Operations
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- 11 Jun 2020
- Coronavirus
Are Digital Organizations Better at Overcoming COVID?
Experts from Harvard Business School's Digital Initiative discuss how technology is helping leading companies gain an edge during the coronavirus pandemic. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 01 Jun 2020
- What Do You Think?
Will Challenged Amazon Tweak Its Retail Model Post-Pandemic?
James Heskett's readers have little sympathy for Amazon's loss of market share during the pandemic. Has the organization lost its ability to learn? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 29 May 2020
- In Practice
How Leaders Are Fighting Food Insecurity on Three Continents
The pandemic could almost double the number of people facing food crises in lower-income populations by the end of 2020. Howard Stevenson and Shirley Spence show how organizations are responding. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 25 May 2020
- Research & Ideas
Has Occupational Licensing Outlived Its Usefulness?
A recent study shows that consumers do not value occupational licensing of their contractors or the higher prices they charge. Research by Chiara Farronato. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 18 May 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
No Line Left Behind: Assortative Matching Inside the Firm
This paper studies how buyer relationships influence suppliers' internal organization of labor. The results emphasize that suppliers to the global market, when they are beholden to a small set of powerful buyers, may be driven to allocate managerial skill to service these relationships, even at the expense of productivity.
- 23 Mar 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
The Effects of Hierarchy on Learning and Performance in Business Experimentation
Do senior managers help or hurt business experiments? Analyzing a dataset of more than 6,300 experiments on the A/B/n testing platform Optimizely, this study suggests that involving senior executives in experimentation teams can have surprising consequences.
- 16 Mar 2020
- Coronavirus
How the Coronavirus Is Already Rewriting the Future of Business
We asked Harvard Business School experts how the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to change business practice. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 17 Feb 2020
- Sharpening Your Skills
How Entrepreneurs Can Find the Right Problem to Solve
Identifying a customer's pain points is the first step for entrepreneurs in developing a new product. Julia Austin offers tips for choosing the right "job to be done." Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 21 Jan 2020
- Cold Call Podcast
China-based Fuyao Glass Considers Manufacturing in the US
Not many Chinese companies open manufacturing facilities in the US, but automotive glass maker Fuyao is considering just that. In a recent case study, Willy Shih examines factors that go into deciding where companies should locate production centers. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 21 Jan 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
The Impact of the General Data Protection Regulation on Internet Interconnection
While many countries consider implementing their own versions of privacy and data protection regulations, there are concerns about whether such regulations may negatively impact the growth of the internet and reduce technology firms’ incentives in operating and innovating. Results of this study suggest limited effects of such regulations on the internet layer.
- 04 Dec 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Intelligent Design of Inclusive Growth Strategies
How companies, working with a catalyst, can redesign supply chains to achieve economic, environmental, and social returns.
- 16 Sep 2019
- Research & Ideas
Crowdsourcing Is Helping Hollywood Reduce the Risk of Movie-Making
Hollywood insiders have created "The Black List," which helps surface good but often overlooked scripts. Does the wisdom of the crowd work at the box office? Research by Hong Luo. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 02 Sep 2019
- What Do You Think?
Are Overlooked Forces Shielding the US from Severe Economic Downturns?
SUMMING UP: Many of Jame's Heskett's readers believe that one factor more than any other could kills expansion of the United States economy: actions by the Federal Reserve. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 21 Aug 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Improving Customer Compatibility with Operational Transparency
Service firms seeking prospective customers usually highlight the advantages of their offerings and downplay the tradeoffs. This study suggests a different approach: Provide transparency into advantages as well as tradeoffs. The transparency helps customers make informed decisions and can lead to better outcomes for both firms and customers over the long run.
- 07 Aug 2019
- Research & Ideas
Big Infrastructure May Not Always Produce Big Benefits
Government spending on bridges, roads, and other infrastructure pieces does not always ignite economic good times, say William Kerr and Ramana Nanda. The key question: Are financiers nearby? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 07 Jul 2019
- HBS Case
Walmart's Workforce of the Future
A case study by William Kerr explores Walmart's plans for future workforce makeup and training, and its search for opportunities from digital infrastructure and automation. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
- 29 Jun 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Infrastructure and Finance: Evidence from India's GQ Highway Network
In India, the Golden Quadrilateral highway network connects four major cities. This study of the relationship between the infrastructure project and development of the local financial sector finds that, in districts along and near the GQ, initial levels of financial development shaped how, and where, infrastructure investment could jumpstart real economic activity.
- 05 Jun 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
How Transparency into Internal and External Responsibility Initiatives Influences Consumer Choice
Three studies examined how firms can use transparency into social and environmental responsibility initiatives to differentiate themselves in the consumer market. Results show that transparency into internal, responsible operations practices can increase sales at least as much as transparency into external, corporate social responsibility practices, if not more so.
- 21 May 2019
- Cold Call Podcast
If the Key to Business Success Is Focus, Why Does Amazon Work?
Sunil Gupta explores the infiltration of Amazon into dozens of industries including web services, grocery, and movie production. What’s the big plan? Is the company spread too thin? Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.
Corporate Resilience and Response During COVID-19
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.