Publications

May 2002
Background Note

Exporting IT-Enabled Services from Developing Countries

Explores the phenomenon of IT-enabled services (ITES) exports from developing countries. Reviews the business and technical drivers of this phenomenon, describes major segments of the industry, discusses key challenges facing these firms, and profiles seven ITES firms. View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Developing Countries and Economies; Technology Industry

May 2021 (Revised November 2024)
Case

Colombia: An Economic Premium to Peace?

By: Richard Vietor

Colombia, once the fastest growing country in Latin America, continues to struggle with productivity. Both labor productivity and total factor productivity have been low for the past decade, despite economic growth of 4.7% annually. Many factors contribute, which... View Details

December 2002
Case

National Economic Accounting: Past, Present, and Future

By: David A. Moss and Sarah A. Brennan

Presents the fundamentals of GDP accounting (including definitions, etc.), examines the history of national accounting, and surveys the international debate over "Green GDP." The first section explains the basic rules and definitions of national economic accounting and... View Details

Keywords: History; Natural Environment; Quality; Accounting; Forecasting and Prediction; Environmental Sustainability; Economy; United States

26 Sep 2013
Research & Ideas

Behind India’s Economic and Political Woes

economies, the smaller economies pay the price. The problem is exacerbated by continuing structural weaknesses in developing countries where foreign investments are not necessarily anchored in long-term commitments to infrastructure or... View Details

Keywords: by Zeenat Potia

2014
Working Paper

Islam, Inequality, and Pre-Industrial Comparative Development

By: Stelios Michalopoulos, Alireza Naghavi and Giovanni Prarolo

This study explores the interaction between trade and geography in shaping the Islamic economic doctrine and in turn the comparative development of the Muslim world. We build a model where an unequal distribution of land quality in presence of trade opportunities... View Details

Keywords: Islam; Inequality In Land Quality; Wealth Accumulation; Public Good Investment; Conflict; Wealth; Geography; Religion; Trade

October 2013
Supplement

Remaking Singapore

By: Michael E. Porter and Christian Ketels

Keywords: Competitiveness; Economic Development; Strategy; Singapore

We investigate the role of deeply-rooted pre-colonial ethnic institutions in shaping comparative regional development within African countries. We combine information on the spatial distribution of ethnicities before colonization with regional variation in... View Details

27 Dec 2010
Research & Ideas

HBS Faculty on 2010’s Biggest Business Developments

From the problems posed by the Great Recession to the devastation in Haiti and the Gulf of Mexico, from the continuing economic growth of India and China to a cascade of entrepreneurial ventures, the year 2010 offered a wide assortment of... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

February 2014
Article

National Institutions and Subnational Development in Africa

By: Stelios Michalopoulos and Elias Papaioannou

We investigate the role of national institutions on subnational African development in a novel framework that accounts both for local geography and cultural-genetic traits. We exploit the fact that the political boundaries in the eve of African independence partitioned... View Details

Keywords: Ethnicity; Development Economics; Local Range; Government and Politics; Africa

February 2008 (Revised September 2009)
Case

Lance Johnstone: Developing 3000 North Broad

The case focuses on Lance Johnstone, a former NFL player, who has dabbled in real estate development during his playing career, and now, as a retired player, is trying to pursue the development of a 10-unit rental apartment building in a depressed area of Philadelphia,... View Details

Keywords: Budgets and Budgeting; Development Economics; Construction; Entrepreneurship; Financing and Loans; Investment Return; Urban Development; Real Estate Industry; Philadelphia

18 Feb 2011
Other Presentation

Prosperity for Colombia: Creating Shared Value

By: Michael E. Porter

Regional competitiveness and CSV presentation, Bogotá View Details

Keywords: Economic Development; Competitiveness; Economics; Society; Colombia

November 2012
Case

The World Bank in 2012: Choosing a Leader

By: Lakshmi Iyer and Ian McKown Cornell

In 2012, the World Bank faced important questions in terms of its future strategy and mission. Should the Bank continue to focus on micro-level development initiatives, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), or return to traditional macro-level financial... View Details

Keywords: Economic Development; Millennium Development Goals; World Bank; International Institutions; Leadership; Development Economics; Emerging Markets; Foreign Direct Investment; Financial Services Industry; Public Administration Industry

05 Nov 2009
Working Paper Summaries

Medium Term Business Cycles in Developing Countries

Keywords: by Diego Comin, Norman Loayza, Farooq Pasha & Luis Serven

17 Mar 2004
Other Presentation

Cluster-Based Economic Development: What Have We Learned?

By: Christian H.M. Ketels

This presentation draws on ideas from Professor Porter's articles and books, in particular, The Competitive Advantage of Nations (The Free Press, 1990), "The Microeconomic Foundations of Economic Development," in The Global Competitiveness Report 2003... View Details

Keywords: Economics; Growth and Development; United Kingdom

2018
Chapter

Will Urbanization Save the Chinese Economy or Destroy it?

By: Meg Rithmire

The Chinese leadership under Xi Jinping has announced its intentions to transition the economy from one driven by investment and exports to one driven by domestic demand. The main strategy to achieve this transformation involves massive state-led urbanization. This... View Details

Keywords: China; Urbanization; Economic Development; Urban Development; Economic Growth; China

18 Sep 2006
Other Presentation

Colleges and Universities and Regional Economic Development: A Strategic Perspective

By: Michael E. Porter

Regional economic development presentation delivered at the Aspen Symposium, Forum for the Future of Higher Education, Boston, MA. View Details

Keywords: Economics; United States

October 1977 (Revised April 1998)
Case

Japan (D1): A Strategy for Economic Growth

By: Bruce R. Scott and Audrey T. Sproat

Data on Japan's unparalleled economic growth in the post-war era: How was it achieved and what future risks might be foreseen in 1971? View Details

Keywords: Economic Growth; Growth and Development Strategy; Risk and Uncertainty; Japan

May 2011
Supplement

Dharavi: Developing Asia's Largest Slum (B)

By: Lakshmi Iyer and John Macomber

In July 2009, as investors prepared to submit financial bids for the $3 billion Dharavi slum redevelopment project, considerable economic and political risks remained. View Details

Keywords: Risk and Uncertainty; Private Equity; Social Issues; Investment; Developing Countries and Economies; Business and Government Relations; Financial Services Industry; Real Estate Industry; Mumbai