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• Case | HBS Case Collection | January 2019 (Revised February 2020)

  Jay Gould, 'The Most Hated Man in America'

  Tom Nicholas, John Masko and Matthew G. Preble

  Railroad magnate Jay Gould, a controversial figure in the history of U.S. capitalism, was a disruptive influence on an industry that had previously relied on formal and informal agreements to move traffic long distances across lines operated by different companies. Gould and his competitors replaced these agreements with consolidation and system-building, a process that led to the rise of government regulation of railroads in the 1880s and to widespread railroad bankruptcies in the 1890s. This case explores the growth of early American railroads, places Gould’s career in context (including his famous attempt to corner the U.S. gold market), and demonstrates the implications of his activities on competitive dynamics in the railroad industry.

  Keywords: railroads; Gould; Vanderbilt; Rail Transportation; History; Consolidation; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Competition; Strategy; Rail Industry; United States;

  Citation:

  Nicholas, Tom, John Masko, and Matthew G. Preble. "Jay Gould, 'The Most Hated Man in America'." Harvard Business School Case 819-006, January 2019. (Revised February 2020.)  View Details

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• Working Paper | HBS Working Paper Series | 2020

  Status and Mortality: Is There a Whitehall Effect in the United States?

  Tom Nicholas

  Do white collar workers with lower social status in the occupational hierarchy die younger? The influential Whitehall studies of British civil servants identified a strong inverse relationship between employment rank and mortality, but we do not know if this effect generalizes. Using personnel files, census data and death records, I profile the lifespan and socioeconomic characteristics of a 1930 cohort of white collar workers employed at a leading American firm—General Electric. All had access to a corporate health and wellness program during a critical period associated with the health transition in the United States. I measure status using position in the managerial hierarchy, attendance at prestigious management training camps, and promotions, none of which is associated with a Whitehall-like rank-mortality gradient. Senior managers and executives appear to be the most susceptible to a mortality penalty. I discuss potential explanations for these contrasting findings.

  Keywords: mortality; Status; socioeconomic determinants of health; Employees; Status and Position; Health;

  Citation:

  Nicholas, Tom. "Status and Mortality: Is There a Whitehall Effect in the United States?" Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 20-074, January 2020.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | November 2007 (Revised January 2020)

  Control Data Corporation and the Urban Crisis

  Tom Nicholas and Laura Gaie Singleton

  Control Data Corporation is considering its response to the assassination of renowned civil rights activist Martin Luther King. Four months prior, William Norris, president of the Minneapolis-based computer firm had already committed to building a plant in a low-income area of Minneapolis, but with pressure rising on businesses to respond to inner-city needs and increase minority hiring, Norris urges the company to consider building yet another inner-city plant, this time in Washington, D.C.

  Keywords: Urban Development; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Urban Scope; Computer Industry; District of Columbia; Minneapolis;

  Citation:

  Nicholas, Tom, and Laura Gaie Singleton. "Control Data Corporation and the Urban Crisis." Harvard Business School Case 808-096, November 2007. (Revised January 2020.)  View Details

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