- 30 Oct 2023
- The Parlor Room
Mike Wheeler on the Jazz of Negotiation
In this episode of The Parlor Room, Harvard Business School Professor Mike Wheeler speaks with host Chris Linnane about how negotiation's improvisational nature makes it much like jazz. He also shares stories about a former president's photo and the acquisition of a television system to illustrate strategies for succeeding at the bargaining table.
- 30 Oct 2023
- Deep Purpose
How Framebridge Founder Susan Tynan Managed Risk While Making an Impact
Great business leaders are problem solvers. That’s what sparked Susan Tynan (Harvard Business School MBA 2003) to found Framebridge, a custom framing company. When Tynan couldn’t find a reasonably priced place to frame her beloved posters, she launched a business, which took off after years of hard work – and hard decisions. Tynan reflects on her learning journey, discussing how she managed the risks of entrepreneurship while aiming to make a lasting impact.
- 25 Oct 2023
- Climate Rising
How Sian Flowers Aims to Create a Low-Carbon Rose
This bonus episode of Climate Rising features Harvard Business Review’s Cold Cast podcast with Brian Kenny interviewing HBS professors Willy Shih and Mike Toffel about their teaching case about Kenya-based Sian Flowers. They discuss the company’s efforts to create a “low-carbon rose” by shipping them to their clients around the world by sea instead of by air without eroding their quality, and the effects this has on its production process. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org Guest/Host: ● Brian Kenny, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Harvard Business School and host of Cold Call ● Willy Shih, Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Management Practice in Business Administration ● Mike Toffel, Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management
- 24 Oct 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
How the United States Air Force Accelerated AI Adoption
In August 2022, the Pentagon tasked U.S. Air Force Captain Victor Lopez with launching a new Air Force innovation unit that leveraged commercial developers and military talent to acquire advanced technologies. Having been granted flexibility in the setup of the office, Lopez pondered the complexities of his assignment and the decisions around organizational design he would have to make. It’s often believed that only small start-up organizations can innovate, but a lot of innovation happens in big organizations, including government. Harvard Business School assistant professor Maria Roche is joined by Major Lopez to discuss the challenges of digital transformation in a large bureaucratic organization and the specific choices the U.S. Air Force needed to make when launching its AI Accelerator in her case, "Accelerating AI Adoption in the United States Air Force."
- 24 Oct 2023
- HBS Case
From P.T. Barnum to Mary Kay: Lessons From 5 Leaders Who Changed the World
What do Steve Jobs and Sarah Breedlove have in common? Through a series of case studies, Robert Simons explores the unique qualities of visionary leaders and what today's managers can learn from their journeys.
- 24 Oct 2023
- Research & Ideas
When Tech Platforms Identify Black-Owned Businesses, White Customers Buy
Demand for Black-owned restaurants rises when they're easier to find on Yelp. Research by Michael Luca shows how companies can mobilize their own technology to advance racial equity.
- 23 Oct 2023
- Deep Purpose
Saving BlackBerry: CEO John Chen Explains How to Make the Hard Calls
John Chen was hired to save an iconic smartphone company that ran out of juice. BlackBerry had gone from being a corporate world must-have to a global has-been. Chen says the key to turning Blackberry around was being prepared to make hard calls, even in midst of uncertainty. He says that, in business, the journey can be more important than the destination.
- 18 Oct 2023
- Managing the Future of Work
Defining experience: How micro internships build skills and boost productivity
Can short knowledge-work gigs improve the college-to-career transition? Jeffrey Moss, founder and CEO of intermediary Parker Dewey explains.
- 17 Oct 2023
- HBS Case
With Subscription Fatigue Setting In, Companies Need to Think Hard About Fees
Subscriptions are available for everything from dental floss to dog toys, but are consumers tiring of monthly fees? Elie Ofek says that subscription revenue can provide stability, but companies need to tread carefully or risk alienating customers.
- 16 Oct 2023
- Deep Purpose
Former Unilever CEO Paul Polman on Business as a Force for Social Change
Paul Polman is the legendary former CEO of Unilever and a global leader in combating climate change and promoting corporate responsibility. Reflecting on his career during and after Unilever, Polman explains how a company can achieve robust financial performance while playing an active role in solving the most pressing challenges facing society today.
- 16 Oct 2023
- The Parlor Room
Mihir Desai on Apple's Powerful Financial Model
In this debut episode of The Parlor Room, host and Harvard Business School Online Creative Director Chris Linnane sits down with HBS Professor Mihir Desai to discuss how Apple's financial model contributes to its success and illustrates a critical lesson about risk management.
- 16 Oct 2023
- HBS Case
Advancing Black Talent: From the Flight Ramp to 'Family-Sustaining' Careers at Delta
By emphasizing skills and expanding professional development opportunities, the airline is making strides toward recruiting and advancing Black employees. Case studies by Linda Hill offer an inside look at how Delta CEO Ed Bastian is creating a more equitable company and a stronger talent pipeline.
- 11 Oct 2023
- Climate Rising
Three MBA Summer Interns in Business and Climate Change
The final episode of our 2023 back-to-business school series features three Harvard Business School MBA students: Nabig Chaudhry, Mitch Hirai, and Kamya Jagadish. They describe how they spent the summer interning in climate-related businesses, from impact investing to a climate tech incubator and climate risk analytics. They also discuss what sparked their interest in the field and how they stay current on information and trends to explore career opportunities in business and climate change For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guests: ● Nabig Chaudhry, HBS MBA Class of 2024 ● Mitch Hirai, HBS MBA Class of 2024 ● Kamya Jagadish, HBS MBA/Harvard Kennedy School MPP Class of 2024
- 10 Oct 2023
- Cold Call Podcast
Scaling Two Businesses Against the Odds: Wendy Estrella’s Founder’s Journey
Entrepreneur Wendy Estrella is attempting to simultaneously scale her law practice, as well as her property management and development company. What strategy will benefit both businesses, and is there a downside to scaling them together, rather than focusing on each one separately? Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jeffrey Bussgang and Estrella discuss her unique founder’s journey – from immigrating to the U.S. to building both of her businesses in Lawrence, Massachusetts despite the specific challenges she faced as a minority entrepreneur. The related case is “Wendy Estrella: Scaling Multiple Businesses.”
- 10 Oct 2023
- Research & Ideas
In Empowering Black Voters, Did a Landmark Law Stir White Angst?
The Voting Rights Act dramatically increased Black participation in US elections—until worried white Americans mobilized in response. Research by Marco Tabellini illustrates the power of a political backlash.
- 09 Oct 2023
- Deep Purpose
Deep Purpose Season 2
Harvard Business School Professor Ranjay Gulati is back with a new season of Deep Purpose. This time he’s exploring the qualities it takes to become a courageous leader, joined by a new lineup of top global executives. He’ll sit down to discuss each guest’s personal story and how it led them to make bold business decisions. The show shares key insights that illustrate why courageous leadership isn’t born from the absence of fear, but rather taking action in the face of fear.
- 06 Oct 2023
- Book
Yes, You Can Radically Change Your Organization in One Week
Skip the committees and the multi-year roadmap. With the right conditions, leaders can confront even complex organizational problems in one week. Frances Frei and Anne Morriss explain how in their book Move Fast and Fix Things.
- 04 Oct 2023
- Managing the Future of Work
Workplace transformation: Gallup plumbs the new normal
If there’s no going back to pre-Covid, 9-to-5 workplace routines, what’s the new management playbook? Gallup’s Jim Harter on work-life balance, managing a hybrid organization, and the social and psychological markers of a healthy and productive organization.
- 04 Oct 2023
- The Parlor Room
Trailer: Introducing The Parlor Room
Harvard Business School Online is excited to introduce The Parlor Room, a new podcast featuring entertaining, insightful conversations with HBS professors that demystify vital business concepts and provide practical takeaways for your career.
Beyond the 'Business Case' in DEI: 6 Steps Toward Meaningful Change
Diversity and inclusion efforts that focus on business outcomes alone rarely address root causes. Jamillah Bowman Williams, a visiting fellow at the Institute for the Study of Business in Global Society, offers tips for companies navigating their next stage of the DEI journey.