Publications

October 2012 (Revised March 2014)
Case

Privatization of the Power Sector in Nigeria (A)

By: Eric Werker, Onyechi Ezekwueche, Olatomiwa Igun and Alice Wei

In spite of its abundant energy resources, Nigeria in 2012 had one of the lowest levels of energy use in the world. Self-generation of power from costly generators was double that of grid-supplied electricity. The history of its power sector was one of inefficient... View Details

Keywords: Privatization; Energy; Nigeria

22 Jan 2019
First Look

New Research and Ideas, January 22, 2019

2019 New York: PublicAffairs Creative Construction: The DNA of Sustained Innovation By: Pisano, Gary P. Abstract— Creative Construction tackles the myth that larger enterprises are inherently incapable of transformative innovation and are doomed to be disrupted View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

October 31, 2023
Article

Research: Can a More Detailed LinkedIn Profile Boost Your Salary?

By: Boris Groysberg and Eric Lin

Our digital presence impacts how others perceive us. A simple résumé and a list of references no longer captures the essence of our professional capabilities. In this article, the authors explain how the intentional management of our online personas can have a positive... View Details

Keywords: Compensation and Benefits; Job Search; Social Media

Register to Read

November 2012
Case

Teaming at GE Aviation

By: Rakesh Khurana, Jeffrey Polzer, Willy Shih and Eric Baldwin

Describes the challenges and successes encountered by GE's Aviation business in implementing a teaming work structure and culture in plants across its supply chain. GE Aviation leadership had seen dramatic gains in productivity, quality, and worker satisfaction in... View Details

19 Jan 2016
First Look

January 19, 2016

emphasize users over producers. Large parts of the knowledge economy now routinely rely on users, communities, and open innovation approaches to solve important technological and organizational problems. This view of innovation, pioneered View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

24 Sep 2013
First Look

First Look: September 24

invest in platform quality in open-source and proprietary two-sided platforms. Open platforms have open access, and developers invest to improve the platform. Proprietary platforms have closed access, and investment is done by the... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

22 Nov 2016
First Look

November 22, 2016

Care Thaddeus Fulford-Jones and Eric Weiss, founders of healthcare technology startup Radial Analytics, have been busy developing a software program designed to save hospitals money and improve patient outcomes View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

June 2011
Case

Changes to Harvard University's Governing Board

By: Rakesh Khurana and Eric Baldwin

This case examines the decision made by the governing board of Harvard University, known as the Harvard Corporation, to alter its size and operations. The case provides background on Harvard's history, its existing governance structure, and some of the issues that... View Details

Keywords: Organizational Structure; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Change Management; Decisions; Education Industry

2012
Working Paper

Unobserved State Fragility and the Political Transfer Problem

By: Faisal Z. Ahmed and Eric Werker

Autocrats experiencing a windfall in unearned income may find it optimal to donate to other countries some of the windfall in order to make the state a less attractive prize to potential insurgents. We put forward a model that makes that prediction, as well as the... View Details

Keywords: International Finance; Non-Renewable Energy; International Relations; Economics

2025
Working Paper

Pricing with Bandits in the Long-tail: The Role of Competitive Monitoring

By: Ayelet Israeli and Eric Anderson

Most e-commerce retailers offer a long-tail of very low demand products. Individually, these items may have low sales but collectively they are critical to the overall e-commerce business model. Because of their minimal sales, pricing is a constant challenge. The... View Details

Keywords: Algorithmic Pricing; Ecommerce; Price Monitoring; Price; Competition; E-commerce; Retail Industry

SSRN

July 2021
Article

Electronic Trace Data and Legal Outcomes: The Effect of Electronic Medical Records on Malpractice Claim Resolution Time

By: Sam Ransbotham, Eric Overby and Michael C. Jernigan

Information systems generate copious trace data about what individuals do and when they do it. Trace data may affect the resolution of lawsuits by, for example, changing the time needed for legal discovery. Trace data might speed resolution by clarifying what events... View Details

Keywords: Analytics and Data Science; Lawsuits and Litigation; Digital Transformation; Welfare; Health Industry

Find at Harvard

March 2015
Teaching Note

Rio Tinto and Mining in Mongolia: The Oyu Tolgoi Deposit

By: Eric Werker

Working Paper

Developing the Guts of a GUT (Grand Unified Theory): Elite Commitment and Inclusive Growth

By: Lant Pritchett and Eric D. Werker

Two key unanswered questions in theories of growth are (a) why some countries successfully initiate episodes of rapid growth while others suffer extended stagnation and (b) why some countries are able to sustain growth episodes over many decades of rapid (or steady)... View Details

Keywords: Elite Commitment; Inclusive Growth; Status and Position; Rank and Position; Economic Growth

June 2013 (Revised August 2014)
Case

Ayala Corporation & the Philippines: Asset Allocation in a Growing Economy (A)

By: Eric Werker, Yasmin Mandviwala, Henry Motte-Munoz and Arthur Wit

While the Philippines are located in the vicinity of many of the "Asian Tigers," its development has followed a unique path. The country suffered for years under a dictatorial political regime and protectionist economic policies. Remittances were the largest source of... View Details

Keywords: Asset Allocation; Assets; Business Conglomerates; Philippines

Article

Disagreement and the Allocation of Control

By: Eric J. Van den Steen

This article studies the allocation of control when there is disagreement—in the sense of differing priors—about the right course of action. People then value control rights since they believe that their decisions are better than those of others. More disagreement (due... View Details

Keywords: Governance Controls; Projects; Decisions; Value; Agreements and Arrangements

Find at Harvard