Business ethics

When Ben Franklin wrote Poor Richard’s Almanac and the words, “A little neglect may breed great mischief,” he did not have price fixing in mind. To the 47 executives in companies in the folding-box industry convicted of price fixing, however, the words seem tailored to fit. In those companies convicted under antitrust laws in 1976, […]

A fictional bank CEO must make a fast decision in the face of an unthinkable crisis. What would you do in his place? Editors’ Note: This fictional case study will appear in a forthcoming issue of Harvard Business Review, and your comments will be considered for publication in the magazine. We’ll email you if your […]

Mum’s the word.

On December 9, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined Microsoft founder Bill Gates and wealthy investor Warren Buffet in signing the Gates-Buffet Giving...

For the first 40-plus years of their existence, the federal securities laws did not require or prohibit specific managerial practices in the operation of business, other than a business in one of a handful of closely regulated industries. But with the passage of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the SEC is equipped to […]

Late next week, you’re going to notice some changes around here. We’re about to unveil a new design and structure for Harvard Business Publishing’s Web properties. You’re probably familiar with two of our Web sites- one (HBR.org) focused primarily on content from the print Harvard Business Review, and the second (HarvardBusiness.org) showcasing mostly Web-native content […]

Chicanery is common in the start-up world: With so much at stake, founders are apt to exaggerate, obfuscate, and otherwise stretch the truth when courting...

"Changing yourself in the job, especially if you're doing well, is one of the hardest things to do."

Jim Whitehurst, CEO of Red Hat, explains how to inspire, motivate, and empower people at all levels to act with accountability.

The genetics boom is upon us, promising everything from cures for inherited diseases to smarter children. But companies must tread carefully as the ethical debate plays out.

You may have noticed that there’s a movement afoot to persuade capitalists to behave better. Persuade is the operative word. The agitators I’m talking about aren’t socialists. They tend not to put a huge amount of faith in regulation. They celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation. But they think something has gone wrong with the way businesses […]

Despite their best intentions, managers tend to shut people down.

Sex in the workplace doesn’t just hurt those parties involved. Sure, Mark Hurd’s recent scandal produced three obvious casualties: Mark Hurd, Hewlett Packard and its shareholders, and even, to an extent, Jodie Fisher. But in the barrage of press attention since the news broke, little mention has been made of a large group of other […]

Managers typically look for ways to reduce wait time to increase customer satisfaction. New research suggests there's a better approach: showing customers...

To promote accountability, productivity, and shared learning, many organizations create open work environments and gather reams of data on how individuals...

Many people thought the #MeToo movement would have a deterrent effect. A group of researchers weren't so sure. In early 2018 they began a survey to determine...

Senior leaders face a range of ethical and reputational risks in implementing blockchain projects. This article looks at four risks - the lack of third-party...

When the U.S. government sells a Treasury security, it is making a promise to pay back the money, with interest, according to a set schedule. Businesses and individuals make promises like this all the time. They’re effectively (and often explicitly) contracts. When you renege on one, you’d better have good reason. Simply choosing not to […]

As American companies and unions mobilize to organize Political Action Committees (PACs) with an eye to the upcoming mid-term elections, it is worth taking a step back to ask: Does it pay to donate to political candidates? Such a question might seem touchingly naïve, but in reality, the empirical evidence on this issue is much […]

It’s up to the league to lay down the law.

The HH.ru case series tracks the development of a respected NASDAQ-listed Russian technology company as it struggles with the fallout of the Russian invasion...

Two new product launch decisions face Christopher Carson, managing director of BRL Hardy, Europe. Responsible for the European operations of a major Australian...

The HH.ru case series tracks the development of a respected NASDAQ-listed Russian technology company as it struggles with the fallout of the Russian invasion...

In the short time between October 2018 and March 2019, two new Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes in different parts of the world were involved in deadly crashes....

This case provides an overview of the history and causes of the U.S. opioid epidemic. It begins with a history of opium and pain management, leading into...

On October 28, 2021, Mark Zuckerberg, founder, chief executive officer, and chair of Facebook Inc. (Facebook), announced Facebook's name change to Meta...

The key objective of this case is to review an innovative product's supply chain, so as to identify its supply risks and to improve its supply chain resilience....

In April 2018, after it became known that Google was collaborating with the US Department of Defense on Project Maven, over 3,000 employees signed an...

The CEO of Beech-Nut Nutrition Corp. must decide what to do when he receives information that the company's supply of apple juice concentrate may be adulterated....

By 2022, Meta was the world's largest social media company, with around 3 billion users sharing 140 billion messages and a billion stories a day. Over...

This case focuses on a key business decision taken by The Boeing Company to counter competition from its rival Airbus - in a duopoly market. The pressure...

This case explores the evolution of Nike's global product sourcing strategy, in particular ongoing efforts to improve working conditions at its suppliers'...

This note provides considerations for managers as it pertains to issues of sexual harassment in the organization.

Two weeks after Cinépolis released a documentary film about corruption, a judge ordered its provisional suspension, claiming it had to be edited before...

Witnessing numerous lawsuits alleging that online platform companies misclassified workers as contractors when they were actually employees, Handy's founders...

By January 2022, approximately 100 employees from Microsoft Corporation's (Microsoft) HoloLens division, which had pioneered augmented reality (AR), quit....

Supplement to case UV7532. In October 1720, John Hanger, governor of the Bank of England (BoE), and his fellow directors confronted the imminent collapse...

This (B) case accompanies the (A) case of the same title.

The Banco Espírito Santo (BES) case covers issues related to bank strategy, safety and soundness, the role of conglomerates, and problems related to family...

When Ben Franklin wrote Poor Richard’s Almanac and the words, “A little neglect may breed great mischief,” he did not have price fixing in mind. To the 47 executives in companies in the folding-box industry convicted of price fixing, however, the words seem tailored to fit. In those companies convicted under antitrust laws in 1976, […]

The HH.ru case series tracks the development of a respected NASDAQ-listed Russian technology company as it struggles with the fallout of the Russian invasion...

Two new product launch decisions face Christopher Carson, managing director of BRL Hardy, Europe. Responsible for the European operations of a major Australian...

Many companies lose significant revenue to counterfeiters who sell fake products that look identical to the real thing and unscrupulous supply chain partners...

A fictional bank CEO must make a fast decision in the face of an unthinkable crisis. What would you do in his place? Editors’ Note: This fictional case study will appear in a forthcoming issue of Harvard Business Review, and your comments will be considered for publication in the magazine. We’ll email you if your […]

The HH.ru case series tracks the development of a respected NASDAQ-listed Russian technology company as it struggles with the fallout of the Russian invasion...

In the short time between October 2018 and March 2019, two new Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes in different parts of the world were involved in deadly crashes....

This case provides an overview of the history and causes of the U.S. opioid epidemic. It begins with a history of opium and pain management, leading into...

On October 28, 2021, Mark Zuckerberg, founder, chief executive officer, and chair of Facebook Inc. (Facebook), announced Facebook's name change to Meta...

Mum’s the word.