Publications

December 2022
Article

The Emotional Rewards of Prosocial Spending Are Robust and Replicable in Large Samples

By: Lara B. Aknin, Elizabeth W. Dunn and Ashley V. Whillans

Past studies show that spending money on other people—prosocial spending—increases a person’s happiness. However, foundational research on this topic was conducted prior to psychology’s credibility revolution (or “replication crisis”), so it is essential to ask... View Details

Keywords: Happiness; Money

January 2018
Supplement

Peak Games: Hiring Priorities in Times of Rapid Growth (B)

By: William R. Kerr and Gamze Yucaoglu

On November 7, 2017, Sidar Şahin, founder and CEO of Peak Games, a Turkey-based global mobile gaming company, had just closed the sale of Peak Games’ card games studio. This sale included three of the company’s top grossing games and half of its team. Sahin was happy... View Details

July 2012 (Revised January 2014)
Case

HGRM: Bringing Back High Touch Hospitality

By: Lynda M. Applegate and Gabriele Piccoli

The case centers on the dilemma faced by Carlo Fontana, the owner-operator of a small chain of two four-star urban hotels located in Lugano, Switzerland, and the other in Milan, Italy. Having developed an extensive customer service and operations information system,... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Customer Relationship Management

2019
Book

Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt

By: Arthur C. Brooks

To get ahead today, you have to be a jerk, right?

Divisive politicians. Screaming heads on television. Angry campus activists. Twitter trolls. Today in America, there is an “outrage industrial complex” that prospers by setting American against... View Details

Keywords: Political Participation; Political Culture; Moral Sensibility; Government and Politics; Society; United States

Find at Harvard

10 Sep 2009
Working Paper Summaries

Feeling Good about Giving: The Benefits (and Costs) of Self-Interested Charitable Behavior

Keywords: by Lalin Anik, Lara B. Aknin, Michael I. Norton & Elizabeth W. Dunn

March 2020 (Revised June 2020)
Case

Social Salary Setting at Spiber

By: Ashley Whillans and John Beshears

Can a “set your own salary” system boost employee happiness and motivation? Spiber made synthetic silk built from proteins mimicking the proteins found in spider silk, the world’s toughest known material by weight. Kazuhide Sekiyama and Junichi Sugahara established... View Details

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Motivation and Incentives; Happiness; Negotiation Tactics; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Biotechnology Industry; Japan; United States

10 Sep 2007
Research & Ideas

High Note: Managing the Medici String Quartet

they would feel compelled to execute against. Q: Another aspect of collaboration that Robertson discusses in the case is interpersonal harmony. Why was it complicated to get along? A: In business we have the notion that we can create a healthy innovation dynamic where... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Music

September 28, 2021
Editorial

A Guide to Implementing the 4-Day Workweek

By: A.V. Whillans and Charlotte Lockhart

As organizations continue to explore a variety of flexible work options, one promising avenue is the four-day workweek: The standard 40 hours per week is reduced to 32 hours, with the same pay and the same productivity expectations. Research suggests reducing hours can... View Details

Keywords: Workweek; Stress; Employees; Health; Performance Productivity; Organizational Change and Adaptation

08 Apr 2008
First Look

First Look: April 8, 2008

investments in natural resources, processing, and services in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. This edition has been specially revised for the Greek market, reflecting the historical importance of merchants within the Greek business system. Spending Money on Others... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

23 Dec 2008
First Look

First Look: December 23, 2008

rates, risk-aversion, and the influence of employers and neighbors. Download the working paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/09-071.pdf Happiness Adaptation to Income beyond 'Basic Needs' Authors:Rafael Di Tella and Robert MacCulloch... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

May 2021 (Revised September 2021)
Case

CPE and SUS Environmental: You've Got to Know When to Hold 'Em

By: Josh Lerner and Franko Jira

In July 2016, Di Yang and Grace Guo of the leading Chinese private equity group CPE faced a dilemma—a happy dilemma, but a challenge nonetheless. CPE’s investment in the waste-to-energy firm SUS Environment had proved to be exceedingly successful. This success had... View Details

Keywords: Decision Choices and Conditions; Private Equity; Financial Liquidity; Investment Return; Growth and Development

05 Jul 2006
Working Paper Summaries

Maximizing Joint Gains: Transaction Utility Within and Between Groups

Keywords: by Stephen Garcia, Max H. Bazerman & Dale Miller

18 Nov 2008
First Look

First Look: November 18, 2008

Working PapersAn Exploration of the Japanese Slowdown during the 1990s Author:Diego A. Comin No abstract is available at this time. Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/09-065.pdf (When) Are Religious People Nicer? Religious Salience and the 'Sunday... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

12 Feb 2008
First Look

First Look: February 12, 2007

Working PapersColonial Land Tenure, Electoral Competition and Public Goods in India Authors:Abhijit Banerjee and Lakshmi Iyer No abstract is available at this time. Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/08-062.pdf Rewriting History Authors:Alexander... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

Article

Petting Away Pre-exam Stress: The Effect of Therapy Dog Sessions on Student Well-being

By: Emma Ward-Griffin, Patrick Klaiber, Hanne Collins, Rhea L. Owens, Stanley Coren and Frances S Chen

Recently, many universities have implemented programmes in which therapy dogs and their handlers visit college campuses. Despite the immense popularity of therapy dog sessions, few randomized studies have empirically tested the efficacy of such programmes. The present... View Details

Keywords: Well-being; Happiness

Find at Harvard

Register to Read

Article

Prosocial Spending and Buying Time: Money as a Tool for Increasing Subjective Well-Being

By: Elizabeth Dunn, A.V. Whillans, Michael I. Norton and Lara B. Aknin

Researchers have long been interested in the relationship between income and happiness, but a newer wave of work suggests that how people use their money also matters. We discuss the three primary areas in which psychologists have explored the relationship... View Details

Keywords: Wellbeing; Money; Spending; Decision Making; Happiness; Well-being

October 2016
Supplement

Airbnb in Amsterdam (B)

By: Mitchell Weiss, Emer Moloney and Vincent Dessain

In December 2014, Amsterdam and Airbnb announced an MOU to promote responsible home sharing and to simplify the payment of tourist tax for hosts in the city. It was the most comprehensive agreement that Airbnb had with any city in the world. Its final provision read,... View Details

February 2007
Article

The Formation of Beliefs: Evidence from the Allocation of Land Titles to Squatters

By: Rafael Di Tella, Sebastian F. Galiani and Ernesto S. Schargrodsky

We study the formation of beliefs in a squatter settlement in the outskirts of Buenos Aires exploiting a natural experiment that induced an allocation of property rights that is exogenous to the characteristics of the squatters. There are significant differences in the... View Details

Keywords: Values and Beliefs; Property

Find at Harvard