Business law and 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 […]

The author argues for an industry in which unethical behavior is punished; professional expectations, pay, and desired outcomes are standardized; and...

Give people alternative channels to express and solve problems.

If you spring for optional pollution-control devices at your overseas plant, have you violated your duty to maximize shareholder value? Here's a framework...

Mum’s the word.

People aren’t getting dumber, but they’re often treated that way. Politicians, educators, and the media assume the public is uncomfortable with nuance and grateful for prescribed solutions. Business, too, is being progressively dumbed down, not only by book authors who teach management by parable but also by managers themselves. Ironically, the infantilization of work is […]

Protections and benefits shouldn’t be based on employment status alone.

Stick to evidence-based recruiting.

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 […]

The data seem clear on David Sokol's conflict of interest in the Berkshire/Lubrizol deal. He bought shares in Lubrizol, and then encouraged Berkshire...

The open office is the dominant form of workspace design for good reason: It fosters collaboration, promotes learning, and nurtures strong culture. But...

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 […]

Anyone who argues that "green" business makes economic sense is bending the truth, says the director of environmental affairs at Aspen Skiing Co. Sustainable...

Airbnb's legal travails raise the question: how free should you be to rent out your place?

Research highlights the issue with holding creativity up on a pedestal.

Most executives think they’re security conscious—they change their passwords and shred important documents and so forth. But what rarely crosses their minds, says espionage expert H. Keith Melton, is that cloak-and-dagger types really are after their valuables. Just because you’re not paranoid, he observes, doesn’t mean they’re not following you. Melton, the author of Ultimate […]

Power clearly isn't what it used to be. We see Goliaths being toppled by Davids all around us, from the networked drivers of Uber to the crowdfunded creatives...