Research & Ideas

Kodak: A Parable of American Competitiveness

Published:	February 6, 2012
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 3 Comments posted

When American companies shift pieces of their operations overseas, they run the risk of moving the expertise, innovation, and new growth opportunities just out of their reach as well, explains HBS Professor Willy Shih, who served as president of Eastman Kodak's digital imaging business for several years.

Measuring the Efficacy of the World's Managers

Published:	January 30, 2012
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 16 Comments posted

Over the past seven years, Harvard Business School's Raffaella Sadun and a team of researchers have interviewed managers at some 10,000 organizations in 20 countries. The goal: to determine how and why management practices differ vastly in style and quality not only across nations, but also across various organizations and industries.

A Few Firms Have Outsized Influence in D.C.

Published:	January 25, 2012
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 4 Comments posted

New research by Harvard Business School Associate Professor William R. Kerr suggests the number of companies affecting government policy through lobbying may be smaller—but more powerful—than previously thought.

Break Your Addiction to Service Heroes

Q&A with:	Frances X. Frei
Published:	January 23, 2012
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 8 Comments posted

In their new book, Uncommon Service, coauthors Frances Frei and Anne Morriss show it is possible for organizations to reduce costs while dramatically enhancing customer service. The key? Don't try to be good at everything. Interview and book excerpt from HBS Alumni Bulletin.

Beyond Heroic Entrepreneurs

Published:	January 18, 2012
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 7 Comments posted

Research in progress by Harvard Business School's Julie Battilana and Matthew Lee reveals that a large number of social entrepreneurs are focused on local rather than global change, and on sustainable funding.

Private Meetings of Public Companies Thwart Disclosure Rules

Published:	January 16, 2012
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 6 Comments posted

Despite a federal regulation, executives at public firms still spend a great deal of time in private powwows with hedge fund managers. Eugene F. Soltes and David H. Solomon suggest that such meetings give these investors unfair advantage.

Location, Location, Location: The Strategy of Place

Published:	January 9, 2012
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 12 Comments posted

Business success in one geographic location doesn't necessarily follow a company to a new setting. Professor Juan Alcácer discusses the importance of taking a long-term strategic view.

Most Popular Articles of 2011

Published:	January 2, 2012
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 3 Comments posted

Our most-read articles of 2011 focused on how leaders can become better—and what can lead to their downfalls. What do you think will be the top areas of concern for managers in the coming months? Please share your thoughts, and have a happy new year!

The Most Common Strategy Mistakes

Published:	December 21, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 28 Comments posted

In a new book, Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy, Joan Magretta distills Porter's core concepts and frameworks into a concise guide for business practitioners. In this excerpt, Porter discusses common strategy mistakes.

Climbing the Great Wall of Trust

Published:	December 19, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 18 Comments posted

New research from Assistant Professor Roy Y.J. Chua investigates the difficulties for foreigners doing business in China, and what they can do to overcome the challenge.

Reintroducing Intellectual Ambition to the Study of Business History

Published:	December 16, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas

The editors of Harvard Business School's Business History Review, Walter A. Friedman and Geoffrey Jones, are challenging historians to tackle big subjects with major importance to the future of business.

The New Measures for Improving Nonprofit Performance

Published:	December 14, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 4 Comments posted

In this era of scarce economic resources, the pressure on nonprofit managers to show quantifiable results is greater than ever. Alnoor S. Ebrahim and philanthropist Mario Morino discuss the differences and similarities between performance measurement in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.

Are Creative People More Dishonest?

Published:	December 7, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 83 Comments posted

In a series of studies, Francesca Gino and Dan Ariely found that inherently creative people tend to cheat more than noncreative people. Furthermore, they showed that inducing creative behavior tends to induce unethical behavior. It's a sobering thought in a corporate culture that champions out-of-the-box thinking.

It's Alive!: Business Scholars Turn to Experimental Research

Published:	December 5, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 4 Comments posted

Business researchers are turning increasingly to experiments in the lab and field to unlock the secrets of what motivates CEOs, consumers, and policymakers.

Only Capitalists Can Save Capitalism

Published:	November 30, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 9 Comments posted

Capitalism appears to be going through a crisis of confidence, evident in everything from Occupy Wall Street to middle-class riots across the globe. The fix? Capitalists themselves. An interview with the authors of Capitalism at Risk, Joseph L. Bower, Herman B. "Dutch" Leonard, and Lynn S. Paine.

Rethinking the Fairness of Organ Transplants

Published:	November 28, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 16 Comments posted

Because of an organ shortage, hundreds or even thousands of people miss out on needed organ transplants each year. Business researchers at Harvard and MIT are rethinking how kidney transplants are allocated to give patients longer lives. An interview with professor Nikolaos Trichakis.

Creating a Global Business Code

Published:	November 14, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 8 Comments posted

In the wake of corporate scandals, many companies are looking more closely at how to manage business conduct worldwide. Realizing the complexity of this issue, Harvard Business School professors Rohit Deshpandé, Lynn S. Paine, and Joshua D. Margolis decided to evaluate standards of corporate conduct around the world—one of the most daunting research projects the three faculty have undertaken.

The Forgotten Book that Helped Shape the Modern Economy

Published:	November 7, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 11 Comments posted

A British merchant's long-forgotten work, An Essay on the State of England, could lead to a rethinking of how modern economies developed in Europe and America, and add historical perspective on the proper relationship between government and business. An interview with business historian Sophus A. Reinert.

The Most Powerful Workplace Motivator

Published:	October 31, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 22 Comments posted

When evaluating compensation issues, economists often assume that both an employer and an employee make rational, albeit self-interested choices while working toward a goal. The problem, says Assistant Professor Ian Larkin, is that the most powerful workplace motivator is our natural tendency to measure our own performance against the performance of others.

Horrible Boss Workarounds

Published:	October 27, 2011
Feature:	Research & Ideas
Forum:	open for comment; 11 Comments posted

Bad bosses are generally more inept than evil, and often aren't purposefully bad, says Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter. She discusses common bad-boss behaviors, and how good colleagues can mobilize to overcome the roadblocks.