Cost Transparency - Publications - Faculty & Research

28 Aug 2014
Op-Ed

Government Can Do More to Unfreeze Small Business Credit

participation of smaller banks in federally guaranteed loan programs, and provided borrowers with improved processes and reduced paperwork requirements. Banks, however, have faced a less transparent scrutiny from a complex group of... View Details

Keywords: by Karen Mills; Banking

08 Nov 2024
Op-Ed

How Private Investors Can Help Solve Africa's Climate Crisis

fixed-income securities, mostly earning near-zero real yields. How can this capital find bankable projects that allow for private sector development and investment—at huge scale—to help solve these challenges while at the same time providing View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber; Green Technology; Energy

02 Jan 2020
Op-Ed

Medicare for All or Public Option: Can Either Heal Health Care?

The United States has serious health care problems: More than 27 million uninsured people, costs that are growing faster than income, and a staggering $37 trillion of unfunded liabilities in the Medicare program. Perhaps most alarming:... View Details

Keywords: by Regina E. Herzlinger and James Wallace; Health; Public Administration

18 Feb 2013
Research & Ideas

Breaking Through a Growth Stall

Skinner III, head of the Atlanta-based consultancy LCS Partners. The article discusses the importance of understanding your ideal customers; the implications for selling, cost management, growth strategy, and organizational relationships;... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne

08 Jul 2008
First Look

First Look: July 8, 2008

digitization of information goods have changed the commercial landscape: Virtual shelf space is infinite, consumers can search through innumerable options, and the marginal cost of reproducing and distributing products is low. What does... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

03 Feb 2020
What Do You Think?

Can an Organization Have Too Much 'Rebel Talent'?

try to be as transparent as possible in their dealings with others. It’s important to note that these findings complement, not necessarily contradict, those of Gino’s. Organizations exhibiting so-called rebel qualities have been found to... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett

08 Apr 2011
Research & Ideas

Will the Japan Disaster Remake the Landscape for Green Energy in Asia?

relatively cost efficient and scalable source of electricity. The reviews will happen across the world and each country will consider their own energy mix characteristics together with local sentiment." Todd was one of several... View Details

Keywords: by Dennis Fisher; Energy; Utilities

30 Aug 2004
Research & Ideas

Mapping Your Board’s Effectiveness

corporate strategy—create value by becoming known for better governance and greater transparency to external providers? Can they lower their cost of capital and perhaps get a valuation premium based on the... View Details

Keywords: by Robert S. Kaplan

24 Sep 2014
Op-Ed

We Need a Miracle. New Nuclear Might Provide it.

Nuclear' s driven entrepreneurs and private investors have a solid shot at delivering that energy miracle, verified by rigorous and transparent testing. We can't afford to sit by and watch all that fossil fuel just go up in smoke. Other... View Details

Keywords: by Joseph Lassiter; Energy; Utilities

31 Jul 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, July 31, 2018

Case 118-053 Kaiser Permanente Colorado: Primary Care Plus A gerontologist in Kaiser Permanente’s Colorado region is concerned with the high and growing cost of treating the elderly population. She introduces a new care model, Primary... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

18 Jul 2005
Research & Ideas

Time to Rethink the Corporate Tax System?

Corporations have traditionally considered taxes a painful but necessary cost of doing business. But this view has changed, says Harvard Business School professor Mihir A. Desai. With the advent of sophisticated tax shelters, global... View Details

Keywords: by Ann Cullen

10 Jan 2018
Research & Ideas

Working for a Shamed Company Can Hurt Your Future Compensation

they weren’t there at the time, but they have been a part of the culture, and we don’t want to deal with it.” Headhunting firms, meanwhile, may have to do extra due diligence in order to vet someone with a black mark on their resume, a transaction View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Financial Services

28 Aug 2017
Research & Ideas

Should Industry Competitors Cooperate More to Solve World Problems?

companies will be explicit about their cooperation and under scrutiny from investors, regulators, and their own legal experts. “Similar to airlines cooperating by purchasing jets together in order to lower costs collectively,... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Financial Services; Manufacturing; Agriculture & Agribusiness; Mining

03 Apr 2019
Book

Fintech's Game-Changing Opportunities for Small Business

devastating it was when lending froze, and how much of a lifeline it was when we could revitalize the lending marketplace. When I came to Harvard and began to study small-business lending, it was clear there were structural issues. It was not View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Banking; Financial Services

20 Dec 2004
Research & Ideas

The U.S. Patent Game: How to Change It

subtle shifts in abstract judicial doctrine will affect the amount they pay for new products. Even CEOs are not apt to give these arcane issues the same kind of attention as something like tax policy, which affects a corporation's bottom line in a direct and View Details

Keywords: by Ann Cullen

07 Jan 2008
Research & Ideas

Pursuing a Deadly Opportunity

venture. In return for body donations, each organization offered comparable levels of financial assistance covering transportation and cremation costs and returning the ashes when requested. In their research Anteby and Hyman discovered... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Health

21 Jul 2010
Research & Ideas

HBS Faculty Debate Financial Reform Legislation

effects, then it is a disappointment. To be sure, the bill does address some causes of the crisis in meaningful ways. There is significantly enhanced transparency in the derivatives markets—a problem at the center of the... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

07 Apr 2011
What Do You Think?

When Should the Public Sector Take Over in a Meltdown?

might be threatened. Rob Houck reminds us that considerations of potential legal liability often inhibit transparency in such cases. Should the public sector wait for an "invitation" for its intervention? The sentiment here... View Details

Keywords: by Jim Heskett; Energy; Utilities

02 Apr 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, April 2, 2019

gun restrictions. Lifting the Veil: The Benefits of Cost Transparency By: Mohan, Bhavya, Ryan W. Buell, and Leslie K. John Abstract—Firms do not typically disclose information on their View Details