Faculty Research Online
HBS Working Knowledge offers a first look at new thinking from HBS faculty. Read the complete articles summarized below by visiting their Web links.
“I Read Playboy for the Articles”: Justifying and Rationalizing Questionable Preferences
When people behave in ways that might appear selfish, prejudiced, or perverted, they employ a host of strategies designed to justify questionable behavior with rational excuses: “I hired my son because he’s more qualified.” “I promoted Ashley because she does a better job than Aisha.” In this book chapter, Assistant Professor Michael Norton and HBS doctoral student Zo‰ Chance describe various means of coping with one’s own questionable behavior. See http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6283.html.
Understanding Users of Social Networks
Many business leaders are mystified about how to reach potential customers on social networks like Facebook. Associate Professor Mikolaj Piskorski provides a fresh look at the interpersonal dynamics of these sites and offers guidance for approaching these tantalizing markets. See http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6156.html.
The Height Tax, and Other New Ways to Think about Taxation
The notion of levying higher taxes on tall people — an idea offered largely tongue in cheek — presents an ideal way to highlight the shortcomings of current tax policy and how to make it better. Assistant Professor Matthew Weinzierl looks at modern trends in taxation. See http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6258.html.
