James Heskett Articles — HBS Working Knowledge

What's the Best Way to Make Careful Decisions?

Published:	February 4, 2010
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	open for comment; 40 Comments posted

Online forum OPEN through February 24. HBS professor Jim Heskett asks: Do you rely more on experts or "the wisdom of crowds"? Is intuition losing its relevance in an increasingly complex world? Is it normal to overlook the importance of luck in decision-making? What do you think?

Is a Stringent Climate Change Agreement a Pot of Gold?

Published:	January 6, 2010
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 19 Comments posted

Reading this month's comments, HBS professor Jim Heskett wonders if we even need a climate change agreement as a catalyst to foster innovation and the VC investment required to support it. (Online forum has closed; next forum opens February 4.)

Should Immigration Policies Be More Welcoming to Low-Skilled Workers?

Published:	December 2, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 43 Comments posted

Immigration is a topic that stirs passions globally, judging from the responses to this month's column, says HBS professor Jim Heskett. Readers suggested ways to bring immigration policy into alignment with the reality of what is happening at borders and in workplaces around the world. (Online forum now closed. Next forum begins January 6.)

What is the Role of Government Vis-à-Vis Capitalism?

Published:	November 4, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 59 Comments posted

The debate this month boiled down to the extent of government's role in relation to capitalism, says professor Jim Heskett. While some readers argued for a relatively narrow role for government, others disagreed, and commented on the challenges it faces today. (Forum now closed. Next forum begins Dec. 3.)

Can the "Masks of Command" Coexist with Authentic Leadership?

Published:	October 1, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 79 Comments posted

Summing up. "Instructors seek case studies that provoke discussion on both sides of an issue and raise many questions. We seem to have found such an issue this month," says Professor Jim Heskett, reviewing nearly 80 insightful comments. (Online forum now closed; next forum begins November 4.)

Are Retention Bonuses Worth the Investment?

Published:	September 3, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 42 Comments posted

There is a time and place for retention bonuses but they should be used sparingly, wrote many respondents to this month's column, says Professor Jim Heskett. Others challenged the value of bonuses, and suggested compelling alternatives. (Online forum now closed; next forum begins October 2.)

Why Can't Americans Get Health Care Right?

Published:	August 7, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 103 Comments posted

Change is desperately needed, agreed readers of Professor Jim Heskett's online forum. But how to make that change remains in doubt. What can Americans learn from solutions implemented by other countries? (Forum now closed; next forum begins September 4.)

Are You Ready to Manage in an Irrational World?

Published:	July 6, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 97 Comments posted

It is becoming clear that human behavior is much less rational than we assumed, says HBS professor Jim Heskett. Judging from replies to this month's question, there are many nuances to managing in an irrational world. (Online forum now closed. Next forum begins August 7.)

What Does Slower Economic Growth Really Mean?

Published:	June 5, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 44 Comments posted

Respondents to this month's column by HBS professor Jim Heskett came close to general agreement on the proposition that economic growth is not measured properly by GDP, calling for new indicators. Jim sums up. (Online forum now closed. Next forum begins July 6.)

Do Innovation and Entrepreneurship Have to Be Incompatible with Organization Size?

Published:	May 1, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 81 Comments posted

Like a good case study, this month's question divided respondents nearly down the middle, says professor Jim Heskett. Can managers lead both a large, established organization and encourage intrapreneurial effort inside it? Readers weighed in. (Online forum now closed. Next forum begins June 5.)

How Much Obsolescence Can Business and Society Absorb?

Published:	April 3, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 41 Comments posted

This month's question brought out both the poets and the engineers among respondents. The rapid pace of new technology adoption within organizations implies change for management and society, says HBS professor Jim Heskett. How does change affect the open sharing of information? (Forum now closed; next forum begins May 1.)

How Frank or Deceptive Should Leaders Be?

Published:	March 5, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 119 Comments posted

HBS professor Jim Heskett sums up comments to this month's column. Given the possibility that a naturally pessimistic (or perhaps more realistic) CEO might adversely affect everything from market reactions to employee morale, HBS Working Knowledge readers' comments are full of advice for honesty, candor, and an optimistic bias.

Why Can't We Figure Out How to Select Leaders?

Published:	February 5, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 88 Comments posted

Managers discuss their own experience in organizations in response to February's column. All good leaders teach as well as learn, says Jim Heskett. Is it possible with any degree of confidence to select people for certain leadership jobs? (Forum now closed. Next forum begins March 5.)

Is the World Really Flat?

Published:	January 7, 2009
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 41 Comments posted

A provocative new book, The Venturesome Economy, argues that the world isn't flat at all, says HBS professor Jim Heskett. But in supporting innovation, does flatness even matter? Readers around the world weighed in with a constellation of viewpoints. (Online forum now closed; next forum begins February 5.)

10 Reasons to Design a Better Corporate Culture

Q&A with:	James Heskett and W. Earl Sasser
Published:	December 22, 2008
Feature:	Research & Ideas

Organizations with strong, adaptive cultures enjoy labor cost advantages, great employee and customer loyalty, and a smoother on-ramp in leadership succession. A book excerpt from The Ownership Quotient: Putting the Service Profit Chain to Work for Unbeatable Competitive Advantage by HBS professors Jim Heskett and W. Earl Sasser and coauthor Joe Wheeler.

Can Housing and Credit be "Nudged" Back to Health?

Published:	December 3, 2008
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 38 Comments posted

Did human frailty cause this crisis? Several thinkers have come forward with a suggestion for improvements to fiscal policy that are based on fostering better decisions while preserving consumer choice, says HBS professor Jim Heskett. What should be done? What do you think? (Online forum now closed. Next forum begins January 7.)

How Much Can You Ask of Your Customers?

Published:	November 10, 2008
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 28 Comments posted

Think of IKEA and eBay. Some popular companies make it easy for customers to become "volunteers" in the organization's success, says HBS professor Jim Heskett. Is there a downside? Or will customer-fueled strategies provide competitive advantage in the future? Online forum now closed.

Workout vs. Bailout: Should Government Take Advantage of the Buffett Effect?

Published:	October 2, 2008
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 50 Comments posted

The depth of the global financial crisis is becoming clearer day by day, says HBS professor Jim Heskett. Respondents to this month's column offered creative solutions, and by and large resisted the temptation to venture into the realm of ideology. (Online forum now closed.)

Is Case Method Instruction Due for an Overhaul?

Published:	September 5, 2008
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 111 Comments posted

Online forum now closed. The case method of teaching business management has come under criticism on a number of fronts as educators rethink how to incorporate new teaching tools and methods made available by technology. Responses to Professor Jim Heskett's recent column, however, suggest that the case method might even be gaining relevance over time.

Has the Time Come for "Stretch" in Management?

Published:	August 1, 2008
Feature:	What Do YOU Think?
Forum:	closed \| 68 Comments posted

Summing Up HBS professor Jim Heskett sums up comments from his readers on the topic of stretch goals. Does stretch still make sense as an organizing principle? What, if anything, should be done to ensure that stretch is allowed to flourish in companies today? What do you think?