Crime and Corruption →
- 09 Aug 2018
- Cold Call Podcast
Two Million Fake Accounts: Sales Misconduct at Wells Fargo
Coming out of the financial crisis, Wells Fargo was one of the world’s most successful banks. But then its sales culture went wild, opening more than 2 million fake accounts. Suraj Srinivasan discusses what went wrong. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 30 Jul 2018
- Research & Ideas
Why Ethical People Become Unethical Negotiators
You may think you are an ethical person, but self-interest can cloud your judgment when you sit down at the bargaining table, says Max Bazerman. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 10 Jan 2018
- Research & Ideas
Working for a Shamed Company Can Hurt Your Future Compensation
People who work for a company guilty of malfeasance may see their future compensation curtailed, even if they are guilty of nothing, according to research by Boris Groysberg, Eric Lin, and George Serafeim. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 08 Jan 2018
- Research & Ideas
The Startling Percentage of Financial Advisors with Misconduct Records
One in twelve financial advisors have been disciplined for serious misconduct, according to a recent study by finance professor Mark Egan and colleagues. The bad apples are rarely punished. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 06 Dec 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Does Financial Misconduct Affect the Future Compensation of Alumni Managers?
Analyzing data from an executive search firm, this paper explains how former employees who are free from wrongdoing still pay a price in stigma after incidents of corporate financial misconduct. The finding is potentially disquieting for all managers, because it suggests that one’s human capital can be impaired even long after one moves on and suggests the need for developing a human capital strategy for reacting to misconduct of past employers.
- 08 Nov 2017
- Research & Ideas
Handgun Waiting Periods Prevent Hundreds of Homicides Each Year
Waiting-period laws reduce gun-related homicides by 17 percent and gun-related suicides by up to 11 percent, according to a study by Deepak Malhotra, Michael Luca, and Christopher Poliquin. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 02 Nov 2017
- Cold Call Podcast
Could a Hackathon Help Solve the Heroin Crisis?
What’s the value of crowdsourcing technological solutions to societal problems? Could a hackathon help solve the heroin crisis in Cincinnati, Ohio? Mitch Weiss discusses a recent case study. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Nov 2017
- What Do You Think?
What Are the Real Lessons of the Wells Fargo Case?
SUMMING UP James Heskett's readers identify key failures in Wells Fargo's culture and leadership. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Oct 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Crime and Violence: Desensitization in Victims to Watching Criminal Events
Findings from an experiment show that victims of crimes become desensitized to violence in biological and cognitive ways. These results may help explain a troubling contradiction in Latin America: rising crime along with decreasing public concern about it. As the rate of crime victimization increases, a larger group of the population shares this increased desensitization.
- 05 Jul 2017
- Research & Ideas
Are Stockbrokers Illegally Leaking Confidential Information to Favored Clients?
New research by Marco Di Maggio reveals stockbroker behavior that is probably illegal, definitely underregulated, and arguably influential in the day-to-day operations of the stock market. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 03 Jan 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Meet the Oligarchs: Business Legitimacy, State Capacity and Taxation
What role do people’s beliefs about the rich play in the determination of public policy? This study focuses on three policy domains: public-private sector meetings (assumed to be an important determinant of state capacity), demand for taxation of the top 1 percent, and business regulation. Results overall suggest that trust in business and government operate differently in people’s mind. While business legitimacy leads to a lower demand for regulation, this is not so clear-cut for trust in government.
- 21 Dec 2016
- Cold Call Podcast
Target's Expensive Cybersecurity Mistake
Professor Suraj Srinivasan explores one of the largest cyber breaches in history, analyzing why failures happen, who should be held accountable, and how preventing them is both a technical problem and a matter of organizational design. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 24 Oct 2016
- Research & Ideas
Bernie Madoff Explains Himself
A few years ago, professor Eugene Soltes phoned convicted felon Bernie Madoff and asked him an important question: How would you explain your actions and misconduct to students? The recorded answer offers sobering lessons for anyone with business ambitions. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 10 Oct 2016
- Book
Why White-Collar Criminals Commit Their Crimes
Curious about the motives behind white-collar crime, Eugene Soltes spent seven years interviewing nearly 50 convicted corporate felons, including Bernard Madoff, Allen Stanford, and Dennis Kozlowski. Soltes shares what he learned in his new book, Why They Do It: Inside the Mind of the White-Collar Criminal. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 22 Jul 2016
- Working Paper Summaries
Who Pays for White-Collar Crime?
Punishments of white-collar crime are systematically related to perpetrator, transaction, and company characteristics. This variation is consistent with executives determining appropriate punishments by an economic analysis of costs and benefits. Even so, senior male executives receive lighter punishments than female peers, for example. These and other variations suggest that not all decisions about punishment are taken with shareholders’ interests in mind: The self-interest of host company executives is also an important consideration.
- 12 May 2016
- Research & Ideas
When Mass Shootings Lead to Looser Gun Restrictions
Do mass shootings lead to more gun-related legislation? The answer is yes, with an important twist, according to new research by Michael Luca, Deepak Malhotra, and Christopher Poliquin. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 06 Apr 2016
- What Do You Think?
As Tim Cook, How Would You Tackle Apple's Next Challenge?
SUMMING UP With Apple's technology now apparently less secure, CEO Tim Cook suddenly has some critical decisions to make. James Heskett guides us through the options and asks for suggestions. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 27 Jan 2016
- Research & Ideas
A Politician's Investment Portfolio Might Tip Off Corruption Potential
Is there a way to spot potential for misconduct in our politicians and business leaders? Dylan Minor finds a connection between risk-taking in personal investments and later scandals. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 May 2003
- Research & Ideas
Greed, Fear, and The System Hinder Corporate Reform
Enforcers of regulatory laws are making headway, but their work as a whole needs more teeth, according to panelists at Harvard Business School. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
Corruption, Government Subsidies, and Innovation: Evidence from China
Governments subsidize a growing number of innovation efforts, many of which may face the challenge of corruption. Using Chinese data, this study finds corruption-related distortions in government R&D subsidies, which diminished after the 2012 anti-corruption campaign and rotation of provincial officials. It provide insights for designing effective R&D subsidy programs.