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New research on workplace diversity from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including racial and ethnic diversity, social and economic diversity, and gender-based diversity.
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A World of Difference: What Keeps Companies from Becoming More Inclusive

by Jen McFarland Flint

Inclusion can unlock excellence and innovation, but instincts and good intentions will never get you there. In this interview, Frances Frei and Francesca Gino explore the underlying factors that keep organizations from becoming more inclusive. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Representation Matters: Building Case Studies That Empower Women Leaders

by Colleen Ammerman and Boris Groysberg

The lessons of case studies shape future business leaders, but only a fraction of these teaching tools feature women executives. Research by Colleen Ammerman and Boris Groysberg examines the gender gap in cases and its implications. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

How Racial Bias Taints Customer Service: Evidence from 6,000 Hotels

by Pamela Reynolds

Hotel concierges provide better service to white customers than Black and Asian customers, says research by Alexandra Feldberg and colleague. They offer three strategies to help companies detect bias on the front line. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

How to Scale a Startup Marketplace for Used Furniture

Re: Ayelet Israeli

AptDeco, a peer-to-peer marketplace for used furniture in the New York City area, was growing rapidly in the massive $120 billion furniture market, despite its complexity and high costs. Co-founders Reham Fagiri and Kalam Dennis were considering different options to scale the business, including converting sellers into buyers and vice versa, finding superusers to fuel the supply for their platform, expanding to new markets, and rebranding with a sustainability focus. Professor Ayelet Israeli and AptDeco co-founder Kalam Dennis discuss the best way to scale the business in the case, “AptDeco: Circular Economy Furniture Marketplace.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Lack of Female Scientists Means Fewer Medical Treatments for Women

by Kristen Senz

Women scientists are more likely to develop treatments for women, but many of their ideas never become inventions, research by Rembrand Koning says. What would it take to make innovation more equitable? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

How to Make Venture Capital Accessible for Black Founders: An Entrepreneur’s Dilemma

Re: Jo Tango

In May of 2021, Kevin D. Johnson had just graduated from a rigorous Executive MBA program, and he needed to decide on his next career move. Johnson was the founder and CEO of a successful media company, but his career goals had shifted during business school. He wanted to use his talents to help other BIPOC entrepreneurs access capital and provide opportunities to create intergenerational wealth. Johnson evaluated his four options: work full-time at an online platform dedicated to connecting Black founders with funding, join a BIPOC-focused venture capital ("VC") firm, pursue a job at an established VC firm, or continue scaling his media company. Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jo Tango and Johnson discuss which option he should choose in the case, “Kevin D. Johnson: To Be a Venture Capitalist or an Operator.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.

When Working Harder Doesn’t Work, Time to Reinvent Your Career

by Avery Forman

The second half of your life could be better than the first. Really. In the book From Strength to Strength, Arthur Brooks shows how letting go of past glory can open the possibilities of life's "second curve." Open for comment; 0 Comments.

What’s Next for Nigerian Production Studio EbonyLife Media?

Re: Andy Wu

After more than 20 years in the media industry in the UK and Nigeria, EbonyLife Media CEO Mo Abudu is considering several strategic changes for her media company’s future. Will her mission to tell authentic African stories to the world be advanced by distributing films and TV shows direct to customers? Or should EbonyLife instead distribute its content through third-party streaming services, like Netflix? Assistant Professor Andy Wu discusses Abudu’s plans for her company in his case, EbonyLife Media. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

The Unlikely Upside of Mergers: More Diverse Management Teams

by Lane Lambert

Mergers shake up the status quo at companies and help women and people of color move up the ladder. Research by Letian Zhang mines data from 37,000 deals. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Can Mass General Brigham Diversify Its Community of Innovators?

Re: Katherine B. Coffman

In November 2019, Mass General Brigham (MGB) was the largest recipient of National Institutes of Health funding in the world. The Innovation Office, led by Chief Innovation Officer Chris Coburn, sought to capitalize on that funding – with the goal of commercializing research done at the hospital to generate revenue and improve patient care. But CEO Anne Klibanski and other key stakeholders had a serious concern: although women comprised approximately 40 percent of the medical researchers and physicians at MGB, the percentage of women participating in innovation activities lagged behind. Associate Professor Katie Coffman, Coburn, and MGB’s managing director of administration and strategy Diana Schwartzstein discuss how they identify the main sources of the disparities and find the right strategy to expand and diversify MGB’s community of innovators in the case, “Inclusive Innovation at Mass General Brigham.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.

How to Tap the Talent Automated HR Platforms Miss

by Joseph B. Fuller

Companies are struggling to fill open positions, but the job platforms they use often screen out promising candidates just because they don't tick every box. Joseph Fuller probes the challenges—and opportunities—of "hidden workers." Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Why JPMorgan Chase Is Committed to Improving Racial Equity in Banking

Re: Joseph L. Bower

In 2020, JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced a $30 billion, “Commitment to Advance Racial Equity.” This included investments in housing, small businesses, and financial literacy across the U.S., as well as in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the bank. Harvard Business School Professor Emeritus Joe Bower and case protagonist Alice Rodriguez, head of community impact at JPMorgan Chase, discuss the implementation of that commitment and how it aligns with the bank’s longer-term growth strategy in the case, "JPMorgan Chase’s Path Forward." Open for comment; 0 Comments.

How Women Can Learn from Even Biased Feedback

by Francesca Gino

Gender bias often taints performance reviews, but applying three principles can help women gain meaningful insights, says Francesca Gino. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

OneTen: Creating a New Pathway for Black Talent

by Rawi E. Abdelal, Katherine Connolly Baden, and Boris Groysberg

A new organization aims to help 1 million Black Americans launch careers in the next decade, expanding the talent pool. Rawi E. Abdelal, Katherine Connolly Baden, and Boris Groysberg explain how. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

One More Way the Startup World Hampers Women Entrepreneurs

by Michael Blanding

Early feedback is essential to launching new products, but women entrepreneurs are more likely to receive input from men. Research by Rembrand Koning, Ramana Nanda, and Ruiqing Cao. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

How Tennis, Golf, and White Anxiety Block Racial Integration

by Jay Fitzgerald

White people often take steps to avoid interacting with people of other races, whether it's at home, work, or even on a golf course, says research by Jon Jachimowicz. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

A Rare Find in Health Care: A Simple Solution to Racial Inequity

by Michael Blanding

Research by Amitabh Chandra offers a stark new explanation for racial disparities in heart attack survival rates—a problem with immediate answers. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Are Employers Ready for a Flood of 'New' Talent Seeking Work?

by James Heskett

Many people, particularly women, will be returning to the workforce as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes. What will companies need to do to harness the talent wave? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

White Airbnb Hosts Earn More. Can AI Shrink the Racial Gap?

by Lane Lambert

Research by Shunyuan Zhang shows how Airbnb's pricing algorithm reduces the impact of bias, and offers lessons for other technology companies trying to root out racial inequity. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Who Has Potential? For Many White Men, It’s Often Other White Men

by Dina Gerdeman

Companies struggling to build diverse, inclusive workplaces need to break the cycle of “sameness” that prevents some employees from getting an equal shot at succeeding, says Robin Ely. Open for comment; 0 Comments.