Information Technology →
- 24 Mar 2008
- Working Paper Summaries
Optimal Deterrence when Judgment-Proof Agents Are Paid In Arrears—With an Application to Online Advertising Fraud
It is commonplace for large entities (both advertisers and ad networks) to enter into relationships with numerous small agents such as Web sites, blogs, search syndicators, and other marketing partners. For example, one well-known affiliate network boasts more than a million affiliates promoting offers from the network's hundreds of merchants, and Google contracts with numerous independent Web sites to show Google's "AdSense" ads. Although these advertising agents are often small, they can take advantage of technology to claim payments they have not earned. In practice, the legal system cannot offer meaningful redress to an aggrieved advertiser or ad network. This paper argues that delayed payment offers a more expedient alternative—a sensible stopgap strategy for use when primary enforcement systems prove inadequate. Key concepts include: Online advertising markets are one of many markets where agents may be effectively unreachable through the legal system. Online advertising contracts presently lack any institution by which the payment structure can enforce good practices. Improving detection technology remains the preferred deterrent of online advertising fraud. Appropriate selection of a payment delay can achieve the benefits offered by contingent payment in other markets. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Dec 2006
- Working Paper Summaries
The Business of Free Software: Enterprise Incentives, Investment, and Motivation in the Open Source Community
IBM has contributed more than $1 billion to the development and promotion of the Linux operating system, and other vendors such as Sun are ramping up open source software efforts and investment. Why do information technology vendors that have traditionally sold proprietary software invest millions of dollars in OSS? Where have they chosen to invest, and what are the characteristics of the OSS projects to which they contribute? This study grouped OSS projects into clusters and identified IT vendors' motives in each cluster. Key concepts include: Cluster 1, the "money-driven cluster," consisted of projects that have received almost all of vendor investments. The eighteen projects in this cluster have received over $2 billion in investment. Cluster 2, the "community-driven cluster," has a large number of projects that have received almost no vendor investment. IT vendors have generally ignored projects in this cluster and appear to have no coordinated strategy for dealing with them. Examining the impact of projects in both clusters shows that vendors have not invested uniformly in high-impact OSS projects. Instead, vendors invest in projects that can serve to draw revenues to their own (largely proprietary) core business. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 28 Sep 2006
- Working Paper Summaries
Scale without Mass: Business Process Replication and Industry Dynamics
Over the past ten years there's been a clear link between IT investment and productivity growth in the U.S. economy. But what impact has IT had on competition? This paper identifies several recent changes in the competitive dynamics of U.S. industries and shows that they are associated with IT intensity; the more IT and industry has, the greater the changes. Using case studies, previous research, and a simple model, the authors offer a theory that explains these patterns in the data. They argue that IT allows the rapid spread of business process innovations, which in turn leads to more turbulent and concentrated industries. Key concepts include: Since the mid-1990s, IT-intensive industries have seen higher levels of turbulence and concentration growth than have non-IT-intensive industries. The improved ability of firms to replicate business innovations affects not only productivity, but also the nature of business competition itself. Future research on the competitive impact of IT within a single industry could use case studies combined with economy-wide data analysis. This method would help clarify the impetus for technology investments, their timing, and their effects. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 28 Aug 2006
- Research & Ideas
Online Match-Making with Virtual Dates
Users of online dating sites often struggle to find love because the sites themselves make it more difficult than it needs to be. To the rescue: Virtual Dates, an online ice-breaker from Jeana Frost of Boston University, Michael Norton of HBS, and Dan Ariely of MIT. Key concepts include: Technology influences the tone and trajectory of relationships. The interface of online dating sites should be improved to help people filter better. Virtual Dates is an experimental interface that allows couples to communicate in real time using colors, words, and images. The idea of virtual spaces for natural interactions may have applications for managers and entrepreneurs. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Jul 2006
- Working Paper Summaries
Why IT Matters in Midsized Firms
What does IT actually contribute to a business? Is IT a commodity like electricity or is it a crucial element of competitive advantage? In a study of over 600 medium-sized global firms to analyze the business benefits that IT can enable, the authors found that IT capability was key to profitable business growth. This was true in both the U.S. product and services sectors as well as in Germany and Brazil. Key concepts include: IT matters. IT enables firms to scale. The amount a company spends on IT is a poor indicator of IT functionality and business impact. Firms with business process scalability find it easier to overcome obstacles to growth, differentiate themselves from competitors, and quickly capitalize on opportunities. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Jul 2006
- Working Paper Summaries
Information Technology Ecosystem Health and Performance
An IT ecosystem is "the network of organizations that drives the creation and delivery of information technology products and services." To understand the health and well being of the IT industry in the context of an ecosystem, the authors looked at three crucial IT ecosystem metrics: productivity, robustness, and innovation. Key concepts include: The IT ecosystem is strong in all three of the most important sectors of hardware, software, and services. Since the recession and retrenchment several years ago, the IT ecosystem has regained its health, competitiveness, and productivity. There are currently significant levels of innovation from both new market entrants as well as incumbent market leaders. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 24 Oct 2005
- Research & Ideas
Building an IT Governance Committee
Boards need to take more accountability for IT, argue professors Richard Nolan and Warren McFarlan. In this excerpt from their recent Harvard Business Review article, the authors detail what an IT governance committee should look like. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 25 Aug 2003
- Research & Ideas
Why IT Does Matter
HBS professors F. Warren McFarlan and Richard L. Nolan respond to the much-discussed assertion by Nicholas Carr that company investments in IT are less and less likely to produce competitive advantage. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 21 Jul 2003
- Research & Ideas
Don’t Get Buried in Customer DataUse It
Don't blame your CRM technology. Be smarter about collecting and using your data, says Jean Ayers in this article from Harvard Management Update. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 30 Jun 2003
- Research & Ideas
Computer Security is For Managers, Too
Computer security isn’t just an IT headache, say HBS professor Robert D. Austin and co-author Christopher A.R. Darby. Here are eight to-do items for managers to protect their digital assets. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 30 Mar 2003
- Research & Ideas
The Future of IT Consulting
A new Harvard Business School working paper traces the evolution of IT management consulting and trends for the future. Read our e-mail interview with professor Richard Nolan and HBS Interactive Senior Vice President Larry Bennigson. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 19 Nov 2001
- Research & Ideas
Wrapping Your Alliances In a World Wide Web
HBS professor Andrew McAfee researches how the Internet affects manufacturing and productivity and how business can team up to get the most out of technology. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Oct 2001
- What Do You Think?
- 18 Jun 2001
- Research & Ideas
Tech Investment the Wise Way
Can elephants dance? Large companies are perceived to be less inclined to invest in new technologies than start-ups. But HBS professor Henry Chesbrough and Professor Emeritus Richard S. Rosenbloom say look to your business model—not the technology itself—to judge investment decisions. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 29 Feb 2000
- Research & Ideas
Whence IT Value?
Spending on information technology on the part of U.S. manufacturers is finally starting to pay off in increased productivity. Why now? Have IT investments, growing steadily since the 1970s, suddenly crossed a magic threshhold? HBS Professor Andrew McAfee believes the answer lies neither in magic nor in the growing power of computers themselves. Productivity gains, he writes in this article from the online journal Exec, may have more to do with the evolution of computing from PC "islands" to integrated networks that bridge distances and bring people together. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Feb 2000
- Lessons from the Classroom
Delivering Information Services: A 30-Year Perspective
When the HBS Executive Education course Delivering Information Services (DIS) began nearly three decades ago, the focus was on the management of mainframe computers. HBS Professor Richard L. Nolan discusses how the program and the way it's taught have kept pace with change in the Internet Age. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Jan 2000
- Research & Ideas
Calling All Managers: How to Build a Better Call Center
Once viewed simply as low-cost channels for resolving customer concerns, call centers are increasingly seen as powerful service delivery mechanisms and even as generators of revenue. Research by HBS Professor Frances X. Frei and her colleagues Ann Evenson and Patrick T. Harker of the Wharton School points toward new ways of making them work. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 12 Oct 1999
- Research & Ideas
Rapid Response: Inside the Retailing Revolution
A simple bar code scan at your local department store today launches a whirlwind of action: data is transmitted about the color, the size, and the style of the item to forecasters and production planners; distributors and suppliers are informed of the demand and the possible need to restock. All in the blink of an electronic eye. It wasn’t always this way, though. HBS Professor Janice Hammond has focused her recent research on the transformation of the apparel and textile industries from the classic, limited model to the new lean inventories and flexible manufacturing capabilities. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
How Much Obsolescence Can Business and Society Absorb?
This month's question brought out both the poets and the engineers among respondents. The rapid pace of new technology adoption within organizations implies change for management and society, says HBS professor Jim Heskett. How does change affect the open sharing of information? (Forum now closed; next forum begins May 1.) Closed for comment; 0 Comments.