Shane Greenstein
Martin Marshall Professor of Business Administration
Co-chair of the HBS Digital Initiative
Department: Harvard Business School
Colleges / Universities: Harvard University
Contact
1525 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: sgreenstein@hbs.edu
Website: Harvard faculty profile
Shane Greenstein is the Martin Marshall Professor of Business Administration and co-chair of the HBS Digital Initiative. He teaches in the Technology, Operations and Management Unit. His areas of interest include: digital economy, information technology, networks, and technological innovation. Professor Greenstein is also co-director of the program on the economics of digitization at The National Bureau of Economic Research.
Encompassing a wide array of questions about computing, communication, and Internet markets, Professor Greenstein’s research extends from economic measurement and analysis to broader issues. His most recent book focuses on the development of the commercial Internet in the United States. He also publishes commentary on his blog, Digitopoly, and his work has been covered by media outlets ranging from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal to Fast Company and PC World.
Degrees
Ph.D. Economics, Stanford University, 1989
B.A. Economics, University of California - Berkeley, 1983
Recent Academic Article Summaries
Creating a Platform for Costless Personalization in Clothing
A case study of Threadless reveals the importance of co-inventions combining understanding of technology with business processes. Threadless creates digital dark matter, benefits that cannot easily by measured.
The value of platforms often comes from co-inventions.
Does Service Bundling Reduce Churn?
This study considers whether firms that sell telecommunications services as a bundle find it easier to retain customers. The data shows that bundling does reduce “churn” for pay television, broadband, and telephone service.
Bundling help firms maintain revenues from shrinking markets. Policymakers should not intervene with the decision to bundle.
Internet and Local Wages, The: A Puzzle
This paper examines why Internet-related investment increased wages in only some US counties.
Subsidizing telecommunications and internet infrastructure in sparsely-populated areas is unlikely to result in wage growth.
Broadband Bonus, The: Estimating Broadband Internet's Economic Value
This paper attempts to estimate the extent of economic gains from broadband adoption in the U.S.
Industry estimates of broadband estimates are overstated; public support of broadband adoption is unlikely to produce economic gains on the scale claimed by lobbyists. Further, firms will probably invest in broadband infrastructure without significant public support.
Evidence of a Modest Price Decline in US Broadband Services
This paper shows that, adjusting for quality, the price of broadband Internet access in the US declined slightly from 2004 to 2009.
The market for broadband shows substantially lower price declines than other technology markets and may require a different regulatory approach. Methods of measuring price changes that do not adjust for service quality are not appropriate for this market.
Blog Posts
Quotes in the News
Greenstein, S. (2021, June 16). Ars Technica.“Lina Khan has pushed the academic conversation on tech, and now she has to push the agenda at the FTC.”
Shane Greenstein
Martin Marshall Professor of Business Administration
Co-chair of the HBS Digital Initiative
Harvard Business School
Harvard University
Greenstein, S. (2015, September 14). The Atlantic.“From a consumer price index standpoint, that is actually a really hard question to answer.”
Shane Greenstein
Martin Marshall Professor of Business Administration
Co-chair of the HBS Digital Initiative
Harvard Business School
Harvard University
Greenstein, S. (2013, August 17). The New York Times.“It could be just time delay, or it could be that the value just isn’t there.”
Shane Greenstein
Martin Marshall Professor of Business Administration
Co-chair of the HBS Digital Initiative
Harvard Business School
Harvard University
Related Scholars
Barbara van Schewick
Colleges / Universities: Stanford University
Catherine Tucker
Colleges / Universities: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Christopher Yoo
Colleges / Universities: University of Pennsylvania
Dale Hatfield
Colleges / Universities: University of Colorado
