Polzer, Jeffrey T. →

The Rise of Employee Analytics: Productivity Dream or Micromanagement Nightmare?

"People analytics"—using employee data to make management decisions—could soon transform the workplace and hiring, but implementation will be critical, says Jeffrey Polzer. After all, do managers really need to know about employees' every keystroke?

Reunited and It Feels (Not) So Good: Tips for Managing a Rocky Return

For many companies, returning to the office has felt like a rollercoaster of worry, excitement, and uncertainty. Members of the Harvard Business School faculty offer advice to help managers restore calm. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

You're Right! You Are Working Longer and Attending More Meetings

A study of 3 million people confirms what many work-from-home employees already know: We're swamped. Research by Raffaella Sadun, Jeffrey Polzer, and colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Collaborating During Coronavirus: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Nature of Work

This study of 16 cities is the first large-scale analysis of how digital communication patterns have changed in the early stages of the pandemic. The overall pattern of more meetings and more emails points to a spillover of virtual communication beyond normal working hours.

Companies Love Big Data But Lack the Strategy To Use It Effectively

Big data is a critical competitive advantage for companies that know how to use it. Harvard Business School faculty share insights that they teach to executives. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Geographically-Colocated Subgroups in Globally Dispersed Teams: A Test of the Faultline Hypothesis

Team diversity can harness strengths or drive a team apart. Troublesome faultlines appear when team members identify with a subgroup more strongly than with the larger team. Previous research, conducted on teams who worked face-to-face, has shown that these faultlines can be based on demographic factors (such as differences in nationality). The authors of this paper conducted a study on faultlines that arise between subgroups in different geographic locations. They found that faultline dynamics did indeed occur in teams with subgroups in different locations, and that their geographic diversity caused disruptive group relations, diminished trust, and increased conflict between subgroups. Key concepts include: Geographic diversity is becoming increasingly important as more organizations rely on dispersed work teams to perform their core work activities. The existence of subgroups in different locations creates an "us versus them" mentality, which leads to misunderstandings and negative feelings between team members. When managing geographically dispersed teams, build relationships and instill a collective identity to integrate subgroups in different locations, and be aware of the very real potential for disruptive group dynamics. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.