Publications

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07 Oct 2019
News

In praise of dissenters

01 Oct 2007
Research & Ideas

Encouraging Dissent in Decision-Making

which all organized human groups are susceptible—the suppression, especially during planning and decision-making, of views that might be perceived as contentious or disruptive to an organization's foundational beliefs. Consider the costs to organizations, large and... View Details

Keywords: by Garry Emmons

08 May 2019
News

How To Cultivate Thoughtful Dissent

23 May 2013
Working Paper Summaries

Board Games: Timing of Independent Directors’ Dissent in China

Keywords: by Juan Ma & Tarun Khanna

August 2016
Article

Independent Directors' Dissent on Boards: Evidence from Listed Companies in China

By: Juan Ma and Tarun Khanna

In this paper, we examine the circumstances under which so-called "independent" directors voice their independent views on public boards in a sample of Chinese firms. First, we ask why independent directors dissent, i.e. how they justify such dissent to public... View Details

Keywords: Independent Directors; China; Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; China

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Research Summary

Research Interests

Dissent in Organizations, Employee and Stakeholder voice, Social Movements and Organizations, Sociology of Work and Professions

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23 Dec 2013
Research & Ideas

Just How Independent are ‘Independent’ Directors?

In theory, a board of directors protects the rights of shareholders. Independent directors are supposed to be just that—independent—free to dissent from a decision of the majority. The reality is more complex. Directors are tied to one... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

07 May 2013
First Look

First Look: May 7

http://www.people.hbs.edu/wkerr/130424-CGK-IPE.pdf Board Games: Timing of Independent Directors' Dissent in China By: Ma, Juan, and Tarun Khanna Abstract—This paper examines the circumstances under which so-called "independent"... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

23 Dec 2013
News

Just How Independent are ‘Independent’ Directors?

August 2003 (Revised December 2003)
Background Note

Doctrine of Stare Decisis and Lawrence v. Texas, The

Explains the difference between civil law and common law systems and explores the role of precedent in a common law jurisdiction, such as the United States. Includes extensive excerpts from both the majority and the dissenting opinions in Lawrence v. Texas, in which... View Details

Keywords: Common Law; Code Law; United States

June 2007 (Revised September 2021)
Case

Thomas J. Watson, IBM and Nazi Germany

By: Geoffrey Jones, Grace Ballor and Adrian Brown

Considers the strategy of U.S.-owned IBM, then a manufacturer of punch cards, in Nazi Germany before 1937. Opens with IBM CEO Thomas J. Watson meeting Adolf Hitler in his capacity as President of the International Chamber of Commerce. IBM had acquired a German company... View Details

Keywords: Business History; Values and Beliefs; Multinational Firms and Management; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Investment; Business and Government Relations; Germany; United States

28 May 2013
First Look

First Look: May 28

Download working paper: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=44226 Independent Directors' Dissent on Boards: Evidence from Listed Companies in China By: Ma, Juan, and Tarun Khanna Abstract—In this paper, we examine the circumstances under... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

March 2020 (Revised August 2020)
Case

Culture at Google

By: Nien-hê Hsieh, Amy Klopfenstein and Sarah Mehta

Beginning in 2017, technology (tech) company Google faced a series of employee-relations issues that threatened its unique culture of innovation and open communication. Issues included protests surrounding Google’s contracts with the U.S. government, restrictions of... View Details

13 Mar 2014
News

When Companies Should—and Shouldn’t—Hire Outside CEOs

January 2005 (Revised March 2008)
Case

Kohler Co. (A)

Kohler Co., best known for its plumbing fixtures, is a large, private family firm. As part of a recapitalization aimed at preserving family ownership of Kohler Co., nonfamily shareholders, who held 4% of common stock, were required to sell their shares to the company.... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Capital Structure; Cash Flow; Stocks; Price; Family Ownership; Business and Shareholder Relations; Valuation

Research Summary

Mutiny in the Workplace: When Leaders Are Challenged From Within

My dissertation focuses on the rarely studied phenomenon of mutiny in organizations. Based on three recent cases of mutiny in professional organizations, I examine the process by which employee dissatisfaction transforms into collective mobilization... View Details

Article

Clogs to Clogs in Three Generations? Explaining Entrepreneurial Performance in Britain Since 1850

By: Tom Nicholas

Research into culture and entrepreneurship in Britain has been dominated by casual empiricism. This article shows the benefits of using a new method. Lifetime wealth accumulation is specified as a measure of entrepreneurial performance, and applied to data collected... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Performance Evaluation; Biography; Culture; Education; Wealth; Research; Great Britain

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January 2017
Supplement

T. Rowe Price and the Dell Inc. MBO (B)

By: Lena G. Goldberg

After deciding to oppose the Dell MBO, T. Rowe Price, together with other dissident Dell shareholders, sought appraisal of their shares in the Delaware courts. The appraisal process resulted in a significant increase in the price to be paid to dissenting shareholders... View Details

Keywords: Fiduciary Duties; Management Buy-out; Ethics; Valuation; Courts and Trials; Business and Shareholder Relations; Restructuring; Financial Services Industry; Computer Industry; Delaware