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• Technical Note | HBS Case Collection | December 2018

  Note on Economic Inequality (2018)

  Rebecca Henderson, Clayton S. Rose, Jessica A. Gover and Aldo Sesia

  For over half a century, most of the world's economies have enjoyed steady growth and prosperity. While this economic growth has reduced the number of people living in poverty, it has come with an increase in economic inequality. The gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" in developed countries has widened, with a small proportion of the population reaping an increasingly larger share of a country's economic rewards. This growing economic inequality has been particularly pronounced in the United States, but the phenomenon has also occurred in many nations. This note provides background on aspects of economic inequality. It begins by describing both income inequality and wealth inequality, providing an explanation of two widely used metrics and data that show increasing inequalities over time. It then moves to the factors that might contribute to this inequality, as well to propositions of economic and social consequences that might result from the widening gap. Finally, it addresses the issue of "equality of opportunity" or social mobility. This is an update to the Note on Economic Inequality (2015). It provides additional information on economic inequality, including union membership and inequality and political polarization.

  Keywords: Economic inequalty; wealth inequality; equality of opportunity; political polarization; Economic Growth; Economics; Equality and Inequality; Society; Problems and Challenges;

  Citation:

  Henderson, Rebecca, Clayton S. Rose, Jessica A. Gover, and Aldo Sesia. "Note on Economic Inequality (2018)." Harvard Business School Technical Note 319-071, December 2018.  View Details

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | November 2018

  David Hysong and SHEPHERD Therapeutics

  Ananth Raman, John Masko and Aldo Sesia

  In 2016, David Hysong, at age 27, found out he had a rare, incurable cancer. Rather than wait around to die, Hysong, a recent graduate of Harvard Divinity School, decided to launch a biotechnology company called Shepherd Therapeutics to development treatments for his’ and other rare cancers. Two years later, the company had several drugs in promising stages of development but were at least 3 to 5 years away from commercialization, if they made it through clinical trials successfully. Only about 4% of drugs that enter clinical trials receive U.S. FDA approval. It is October 2018, and Shepherd is running out of money. Hysong needs to raise $5 million to fund operations for 2019 and at least $20 million for the following few years. But the company is too early to attract the type of venture capital he needs. Even if he got financing, Hysong worried that the company’s mission could be compromised by investors more interested in a return on their investment than saving lives, and he worried about the scaling challenges ahead.

  Keywords: cancer; therapeutics; drugs; Health Care and Treatment; Business Startups; Product Development; Financing and Loans; Growth and Development Strategy; Problems and Challenges;

  Citation:

  Raman, Ananth, John Masko, and Aldo Sesia. "David Hysong and SHEPHERD Therapeutics." Harvard Business School Case 619-012, November 2018.  View Details

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• Teaching Note | HBS Case Collection | October 2018

  BlackRock (B): Acquire MLIM?

  Ranjay Gulati, Stuart C. Gilson and Aldo Sesia

  Teaching Note for HBS Nos. 717-405 and 717-485.

  Keywords: Competition; Strategy; Technology;

  Citation:

  Gulati, Ranjay, Stuart C. Gilson, and Aldo Sesia. "BlackRock (B): Acquire MLIM?" Harvard Business School Teaching Note 719-431, October 2018.  View Details

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