Diversity →
- 18 Oct 2022
- Research & Ideas
When Bias Creeps into AI, Managers Can Stop It by Asking the Right Questions
Even when companies actively try to prevent it, bias can sway algorithms and skew decision-making. Ayelet Israeli and Eva Ascarza offer a new approach to make artificial intelligence more accurate.
- 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?
- 11 Oct 2022
- Research & Ideas
Shrinking the Racial Wealth Gap, One Mortgage at a Time
If banks hire more minority loan officers, more people of color might tap into a crucial means of wealth building: buying a home. Research by Adi Sunderam comes on the heels of a real estate frenzy that has mostly benefited white Americans.
- 20 Sep 2022
- Research & Ideas
How Partisan Politics Play Out in American Boardrooms
The discord gripping the nation has reached the heights of corporate America, with costly consequences for companies and investors. Research by Elisabeth Kempf shows just how polarized the executive suite has become.
- 29 Aug 2022
- Op-Ed
Income Inequality Is Rising. Are We Even Measuring It Correctly?
Policymakers trying to shrink the income gap have long relied on a statistical benchmark to guide decisions. But taking a broader view of inequality might lead to better solutions, say Jon Jachimowicz and colleagues.
- 09 Aug 2022
- Cold Call Podcast
A Lesson from Google: Can AI Bias be Monitored Internally?
Dr. Timnit Gebru was the co-lead of Google’s Ethical AI research team—until she raised concerns about bias in the company’s large language models and was forced out in 2020. Her departure sent shockwaves through the AI and tech community and raised fundamental questions about how companies safeguard against bias in their own AI. Should in-house ethics research continue to be led by researchers who best understand the technology, or must ethics and bias be monitored by more objective researchers who aren’t employed by companies? Professor Tsedal Neeley discusses how companies can approach the problem of AI bias in her case, “Timnit Gebru: 'SILENCED No More' on AI Bias and The Harms of Large Language Models.”
- 29 Jul 2022
- Research & Ideas
Will Demand for Women Executives Finally Shrink the Gender Pay Gap?
Women in senior management have more negotiation power than they think in today's labor market, says research by Paul Healy and Boris Groysberg. Is it time for more women to seek better opportunities and bigger pay?
- 14 Jun 2022
- Cold Call Podcast
What Does It Take to Close the Opportunity Gap in America’s Labor Market?
In the wake of George Floyd’s killing and widespread protests for social justice in the United States, OneTen was formed by a coalition of 40 large companies to address the disparity in job opportunities for African Americans without four-year college degrees. Their goal was to provide one million jobs in 10 years. But in order to do that, OneTen had to analyze the underlying problems and formulate recommendations for both system-level problems and those that manifest themselves at an organizational level. Professor Kash Rangan and OneTen CEO Maurice Jones discuss OneTen’s approach in the case, “OneTen: One Million Opportunities in Ten Years.”
- 24 May 2022
- Research & Ideas
Career Advice for Minorities and Women: Sharing Your Identity Can Open Doors
Women and people of color tend to minimize their identities in professional situations, but highlighting who they are often forces others to check their own biases. Research by Edward Chang and colleagues.
- 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.
- 08 Mar 2022
- Research & Ideas
Representation Matters: Building Case Studies That Empower Women Leaders
The lessons of case studies shape future business leaders, but only a fraction of these teaching tools feature women executives. Research by Colleen Ammerman and Boris Groysberg examines the gender gap in cases and its implications. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 28 Feb 2022
- Research & Ideas
How Racial Bias Taints Customer Service: Evidence from 6,000 Hotels
Hotel concierges provide better service to white customers than Black and Asian customers, says research by Alexandra Feldberg and colleague. They offer three strategies to help companies detect bias on the front line. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 22 Feb 2022
- Cold Call Podcast
How to Scale a Startup Marketplace for Used Furniture
AptDeco, a peer-to-peer marketplace for used furniture in the New York City area, was growing rapidly in the massive $120 billion furniture market, despite its complexity and high costs. Co-founders Reham Fagiri and Kalam Dennis were considering different options to scale the business, including converting sellers into buyers and vice versa, finding superusers to fuel the supply for their platform, expanding to new markets, and rebranding with a sustainability focus. Professor Ayelet Israeli and AptDeco co-founder Kalam Dennis discuss the best way to scale the business in the case, “AptDeco: Circular Economy Furniture Marketplace.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 22 Feb 2022
- Research & Ideas
Lack of Female Scientists Means Fewer Medical Treatments for Women
Women scientists are more likely to develop treatments for women, but many of their ideas never become inventions, research by Rembrand Koning says. What would it take to make innovation more equitable? Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Feb 2022
- Cold Call Podcast
How to Make Venture Capital Accessible for Black Founders: An Entrepreneur’s Dilemma
In May of 2021, Kevin D. Johnson had just graduated from a rigorous Executive MBA program, and he needed to decide on his next career move. Johnson was the founder and CEO of a successful media company, but his career goals had shifted during business school. He wanted to use his talents to help other BIPOC entrepreneurs access capital and provide opportunities to create intergenerational wealth. Johnson evaluated his four options: work full-time at an online platform dedicated to connecting Black founders with funding, join a BIPOC-focused venture capital ("VC") firm, pursue a job at an established VC firm, or continue scaling his media company. Harvard Business School senior lecturer Jo Tango and Johnson discuss which option he should choose in the case, “Kevin D. Johnson: To Be a Venture Capitalist or an Operator.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Feb 2022
- Book
When Working Harder Doesn’t Work, Time to Reinvent Your Career
The second half of your life could be better than the first. Really. In the book From Strength to Strength, Arthur Brooks shows how letting go of past glory can open the possibilities of life's "second curve." Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 08 Feb 2022
- Cold Call Podcast
What’s Next for Nigerian Production Studio EbonyLife Media?
After more than 20 years in the media industry in the UK and Nigeria, EbonyLife Media CEO Mo Abudu is considering several strategic changes for her media company’s future. Will her mission to tell authentic African stories to the world be advanced by distributing films and TV shows direct to customers? Or should EbonyLife instead distribute its content through third-party streaming services, like Netflix? Assistant Professor Andy Wu discusses Abudu’s plans for her company in his case, EbonyLife Media. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 13 Dec 2021
- Research & Ideas
The Unlikely Upside of Mergers: More Diverse Management Teams
Mergers shake up the status quo at companies and help women and people of color move up the ladder. Research by Letian Zhang mines data from 37,000 deals. Open for comment; 0 Comments.
- 16 Nov 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
Can Mass General Brigham Diversify Its Community of Innovators?
In November 2019, Mass General Brigham (MGB) was the largest recipient of National Institutes of Health funding in the world. The Innovation Office, led by Chief Innovation Officer Chris Coburn, sought to capitalize on that funding – with the goal of commercializing research done at the hospital to generate revenue and improve patient care. But CEO Anne Klibanski and other key stakeholders had a serious concern: although women comprised approximately 40 percent of the medical researchers and physicians at MGB, the percentage of women participating in innovation activities lagged behind. Associate Professor Katie Coffman, Coburn, and MGB’s managing director of administration and strategy Diana Schwartzstein discuss how they identify the main sources of the disparities and find the right strategy to expand and diversify MGB’s community of innovators in the case, “Inclusive Innovation at Mass General Brigham.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.
Why the Largest Minority Group Faces the Most Hate—and How to Push Back
A community's biggest minority group endures the most discrimination from a majority who fears losing status, says research by Marco Tabellini and colleagues. Findings from 20 years of crime and demographic data could help policymakers improve race relations.