Faculty Books

01 Sep 2013

Faculty Books

Re: Boris Groysberg (Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration); Paul M. Healy (James R. Williston Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus); David A. Moss (Paul Whiton Cherington Professor of Business Administration Unit Head, Business, Government and the International Economy); Joseph L. Badaracco (John Shad Professor of Business Ethics); Anita Elberse (Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration)

Topics: Information-Books Ethics-Values and Beliefs Leadership-Leading Change Governance-Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms Economics-Business Cycles

Manufacturing Morals: The Values of Silence in Business School Education
by Michel Anteby
(University of Chicago Press)

How does HBS try to ensure that its faculty and students embrace proper business standards? Associate Professor Anteby finds that silence plays a role in the School's process of codifying values. Specifics are often left unspoken; for example, teaching notes for faculty provide much guidance on how to teach but little on what to teach. Faculty and students are exposed to a system that operates on open-ended directives requiring significant decision-making by those involved, with little overt guidance from the hierarchy. Anteby suggests that this model, which tolerates moral complexity, may be one of the few that can adapt and endure.

Faculty Research

HBS Working Knowledge offers a first look at new thinking from HBS faculty. Read the complete articles summarized below by visiting their web links.

How to Spot a Liar

Key linguistic cues can help reveal dishonesty during business negotiations, whether it's a flat-out lie or a deliberate omission of key information, according to research by Professor Deepak Malhotra and his coauthors. See hbswk.hbs.edu/item/7234.html.

Is Your iPhone Turning You into a Wimp?

The body posture inherent in operating everyday gadgets affects both your back and your behavior. According to a new study by Associate Professor Amy Cuddy and her coauthor, operating a relatively large device inspires more assertive behavior than working on a small one. See hbswk.hbs.edu/item/7271.html.

The Good Struggle: Responsible Leadership in an Unforgiving World
by Joseph L. Badaracco
(Harvard Business Review Press)

Leading responsibly is crucial in today's uncertain world. Badaracco, the John Shad Professor of Business Ethics, thinks leaders must serve "the new invisible hand," powerful, pervasive markets that affect almost every decision leaders make. As a result, struggle has become a central, nagging issue. Badaracco recommends addressing this "good" struggle head-on by tackling several complex challenges, turning to entrepreneurs for practical guidance. The conditions they have always faced—intense competition, scarce resources, and unforgiving markets—are true now for everyone.

Preventing Regulatory Capture: Special Interest Influence and How to Limit It
edited by Daniel Carpenter and David A. Moss
(Cambridge University Press)

This book brings together scholars from multiple disciplines who examine contemporary regulation to gain a clearer grasp of what regulatory capture is, where and to what extent it occurs, and what prevents it from occurring more fully and pervasively. Many chapters also distill lessons for policymakers and the public on how capture can be mitigated and the public interest protected.

Blockbusters: Hit-Making, Risk-Taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment
by Anita Elberse
(Henry Holt)

What's behind the success of entertainment businesses like Warner Bros. and stars like Lady Gaga? Elberse, the Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration, explains a powerful truth about the entertainment world: Building a business around blockbuster products—which are expensive to produce and market—is the surest path to long-term success. She reveals why entertainment executives spend so much money searching for the next blockbuster, why superstars are paid unimaginable sums, and how digital technologies are transforming the entertainment landscape.

Wall Street Research: Past, Present, and Future
by Boris Groysberg and Paul M. Healy
(Stanford University Press)

Wall Street equity analysts provide research results about publicly traded companies to help investors make more profitable decisions. But during the past decade, the integrity of this research has been questioned due to concerns over conflicts of interest. The authors explain the forces shaping the industry—technologies that democratize information and stock-trading; upheavals and stagnation in established financial markets; and new markets—and how they are likely to influence its future.