Professor Stanton’s research is focused on new possibilities around non-traditional work—through entrepreneurship, freelancing, or the gig economy. A related strand of work examines spillovers inside firms, which may be difficult to capture outside of traditional employment relationships.
Christopher T. Stanton
Marvin Bower Associate Professor
Marvin Bower Associate Professor
Christopher Stanton is Marvin Bower Associate Professor of Business Administration in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit. He is responsible for the MBA elective course Managing the Future of Work and he also teaches in a variety of Executive Education programs. In addition to his position at HBS, Professor Stanton is a Faculty Research Fellow with The National Bureau of Economic Research, a Research Fellow with CESifo in Germany, and is affiliated with the Center for Economic Policy Research in the UK.
Professor Stanton's research provides insights into management practices that generate positive spillovers inside firms, while seeking to understand how technology is changing the ability to fragment work beyond traditional organizational boundaries. The same technological trends that enable the growth of remote work and the rise of the gig economy also improve the measurement of internal work outcomes, giving executives rich data to target incentives or productivity improvement programs. Professor Stanton seeks to understand the resulting managerial, organizational, and policy implications of these trends. Recent work also focuses on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Stanton's research has been published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, the Review of Economic Studies, Management Science, the Journal of Labor Economics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, among other outlets and it has been covered by major media outlets including The Economist, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg.
Before joining HBS, Professor Stanton was an Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of Utah and an Assistant Professor of Managerial Economics and Strategy at the London School of Economics. He earned a Ph.D. in business administration from Stanford University and B.A. and M.A. degrees from Emory University.
Christopher Stanton is Marvin Bower Associate Professor of Business Administration in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit. He is responsible for the MBA elective course Managing the Future of Work and also teaches in a variety of Executive Education programs. In addition to his position at HBS, Professor Stanton is a Faculty Research Fellow with The National Bureau of Economic Research, a Research Fellow with CESifo in Germany, and is affiliated with the Center for Economic Policy Research in the UK.
Professor Stanton's research provides insight into management practices that generate positive spillovers inside firms, while seeking to understand how technology is changing the ability to fragment work beyond traditional organizational boundaries. The same technological trends that enable the growth of remote work and the rise of the gig economy also improve the measurement of internal work outcomes, giving executives rich data to target incentives or productivity improvement programs. Professor Stanton seeks to understand the resulting managerial, organizational, and policy implications of these trends. Recent work also focuses on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Stanton's research has been published in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, the Review of Economic Studies, Management Science, the Journal of Labor Economics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, among other outlets and it has been covered by major media outlets including The Economist, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Bloomberg.
Before joining HBS, Professor Stanton was an Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of Utah and an Assistant Professor of Managerial Economics and Strategy at the London School of Economics. He earned a Ph.D. in business administration from Stanford University and B.A. and M.A. degrees from Emory University.
- Journal Articles
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- Balla-Elliott, Dylan, Zoë B. Cullen, Edward L. Glaeser, Michael Luca, and Christopher Stanton. "Determinants of Small Business Reopening Decisions After COVID Restrictions Were Lifted." Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 41, no. 1 (Winter 2022): 278–317. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, and Catherine Thomas. "The Gig Economy Beyond Local Services and Transportation." CESifo Forum 21, no. 3 (September 2020): 21–26. View Details
- Sandvik, Jason, Richard Saouma, Nathan Seegert, and Christopher Stanton. "Employee Responses to Compensation Changes: Evidence from a Sales Firm." Management Science 67, no. 12 (December 2021): 7687–7707. View Details
- Dafny, Leemore S., Yin Wei Soon, Zoë Cullen, and Christopher T. Stanton. "How Has COVID-19 Affected Health Insurance Offered by Small Businesses in the U.S.? Early Evidence from a Survey." NEJM Catalyst (August 14, 2020). (Commentary.) View Details
- Bartik, Alexander, Marianne Bertrand, Zoë B. Cullen, Edward L. Glaeser, Michael Luca, and Christopher Stanton. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Small Business Outcomes and Expectations." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, no. 30 (July 28, 2020). View Details
- Sandvik, Jason, Richard Saouma, Nathan Seegert, and Christopher Stanton. "Workplace Knowledge Flows." Quarterly Journal of Economics 135, no. 3 (August 2020): 1635–1680. View Details
- Lazear, Edward P., Kathryn L. Shaw, and Christopher Stanton. "Who Gets Hired? The Importance of Competition Among Applicants." Journal of Labor Economics 36, no. S1 (January 2018): S133–S181. View Details
- Chaudoin, Stephen, Zachary Peskowitz, and Christopher Stanton. "Beyond Zeroes and Ones: The Intensity and Dynamics of Civil Conflict." Journal of Conflict Resolution 61, no. 1 (January 2017): 56–83. View Details
- Lazear, Edward P., Kathryn L. Shaw, and Christopher Stanton. "The Value of Bosses." Journal of Labor Economics 33, no. 4 (October 2015): 823–861. View Details
- Lazear, Edward P., Kathryn L. Shaw, and Christopher Stanton. "Making Do with Less: Working Harder During Recessions." Journal of Labor Economics 34, no. S1 (January 2016): S333–S360. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, and Catherine Thomas. "Landing the First Job: The Value of Intermediaries in Online Hiring." Review of Economic Studies 83, no. 2 (April 2016): 810–854. View Details
- Ghani, Ejaz, William R. Kerr, and Christopher Stanton. "Diasporas and Outsourcing: Evidence from oDesk and India." Management Science 60, no. 7 (July 2014): 1677–1697. View Details
- Book Chapters
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- Horton, John, William R. Kerr, and Christopher Stanton. "Digital Labor Markets and Global Talent Flows." Chap. 3 in High-Skilled Migration to the United States and Its Economic Consequences, edited by Gordon H. Hanson, William R. Kerr, and Sarah Turner, 71–108. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2018. View Details
- Working Papers
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- Espinosa, Miguel, and Christopher T. Stanton. "Training, Communications Patterns, and Spillovers Inside Organizations." NBER Working Paper Series, No. 30224, July 2022. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, and Catherine Thomas. "Who Benefits from Online Gig Economy Platforms?" NBER Working Paper Series, No. 29477, November 2021. View Details
- Sandvik, Jason, Richard Saouma, Nathan Seegert, and Christopher Stanton. "Treatment and Selection Effects of Formal Workplace Mentorship Programs." NBER Working Paper Series, No. 29148, August 2021. View Details
- Chen, Zhuoqiong Charlie, Christopher Stanton, and Catherine Thomas. "Information Spillovers in Experience Goods Competition." NBER Working Paper Series, No. 28584, March 2021. (Minor Revise and Resubmit at Management Science.) View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, and Pratyush Tiwari. "Housing Consumption and the Cost of Remote Work." NBER Working Paper Series, No. 28483, February 2021. View Details
- Bartik, Alexander, Zoë B. Cullen, Edward L. Glaeser, Michael Luca, Christopher Stanton, and Adi Sunderam. "The Targeting and Impact of Paycheck Protection Program Loans to Small Businesses." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-021, August 2020. View Details
- Bartik, Alexander, Zoë Cullen, Edward L. Glaeser, Michael Luca, and Christopher Stanton. "What Jobs Are Being Done at Home During the COVID-19 Crisis? Evidence from Firm-Level Surveys." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 20-138, June 2020. View Details
- Ewens, Michael, Ramana Nanda, and Christopher Stanton. "Founder-CEO Compensation and Selection into Venture Capital-Backed Entrepreneurship." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 20-119, May 2020. (Revise and Resubmit at Journal of Finance. Revised January 2023.) View Details
- Horton, John, William R. Kerr, and Christopher Stanton. "Digital Labor Markets and Global Talent Flows." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 17-096, May 2017. View Details
- Dillon, Eleanor W., and Christopher T. Stanton. "Self-Employment Dynamics and the Returns to Entrepreneurship." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 17-022, September 2016. (Revised March 2018.) View Details
- Cases and Teaching Materials
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- Stanton, Christopher. "Managing the Future of Work." Harvard Business School Course Overview Note 823-085, December 2022. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, and George Gonzalez. "Para: Pay Transparency and Gig Drivers’ Rights." Harvard Business School Case 823-072, November 2022. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, Joseph B. Fuller, and George Gonzalez. "Braintrust: The Blockchain-Powered Talent Network." Harvard Business School Case 823-039, August 2022. (Revised August 2022.) View Details
- Bernstein, Shai, William R. Kerr, Jim Matheson, Christopher Stanton, and Ria Mazumdar. "Chime Solutions." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 822-135, May 2022. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, Karim R. Lakhani, Jin Hyun Paik, and Nina Cohodes. "Freelancer, Ltd. Case Supplement." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Supplement 823-707, December 2022. View Details
- Bernstein, Shai, William R. Kerr, Christopher Stanton, and Mel Martin. "Chime Solutions." Harvard Business School Case 821-105, March 2021. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, Karim R. Lakhani, Jin Hyun Paik, and Nina Cohodes. "Freelancer, Ltd." Harvard Business School Multimedia/Video Case 823-706, December 2022. View Details
- Kominers, Scott Duke, Christopher Stanton, Andy Wu, and Olivia Hull. "Zoom Video Communications: Eric Yuan’s Leadership During COVID-19." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 821-018, January 2021. View Details
- Krieger, Joshua Lev, Christopher Stanton, and James Barnett. "Forecasting ClimaCell." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 821-008, December 2020. (Revised March 2022.) View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, Richard Saouma, and Olivia Hull. "Clear Link Technologies, LLC: Driving Sales with Peer Effects." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 821-013, January 2021. (Revised December 2022.) View Details
- Kominers, Scott Duke, Christopher Stanton, Andy Wu, and George Gonzalez. "Zoom Video Communications: Eric Yuan's Leadership During COVID-19." Harvard Business School Case 821-014, August 2020. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, William R. Kerr, James Palano, and Kendall Smith. "Catalant's Operating System for the Future of Work." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 820-105, June 2020. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, William R. Kerr, James Palano, and Kendall Smith. "Catalant's Operating System for the Future of Work." Harvard Business School Case 820-093, February 2020. (Revised August 2020.) View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, Shikhar Ghosh, William R. Kerr, Sarah Gulick, and James Palano. "Collage.com: Scaling a Distributed Organization (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 820-101, February 2020. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, Karim R. Lakhani, Jennifer L. Hoffman, Jin Hyun Paik, and Nina Cohodes. "Freelancer, Ltd." Harvard Business School Case 820-075, January 2020. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, Richard Saouma, and Olivia Hull. "Clear Link Technologies, LLC: Driving Sales with Peer Effects." Harvard Business School Case 819-072, April 2019. (Revised January 2022.) View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, and Shikhar Ghosh. "Collage.com: Scaling a Distributed Organization." Harvard Business School Case 817-038, September 2016. (Revised September 2017.) View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, and Shikhar Ghosh. "Collage.com: Scaling a Distributed Organization." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 818-100, January 2018. (Revised April 2018.) View Details
- Ghosh, Shikhar, and Christopher Stanton. "Dinesh Moorjani and Hatch Labs." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 818-106, March 2018. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, and Shikhar Ghosh. "Hatch Startup Equity Valuation Exercise (Student Version)." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 818-704, March 2018. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, and Shikhar Ghosh. "Hatch Startup Equity Valuation exercise for Instructor Use." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 818-705, March 2018. View Details
- Ghosh, Shikhar, Christopher Stanton, Allison Ciechanover, and Jeff Huizinga. "Dinesh Moorjani and Hatch Labs." Harvard Business School Case 818-026, September 2017. (Revised February 2018.) View Details
- Krieger, Joshua Lev, Christopher Stanton, and James Barnett. "Forecasting ClimaCell." Harvard Business School Case 820-044, December 2019. View Details
- Ghosh, Shikhar, Christopher Stanton, and Sanchali Pal. "Valuing Employee Equity at Early Stage Ventures." Harvard Business School Technical Note 819-167, June 2019. View Details
- Stanton, Christopher, and Tom Nicholas. "The Flint, Michigan Sit-Down Strike." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 818-107, March 2018. View Details
- Nicholas, Tom, Christopher T. Stanton, and Matthew Preble. "The Flint, Michigan Sit-Down Strike." Harvard Business School Case 817-005, February 2017. (Revised May 2018.) View Details
- Nicholas, Tom, Christopher Stanton, and Matthew Preble. "Edwin Land: The Art and Science of Innovation." Harvard Business School Case 817-107, March 2017. (Revised May 2018.) View Details
- Gompers, Paul A., Christopher Stanton, and Silpa Kovvali. "ICSGroup." Harvard Business School Case 819-097, March 2019. View Details
- Leschly, Stig, Mark Roberge, and Christopher T. Stanton. "The Entrepreneurial Manager, Module 3: Operating the Business Model." Harvard Business School Module Note 819-109, March 2019. View Details
- Research Summary
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- Teaching
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The nature and scope of work is changing rapidly, creating massive business challenges in the shadow of broader political and social shifts. HBS launched a major initiative in 2017 on Managing the Future of Work to define these workplace issues and highlight their implications for business leaders. The Managing the Future of Work course reflects some of the learnings from this initiative and will cover the following main themes:
- Automation and its impact on jobs and different segments of the workforce
- Mismatch between skill demand and supply, including demographic factors and geographic differences across places
- Evolving labor models, including the gig economy and remote work in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Actions steps around training, policy, and entrepreneurship.
The course allows students to examine different perspectives around the future of work, taking on the lens of business, policy, and workforce development institutions in advanced economies. The material gives a modest edge to implications for business leadership in corporations (i.e., what opportunities might be available for firms like Apple or Unilever, and what should they do?) and emerging business concepts and applications in start-up companies.
Embedded in the approach is the assumption that tackling these complex workplace issues will require new competencies for executives, including the ability to collaborate with and understand the needs of labor stakeholders, policy leaders, and educators. Part of becoming a leader versed in future of work issues is the ability to understand tradeoffs, and fully contextualizing the costs, benefits, and spillover implications of decisions or policies requires familiarity with data. A key component of the will center around data fluency in debates and projects where original data analysis is used to inform conclusions.
This course is a great fit for students who want to position themselves for careers in the future of work landscape. These roles could be as a startup founder for a company related to the future of work, as a business executive guiding a larger firm through its required transformation, as a leader within policy and labor groups interacting with firms, or as a learning and development leader playing an important role in training and reskilling.
The class is taught by Christopher Stanton. Class sessions include case studies, primers that layout the core issues on topics, and playbook reports designed for business and policy leaders. We also mix in multi-media content (podcasts, videos, etc.) where best suited. Class guests are frequent.
Course grades are based on class participation (40%), exercises and presentations of analysis (35%), an individual writeup reflecting on group exercise 2 (15%), and short-answer responses to pre-class questions (10%).
- Awards & Honors
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Winner of the 2019 Sumantra Ghoshal Award for Rigour and Relevance in the Study of Management from London Business School.
- Additional Information
- Areas of Interest
- In The News
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