Karen Gordon Mills and Lena Goldberg

The Grommet, an online product launch platform, was at the brink of scaling its business. The Grommet's daily launch and sale of innovative consumer products, using personal videos created by product makers, had led to its initial success. In 2014, the company launched... View Details

Keywords: Retail; Value Capture; Internet and the Web; Entrepreneurship; Product Launch; Value; Retail Industry

May 2011 (Revised March 2013)
Background Note

Location Choice for New Ventures: Cities

By: William R. Kerr and Ramana Nanda

Location choice is a critical decision for entrepreneurs. This note explores how entrepreneurs should think about different city options through a systematic framework that encompasses professional and personal issues. We use the intellectual frameworks of the cluster... View Details

Keywords: City; Business Startups

February 2002
Background Note

Mediating in the Wake of Disaster: The MIT Settlement

By: Michael A. Wheeler and Gillian Morris

In 1997, MIT freshman Scott Kruger died from alcohol poisoning after a ritual fraternity ceremony. His death sparked national controversy over the responsibility of universities for their students. For his parents, though, the pain was personal and almost solely... View Details

Keywords: Higher Education; Negotiation Deal; Moral Sensibility; Leadership; Situation or Environment; Framework; Legal Services Industry; Education Industry

11 Oct 2012
News

Meetings take a beating in move to boost productivity

15 Feb 2011
News

Innovator's dilemma

02 Jan 2024
Research & Ideas

10 Trends to Watch in 2024

The lightning-fast ascent of generative AI isn’t the only sea change on the horizon for businesses in the new year. The global economy is in flux as war, climate change, trade issues, and infrastructure problems demand attention. Many companies continue to struggle to... View Details

Keywords: by Rachel Layne

Program

Behavioral Economics—Virtual

Expand your personal and professional network Extend your network by connecting and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries across the globe Build relationships with a diverse group of... View Details

Web

Apply - Doctoral

policy, Harvard Business School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability in... View Details

13 Oct 2011
Lessons from the Classroom

Building a Business in the Context of a Life

they have the same goal of allowing participants to evaluate what's important to them both personally and professionally and creating a "life plan" for getting where they want to go. Some MBA students, most of whom are in their 20s, have... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman; Education

2012
Working Paper

The Cost of Friendship

By: Paul A. Gompers, Yuhai Xuan and Vladimir Mukharlyamov

This paper explores two broad questions on collaboration between individuals. First, we investigate what personal characteristics affect people's desire to work together. Second, given the influence of these personal characteristics, we analyze whether this attraction... View Details

Keywords: Partners and Partnerships; Investment; Performance; Personal Characteristics