Discover the Harvard CID faculty driving cutting-edge research in business, firms, and finance.
Business and entrepreneurship are powerful engines of opportunity—fueling wealth creation, job growth, and innovation for individuals, communities, and nations alike.
Yet access to capital, knowledge, and markets remains deeply unequal, especially for small firms and underrepresented groups. At CID, our research on business, firms & finance explores how more inclusive economic systems can unlock potential at every level.
Drawing on the expertise of faculty affiliates across Harvard University, we investigate how businesses operate, grow, and adapt—examining topics such as corporate strategy, investment behavior, financial markets, and organizational dynamics.
From evaluating interventions that support microenterprises to analyzing how finance and firm behavior shape development outcomes, CID researchers are generating insights to strengthen business ecosystems and advance inclusive, sustainable growth.
Harvard CID Faculty Affiliates Shaping the Future of Business, Firms, & Finance
Warren Alpert Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
Frederic E. Abbe Professor of Economics, Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences
John G. McLean Professor, Harvard Business School
Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor, Harvard Business School
Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School
Purnima Puri and Richard Barrera Associate Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
Featured Research on Business, Firms, & Finance
CID faculty research insights look at publications by Harvard faculty that have shaped current understanding of business, firms, & finance. These summaries distill complex findings into accessible takeaways for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.
Harvard CID Faculty Publications
Read the latest research from CID faculty affiliates examining how businesses, firms, and financial systems shape economic development. Topics include entrepreneurship, firm growth, access to capital, investment strategies, and financial inclusion. These data-driven publications offer critical insights to inform policy and promote inclusive, sustainable economic growth.
Sovereign vs. Corporate Debt and Default: More Similar Than You Think
Sovereign vs. Corporate Debt and Default: More Similar Than You Think
Analyzing 8,238 US corporate and 882 emerging market sovereign bonds (2002–2021), this study finds both markets have similar returns, default rates, haircuts, and recoveries. Investor risk and default patterns closely align despite distinct legal structures.
CID Faculty Affiliate: Carmen Reinhart
The Inverted U-Shaped Relationship between Female Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
The Inverted U-Shaped Relationship between Female Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
This NBER study of 114 countries finds female entrepreneurship rises, then falls, as economies grow—peaking in middle-income nations. Female-owned firms are typically smaller and less complex. Rates closely track women’s education and social norms worldwide.
CID Faculty Affiliate:
The International Empirics of Management
The International Empirics of Management
A global survey across 14 countries shows firms with higher management scores are more productive, profitable, larger, and more likely to export. Better management practices consistently drive firm success, emphasizing their role in economic growth.
CID Faculty Affiliate:
Discover how Harvard CID faculty affiliates are advancing research on business growth, firm dynamics, and inclusive finance to drive sustainable development.