- 02 Apr 2024
- What Do You Think?
What's Enough to Make Us Happy?
Experts say happiness is often derived by a combination of good health, financial wellbeing, and solid relationships with family and friends. But are we forgetting to take stock of whether we have enough of these things? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 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.
- 15 Mar 2024
- HBS Case
Let's Talk: Why It's Time to Stop Avoiding Taboo Topics at Work
Few people enjoy talking about succession plans, performance problems, and pay, but sometimes you must. Christina Wing offers five rules for navigating thorny conversations in the workplace, and makes the case for tackling even sensitive topics, like age, health, and politics.
- 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
- What Do You Think?
Do People Want to Work Anymore?
Surveys indicate that US employee engagement and job satisfaction are down. To what degree are attitudes toward work to blame? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 29 Feb 2024
- HBS Case
Beyond Goals: David Beckham's Playbook for Mobilizing Star Talent
Reach soccer's pinnacle. Become a global brand. Buy a team. Sign Lionel Messi. David Beckham makes success look as easy as his epic free kicks. But leveraging world-class talent takes discipline and deft decision-making, as case studies by Anita Elberse reveal. What could other businesses learn from his ascent?
- 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?
- 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?
- 05 Feb 2024
- What Do You Think?
How Do You Hire for Attitude?
Organizations often make the mistake of hiring employees based largely on their skills, rather than their attitude. What questions can you ask to determine if a job candidate aligns with your company’s mission and culture? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Feb 2024
- Research & Ideas
The Middle Manager of the Future: More Coaching, Less Commanding
Skilled middle managers foster collaboration, inspire employees, and link important functions at companies. An analysis of more than 35 million job postings by Letian Zhang paints a counterintuitive picture of today's midlevel manager. Could these roles provide an innovation edge?
- 30 Jan 2024
- Research & Ideas
‘Intrinsic Joy’ Sparks Ideas Better than Cash
Can financial incentives turn innovation into a chore? A study of GitHub's efforts to sponsor software coders by Maria Roche and colleagues explores the interplay between motivation and creativity.
- 24 Jan 2024
- Op-Ed
Why Boeing’s Problems with the 737 MAX Began More Than 25 Years Ago
Aggressive cost cutting and rocky leadership changes have eroded the culture at Boeing, a company once admired for its engineering rigor, says Bill George. What will it take to repair the reputational damage wrought by years of crises involving its 737 MAX?
- 23 Jan 2024
- Research & Ideas
How to Keep Employees Productive: Support Caregivers
Three-quarters of US employees are balancing caregiving with their careers. If companies could prevent five of them from quitting, they could save $200,000. Joseph Fuller offers a seven-point plan for supporting the sandwich generation and beyond.
- 16 Jan 2024
- Cold Call Podcast
How SolarWinds Responded to the 2020 SUNBURST Cyberattack
In December of 2020, SolarWinds learned that they had fallen victim to hackers. Unknown actors had inserted malware called SUNBURST into a software update, potentially granting hackers access to thousands of its customers’ data, including government agencies across the globe and the US military. General Counsel Jason Bliss needed to orchestrate the company’s response without knowing how many of its 300,000 customers had been affected, or how severely. What’s more, the existing CEO was scheduled to step down and incoming CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna had yet to come on board. Bliss needed to immediately communicate the company’s action plan with customers and the media. In this episode of Cold Call, Professor Frank Nagle discusses SolarWinds’ response to this supply chain attack in the case, “SolarWinds Confronts SUNBURST.”
- 10 Jan 2024
- Research & Ideas
Technology and COVID Upended Tipping Norms. Will Consumers Keep Paying?
When COVID pushed service-based businesses to the brink, tipping became a way for customers to show their appreciation. Now that the pandemic is over, new technologies have enabled companies to maintain and expand the use of digital payment nudges, says Jill Avery.
- 02 Jan 2024
- What Do You Think?
Do Boomerang CEOs Get a Bad Rap?
Several companies have brought back formerly successful CEOs in hopes of breathing new life into their organizations—with mixed results. But are we even measuring the boomerang CEOs' performance properly? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 02 Jan 2024
- Research & Ideas
10 Trends to Watch in 2024
Employees may seek new approaches to balance, even as leaders consider whether to bring more teams back to offices or make hybrid work even more flexible. These are just a few trends that Harvard Business School faculty members will be following during a year when staffing, climate, and inclusion will likely remain top of mind.
- 12 Dec 2023
- Research & Ideas
COVID Tested Global Supply Chains. Here’s How They’ve Adapted
A global supply chain reshuffling is underway as companies seek to diversify their distribution networks in response to pandemic-related shocks, says research by Laura Alfaro. What do these shifts mean for American businesses and buyers?
- 05 Dec 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
What Founders Get Wrong about Sales and Marketing
Which sales candidate is a startup’s ideal first hire? What marketing channels are best to invest in? How aggressively should an executive team align sales with customer success? Senior Lecturer Mark Roberge discusses how early-stage founders, sales leaders, and marketing executives can address these challenges as they grow their ventures in the case, “Entrepreneurial Sales and Marketing Vignettes.”
Why Work Rituals Bring Teams Together and Create More Meaning
From weekly lunch dates with colleagues to bedtime stories with children, we often rely on rituals to relax and bond with others. While it may feel awkward to introduce teambuilding rituals in the workplace, the truth is, the practices improve performance, says Michael Norton in his book The Ritual Effect.