Publications

16 Dec 2018
News

Nashville’s Star Rises as Midsize Cities Break Into Winners and Losers

Juan Alcacer

Juan Alcacer is the James J. Hill Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He joined HBS in 2007 and has taught the required MBA strategy course, an elective on Global Strategy and PhD courses in Strategy and International Business. Within... View Details

Keywords: consulting; management consulting; telecommunications

October 2014
Article

The Promise of Positive Optimal Taxation: Normative Diversity and a Role for Equal Sacrifice

By: Matthew Weinzierl

A prominent assumption in modern optimal tax research is that the objective of taxation is Utilitarian. I present new survey evidence that most people disagree with this assumption, preferring tax policies based at least in part on a classic alternative objective: the... View Details

Keywords: Taxation; Theory

September 1998 (Revised June 1999)
Case

Discovery Health (A)

A South African health insurance company undertakes a redesign of its prescription drug coverage policy in light of its experiences with Prozac. View Details

Keywords: Motivation and Incentives; Service Delivery; Insurance; Health Care and Treatment; Insurance Industry; South Africa

1998
Book

Global Climate Change: A Senior Level Dialogue at the Intersection of Economics, Strategy, Technology, Science, Politics and International Negotiation

By: Andrew J. Hoffman

Based on the 1997 conference organized by the Kellog Environmental Research Center and sponsored by the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, Global Climate Change presents the views of key players in the debate over global climate change... View Details

Keywords: Climate Change; Policy; Goals and Objectives; International Relations

Samuel G. Hanson is the William L. White Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a Faculty Affiliate of the Harvard Economics department. He teaches Finance 1... View Details

Keywords: asset management; banking; brokerage; federal government; financial services; investment banking industry

fall 2008
Article

The Intermediation of Financial Risks: Evolution in the Catastrophe Reinsurance Market

By: Kenneth A. Froot

In this paper, I provide evidence concerning the imperfections in the reinsurance market. I try to get at some of the root causes of these imperfections, e.g., the behavior of ratings firms and the agency problems associated with the corporate form of ownership. I also... View Details

Keywords: Catastrophe Risk; Corporate Finance; Banking And Insurance; Hedging; Banking; Financial Markets; Insurance; Policy; Risk Management; Natural Disasters; Cost of Capital; Asset Pricing; Insurance Industry

September 2019 (Revised June 2021)
Case

Dove and Real Beauty: Building a Brand with Purpose

By: Mark R. Kramer, Myriam Sidibe and Gunjan Veda

Unilever subsidiary Dove soap became a "brand with a purpose" and created shared value when the company decided to launch a Campaign for Real Beauty to combat the artificial media-driven stereotype of female beauty that causes appearance anxiety in women and girls... View Details

Keywords: Stereotype; Body Image; Female; Self-Esteem; Brands and Branding; Mission and Purpose; Advertising Campaigns; Gender; Resource Allocation

Educators

October 2019 (Revised October 2019)
Case

Epic Games

By: Andy Wu and Christopher Zhang

Epic Games entered a stagnant market with its PC-games digital storefront in 2018, in the context of incumbent competitors such as Steam, its meteoric rise via Fortnite, and imminent industry shifts in gaming distribution. On the surface, Epic Games Store’s competitive... View Details

Keywords: Industry Analysis; Video Games; Platforms; Comparative Advantage; Growth Strategy; Innovation Focused Strategy; Pricing Strategy; Strategy; Competition; Growth and Development Strategy; Innovation Strategy; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Digital Platforms; Technology Industry

Educators

December 2010
Supplement

Fortis Industries, Inc. (B)

Describes whether the company adopts the price-flex policy discussed in the (A) case. Price increase in steel strapping raw materials is rescinded by steel industry. View Details

Keywords: Price; Decision Making; Steel Industry

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

26 Jun 2000
Research & Ideas

Three Countries, Three Choices in Post-Soviet Eurasia

political, economic and cultural purposes," Abdelal writes. "It is the nation connected to a project." Nationalism can propel economic policy in four ways. It sets a direction for policy, partly in response to a perceived... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

04 Jun 2020
News

ESG investors get their heads around social risks

04 Apr 2018
News

Why Big Business Isn't Defending Amazon Against Trump

31 Mar 2025
Video

Gabe Weinreb

February 2008 (Revised January 2009)
Background Note

Offshoring Day in BGIE and Strategy

By: Jan W. Rivkin and Troy Smith

Describes a set of activities in which students will participate before and during a day of classes on offshoring. The day's classes will examine the implications of offshoring for policy makers, business leaders, and workers. View Details

Keywords: Policy; Employees; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Labor; Management; Strategy