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New research on management from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including management strategy, accountability, design and succession planning.
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What Does Remote Work Mean for Middle Managers?

by James Heskett

Middle management was already the corporate scapegoat of choice before the COVID-19 pandemic. Will work-from-home policies make middle managers unnecessary or more critical than ever? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Reaching Today's Omnichannel Customer Takes a New Sales Strategy

by Kristen Senz

For salespeople working harder than ever to stay ahead of customers' evolving buying habits, Frank Cespedes offers timeless advice in his new book, Sales Management That Works. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Inside CEOs' Pandemic Worries: Uncertainty, Employees, and Kids

by Gamze D. Yucaoglu, Robin Abrahams, and Boris Groysberg

Boris Groysberg and colleagues peer into the minds of 10 global CEOs trying to steer their businesses through the upheaval of COVID-19. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

The Evolutionary Nature of Breakthrough Innovation: Re-Evaluating the Exploration vs. Exploitation Dichotomy

by Dominika K. Sarnecka and Gary P. Pisano

Analyzing more than 2,500 firm-level innovation histories spanning 30 years, this study shows that breakthrough innovation requires organizational capabilities for both exploration and exploitation. Managers should therefore question the frequent advice to put exploration- and exploitation-related innovative efforts into different organizational units.

Using Behavioral Science to Improve Well-Being for Social Workers

For child and family social workers, coping with the hardships of children and parents is part of the job. But that can cause a lot of stress. Is it possible for financially constrained organizations to improve social workers’ well-being using non-cash rewards, recognition, and other strategies from behavioral science? Assistant Professor Ashley Whillans describes the experience of Chief Executive Michael Sanders’ at the UK’s What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care, as he led a research program aimed at improving the morale of social workers in her case, “The What Works Centre: Using Behavioral Science to Improve Social Worker Well-being.” Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Do We Sustain Organization Diversity?

by James Heskett

Can workforce diversity take hold without inclusion? James Heskett reflects on one company's high-profile struggle to bring in more Black executives. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Do CEOs Make Strategy?

by Mu-Jeung Yang, Michael Christensen, Nicholas Bloom, Raffaella Sadun, and Jan Rivkin

A study of 262 Harvard Business School-educated CEOs traces differences in strategic decision-making across managers. CEOs leading larger, faster-growing firms tend to make highly structured strategic decisions and use more analytical deliberation. Management education has long-lasting effects on decision-making.

Nonprofit Boards: It is Time to Lift Your Gaze and See the System

by Shamal Dass, Kristy Muir, and V. Kasturi Rangan

Not every organization should attempt to solve problems at a system level, but can become more aware of systemic issues, ensuring that solutions dovetail into the macrosystem for best collective impact.

Transitions of Power Are Difficult. What Joe Biden and Other Incoming Leaders Need to Know.

by Sean Silverthorne

Rosabeth Moss Kanter discusses ways leaders can navigate bumpy transitions and heal divided constituencies. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Want to Be Happier? Make More Free Time

by Dina Gerdeman

Enjoying life requires time, but too often we willingly give it away in pursuit of money and career. Ashley Whillans shows how to restore the proper balance. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Leaders Can Navigate Politicized Conversations and Inspire Collaboration

by Kristen Senz

Francesca Gino discusses the psychology of conversation in politicized workplaces and how managers can improve their conversation styles to create high-quality collaboration. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Are You Sabotaging Your Own Company?

by Dina Gerdeman

A World War II spy manual offers intriguing insights into how modern management techniques may be sabotaging your organization, says Stefan Thomke. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Updating the Balanced Scorecard for Triple Bottom Line Strategies

by Robert S. Kaplan and David McMillan

Society increasingly expects businesses to help solve problems of environmental degradation, inequality, and poverty. This paper explains how the Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Map should be modified to reflect businesses’ expanded role for society.

Is Happiness at Work Really Attainable?

Francesca Gino discuss whether Henco Logistics' focus on employee happiness can endure through the Mexican company's rapid growth and leadership transition. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

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.

Why Don’t More Organizations Understand the Power of Diversity and Inclusion?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP: Diversity in business leadership is certainly an enviable social goal, but does it improve company performance? James Heskett's readers look for the research evidence. 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.