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- 28 Mar 2023
- Research & Ideas
The FDA’s Speedy Drug Approvals Are Safe: A Win-Win for Patients and Pharma Innovation
Expediting so-called breakthrough therapies has saved millions of dollars in research time without compromising drug safety or efficacy, says research by Ariel Stern, Amitabh Chandra, and colleagues. Could policymakers harness the approach to bring life-saving treatments to the market faster?

- 31 Jan 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
Addressing Racial Discrimination on Airbnb
For years, Airbnb gave hosts extensive discretion to accept or reject a guest after seeing little more than a name and a picture, believing that eliminating anonymity was the best way for the company to build trust. However, the apartment rental platform failed to track or account for the possibility that this could facilitate discrimination. After research published by Professor Michael Luca and others provided evidence that Black hosts received less in rent than hosts of other races and showed signs of discrimination against guests with African American sounding names, the company had to decide what to do. In the case, “Racial Discrimination on Airbnb,” Luca discusses his research and explores the implication for Airbnb and other platform companies. Should they change the design of the platform to reduce discrimination? And what’s the best way to measure the success of any changes?

- 12 Oct 2022
- Research & Ideas
When Design Enables Discrimination: Learning from Anti-Asian Bias on Airbnb
Airbnb bookings dropped 12 percent more for hosts with Asian names than other hosts during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, says research by Michael Luca. Could better design deter bias, particularly during times of crisis?

- 05 May 2022
- Research & Ideas
Why Companies Raise Their Prices: Because They Can
Markups on household items started climbing years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies have realized just how much consumers will pay for the brands they love, says research by Alexander MacKay. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

- 19 Oct 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
Should Global Beer Company Molson Coors Dive into the Cannabis Beverages Business?
In March 2019, Molson Coors CEO Mark Hunter considered a request to pull forward $65 million to build a facility in Canada to produce cannabis beverages. This request was not part of the original plan to test the waters with a few products in a small geography to see if there was a viable market opportunity, given that there was no legal market yet. It's this change in direction that gives Hunter pause. Should he approve the request, or push the team back to the original, more conservative plan? Senior Lecturer Derek van Bever and Steve Kaufman discuss balancing exploitation versus exploration inside this global brewing company in the case, "Beyond Beer: Brewing Innovation at Molson Coors." Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 29 Sep 2021
- Research & Ideas
For Entrepreneurs, Blown Deadlines Can Crush Big Ideas
After a successful launch, entrepreneurs struggle to anticipate the complexities of product upgrades, says research by Andy Wu and Aticus Peterson. They offer three tips to help startups avoid disastrous delays. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 02 Aug 2020
- What Do You Think?
Is the 'Experimentation Organization' Becoming the Competitive Gold Standard?
SUMMING UP: Digital experimentation is gaining momentum as an everyday habit in many organizations, especially those in high tech, say James Heskett's readers. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 28 Jul 2020
- Research & Ideas
Racism and Digital Design: How Online Platforms Can Thwart Discrimination
Poor design decisions contribute to racial discrimination on many online platforms. Michael Luca and colleagues offer tips for reducing the risk, used by Airbnb and other companies. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 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.

- 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; 0 Comments.

- 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; 0 Comments.

- 19 Dec 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Find and Replace: R&D Investment Following the Erosion of Existing Products
This study sheds light on how product outcomes shape the direction of innovation and markets for technology. In the drug development industry in particular, negative product shocks appear to spur investment changes both within the directly affected firm and in competing firms in the same R&D markets.

- 10 Dec 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Platform Competition: Betfair and the U.K. Market for Sports Betting
Since the early 2000s, online betting exchanges have had a new relationship with customers relative to traditional bookmakers, providing a platform to match individuals willing to lay and back the same outcome. This study shows how exchanges’ platform design choices have major implications for their likelihood of success.

- 06 Aug 2018
- Research & Ideas
Supersmart Manufacturing Tools are Lowering Prices on TVs, Bulbs, and Solar Panels
Electronics manufacturers are finding it increasingly difficult to stay ahead of low-cost competitors, says Willy Shih. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 21 Feb 2018
- Research & Ideas
When a Competitor Abandons the Market, Should You Advance or Retreat?
Companies pay close attention when a competitor drops out of the market, according to new research by Joshua Lev Krieger. Too often, though, they come to the wrong conclusion. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 20 Dec 2017
- Lessons from the Classroom
How to Design a Better Customer Experience
With the help of LEGO bricks, Stefan Thomke helps business executives discover how design principles can serve as building blocks to create a great customer experience. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

- 06 Dec 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Trials and Terminations: Learning from Competitors' R&D Failures
When companies terminate R&D projects, it has ripple effects on the project selection decisions of rival firms and the broader competitive environment. Examining firm responses to others’ failures, this paper introduces a new model of R&D investment decisions, and empirically investigates when knowledge generated by rivals directly enters specific project investment decisions.
- 29 Mar 2017
- Research & Ideas
The Story of Why Humans Are So Careless With Their Phones
Consumers act more recklessly with the products they own when better versions become available, according to research by Silvia Bellezza, Joshua M. Ackerman and Francesca Gino. This comic by Josh Neufeld explains. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 20 Jul 2016
- Research & Ideas
Airplane Design Brings Out the Class Warfare in Us All
Air rage is often blamed on overcrowded flights and postage stamp-size seats, but researchers Michael Norton and Katherine A. DeCelles find another culprit: resentment toward passengers in first class. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
The $15 Billion Question: Have Loot Boxes Turned Video Gaming into Gambling?
Critics say loot boxes—major revenue streams for video game companies—entice young players to overspend. Can regulators protect consumers without dampening the thrill of the game? Research by Tomomichi Amano and colleague.