Corporate Governance

Coalbed methane is an underappreciated problem of global steel production. While cutting methane emissions in the steel supply chain will not produce green steel overnight, it could reduce the sector’s emissions by the equivalent of a billion tons of carbon annually, and at little cost.

We document gender and race dynamics in performance evaluations in a multi-national company, examining the impacts of a feature of the performance appraisal process: managers’ knowledge of employees’ self-evaluations. Generally, (White) women were rated higher than men and people of color were rated lower than White employees. Women of color gave themselves the lowest self-ratings. When self-evaluations were unavailable due to a quasi-exogenous shock, manager and self-ratings were less correlated.

The US government has a massive footprint on any US company that goes way beyond just the impact of tariffs. How the government chooses to use that influence can make or break the company. Read the full article on Forbes.com

Earnings management involves actions by managers to influence reported financial results, often to present a more favorable view of company performance. In this chapter, we discuss the tools available to managers for earnings management. We first consider manipulation of net income through accruals and real earnings management. Then, we disaggregate earnings management along the income statement, comparing manipulation of revenue, expenses, and gains and losses.

In a data economy, transactions of goods and services generate data, which is stored, traded and depreciates. How are the economics of this economy different from traditional production economies? How do these differences matter for measurement of  GDP, firm values, depreciation rates, welfare and externalities? We incorporate active experimentation and data as an

There is a consensus that global value chains have aided developing countries' growth. This essay highlights the governance complexities arising from participating in such chains, drawing from lessons we have learned conducting research in the coffee and garment supply chains. Market power of international buyers can lead to inefficiently low wages, prices, quality standards, and poor working conditions. At the same time, some degree of market power might be needed to sustain long-term supply relationships that are beneficial in a world with incomplete contracts.