Social Psychology →
- 02 May 2007
- Research & Ideas
The Authentic Leader
Podcast: The best leaders are not the "follow me over the hill" type, says Professor Bill George. Rather, they're the people who lead from the heart as well as the head, and whose leadership style springs from their fundamental character and values. George discusses his new book True North, co-written with Peter Sims. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 26 Mar 2007
- Research & Ideas
Learning from Failed Political Leadership
Strategic independence and better leadership assessment—these are the critical issues for both business and government in the future, says Professor D. Quinn Mills. In this Q&A he describes key lessons from his new book, Masters of Illusion, coauthored with Steven Rosefielde. A book excerpt follows. Key concepts include: Business leaders must be able to predict changing dynamics between powerful organizations under multiple international economic and geopolitical scenarios. A major failing of current leadership models is the lack of knowledge, awareness, or even interest in life beyond our country's borders, a limitation of growing importance as the global economy expands. The most important threats to America in the decade ahead are from major powers, not terrorists per se. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 02 Feb 2007
- What Do You Think?
Is There Too Little “Know Why” In Business?
There's know-how in business and then there's "know why." Purpose is a powerful motivator on many levels, says Jim Heskett. Can we aspire to a strong sense of "know why" even if our organization is not out to change the world? What do you think? Online forum now open. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 08 Jan 2007
- Research & Ideas
Who Rises to Power in American Business?
Business leaders in the United States have usually been white men who were blessed with the right religion, family, or education. But "outsiders" have also created their own paths to leadership, a trend on the rise today. Paths to Power is the first book in fifty years to exhaustively analyze the demographics of leadership and access in business in the U.S., and how the face of American leadership might be changing. A Q&A with Anthony J. Mayo. Key concepts include: Paths to power in American business have followed two tracks: The inside track favors white males with the right connections. The outside path is forged by individuals who overcome significant odds to achieve success. Over the last seventy-five years, education has become more critical in creating a path to power; religion and family ties less so. Access to power appears to be widening. In the future, individuals who can operate and lead in a complex global world will be at an advantage in gaining leadership positions. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Dec 2006
- Working Paper Summaries
The Business of Free Software: Enterprise Incentives, Investment, and Motivation in the Open Source Community
IBM has contributed more than $1 billion to the development and promotion of the Linux operating system, and other vendors such as Sun are ramping up open source software efforts and investment. Why do information technology vendors that have traditionally sold proprietary software invest millions of dollars in OSS? Where have they chosen to invest, and what are the characteristics of the OSS projects to which they contribute? This study grouped OSS projects into clusters and identified IT vendors' motives in each cluster. Key concepts include: Cluster 1, the "money-driven cluster," consisted of projects that have received almost all of vendor investments. The eighteen projects in this cluster have received over $2 billion in investment. Cluster 2, the "community-driven cluster," has a large number of projects that have received almost no vendor investment. IT vendors have generally ignored projects in this cluster and appear to have no coordinated strategy for dealing with them. Examining the impact of projects in both clusters shows that vendors have not invested uniformly in high-impact OSS projects. Instead, vendors invest in projects that can serve to draw revenues to their own (largely proprietary) core business. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Dec 2006
- What Do You Think?
How Important Is Quality of Labor? And How Is It Achieved?
A new book by Gregory Clark identifies "labor quality" as the major enticement for capital flows that lead to economic prosperity. By defining labor quality in terms of discipline and attitudes toward work, this argument minimizes the long-term threat of outsourcing to developed economies. By understanding labor quality, can we better confront anxieties about outsourcing and immigration? Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 02 Nov 2006
- Working Paper Summaries
Organizational Response to Environmental Demands: Opening the Black Box
How and why do organizations respond differently to pressures from different stakeholders? This question is central to organizational theory and feeds into strategic management research as well. Delmas and Toffel develop and test a model that describes why organizations respond differently to similar stakeholder pressures. They suggest that differences in how organizations distribute power across their internal corporate departments lead their facilities to prioritize different institutional pressures and thus adopt different management practices. Key concepts include: Stakeholder pressures are channeled to different organizational functions, which influence how they are received—and acted upon—by facility managers. As a result, managers of facilities that are subjected to comparable institutional pressures may adopt distinct sets of management practices to appease their external constituents. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 25 Oct 2006
- Op-Ed
Fixing Executive Options: The Veil of Ignorance
Who says you can't rewrite history? Dozens of companies have been caught in the practice of backdating options for top executives. But this is only part of the problem with C-level compensation packages, which often motivate top executives to act in their own best interests rather than those of shareholders. Professors Mihir Desai and Joshua Margolis turn to philosopher John Rawls for a solution: Reward the execs, but don't give them the details. Key concepts include: Too often executive incentive packages are not aligned with the best interests of shareholders. Why create long-term value if your bread is buttered by quarterly performance? Option compensation could be restructured to ensure that managers were aware of the value of their compensation without any knowledge of the details of their compensation—a concept inspired by philosopher John Rawls' work on distributive justice. These options may only be useful for CEOs, senior officers, and directors—not middle management. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 20 Sep 2006
- Research & Ideas
The Power of Ordinary Practices
Seemingly mundane things that managers do can have great impact on their workers, says Professor Teresa Amabile. In this conversation with Professor Mike Roberts, she updates her ongoing research on creativity in the workplace by investigating how people's intense inner work lives affect their productivity—and how managers can encourage production. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Sep 2006
- What Do You Think?
Are We Ready for Self-Management?
On its face, self-management looks like a "win-win" answer to the scarcity of good managers and the predominance of low-involvement entry-level jobs. But are sufficient numbers of entry-level employees ready for self-management? And is management ready? Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 14 Aug 2006
- HBS Case
On Managing with Bobby Knight and “Coach K”
Bobby Knight and Mike Krzyzewski are arguably the two most successful college basketball coaches in the country. But their leadership styles could not be more different. Professor Scott Snook wonders: Is it better to be loved or feared? Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Jul 2006
- What Do You Think?
How Important Is “Executive Intelligence” for Leaders?
Leadership talent is enjoying a perceived "seller's market," says Jim Heskett. As we select and train future leaders for all levels of our organizations, how much effort do we really spend assessing executive intelligence as opposed to personality and style? What do YOU think? Key concepts include: According to Justin Menkes, executive intelligence is the ability to digest, often with the help of others, large amounts of information in order to form important decisions. Menkes says, "Personality is not a differentiator of star talent. It is an individual's facility for clear thinking or intelligence that largely determines their leadership success." What do you think is the relative importance of executive intelligence, style, and personality in effective leaders? Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Jul 2006
- Working Paper Summaries
Governance and CEO Turnover: Do Something or Do the Right Thing?
CEOs who become "entrenched" by the board of directors can gain an extra buffer between themselves and angry shareholders. Entrenchment has potential costs (a poorly performing CEO hangs on to the job) but also benefits (the board can deflect shareholder cries for dismissal of a CEO who was merely unlucky). The authors hope to shift the emphasis of the debate on entrenchment to a consideration of these tradeoffs and to shift the focus of the entrenchment-performance discussion toward the decisions, such as CEO dismissal, that are directly tied to the actions of the board. Key concepts include: By caving in to shareholder demands, boards may act against the long-time interests of the company and those same shareholders. Governance is a very important mediating factor in the relationship between performance and firing. At the time of founding a forward-looking investor may wish to put in place governance mechanisms that address these issues. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 05 Jul 2006
- Working Paper Summaries
Deep Links: Business School Students’ Perceptions of the Role of Law and Ethics in Business
The researchers spent more than a year eliciting twelve MBA students' thoughts and feelings about the role of law in starting and running a U.S. business. This research offers new insights into the ongoing debate about how best to educate the business leaders of tomorrow. More than a standalone course in business law or ethics, it would be wise for educators to use an approach that treats the role of law and business in the broader context of societal needs and norms. Key concepts include: Business school curricula that ignore the role law plays in making markets possible may undermine students' appreciation of how law undergirds the capitalist system. Business students need to learn both more ethics and law. Teaching materials should highlight the positive associations or linkages between law, business, and societal welfare. The systems approach to management is one way to link law, business, and ethics to create an integrated mental model. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 17 Apr 2006
- Research & Ideas
Resisting the Seductions of Success
"The basic problem with the flow of success is that life can look very good when it really isn't," writes Harvard Business School's Joseph L. Badaracco Jr. His new book, Questions of Character, uses literature to look closely at issues of leadership. Here's an excerpt. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 27 Feb 2006
- Research & Ideas
Corporate Values and Employee Cynicism
A values-driven organization poses unique risks for its leaders—in particular, charges of hypocrisy if the leaders make a mistake. Sandra Cha of McGill University and Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School discuss what to do when values backfire. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 20 Feb 2006
- HBS Case
Oprah: A Case Study Comes Alive
Writing a business case on the icon of daytime television and chief executive of a major media empire was challenge enough for HBS professor Nancy Koehn and colleagues. Oprah Winfrey's visit to campus to talk with graduating students made it ample reward. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 16 Jan 2006
- Research & Ideas
Adam Smith, Behavioral Economist?
Adam Smith is best known for The Wealth of Nations, but professor Nava Ashraf believes another of his works, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, presaged contemporary behavioral economics. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 21 Nov 2005
- Research & Ideas
Making Credibility Your Strongest Asset
Dealmakers often forget the power of a good reputation. In this article from Negotiation, HBS professor Michael Wheeler tells why having a storehouse of credibility will put you head and shoulders above the competition. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
How Do Managers Think?
"Uncertainty sometimes is essential for success" asserts a new book, How Doctors Think. The work of doctors raises intriguing questions about managing, says Jim Heskett, since diagnostics are an important part of managerial decision-making, too. Jim sums up nearly 60 responses from readers around the world, including practicing physicians. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.