- 14 Mar 2019
- Cold Call Podcast
How Helena Rubinstein Used Tall Tales to Turn Cosmetics into a Luxury Brand
Professor Geoff Jones examines the career of Helena Rubinstein, one of the trailblazing female entrepreneurs of the 20th century. Using guile, brilliant branding, and more than a few falsehoods, Rubinstein lifted cosmetics from an accessory item for prostitutes to a great luxury product during the Great Depression. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 13 Mar 2019
- Research & Ideas
Ignore This Advice at Your Own Peril
Refusing to act on advice from a respected colleague or mentor can backfire and damage your working relationship, a new study says. Hayley Blunden explains the career implications of seeking counsel from others. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 13 Mar 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
The Consequences of Invention Secrecy: Evidence from the USPTO Patent Secrecy Program in World War I
Information plays a critical role in technological progress, yet many inventors opt for trade secrecy to protect their intellectual property. This paper studies the myriad repercussions of concealing new inventions through the lens of a systematic and sweeping invention secrecy policy implemented by the USPTO during World War II.
- 12 Mar 2019
- First Look
New Research and Ideas, March 12, 2019
The plan has changed—now what? ... Social responsibility can mesh with profitability ... How documenting ER visits eats up a doctor’s time.
- 11 Mar 2019
- Research & Ideas
Branding Sells Cereal, Handbags, and Vacations. Can It Sell a Country?
Countries such as Israel now realize they need to engage in public diplomacy as well as foreign diplomacy, and in place branding, not just political advocacy, says Elie Ofek. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 08 Mar 2019
- Research & Ideas
Seven Negotiation Lessons from Amazon's HQ Disaster in Queens
After a lengthy courting process, Amazon thought its plan for a New York HQ campus was in the bag. But the company failed a primary goal of negotiations, says James Sebenius. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 07 Mar 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Calculators for Women: When Identity Appeals Provoke Backlash
With calculators targeted to women and laundry products aimed at men, examples of identity-based labeling—or “identity appeals”—abound in advertising and marketing. Five studies show when and why such identity appeals backfire. Identity appeals may fail equally whether they evoke negative or just milder stereotypes.
- 06 Mar 2019
- Sharpening Your Skills
Has the Glass Ceiling Been Broken (or at Least Cracked)?
Harvard Business School researchers have been at the forefront of studies on gender discrimination for several decades. As International Women's Day 2019 approaches, here is what they've discovered so far. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 05 Mar 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
The Impacts of Increasing Search Frictions on Online Shopping Behavior: Evidence from a Field Experiment
This paper challenges the logic that making it easier for consumers to search across a wide assortment of products is the best strategy for online retailers. Experiments show that adding extra search costs to find discounted items can improve gross margins and sales by increasing the number of items inspected and serving as a self-selecting price discrimination mechanism among customers.
- 05 Mar 2019
- First Look
New Research and Ideas, March 5, 2019
First impressions matter ... Do labor codes ease exploitive working conditions? ... How businesses in some countries avoid taxes.
- 04 Mar 2019
- What Do You Think?
What’s the Antidote to Surveillance Capitalism?
A new book takes companies to task for profiting off our personal data. How can consumers fight back? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 04 Mar 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
The Revision Bias
Companies often release revised editions of books, director’s cuts of movies, and technological updates, on the assumption that revising products and services leads to better outcomes. Nine studies, however, document the revision bias: the tendency to prefer things that were revised, regardless of whether the revised versions are objectively better than their predecessors.
- 03 Mar 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Strict ID Laws Don’t Stop Voters: Evidence from a U.S. Nationwide Panel, 2008–2016
Evidence on the consequences of strict ID laws adopted between 2008 and 2016 shows no significant negative effect on registration or turnout overall or for any subgroup defined by age, gender, race, or party affiliation. ID requirements had no significant effect on actual or perceived fraud, either.
- 28 Feb 2019
- Cold Call Podcast
Pursuing Precision Medicine at Intermountain Healthcare
What happens when Intermountain Healthcare invests resources in an innovative precision medicine unit to provide life-extending, genetically targeted therapies to late-stage cancer patients? Professors Richard Hamermesh and Kathy Giusti discuss the case and its connections to their work with the Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 27 Feb 2019
- Research & Ideas
The Hidden Cost of a Product Recall
Product failures create managerial challenges for companies but market opportunities for competitors, says Ariel Dora Stern. The stakes have only grown higher. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 27 Feb 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Judgment Aggregation in Creative Production: Evidence from the Movie Industry
Selecting early-stage ideas in creative industries is challenging because consumer taste is hard to predict and the quantity to sift through is large. Using The Black List that ranks scripts annually based on nominations from film executives, this study shows that aggregating expert opinions helps reduce quality uncertainty and can influence high-budget production.
- 26 Feb 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Infringing Use as a Path to Legal Consumption: Evidence from a Field Experiment
Copyright infringement may result from frictions preventing legal consumption, but also reveals demand. This study quantifies the effects of providing more-suitable options and reducing search costs.
- 26 Feb 2019
- First Look
New Research and Ideas, February 26, 2019
The link between education and hospital mortality rates ... Why salespeople aren't effective managers ... Is communication related to employee performance?
- 25 Feb 2019
- Research & Ideas
How Gender Stereotypes Kill a Woman’s Self-Confidence
Researchers believe gender stereotypes hold women back in the workplace. Katherine Coffman's research adds a new twist: They can even cause women to question their own abilities. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
Stuck in Commuter Hell? You Can Still Be Productive
Commuters who listen to music or browse social media might be increasing their chance of a stressful workday. Research by Francesca Gino and colleagues offers better ways to cope with a bad commute. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.