Decision Making →
- 15 Sep 2021
- Research & Ideas
Don't Bring Me Down: Probing Why People Tune Out Bad News
People often go out of their way to avoid unpleasant information, but not always for the reasons you might expect. Research by Christine Exley and colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 08 Jun 2021
- Research & Ideas
Tell Me What to Do: When Bad News Is a Big Relief
Why would anyone hope for the worst? Research by Serena Hagerty and colleague sheds light on just how far people will go to dodge a tough decision. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 30 Apr 2021
- Research & Ideas
Why Anger Makes a Wrongly Accused Person Look Guilty
Too often, people rely on biases and hunches to judge complex situations. Research by Leslie John shows how easy it is to make the wrong call. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 20 Apr 2021
- Working Paper Summaries
Cognitive Biases: Mistakes or Missing Stakes?
This study of field and lab data strongly suggests that people do not necessarily make better decisions when the stakes are very high. Results highlight the potential economic consequences of cognitive biases.
- 17 Dec 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
How Do CEOs Make Strategy?
A study of 262 Harvard Business School-educated CEOs traces differences in strategic decision-making across managers. CEOs leading larger, faster-growing firms tend to make highly structured strategic decisions and use more analytical deliberation. Management education has long-lasting effects on decision-making.
- 06 Dec 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
'Repayment-by-Purchase' Helps Consumers to Reduce Credit Card Debt
Many consumers fail to pay off credit card debt each month and suffer financial consequences. Repayment-by-purchase, allocating payment toward specific purchases on a credit card bill, helps consumers gain a sense of progress and control over credit card debt.
- 13 Oct 2020
- Cold Call Podcast
Can Entrepreneurs Make Mobile Voting Easy and Secure?
Making voting more accessible through technology could have tremendous payoffs for democracy—but also pose critical downsides if the product fails. Mitch Weiss, who teaches a course on public entrepreneurship, discusses his case study on Voatz and their plan to turn mobile phones into voting booths. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 24 Sep 2020
- Research & Ideas
Financial Meltdowns Are More Predictable Than We Thought
Robin Greenwood and Samuel G. Hanson discuss new research that shows economic crises follow predictable patterns. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 17 Aug 2020
- Research & Ideas
What the Stockdale Paradox Tells Us About Crisis Leadership
The Stockdale Paradox and survival psychology contain wisdom for how leaders can manage the coronavirus crisis, according to Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams. 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.
- 21 Jul 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
Business Reopening Decisions and Demand Forecasts During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Findings from a nationwide survey underscore the importance of demand projections and interdependencies among businesses for owners’ reopening decisions. Businesses expect the demand for their services will be greatly depressed for many months to come.
- 09 Jul 2020
- Research & Ideas
It’s Time to Reset Decision-Making in Your Organization
Clear decision-making in a crisis depends on sound methodology and gathering information from a variety of sources. Advice from Boris Groysberg and Sarah Abbott. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 04 May 2020
- Research & Ideas
Predictions, Prophets, and Restarting Your Business
Businesses are starting to plan their re-entry into the market, but how do they know what that market will look like? Frank V. Cespedes warns against putting too much trust in forecasters. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 13 Apr 2020
- Working Paper Summaries
The Bulletproof Glass Effect: When Privacy Notices Backfire
Consumers regularly encounter privacy notices explaining if and how their personal information will be collected, stored, used, and shared. Evidence in this study demonstrates that privacy notices, though designed to promote a sense of confidence that personal data will not be misused, can undermine consumer trust and decrease purchase intent.
- 12 Dec 2019
- Research & Ideas
How to Turn Down the Boil on Group Conflict
Intergroup conflict can grind office productivity to a halt. Jeffrey Lees discusses how understanding psychological stereotypes can help divided parties compromise. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Dec 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
When to Apply?
Using a series of experiments, the authors studied gender differences in how job-seekers perceive their own qualifications for different opportunities and how this affects their decision to apply. Results suggest that soft touch employer interventions can improve the diversity of applicant pools even if candidate beliefs about their own ability are unchanged.
- 04 Dec 2019
- Book
Creating the Experimentation Organization
New tools allow companies to innovate on an unprecedented scale, in every aspect of business. But the organization must also change. Stefan Thomke previews his forthcoming book, Experimentation Works. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 13 Nov 2019
- Research & Ideas
Don't Turn Your Marketing Function Over to AI Just Yet
Lacking human insight, artificial intelligence will be limited when it comes to helping marketers open the black box of market prediction, says Tomomichi Amano. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 22 Oct 2019
- Research & Ideas
Use Artificial Intelligence to Set Sales Targets That Motivate
Setting sales targets has always been an inexact science, with serious consequences if done poorly. Using AI-based advanced analytics might be the answer, argues Doug Chung. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
7 Trends to Watch in 2022
Surging COVID-19 cases may have dampened optimism at the start of 2022, but change could be on the horizon. Harvard Business School faculty members share the trends they're watching this year. Open for comment; 0 Comments.