Organizational Culture
→

- 05 Sep 2023
- Research & Ideas
Thriving After Failing: How to Turn Your Setbacks Into Triumphs
When we slip up, we are often filled with shame, and our instinct is to hide. Instead, people and businesses should applaud smart risk-taking, even when things don't work out, and closely examine their failures to learn from them, says Amy Edmondson.

- 05 Sep 2023
- Research & Ideas
Failing Well: How Your ‘Intelligent Failure’ Unlocks Your Full Potential
We tend to avoid failure at all costs. But our smarter missteps are worthwhile because they can force us to take a different path that points us toward personal and professional success, says Amy Edmondson.

- 28 Aug 2023
- Research & Ideas
How Workplace Wellness Programs Can Give Employees the Energy Boost They Need
At a time when many workers are struggling with mental health issues, workplace wellness programs need to go beyond providing gym discounts and start offering employees tailored solutions that improve their physical and emotional well-being, says Hise Gibson.

- 08 Aug 2023
- Research & Ideas
Black Employees Not Only Earn Less, But Deal with Bad Bosses and Poor Conditions
More than 900,000 reviews highlight broad racial disparities in the American working experience. Beyond pay inequities, research by Letian Zhang shows how Black employees are less likely to work at companies known for positive cultures or work-life balance.

- 17 Jul 2023
- Research & Ideas
Money Isn’t Everything: The Dos and Don’ts of Motivating Employees
Dangling bonuses to checked-out employees might only be a Band-Aid solution. Brian Hall shares four research-based incentive strategies—and three perils to avoid—for leaders trying to engage the post-pandemic workforce.

- 05 Jul 2023
- HBS Case
What Kind of Leader Are You? How Three Action Orientations Can Help You Meet the Moment
Executives who confront new challenges with old formulas often fail. The best leaders tailor their approach, recalibrating their "action orientation" to address the problem at hand, says Ryan Raffaelli. He details three action orientations and how leaders can harness them.

- 14 Jun 2023
- Research & Ideas
Four Steps to Building the Psychological Safety That High-Performing Teams Need Today
Struggling to spark strategic risk-taking and creative thinking? In the post-pandemic workplace, teams need psychological safety more than ever, and a new analysis by Amy Edmondson highlights the best ways to nurture it.
- 04 Apr 2023
- What Do You Think?
How Does Remote Work Affect Innovation?
Many companies are still trying to figure out how to manage teams that have limited in-person contact. Remote work will likely lead to new ideas, but what kind? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 21 Feb 2023
- Research & Ideas
Are Your Employees Passing Up Incentives? Try Promoting the Programs More
Employees who bow out of a company's wellness program or retirement savings plan might not know these perks exist. Leslie John offers advice for motivating workers to participate in incentive programs.

- 01 Feb 2023
- What Do You Think?
Will Hybrid Work Strategies Pull Down Long-Term Performance?
Many academics consider remote and hybrid work the future, but some business leaders are pushing back. Can colleagues working from anywhere still create the special glue that bonds teams together? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 24 Jan 2023
- Research & Ideas
Passion at Work Is a Good Thing—But Only If Bosses Know How to Manage It
Does showing passion mean doing whatever it takes to get the job done? Employees and managers often disagree, says research by Jon Jachimowicz. He offers four pieces of advice for leaders who yearn for more spirit and intensity at their companies.

- 20 Dec 2022
- Op-Ed
Employee Feedback: The Key to Retention During the Great Resignation
Employees need to feel that they're on the same team as managers—not adversaries in a zero-sum game. Michael Beer offers six guiding principles for senior leaders who are ready to listen to and act on employee feedback.

- 04 Oct 2022
- What Do You Think?
Have Managers Underestimated the Need for Face-to-Face Contact?
COVID-19 made remote work and instant delivery mainstays of life for many people, but will the need for community erode these concepts after the pandemic ends? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 08 Sep 2022
- Book
Gen Xers and Millennials, It’s Time To Lead. Are You Ready?
Generation X and Millennials—eagerly waiting to succeed Baby Boom leaders—have the opportunity to bring more collaboration and purpose to business. In the book True North: Emerging Leader Edition, Bill George offers advice for the next wave of CEOs.

- 17 Apr 2022
- Book
How to Avoid the 'Ethical Slide' That Leads Companies Astray
Building strong ethics requires continuous effort from everyone in an organization. In the book Business Ethics: What Everyone Needs to Know, J.S. Nelson offers practical advice for cultivating a "speak-up" culture. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 14 Apr 2022
- Op-Ed
Let’s Move Forward from COVID—Without Forgetting What We’ve Learned
As the post-pandemic world starts to take shape, many leaders will long to return to life before COVID-19. Instead, they should let go of the past and forge a new, better workplace, say Hise Gibson and MaShon Wilson. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 11 Apr 2022
- Research & Ideas
A World of Difference: What Keeps Companies from Becoming More Inclusive
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.

- 24 Mar 2022
- Research & Ideas
Rituals at Work: Teams That Play Together Stay Together
Rituals—even seemingly silly ones—help employees bond and add meaning to their work, says research by Michael Norton, Francesca Gino, and colleagues. After two years of pandemic disruption, who wouldn't welcome a workday pick-me-up? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 14 Dec 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
How Japan’s Recruit Holdings Regained Trust after a Scandal
Recruit Holdings, an advertising media, staffing, and business support conglomerate was founded in Japan in 1960 by Hiromasa Ezoe. The company was built on the principle that the company should add value to society. But in 1988, Recruit hit rough waters when Ezoe sold 2.8 million shares in a subsidiary before it went public to 76 Japanese leaders in politics, business, and media. The "Recruit Scandal," as it was called, resulted in the resignation of Japan’s prime minister and his entire cabinet. Thirty years later, Recruit has become a global conglomerate, with $16 billion in sales in 2017. How did the company not only survive, but thrive after its insider trading scandal? Harvard Business School professor Sandra Sucher examines how Recruit’s unique corporate culture helped to restore lost trust in her case, “Globalizing Japan’s Dream Machine: Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd.," and her book, The Power of Trust. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Who Gets the Loudest Voice in DEI Decisions?
Business leaders are wrestling with how to manage their organizations' commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. If you were a CEO, which constituency would you consider most: your employees, customers, or investors? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.