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New research on race from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including racial discrimination, career mobility of racial minorities, and diversity policies.
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6 Steps to Building a Better Workplace for Black Employees

by Dina Gerdeman

To support black employees, business leaders must challenge biases and help employees be themselves, according to a new book co-edited by Anthony J. Mayo, Laura Morgan Roberts, and David A. Thomas Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Book Excerpt: Why a Volume on Race, Work, and Leadership

In this excerpt from Race, Work, & Leadership: New Perspectives on the Black Experience, the authors discuss the deterioriating state of race relations in the US. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Legislators' Response to Changes in the Electorate: The Great Migration and Civil Rights

by Alvaro Calderon, Vasiliki Fouka, and Marco Tabellini

The second Great Migration (1940–1970) brought to the US North and West more than four million African Americans. We show that this unique episode of internal migration contributed to the development and eventual success of civil rights legislation.

Women Receive Harsher Punishment at Work Than Men

by Michael Blanding

Women caught in misconduct were 20 percent more likely to be fired and 30 percent less likely to find new employment in the financial services industry, reports new research by Mark Egan and colleagues. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Pro Basketball Coaches Display Racial Bias When Selecting Lineups

by Michael Blanding

Research finds that NBA coaches give slightly more playing time to players of their own race, but the gap disappears at playoff time. Research by Letian Zhang. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

How Should Managers Deal with the Challenges of Building an Inclusive Workplace?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP Few doubt the benefits of a diverse workplace. James Heskett's readers offer insights on the most effective management approaches to inclusion. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

From Immigrants to Americans: Race and Assimilation During the Great Migration

by Vasiliki Fouka, Soumyajit Mazumder, and Marco Tabellini

The Great Migration of African Americans and the mass migration of Europeans both contributed to forming the modern American racial and ethnic landscape. This analysis finds that native whites more readily accepted European immigrants as African Americans arrived in the US North during the first Great Migration, facilitating the assimilation of European immigrants in northern urban centers.

Celebrating 'The Men and Women of the Corporation' 40 Years Later

by Robin J. Ely

Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s Men and Women of the Corporation inspired and informed a generation of scholars studying gender, status, and power. Robin J. Ely interviews Kanter about her groundbreaking research and why it remains relevant today. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

We May Have Taken Too Much Credit for Easing Workplace Segregation

by Dina Gerdeman

Racial integration of American businesses hasn't improved much despite 40 years of trying. Rembrand Koning discusses the unexpected reason why. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Black Business Leaders Series: John Rogers and the Importance of Hiring Minority-Owned Services Firms

Steven Rogers discusses a new Harvard Business School case study about the risks of speaking up, and the importance of black empowerment in the investment sector in this podcast. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Black Business Leaders Series: Oprah’s Path to Authentic Leadership

Bill George traces Oprah Winfrey's growth from childhood, focusing on how and when she discovered her true voice and how that authenticity spurred her career success. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Minorities Who 'Whiten' Job Resumes Get More Interviews

by Dina Gerdeman

African American and Asian job applicants who mask their race on resumes seem to have better success getting job interviews, according to research by Katherine DeCelles and colleagues. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Black Business Leaders Series: A Remarkable Legacy of Firsts, Maggie Lena Walker

Re: Anthony Mayo

Maggie Lena Walker used her leadership of the Independent Order of St. Luke to form a bank, newspaper, and department store—all in the stronghold of the Confederacy. Tony Mayo discusses his case study about this pioneering African American woman. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Black Business Leaders Series: Putting Diversity to Work

Re: Robin J. Ely

In theory, most companies would love to diversify their workforce. In practice, hiring specifically to increase diversity can cause a variety of cultural problems within an organization. Professor Robin Ely discusses two case studies that train a critical lens on race-based and race-blind hiring. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Black Business Leaders Series: The Entrepreneurship Behind Ebony Magazine

Over seven decades Ebony magazine has covered the most important African-American issues, personalities, and interests. Now it faces difficult times that most publications confront. Senior Lecturer Steve Rogers discusses his case study of Ebony's past, present, and future in this podcast. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Racial Discrimination in the Sharing Economy: Evidence from a Field Experiment

by Benjamin G. Edelman, Michael Luca & Daniel Svirsky

Online platforms such as Airbnb create new markets by eliminating search frictions, building trust, and facilitating transactions. With the rise of the sharing economy, however, comes the prospect of racial discrimination that is unheard of in established platforms. The authors suggest changes to Airbnb’s site design to reduce or prevent discrimination.

The Problem with Productivity of Multi-Ethnic Teams

by Michael Blanding

Ethnically diverse teams can be less productive than more homogenous teams, according to research in Kenya by Vincent Pons. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Without Immigrants, We Wouldn't Have Google

by Shane Greenstein

What is the secret sauce of US commercial success? It’s the contributions of immigrants, like Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who have made huge contributions to the technological and economic success of the United States, argues Harvard Business School Professor Shane Greenstein. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

Airbnb Hosts Discriminate Against African-American Guests

by Carmen Nobel

Experimental research by Ben Edelman, Michael Luca, and Daniel Svirsky revealed widespread discrimination against African-American guests on Airbnb. Now the researchers have created an online tool to mitigate it. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.

In Venture Capital, Birds of a Feather Lose Money Together

by Carmen Nobel

The more affinity there is between two VCs investing in a firm, the less likely the firm will succeed, according to research by Paul Gompers, Yuhai Xuan and Vladimir Mukharlyamov. Closed for comment; 8 Comment(s) posted.