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Crisis ManagementRemove Crisis Management →

New research on crisis management from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including how to avoid panicking in the face of adversity, what companies learned from 9/11 and other crises, and the proper use of risk management.
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The COVID Two-Step for Leaders: Protect and Pivot

by Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly Baden

Leaders today face two great questions: how to survive, and how to capitalize on new opportunities. Insights from Boris Groysberg and Katherine Connolly Baden. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How to Help Small Businesses Survive COVID's Next Phase

by Danielle Kost

For small businesses that have survived the coronavirus so far, what's next? Karen Mills outlines steps that business owners and government should take immediately. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

What the Stockdale Paradox Tells Us About Crisis Leadership

by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams

The Stockdale Paradox and survival psychology contain wisdom for how leaders can manage the coronavirus crisis, according to Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Restaurant Revolution: How the Industry Is Fighting to Stay Alive

by Michael S. Kaufman, Lena G. Goldberg, and Jill Avery

Top restaurant operators share their experiences attempting to survive the pandemic, and how they see the future. Research by Michael S. Kaufman, Lena G. Goldberg, and Jill Avery. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Restarting Under Uncertainty: Managerial Experiences from Around the World

by Raffaella Sadun, Andrea Bertoni, Alexia Delfino, Giovanni Fassio, and Mariapaola Testa

A survey of 50 companies across countries and industries reveals business leaders are hard at work adapting to the COVID threat. Research by Raffaella Sadun and colleagues. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

It’s Time to Reset Decision-Making in Your Organization

by Boris Groysberg and Sarah Abbott

Clear decision-making in a crisis depends on sound methodology and gathering information from a variety of sources. Advice from Boris Groysberg and Sarah Abbott. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Why Japanese Businesses Are So Good at Surviving Crises

by Dina Gerdeman

As demonstrated after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Japanese businesses have a unique capability for long-term survival. Hirotaka Takeuchi explains their strategy of investing in community over profits during turbulent times. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Corporate Resilience and Response During COVID-19

by Alex Cheema-Fox, Bridget LaPerla, George Serafeim, and Hui (Stacie) Wang

Investors look for evidence during a market crisis that a company is resilient. This study includes findings that challenge the notion that companies need to adopt practices that hurt their employees because investors want them to do so.

What South Korea Teaches the World About Fighting COVID

by Doug J. Chung

South Korea initially had the largest number of Coronavirus infections outside of China, but new cases have decreased sharply. What is the country doing right? asks Doug Chung. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Find Your Pragmatic Path through Radical Uncertainty

by Howard Stevenson, Eugene B. Kogan, and Shirley Spence

The challenge during times of unchartered uncertainty is to find a pragmatic middle ground between acting thoughtlessly and not acting at all, say Howard Stevenson and colleagues. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Predictions, Prophets, and Restarting Your Business

by Frank V. Cespedes

Businesses are starting to plan their re-entry into the market, but how do they know what that market will look like? Frank V. Cespedes warns against putting too much trust in forecasters. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Small Businesses Are Worse Off Than We Thought

by Kristen Senz

A survey of small-business owners shows that lack of liquidity and skepticism of government programs are compounding COVID crisis recovery efforts. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Working (From Home) During a Crisis: Online Social Contributions by Workers During the Coronavirus Shock

by Prithwiraj Choudhury, Wesley W. Koo, and Xina Li

This study shows that people working from home (WFH) make more online contributions to socially helpful topics, yet face higher psychic costs and anxiety about time constraints. Managers might consider giving WFH workers more temporal flexibility to deal with time constraints during this crisis.

What Are Lessons for Leaders from This Black Swan Crisis?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP: Readers of this month's James Heskett post disagree on whether COVID-19 is a Black Swan event, but most argue that organizations must be better prepared for inevitable downturns. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

7 Leadership Principles for Managing in the Time of Coronavirus

by John A. Quelch

Leaders managing their organizations through crisis show seven distinctive capabilities, says John A. Quelch. Call them the seven Cs. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

These Coronavirus Heroes Show Us How Crisis Leadership Works

by Bill George

Now is the time for leaders to inspire their organizations to help the world through the COVID-19 crisis. Bill George has a list of authentic leaders who are up to the challenge. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Small Businesses Can Survive the Coronavirus Outbreak

by Danielle Kost

COVID-19 will put many small businesses on life support. Karen G. Mills, who has been advising policymakers on aid options, offers guidance to owners on the brink of ruin. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How the Coronavirus Is Already Rewriting the Future of Business

by Dina Gerdeman

We asked Harvard Business School experts how the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to change business practice. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Companies Can Make Up with (Very) Unhappy Customers

by Sean Silverthorne

It happens to the best of companies. One fine day a public relations nightmare explodes and shatters your hard-won trust with customers. What should you do next? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

What’s the Best Administrative Approach to Climate Change?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP: James Heskett's readers point to examples of complex environmental problems conquered through multinational cooperation. Can those serve as roadmaps for overcoming global warming? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.