Publications

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

TeachingInterests

Space: Public and Commercial Economics

By: Matthew C. Weinzierl

Space is a place of unparalleled possibility for humanity, and it is in the midst of a revolution. In this course, we will learn about this revolution and the companies, such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Axiom, Planet, and more. We will be joined by leaders in the... View Details

April 1996 (Revised May 2008)
Exercise

Adam Baxter Company/Local 190: 1985 Negotiation, Local 190 Confidential Information

By: Kathleen L. McGinn and Victoria Medvec

Includes a series of three negotiation exercises portraying management/labor relations at ABC over a period of seven years. ABC, initially a family-owned business, had prided itself on its cooperative relationship with its union, Local 190. With the skyrocketing... View Details

Keywords: Inflation and Deflation; Compensation and Benefits; Labor Unions; Wages; Working Conditions; Negotiation Process; Labor and Management Relations

April 1996 (Revised May 2008)
Exercise

Adam Baxter Company/Local 190: 1978 Negotiation, Local 190 Confidential Information

By: Kathleen L. McGinn and Victoria Medvec

Includes a series of three negotiation exercises portraying management/labor relations at ABC over a period of seven years. ABC, initially a family-owned business, had prided itself on its cooperative relationship with its union, Local 190. With the skyrocketing... View Details

Keywords: Inflation and Deflation; Compensation and Benefits; Labor Unions; Wages; Working Conditions; Negotiation Process; Labor and Management Relations

May 2000
Exercise

Tyrell Web Developers Inc. (B)

By: Alan D. MacCormack and Andrew P. McAfee

An integrated exercise culminating in a team project to design and develop a Web site for a fictitious company. Puts students in the position of designing a Web site for a demanding client (a local pizza company). Students are given a (purposefully) brief description... View Details

Keywords: Web Sites; Software; Product Development; Design; Internet

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October 2010
Case

CDG: Managing in China's Economic Transformation

By: Roy Y.J. Chua, Shaohui Chen and Lisa Kwan

China Data Group (CDG) is a leading business processes outsourcing company based in Beijing, China. Roc Yang, chairman of CDG, had to confront a dilemma when he discovered that one of his senior managers gave a gift to a potential client in an effort to win a large... View Details

Keywords: Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Management Practices and Processes; Emerging Markets; Negotiation Deal; Relationships; Networks; Societal Protocols; China

July 2016
Supplement

Mahindra Tool: Project Economics

By: Joseph B. Fuller and Christopher Payton

The case describes Mahindra Lifespace Developers’ (MLDL), a unit of Indian conglomerate Mahindra and Mahindra, foray into the affordable housing segment. MLDL sees a huge opportunity in selling apartments to the burgeoning population of urban workers, which is badly... View Details

Keywords: Business Conglomerates; Business Startups; Development Economics; Developing Countries and Economies; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Social Entrepreneurship; Housing; Emerging Markets; Business and Government Relations; Human Needs; Social Issues; Urban Development; Real Estate Industry; India

2017
Working Paper

Intermediation in the Supply of Agricultural Products in Developing Economies

By: Kris J. Ferreira, Joel Goh and Ehsan Valavi

Problem Definition: Farmers face several challenges in agricultural supply chains in emerging economies that contribute to extreme levels of poverty. One common challenge is that farmers only have access to one channel, often an auction, for which to sell their crops.... View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries; Agricultural Supply Chain; Intermediation; Multiple Cahnels; Walrasian Auction; Developing Countries and Economies; Supply Chain; Distribution Channels; Profit; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

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25 Jan 2018
News

Living and Learning in a Local Context

As executive director of the Pine Mountain Settlement School in Kentucky, Geoff Marietta (MBA 2007) is incorporating local Appalachian culture into the education and daily lives of the rural community the school serves. In this interview,... View Details

January 2019 (Revised December 2019)
Case

CrossBoundary Energy

By: John Macomber

Almost 500 million people are without electricity in sub-Saharan Africa. Governments and public utilities are challenged to bring generation and distribution to most of them. Considerable promise exists in “off-grid” or “mini-grid” technologies, notably using renewable... View Details

Keywords: Energy Investing; Economic Development; Renewable Energy; Business Growth and Maturation; Developing Countries and Economies; Project Finance; Emerging Markets; Industry Structures; Infrastructure; Segmentation; Private Equity; Decision Choices and Conditions; Energy Industry; Utilities Industry; Africa; Tanzania; Ghana

June 2019
Article

Financial Development and Technology Diffusion

By: Diego Comin and Ramana Nanda

We examine the extent to which financial market development impacts the diffusion of 16 major technologies, looking across 17 countries, from 1870 to 2000. We find that greater depth in financial markets leads to faster technology diffusion for more capital-intensive... View Details

Keywords: Technology Diffusion; Technology Adoption; Commercialization; Financial Markets

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January 1998 (Revised April 2001)
Case

Acer America: Development of the Aspire

By: Christopher A. Bartlett and Anthony St. George

Follows the development, national launch, and global rollout of the Aspire, Acer's first new product developed outside of Taiwan. Implementing a very promising new PC concept proves challenging to Mike Culver and his U.S. team, who are plagued by coordination problems... View Details

Keywords: Global Strategy; Globalized Firms and Management; Organizational Design; Supply Chain; Problems and Challenges; Relationships; Business Subsidiaries; Product Launch; Computer Industry; United States; Taiwan

November 2007 (Revised December 2008)
Background Note

China Rising: An Economic Snapshot

"China Rising: An Economic Snapshot" provides readers with an overview of China's economic transformation, relying on economic data from a variety of sources. It is organized into three sections: (1) "The Big Picture" explores macroeconomic indicators, as well as those... View Details

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Macroeconomics; Microeconomics; Local Range; Globalized Economies and Regions; Business and Government Relations; China

September 2013 (Revised March 2022)
Case

Olam: Building a Sustainable Supply Chain in Côte d'Ivoire

By: V. Kasturi Rangan and Nina Ann George

Describes Olam's development of a sustainable cotton supply chain in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. Key dilemma for its managers: feasibility of introducing tractor technology for improving yield. View Details

Keywords: Economic Development; Technology Usage; Development Economics; Agribusiness; Technology Adoption; Supply Chain; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Africa; Côte d'Ivoire

22 Jan 2025
News

The Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act On the Economic Development of the Western United States

National Institutions and Subnational Development in Africa

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... View Details

15 Mar 2010
HBS Case

Developing Asia’s Largest Slum

estate values in the world. “Government is not one person, obviously; it's many people with many agendas, particularly in India." —Lakshmi Iyer In "Dharavi: Developing Asia's Largest Slum," HBS assistant professor Lakshmi... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Construction; Real Estate

07 Jan 2013
Video

Harvard i-lab | 2012 Local Partners and Community Programs

November 2013 (Revised September 2015)
Case

Doing Business in Cambodia

By: Felix Oberholzer-Gee and Dawn H. Lau

This case examines the challenges and opportunities of doing business in Cambodia. It highlights Cambodia's economic transformation in the decades leading up to 2013 in the context of its history, culture, and politics. View Details

Keywords: Cambodia; Economic Stability; Economic Development; Emerging Markets; Economic Growth; Southeast Asia