Retaliation Costs - Publications - Faculty & Research

April–May 2021
Article

The Effect of Retaliation Costs on Employee Whistleblowing

By: Jonas Heese and Gerardo Pérez Cavazos

We use large increases in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to study the effects of expected retaliation costs on employee whistleblowing. Increases in UI benefits reduce the costs that arise from a job loss, one of the costliest forms of retaliation. We find that... View Details

Keywords: Employee Whistleblowing; Retaliation Costs; Labor Unemployment Insurance; Workplace Safety Inspections

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January 2022
Teaching Note

'Why I Blew the Whistle': Mauro Botta v. PwC

By: Aiyesha Dey and Jonas Heese

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 122-005. View Details

Keywords: Whistleblower; Whistleblowing; Corporate Accountability; Governance; Retaliation Costs

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26 Jun 2019
Research & Ideas

Why the US-China Tariff Standoff Hurts American Companies More

affected by the retaliation tariffs started falling by 5 percent, on average. US retailers partially absorbed the tariffs. In-progress analyses of retail prices show more heterogeneity, with some retailers passing higher import View Details

Keywords: by Danielle Kost; Retail; Manufacturing; Steel

10 Dec 2021
Research & Ideas

Truth Be Told: Unpacking the Risks of Whistleblowing

costs. It’s more like an insurance payment. Whistleblowers incur a lot of costs and get some money as compensation. That changes how we think about whistleblower incentives; it isn’t a reward. White: Is there abuse of these statutes?... View Details

Keywords: by April White

12 Nov 2012
Research & Ideas

Pay Workers More So They Steal Less

employee theft. A cost-benefit analysis proved that what companies saved in cash and inventory loss covered about 39 percent of the costs associated with wage increases. (So if a company increases wages by $1, it can expect to lose almost... View Details

Keywords: by Kim Girard; Retail

02 Mar 2018
Op-Ed

Op-Ed: Trump’s Tariffs Could Harm Allies as Much as Opponents

the US withdrew this ill-fated measure in 2003 after the World Trade Organization authorized the largest penalty sanctions ever against a member state, and after the European Union threatened retaliation. Back then, there was ample evidence of unintended consequences... View Details

Keywords: by Dante Roscini; Steel; Manufacturing

11 Dec 2018
Research & Ideas

Free Trade Needs Nurturing—and Other Lessons from History

themselves. The protectionist Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 led to retaliation all over the world, and trade fell into a downward spiral that exacerbated the crisis. "One thing we keep relearning is that gains from trade do not... View Details

Keywords: by Staff; Auto; Aerospace; Chemical; Consumer Products; Electronics; Energy; Industrial Products; Manufacturing; Shipping; Transportation

05 Apr 2010
Research & Ideas

HBS Cases: iPads, Kindles, and the Close of a Chapter in Book Publishing

commission on every sale. (E-book editions of most new fiction and nonfiction releases will cost between $12.99 and $14.99.) "Publishers are worried that more and more customers are going to get used to the sort of cheap prices that... View Details

Keywords: by Julia Hanna; Information; Publishing; Entertainment & Recreation

24 Feb 2014
Research & Ideas

Busting Six Myths About Customer Loyalty Programs

total value of tailored coupons that shoppers stand to lose if they go elsewhere. Store-switching costs created this way increase the spending and loyalty of shoppers. For retailers lacking the capability of using information about their... View Details

Keywords: by Marcel Corstjens & Rajiv Lal; Retail; Consumer Products

22 Apr 2008
First Look

First Look: April 22, 2008

conceptual. The fundamental flaw of preemptive action is that the pay-offs are asymmetric. Failure to avert a WMD attack on U.S. assets will be seen as doubly reprehensible. But success will not be rewarded, since the electorate is unlikely fully to appreciate the... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

11 Apr 2018
Research & Ideas

Sexual Harassment: What Employers Should Do Now

tolerated with others. The sales manager who brings in big bucks but acts in a hostile, domineering way with his team may be seen as the definition of success, yet letting “a brilliant jerk be a jerk” could cost a company many other... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

05 Jun 2007
First Look

First Look: June 5, 2007

may have been instituted to offset the costs of undesirable customer behavior, like bouncing checks, turn out to be very profitable. As a result, companies have no incentive to help customers avoid them. Tactics like these generate bad... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

19 Nov 2007
Lessons from the Classroom

Teaching The Moral Leader

the stories become part of us.” How could we be fair to the accused director? How could we protect the complaining employee from retaliation during the investigation? What standards of proof should we use in making our determination about... View Details

Keywords: by Sarah Jane Gilbert; Education

05 May 2003
Research & Ideas

Sharing the Responsibility of Corporate Governance

will be possible to both maximize shareholder value and be a good corporate citizen. Indeed, we should encourage managers to find the "sweet spot" where their actions generate a robust return for their shareholders without exploiting externalities and thereby... View Details

Keywords: by Carla Tishler

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