- 04 Jun 2024
- Research & Ideas
Navigating Consumer Data Privacy in an AI World
Consumers expect companies to do everything they can to protect their personal data, but breaches continue to happen at an alarming rate. Eva Ascarza and Ta-Wei Huang say companies must take bold steps to proactively manage customers’ sensitive data if they want to earn trust and remain competitive.
- 30 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
Racial Bias Might Be Infecting Patient Portals. Can AI Help?
Doctors and patients turned to virtual communication when the pandemic made in-person appointments risky. But research by Ariel Stern and Mitchell Tang finds that providers' responses can vary depending on a patient's race. Could technology bring more equity to portals?
- 21 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
What the Rise of Far-Right Politics Says About the Economy in an Election Year
With voters taking to the polls in dozens of countries this year, could election outcomes lean conservative? Paula Rettl says a lack of social mobility and a sense of economic insecurity are some of the factors fueling far-right movements around the world.
- 15 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
A Major Roadblock for Autonomous Cars: Motorists Believe They Drive Better
With all the advances in autonomous vehicle technology, why aren't self-driving cars chauffeuring more people around? Research by Julian De Freitas, Stuti Agarwal, and colleagues reveals a simple psychological barrier: Drivers are overconfident about their own abilities, so they resist handing over the wheel.
- 13 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
Picture This: Why Online Image Searches Drive Purchases
Smaller sellers' products often get lost on large online marketplaces. However, harnessing images in search can help consumers find these products faster, increasing sales and customer satisfaction, finds research by Chiara Farronato and colleagues.
- 09 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
Called Back to the Office? How You Benefit from Ideas You Didn't Know You Were Missing
As companies continue to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of remote work, a study of how knowledge flows among academic researchers by Karim Lakhani, Eamon Duede, and colleagues offers lessons for hybrid workplaces. Does in-person work provide more opportunities for innovation than people realize?
- 06 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
The Critical Minutes After a Virtual Meeting That Can Build Up or Tear Down Teams
Weak communication and misunderstandings during virtual meetings can give way to resentment and rifts when the cameras turn off. Research by Leslie Perlow probes the nuances of digital communication. She offers advice for improving remote teamwork.
- 03 May 2024
- Research & Ideas
How Much Does Proximity Influence Startup Innovation? 20 Meters' Worth to Be Exact
When it comes to sharing ideas, how much does close proximity matter? A study by Maria Roche evaluates how knowledge spreads in a coworking space, providing insights that could help shape the debate over remote work.
- 22 Apr 2024
- Research & Ideas
When Does Impact Investing Make the Biggest Impact?
More investors want to back businesses that contribute to social change, but are impact funds the only approach? Research by Shawn Cole, Leslie Jeng, Josh Lerner, Natalia Rigol, and Benjamin Roth challenges long-held assumptions about impact investing and reveals where such funds make the biggest difference.
- 09 Apr 2024
- Research & Ideas
When Climate Goals, Housing Policy, and Corporate R&D Collide, Social Good Can Emerge
Grants designed to improve housing can make homes more energy efficient and save money for low-income families, providing a powerful way to confront climate change, says research by Omar Asensio. What do the findings mean for companies trying to scale innovation?
- 02 Apr 2024
- Research & Ideas
Employees Out Sick? Inside One Company's Creative Approach to Staying Productive
Regular absenteeism can hobble output and even bring down a business. But fostering a collaborative culture that brings managers together can help companies weather surges of sick days and no-shows. Research by Jorge Tamayo shows how.
- 26 Mar 2024
- Research & Ideas
How Humans Outshine AI in Adapting to Change
Could artificial intelligence systems eventually perform surgeries or fly planes? First, AI will have to learn to navigate shifting conditions as well as people do. Julian De Freitas and colleagues pit humans against machines in a video game to study AI's current limits and mine insights for the real world.
- 22 Mar 2024
- Research & Ideas
Open Source Software: The $9 Trillion Resource Companies Take for Granted
Many companies build their businesses on open source software, code that would cost firms $8.8 trillion to create from scratch if it weren't freely available. Research by Frank Nagle and colleagues puts a value on an economic necessity that will require investment to meet demand.
- 18 Mar 2024
- Research & Ideas
When It Comes to Climate Regulation, Energy Companies Take a More Nuanced View
Many assume that major oil and gas companies adamantly oppose climate-friendly regulation, but that's not true. A study of 30 years of corporate advocacy by Jonas Meckling finds that energy companies have backed clean-energy efforts when it aligns with their business interests.
- 12 Mar 2024
- Research & Ideas
Publish or Perish: What the Research Says About Productivity in Academia
Universities tend to evaluate professors based on their research output, but does that measure reflect the realities of higher ed? A study of 4,300 professors by Kyle Myers, Karim Lakhani, and colleagues probes the time demands, risk appetite, and compensation of faculty.
- 04 Mar 2024
- Research & Ideas
Want to Make Diversity Stick? Break the Cycle of Sameness
Whether on judicial benches or in corporate boardrooms, white men are more likely to step into roles that other white men vacate, says research by Edward Chang. But when people from historically marginalized groups land those positions, workforce diversification tends to last. Chang offers three pieces of advice for leaders striving for diversity.
- 27 Feb 2024
- Research & Ideas
Why Companies Should Share Their DEI Data (Even When It’s Unflattering)
Companies that make their workforce demographics public earn consumer goodwill, even if the numbers show limited progress on diversity, says research by Ryan Buell, Maya Balakrishnan, and Jimin Nam. How can brands make transparency a differentiator?
- 22 Feb 2024
- Research & Ideas
How to Make AI 'Forget' All the Private Data It Shouldn't Have
When companies use machine learning models, they may run the risk of inadvertently sharing sensitive and private data. Seth Neel explains why it’s important to understand how to wipe AI’s spongelike memory clean.
- 16 Feb 2024
- Research & Ideas
Is Your Workplace Biased Against Introverts?
Extroverts are more likely to express their passion outwardly, giving them a leg up when it comes to raises and promotions, according to research by Jon Jachimowicz. Introverts are just as motivated and excited about their work, but show it differently. How can managers challenge their assumptions?
How Younger Immigrants Gain an Edge in American Business
Immigrants often struggle to acquire both higher education and good jobs after migrating to a new country. A study by William Kerr finds that the age they arrive is key, with the teen years being ideal for achieving future success.